Hi everyone,
There is good likelihood that you need to attend a diocesan in-person Safe Church training if you are involved in a ministry at Good Shepherd. Here’s some information directly from our diocesan website:
The Bishop requires the following people to complete Safe Church training in-person:
– All clergy; All persons in the ordination process; All persons serving in field education assignments; All Lay Chaplains NOTE in-person training is mandatory the first time. Subsequent trainings can be completed in-person or online. The Bishop requires all persons seeking a Lay Eucharistic Visitor license to attend Safe Church training in-person or online before licensure.
The Bishop expects the following people to complete Safe Church training, preferably in-person and then as a renewal online after 5 years:
– All paid employees
– Administrative Assist. / Secretary
– Sexton
– Organist / Choir Director
– Christian Education Coordinator
– Camp Director
– All volunteering on a regular basis
– Sunday/Church School Teacher
– Warden
– Vestry Member
– V.B.S. Teachers & Assistants
– Camp Counselor
– Acolyte Leader
– Youth Leader
– Pastoral Visitor
– Licensed Eucharistic Visitor
– Licensed Eucharistic Minister
– Licensed Worship Leader
– Spiritual Director
– Pastoral Counselor
– Lay Chaplain
– Confirmation Sponsor
– Diocesan Standing Committee
Is that you? If you are involved in a ministry at Good Shepherd, it probably does include you. If you have any questions about any of this, please contact me.
Here are more typical questions and answers from our diocesan website:
How often does Safe Church training need to be completed?
The Bishop requires the following people to update their training every five years, either in-person or online: All clergy; Lay Eucharistic Visitors; Lay Chaplains.
The Bishop expects: all employees and volunteers (as listed above) to update their training every five years, either in-person or online.
“Establishing a requirement to complete Safe Church training as a condition of volunteering or employment is the responsibility of each parish or organization. It is highly recommended that a statement about attendance requirements be added to the written policies of each parish or organization, and then communicated to every volunteer or employee before they begin work or service.
At our February 2017 vestry meeting, the vestry affirmed that we will follow the bishop’s policies and preferences. We are encouraging all persons at Good Shepherd who fall into any of the eligible categories above to seek, to the best of his/her ability, to attend an in-person training before the end of June 2017. Contact me if this is not possible.
Good Shepherd will pay all fees for attendance. There are currently 3 in-person training options available:
1) at St. Mary the Virgin in Chappaqua:
We will be offering this training (facilitated by Reverend Claire Woodley) on Saturday, March 4th from 9:30am-3pm (lunch will be provided). Please confirm your attendance by replying to Coleen MacGreevey at cml1229@aol.com. There is a suggested contribution of $15 to help cover the cost of the facilitator, lunch and materials. Please make checks payable to “St. Mary the Virgin” with “Safe Church Training” on the memo line.
2) Manhattan (UES) (Two Consecutive Evenings): April 24 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm and April 25 @ 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Covering both Safe Guarding God’s Children & Safe Guarding God’s People. To receive credit for having attended the training, one must attend BOTH FULL SESSIONS. Registration: Registration required – to register call Erlinda Brent at 212-289-4100 x 201 or email at ebrent@holytrinity-nyc.org. Deadline for Registration is April 9, Palm Sunday. Cost: $20 at the door, cash or check to Church of the Holy Trinity.
3) at Good Shepherd in May or June 2017 by The Reverend Claire Woodley: Saturday date to be determined. Fr. Hal will share details once they are confirmed.
If you can go to one of the earlier trainings, you should go. We seek to have everyone required to attend a Safe Church training to have attended an in-person training before the end of June 2017. Don’t wait till the good Shepherd training, if you can go to an earlier one. The Good Shepherd training date may not work for you.
See me with any questions and concerns.
Thank you! And thank you for all you do to support the mission and ministry of Christ at Good Shepherd!
Faithfully,
Hal