“Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes a child . . . welcomes me.” (Matthew 18:5).
Children are our present and our future, our hope, our teachers, our inspiration. They are full participants in the life of the church and in the realm of God.
Jesus also said, “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones . . . it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea.” (Matthew 18:6).
Our Christian faith calls us to ensure both hospitality and protection to the little ones, the children. Children must be protected from economic, physical and sexual exploitation, and abuse.
God calls us to make our churches safe places, protecting children and other vulnerable persons from sexual abuse. God calls us to create communities of faith where children and adults grow safe and strong. Thus, we adopt this policy for the prevention of child abuse in our church.
PURPOSE: It is the purpose and intent of Second Avenue Baptist Church to provide a safe, secure environment in which to teach and care for the children of our church and community.
GOAL: Our goal is to protect children from any form of abuse by employees or volunteers in this church and to protect employees and volunteers from false accusations.