OUR SAFE CHURCH PROGRAM
(updated 11/6/05)

In the late 1990s, we sent Karlene Archambeault and Jay Miceli to a Safe Church workshop by the Connecticut Conference U.C.C. to explore the feasibility of bringing it here, as our insurance company had strongly recommended.  They came back excited!  Our Church Council then created a Safe Church Committee of a member from each of 5 committees (Deacons, Music, C.E., Trustees and VGNS), as well as 2 members-at-large.  Our Safe Church Director, Carole Lantz, was appointed when she began working as our Assistant Director of Christian Education.  Our Safe Church Committee's work encompasses many areas from physical safety in our church building, i.e. first aid kits, our AED, evacuation routes, CPR training, etc. to writing a Safe Church policy.  They also provide Safe Church training for all paid staff, Church School teachers, nursery care providers, youth advisors, trip chaperones, and all the members of Deacons, C.E. Committee and Safe Church Committee.  Finally, the Safe Church Committee does background checks for sexual misconduct on staff members and all who may work one-on-one with children and youth, as well as driving background checks on those who drive our children and youth.  We invite the entire congregation to come to a Safe Church training session and check out what we are doing for our kids.