Mendham United Methodist Church
10 E. Main St.

St. Mark's Episcopal Church
9 E. Main St.

Joint Church School

Joining hands and hearts in the spirit of Christian unity

through study, celebration, friendship and outreach.

We are the Church together, and together we can inspire our children to embrace

the lessons of God’s love and peace.

Safe Sanctuaries Policy:

Reducing the Risk of Child Abuse and Endangerment

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” (Mark 10:14) “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.  If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, 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: 5-7)

The Mendham UMC /St. Mark’s Episcopal Joint Church School seeks to welcome children and youth into a safe and nurturing environment in the name of Christ.   We affirm that “All children have a basic need and right to know that they are loved infinitely by God and that God seeks for them a life of joy, hope, and meaning.   We pray that our church school will be a secure place where children and youth may discover God’s love and grow strong knowing their own “identity and worth as both recipients and means of God’s grace.” (Quotations from: “A Church for All God’s Children,” Children and Poverty: An Episcopal Initiative of the Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church, 1996-2004)

Committed to the physical safety and spiritual growth of all of our children and youth, we will:

· Implement reasonable safety measures in the selection and recruitment of church school workers.  Church school and child-care workers shall be well known to our church communities and shall be screened prior to working with children.

· Abide by the “Two-Adult” Rule.  Two adults will be present at all times.   At least one adult must be over the age of 18, and adults should be at least 5 years older than the oldest youth.

· Educate church school and child-care workers and families about abuse prevention.  Teachers will receive training on the topic of child-abuse prevention through the Episcopal Diocese and/or the UMC District.

· Provide appropriate equipment and supervision for the setting and activity planned.

· Provide advance notice to parents.  Parents will receive advance notice regarding the event(s) in which their children will be participating.  Before the event, parents must give written permission for their child’s participation for field trips and other special activities.

· Insure proper registration of students.  We receive registration information for each child which includes information about allergies and other health concerns. 

· Provide guidelines for responding to allegations of abuse.  All church personnel are aware of New Jersey law requiring that any person having reasonable cause to believe that a child has been subjected to abuse or neglect must report it immediately to the division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) at 1-877-NJ ABUSE.  Questions and concerns regarding allegations of abuse should be directed to the pastors or the Church School Coordinators. 

In all of our ministries with children and youth, the Mendham UMC/ St. Mark’s Episcopal Joint Church School is committed to demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ.  For each young person we pray, “Strengthen this child, O Lord, with your presence, enfold this child in the arms of your mercy, and keep this child safe for ever.”  (Baptismal Prayer, The Book of Common Prayer, p. 414)