Safe Gathering Spaces workshop

Safe Gathering Spaces: Reducing the Risk of Abuse in the Church

Sunday Evening, June 26th
7- 8:30 pm | via Zoom

Join in conversation with other leaders for the inaugural SE:aRCh event.* It's critically important for every congregation to think through how to make our churches safe spaces for the most vulnerable among us. You may already follow good practices, but are they written down? Are you confident they are up to date? We'll go over the specifics of what should be included in an effective policy, and we'll explore what to do when real-life examples make it hard to follow best practices. Learn from our resident expert at Crossways Camping Ministries who practice this every day!

As the Executive Director of Crossways Camping Ministries, our presenter, Sharon Cook does more than make s’mores and play guitar (though she can be seen doing both). She has eight years of experience in professional camping ministry, but started with 10 years as a United Methodist pastor serving congregations in Wisconsin. She also spent five years helping United Methodist congregations in Wisconsin develop Safe Sanctuaries policies, and is an experienced and lively trainer.

* What is SE:aRch? (It's an acronym!)
Sunday Evenings: a Recharge for the Church

One of the clear pieces of feedback received in synod assembly evaluations was that the workshops were great and that more time was needed to process the valuable content. Thus, SE:aRch! was born. We're kicking off this monthly continuing ed series with one of the most timely workshops presented and encourage lay leaders, staff, church members, faith formation team members, and clergy to attend. Each month you can expect an encore of a synod assembly workshop or a host to engage us in other meaningful and timely conversations. This resource is free but registration is requested to receive the zoom link.

Learn more at www.ecsw.org!