As a community, New Song Church is committed to protecting the vulnerable, caring for survivors, and holding abusers accountable. These commitments are a reflection of God’s priority to be a place of safety for the abused (Psalm 9:9, 12). Abuse is a particularly grievous sin (and often a crime), when someone holding power and trust violates or exploits someone who is often powerless to stop it. Abuse in all its forms is almost always perpetrated by someone known to the victim. All of us have a responsibility to uphold this policy as an expression of living out our Christian faith.
Definition of Abuse, Neglect, or Exploitation
For the purposes of this policy, abuse, neglect, or exploitation includes but is not limited to:
- Child: Any person under 18 years of age.
- Abuse: Includes physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect.
- Mandated Reporter: Anyone at New Song (staff, volunteers, attenders) are mandatory reporters.
- Physical Harm: Inflicting injury by non-accidental means, resulting in death, disfigurement, bruising, or impairment of physical or emotional health.
- Risk of Harm: Creating a substantial risk to a child’s or vulnerable adult‘s bodily function or development.
- Sexual Misconduct: Committing or permitting any sexual offense against a child or vulnerable adult, as defined by law.
- Cruelty or Inhumanity: Acts that cause pain or mental suffering, including extreme discipline that disregards a child’s well-being.
- Assault or Mistreatment: Any criminal mistreatment or assault as defined by the criminal code.
- Neglect: Failing to provide essential needs such as food, shelter, clothing, supervision, or medical care.
- Endangerment: Actions or omissions that result in injury or pose a substantial risk to a child’s or vulnerable adult‘s physical or mental health.
- Failure to Prevent Harm: Not taking reasonable steps to prevent any of the above actions.
This policy applies to:
- All staff (full or part time)
- All volunteers
- Anyone attending or visiting New Song Church
Prevention Measures for children/vulnerable adults
-
- Screening & Background Checks: All staff and volunteers working with children or vulnerable adults must undergo background checks and reference verification upon hire/onboarding and then every 24 months thereafter. (see Background Checks SOP)
- Training: Annual training on recognizing abuse and understanding grooming and patterns of behavior and reporting procedures will be required of all staff and volunteers in our children/youth ministries and open to all other attenders.
- Two-Adult Rule: At least two adults must be present in a room with children at any given time.
- Open-Door Policy: Activities will occur in spaces with visibility (windows, Dutch doors).
- Meetings: No private meetings in isolated areas (even with parent permission!) No 1:1 outside of the church – this includes field trips, car rides, going for coffee etc.
- Touching: All touch must be welcomed and appropriate.
- Restrooms: Only a parent or guardian will assist in the restroom.
- Diapers: Only a parent or guardian will change diapers.
- Words: Use words that show respect. Never use words that threaten, belittle, shame, or sexualize (including sexual jokes/stories etc.).
- Extra Visibility: Whenever a pastor, staff, leader or volunteer has spiritual authority, supervisory responsibility, or overlapping roles with someone, we require increased visibility and accountability and transparency to safeguard everyone involved.
- Policies: Cannot be shaped to avoid accountability.
Reporting Procedures
- Immediate Action: Everyone is empowered to speak up when they see:
- suspicious or protentional abuse
- a policy or boundary violation
- a concerning person or situation
- Disclosure of abuse must be reported immediately to the following:
- Any staff member, pastor or elder
If a child or vulnerable adult is in danger, contact local authorities immediately.
- Mandatory Reporting: At New Song church, regardless of our local laws, we have an ethical obligation to report suspected child or vulnerable adult abuse/neglect to CPS and law enforcement.
- Staff and volunteers must not attempt to assess the mental state of the alleged perpetrator or interview the child – we are not investigators
- When there is knowledge of, or reasonable cause to believe, that a child or vulnerable adult has been abused or exploited—especially by another staff member, volunteer, or adult—we must report as follows:
- First to the DCYF (Department of Children, Youth & Families) Intake Line 866-829-2153
- Immediately to Law Enforcement if you witnessed the crime
- Leadership (Pastors and/or Elders)
- Pastors and/or Elders will then review the written report by the mandatory reporter and follow up with:
- Ensuring the victim has what they need to feel safe and supported – how can we help them?
- Pastors will contact their insurance company to ensure all proper steps have been taken for all internal reports of abuse.
- Reports are kept confidential, shared only with those who need to know in order to protect the victim.
Response Plan
- Support for Victims: Provide pastoral care, counseling referrals to professionals as needed, spiritual and material support as needed.
- Cooperation with Authorities: Fully cooperate with investigations by child protection agencies or law enforcement.
- Suspension of Person(s): Any staff, volunteer or attender who is the subject of a substantiated allegation will be suspended from their ministry responsibilities. Staff will be placed on paid leave.
- Reinstatement/Release: Depending on the outcome of investigation, reinstatement and/or release of accused will be determined by the board of elders, or parties delegated by them.
- Communication: The church will communicate responsibly with the congregation after law enforcement has finished their investigation and charges/arrest have been made – while protecting privacy and integrity of the process.
Accountability & Review
- Annual Review: Policy reviewed annually by church leadership.
- Incident Review: After any incident, procedures will be evaluated for effectiveness.
- Continuous Improvement: Training and safeguards updated as needed.
Commitment Statement
New Song Church is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all children and vulnerable adults. We will maintain a secure, nurturing environment that supports their spiritual, emotional, and physical growth. We also commit to provide training and resources for all adults in our church community so that our shared culture of safeguarding our children and vulnerable adults is clearly understood, consistently practiced, and actively upheld.
Documentation & Investigation
- All reports of abuse must be documented thoroughly, including:
- Date and time
- Names of individuals involved
- Description of the incident
- Any witnesses
What do I do when someone tells me about a possible abuse situation that they heard about?
When concerns come to you secondhand—meaning you did not personally see or hear the disclosure from the child—encourage the individual reporting to you to file a report with CPS directly. Document the details of your conversation for your record, and follow up with them to ensure the report has been made. Consider how you can support the reporter, the family, and the child throughout the process.
rev.4-14-26
