Teaching and Modeling the Healthy Use of Power in Congregations

By Dayna Olson-Getty

YOUR CIRCLE OF GRACE
Sunlight streamed through the sanctuary windows as a group of children reached their arms high above their heads, wiggling their fingertips in the beams of light. After a pause, the children’s hands swooped toward the floor, their fingers brushing the carpet. A moment later, they stood, stretching their arms in front of their bodies as far as possible, then extending them behind their backs, each inscribing a complete circle around their body.

Abuse happens within a system of people; it is not simply between the offender and the victim. It doesn’t occur in isolation, but rather where there is community, family, and friends.

Blog post first published by Melodie Bissell, Plan to Protect in the February 2021 newsletter.

Best practices are ideal for the simple design of a program or an event. We are all aware though that when caring for the vulnerable, a program is seldom simple, rather, as we learn in the Cynefin Framework, we often find ourselves in complicated or complex situations where best practices do not fit the scenario. 

We join you in celebrating a new year—2021! Many of us have yet to know how our personal, work, and church lives will unfold in the coming months. Still, we are hopeful for some kind of normalcy. In that spirit, we offer this challenge to you and your faith community: commit to at least one of these important child protection goals this year. 

This new training video is available to you and the adult volunteers at your church for a one-time fee of $75.

To ensure that your online Sunday school classes and other activities using Zoom go as smoothly as possible, try to follow these guidelines.

1. Type of equipment:

We are so encouraged by the churches that are making plans for virtual Sunday school and other gatherings for kids through Zoom or other platforms. We know it can overwhelm teachers and coordinators, but we’re here to help!

It was the twelfth week of Zoom worship services at First Mennonite Church in Lincoln, Nebraska. The pandemic had put a stop to all in-person church activities, and the congregation was getting restless. Zoom had its many benefits: We could safely “see” each other and share in real time. We could sing (while muted) with the musicians, make announcements, and listen to the sermon. We also introduced a new element of the service called “spotlighting.” As one of our musicians played, each participant’s screen would be showcased for a few seconds. The spotlighted people would wave and smile, and we would all enjoy seeing everyone in the congregation, however briefly.