The Student and Family Leadership Networks will be hosting a special safeguarding call on Wednesday, November 19 at 10am CT, entitled “Leading Safe Churches.”
This workshop will equip ministry leaders with practical ideas to further a culture of protection within their church and area of ministry, rooted in Christian Faith, rather than institutional preservation. Through interactive scenarios, leaders will learn about implementing safeguarding best practices, including policies that are both accessible and effective. The session will include Q & A and will address practical issues in prevention including ministry programming and safety on student trips.
This session will be conducted by Mike Sloan (M.Div.). Mike is the Director of Safeguarding at GRACE. He is a former pastor, who has worked for 15 years to see reform on abuse policy and culture relating to abuse within churches. Mike helped develop and now leads GRACE’s Safeguarding Initiative, which is focused on creating cultures that keep people safe from all forms of abuse. As the leader of GRACE’s Safeguarding Team, Mike and his colleagues train faith-based leaders and congregations in abuse education, dynamics of abuse within faith communities, and best practices in prevention and response. Mike consults with churches on policies, conducting written reviews and developing new policies in cooperation with organizations. Mike also consults regularly with faith-based organizations on abuse cases including reporting and response issues, responding to sexual offenders in the church, and trauma-informed care.
