Conference Approves Safe Sanctuaries Policy Addendum on Digital Church
The Missouri Conference Mission Council recently approved an addendum (https://www.moumethodist.org/files/safe+sanctuaries/ss_addendum-best+practices+in+digital+church_updated_9_8_20.pdf) to the Conference’s Safe Sanctuaries policy for Best Practices or Preventing Abuse and Maintaining Safety and Boundaries for the Digital Church. As the pandemic has given rise to the digital church (e.g., virtual, online ministry through small groups, worship, youth ministry, etc.), local churches are thinking through standards of care, guidelines and best practices for maintaining healthy boundaries with vulnerable populations like minors during digital engagement. Many of the existing protocols and procedures for in-person ministry events should be applied to the online experience. The addendum includes more suggestions including guidance for “children’s time” and concerns related to requesting contact information from minors, particularly those under age 13 (COPPA).
For additional support around healthy boundaries with children in digital spaces, Safe Gatherings, Missouri Conference’s vendor for certifying adults to work with children, youth and vulnerable adults, has developed a New Module for Online Ministry as part of Missouri’s Safe Gatherings certification. Any new applicants will experience this module as part of certification and those who are already certified through Safe Gatherings have been sent an email encouraging them to stay informed and go through the new module. If your church hasn’t made the transition from Safe Sanctuaries to Safe Gatherings, now is the time to take advantage of the transition since the Conference is paying half of the cost to certify local church members. The Missouri Conference is committed to this program and is supplementing half the cost of the program through December 2023 (Regular price: $45). The price per applicant for the individual church program available through the Conference is $22.50.
The United Methodist Global AIDS Committee has announced plans for the “COVID-19 and HIV & AIDS” webinar on October 1 at 1 p.m. This will serve as the first in a series of webinars planned for the coming months to educate, support and advocate for those affected by HIV/AIDS. The complimentary session will be made available online through Facebook.com/UMCglobalaidsfund and archived on their website. The inaugural webinar will explore how COVID-19 is impacting the global effort to reduce HIV infections and AIDS deaths. Participants will come to better understand how global lock downs have resulted in malnutrition, missed treatments and lack of access to preventive medicine and testing. The United Methodist Global AIDS Committee – established by the 2004 General Conference of The United Methodist Church – has sought to strengthen the church’s compassionate response to those affected with HIV/AIDS by helping to stem the tide of the pandemic through education and advocacy. Subsequent free webinars will be held December 1, 2020 and February 1, April 1 and June 1 of 2021. For more information go to https://www.umc.org/en/content/inaugural-united-methodist-global-aids-committee-webinar-panelists-announced.
