plan to protect

As a denomination the Christian and Missionary Alliance has been forward thinking in the area of safety in our local churches. This is specifically seen in our ministires with Children and Youth and in the Risk Management of our building and grounds.

First, within the Children and Youth ministries, our Church Leadership has adopted an agressive screening process for all volunteers. This process requires all volunteers to: fill out an application form for the ministry they desire to serve with; to recieve a criminal record check; to provide reference checks; to comply to a personal interview by the Ministry overseers; and to receive training in appropriate conduct with minors. At first glance this may seem to be "over the top", but in a day and age where it has become hard to find safe places we have committed, as a church family, to do our part to help protect all of the children and youth who participate in our church programs. The Plan To Protect program is also not just for our children and youth, it is also in place to protect our volunteers from misunderstandings or compromise.

Secondly, the Risk Management part of Plan To Protect is about our church safety. It covers:  assessing any safety risks on our church grounds; church security (doors and windows); special training for Ushers and other volunteers for implementing church security during a service (doing a walk through the building and checking rooms that should be locked etc) or for closing up the church after the service; fire evacuation plans (this includes physical sight maps through out the church as well as a planned verbal communication plan); upgrades in our fire systems; and more.

We acknowledge that we live in a time where the damaging and tramatic event of abuse occurs. We also acknowledge that there is always the potential for an unexpected emergency, like a fire or other threat where people would need to be evacuated from the building. We want to be able to say with confidence to our children, our youth, our volunteers, our visitors, -  to everyone attending, that we are doing our due diligence to make this a safe place.

Our desire is that everyone, of every age, would be able to enter onto the church property and into church community and in a safe environment be able to focus on just experiencing God's love, acceptance and forgiveness together. We need everyone's help to do this!

If you have any questions about Plan To Protect please contact our Church Office for more information or visit the Plan To Protect Website at www.winningkidsinc.ca

- The Leadership of the Revelstoke Alliance Church