About:
The Holston Conference 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 $45. This includes processing of two electronic references, a national and multi-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
When applicants follow the link to get started, they will need to select:
-Select your language preference from the drop down list,
-Select "Church or Faith-Based Organization" from the Type of Organization drop down list,
- Select "Methodist" from the Denomination drop down list,
- Select the State where their church is located,
- Search box for your organization:
- Once all of the fields are completed click the Next box and follow the prompts on screen to complete the process.
Click here to login to your Safe Gatherings application after you have completed your registration
Individuals can login to their account at any time to check the status of their application.
Do you have questions about Safe Gatherings or the process? Contact the Safe Gatherings team via email at contact@safegatherings.com or speak to a representative by calling 888.241.8258
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.
Questions:
Contact the CongregationU team at contact@congregationu.com or (866)862-5855 for additional information or with questions.