For Churches
These resources will educate and assist churches in setting up proper prevention systems as well as creating environments of care for victims and survivors.
Church Assessment Rack Card
Books:
The Child Safeguarding Policy Guide for Churches & Ministries
Basyle Tchividjian and Shira M. Berkovits
On Guard: Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse at Church
Deepak Reju
Becoming a Church That Cares Well for the Abused
Brad Hambrick
A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing
Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer
Reporting Information for MD/DE:
County-specific phone numbers for reporting in Maryland
Reporting information for Delaware
Darkness To Light
Trauma-Informed Biblical Counselors in Maryland:
CentrePointe Counseling
Centrepointecounseling.org
800-491-5369
[email protected]
Trauma-Informed Counselors:
Tom Rodgerson
Carolyn Buresh
Julie Pratt
Cass Mitchell
Terry Bates
Israel Garcia
Karen Richardson
Led Life, LLC
Dr. Bergina Isbell
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/psychiatrists/bergina-brickhouse-isbell-ellicott-city-md/350151
507-533-5433
[email protected]
Trauma and PTSD
Cognitive Processing Therapy
Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Life Counseling Center
lifecounselingcenter.org
2600 Marriottsville Rd., Marriottsville, MD 21104
443-419-3884
[email protected]
Jeff McMullin
Christian Trauma Counseling
Esther Smith
christiantraumacounseling.com
443-312-2983
[email protected]
Websites:
- MinistrySafe – Use this landing page to receive a discount for MD/DE churches.
- Protect My Ministry– Use this landing page to receive a discount for MD/DE churches.
- GRACE Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment
- Safe Ministry Solutions – Use this landing page to receive a discount for MD/DE churches.
- Caring Well
- Church Cares
- Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention
- Brotherhood Mutual
- Church Mutual
- Maryland Child Advocacy Centers (for each county) – These centers provide a one-stop location for families recovering from the devastation of child abuse by providing forensically sound interviews, scheduling medical examinations, on-site therapy, and follow-up services. All of these services are provided free of charge. A great place to assist families with where to turn when abuse has occurred inside or outside of the church.
PDF downloads, including sample documents:
- Caring Well Hiring Guide
- Sexual Abuse Prevention Assessment for Churches – Church Mutual
- Dealing with Sex Offenders – This fact sheet addresses the delicate situation in which a congregation learns that a convicted sex offender has been attending its services or activities.
- Registered Sex Offenders In Ministry – Brotherhood Mutual
- Sample Response Plan for Sexual Abuse Against a Minor
- Sample Application for Volunteers and Employees
- Sample Policies and Procedure for Children’s Ministry
- Suspected Abuse Form
Child Advocacy Centers
These centers provide a one-stop location for families recovering from the devastation of child abuse by providing forensically sound interviews, scheduling medical examinations, on-site therapy, and follow-up services. All of these services are provided free of charge. A great place to assist families with where to turn when abuse has occurred inside or outside of the church.
5 Pathways to Prevention & Protection
1 - Train
2 - Screen
3 - Protect
Tom Stolle interviews Kerry Day, President and CEO of American Insurance Marketing Corporation. Kerry discusses some of the insurance requirements churches may face in regard to child sexual abuse in the church. He also answers some essential questions churches may have.
Learn more about what a child advocacy center does in this video interview with Tom Stolle and Lauren Cooper, Executive Director of Worcester County’s child advocacy center, The Cricket Center.