Take a moment to explore what this can do to help your ministry and mission, while protecting the most vulnerable in our midst.
Safe Gatherings (formerly Safe Havens)
The Pacifica Synod is committed to ensuring that we provide safe places of worship and fellowship to everyone we serve. As part of that commitment we are providing information on Safe Gatherings as a resource for you in this important area.
Safe Gatherings is an online abuse prevention program that screens and educates staff and volunteers to help prevent abuse of children, youth, and vulnerable adults in group settings. When employees and volunteers are trained to identify potential abusers, recognize the signs of abuse, and know how to handle reporting, they are better equipped to prevent abuse.
Upon successful completion of the Safe Gatherings application, background and reference checks, and online training program, each applicant will receive documentation of approval valid for three years and will have continued access to the online training program for one year.
The current price per applicant for the individual church program available through the Safe Gatherings website is $37. This includes processing of two electronic references, national criminal, county of residence 7-year background check, national and state of residence Sex Offender Registry check, and the 1.5-hour online abuse prevention and boundary awareness training. There is also an option to complete a driving record if the individual will be driving as part of their ministry. The cost for the driving record will vary depending upon the state the license was issued.
Details
Contact the Safe Gatherings team at contact@SafeGatherings.com or 888-241-8258 to provide the contact information for your church or group.
As soon as the church or group is set up within Safe Gatherings, your applicants will be able to follow the links below to begin their Safe Gatherings approval.
Click here to start the Safe Gatherings process – https://safegatherings.com/app/get-started
Click here to login to your Safe Gatherings application after you have completed your registration – https://safegatherings.com/app/login
When applicants follow the link to get started, they will need to select:
- Language Preference (English or Spanish)
- Type of Organization (Church or Faith Based Organization)
- Denomination (Lutheran)
- State where their church is located
In the next field, they will start typing any part of your organization name, ex: “Good Shepherd”, and a list will appear in a dropdown menu where they will select the organization name where they are seeking approval to serve.
Individuals can login to their account at any time to check the status of their application.
Online Training from CongregationU
CongregationU provides more than 40 online courses on practical topics relevant to your church or faith-based organization. Topics include human resources, security and safety, risk management, health and wellness, and more. Several courses are also available in Spanish.
Rooftop pricing enables your church or organization to cost-effectively train everyone in your congregation, including leaders, volunteers and members. Pricing is based on average weekly attendance. This option provides unlimited uses of each of the courses included in the rooftop package. You will also receive a 20% discount on the purchase of this package.
Set Up Account and Purchase Courses
Click here to set up an account and purchase training courses.
Contact the CongregationU team at contact@congregationu.com or (866) 862-5855 for additional information or with questions.
