Recruiting Made Easy: 3 Ways To Build Volunteer Teams

Protecting the children and youth we love is vital within any organization. The good news is that abuse is nearly always preventable! Recently we hosted a webinar that encouraged specific policies such as “The Two Person Rule”, implementing proper check-in and check-out systems, and establishing a security team. As important as these policies are, none of them are possible without enough volunteers constantly committed and present. As a pastor who worked at a church plant for 5 years, I personally saw the challenge of recruiting enough volunteers at each needed position so that our children and youth could be safe, our volunteers stay refreshed, and our church remain on mission. Simply put, the biggest challenge to establishing safe environments at your church is probably the lack of volunteers you have. For that reason, I wanted to give a few suggestions for how you can encourage more volunteer participation.

Tell A Better Story

It has been said, “If you want to change the world, tell a better story.” More than simply meeting a temporary need, each of us want our lives to matter. Be sure to tell a story when you recruit volunteers that helps paint a picture of “what could be.” Cast vision of what the ministry hopes to accomplish in the lives of many and how anyone can help be a part of it. Share how there can be a place where children and youth feel both seen and loved. Explain how God is the Hero of every person’s story and each of us gets to be the guide that walks with others to point them to Him. Have actual life change stories ready to share and invite as many people as possible to join you in helping change the world. As writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery explained, “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.” At the start, spend less time explaining policies and procedures and help many yearn for the vast and endless possibilities at hand when we serve others, together with God. 

Find A Friend

Friends don’t let friends serve alone. As you build a healthy volunteer culture, be sure to capitalize on the fact that people will always respond to personal invitations better than invites from the stage, email, or social media. Ask your current volunteers to pray and consider who they would enjoy serving with and empower them to reach out to extend invitations regularly. Couple this “find a friend” culture with simple safety procedures so that children are kept safe as potential volunteers shadow and have a great experience. If you do, it is very possible to double your number of volunteers! Ministry Defender Solutions is passionate about offering the most thorough and cost effective background checks and automated reference checks that get back to you quickly and completely digitally. This can allow a potential volunteer to be vetted with a background check and reliable references in under a week so you can get them shadowing with a friend quickly! 

Recruit Based On Giftedness, Not Just Need

In order to help the people we care for and lead make an even greater impact, we must help them both discover their gifts and help equip them to utilize them. When we have immediate needs within a specific ministry, the temptation can be to allow that need to drive the invitation. If we are not careful, people can feel that we want something from them instead of something for them. Alternatively, we should allow the desire to see others step into their giftedness to drive us. As we become aware of peoples gifts, passions, and stories (GPS) we can then help them step into the right ministry to serve. Having cost and time effective systems and procedures in place where potential children and youth volunteers can be vetted with background checks and automated references quickly so they can “test drive” a serving opportunity is a great way to see if their gifts line up with the chance to serve. Often gifts lie dormant until they are expressed. Offering a very short term commitment with an easy onboarding process can be a great way to encourage participation in serving and allow you to partner with your volunteers to guide them towards the area of greatest impact.

Everyone at Ministry Defender Solutions is beyond appreciative for all you do to help keep your organization safe and on mission. We want to continue to equip you to serve and love. Please reach out to us at any time so we can share more about all we can offer as we partner together.

Cultivating A Healthy Volunteer Culture

At Ministry Defender Solutions we are passionate about keeping your church or organization safe and on mission. We know you share that passion too! However, the truth is you can’t do it alone. Every organization needs both well thought out policies and people willing to serve with their whole heart. Let’s spend a few minutes considering how leaders can help cultivate healthy volunteer cultures.

Expect Excellence

Culture is what a majority of people do a majority of the time. It is more caught than taught. When a volunteer shows up for the first time to serve he or she quickly picks up on the unspoken expectations placed on them. Are volunteers on time? Do they follow important policies of proper touch with youth such as giving only side hugs or high fives? Are they mentally present and engage with the people around them? As a leader we get to both model these behaviors that set culture as well as inspect and expect them from others. This means we sometimes initiate difficult conversations and repeat policies until they stick. Maintaining a high expectation of all volunteers to serve with excellence will ensure that new volunteers feel a responsibility to do the same and happily rise to the opportunity.

Develop Don’t Just Delegate

Leadership development expert Mac Lake often shares how growing leaders need both resources and coaching to go along with opportunities. Often we are quick to offer opportunities to serve and delegate tasks but neglect the proper resourcing and feedback loop needed through a coaching relationship to truly develop our volunteers so they can grow into leaders. As leaders, our goal is to not just delegate tasks to other adults so they can help us finish a task. We must activate gifts that lay dormant in the people we serve and help them grow into their calling as collaboration occurs. At Ministry Defender Solutions, we have developed The Learning Zone as a resource for you to share with every volunteer to quickly train them in child abuse prevention while inspiring them to be committed to the mission of the ministry.  Instead of using precious time on nights and weekends to train your volunteers, this on demand resource will allow your volunteers to complete an hour long training led by national experts that will get them up to speed on what is expected of them as it pertains to child safety. Now, you can use that time on nights and weekends to invest relationally with your volunteers as you are able to provide support and help them grow into leaders with influence.

Appreciate Privately and Publicly 

What your volunteers do matters and they need to hear that often! Think of creative ways to thank them privately and on a personal level. From handwritten thank you cards and small gifts at Christmas to text messages and phone calls when you hear of them going above and beyond, consistent personal tokens of appreciation reinforce just how important they are to the mission of your organization. In addition to private acts of appreciation, work with your ministry team to ensure gratitude is practiced also among the larger body. Tell inspirational stories from stage at large gatherings, give shout-outs on social media, or consider throwing a yearly appreciation event that is shared publicly so everyone knows just how much your volunteers are cherished. This culture of appreciation will be contagious and is a sure way to help keep your volunteers encouraged and inspired. 

Everyone at Ministry Defender Solutions is beyond appreciative for all you do to help keep your organization safe and on mission. We want to continue to equip you to serve and love. Please reach out to us at any time so we can share more about all we can offer as we partner together.

Combining Love and Safety in a Growing Ministry

Balancing Hospitality and Protection in a Growing Ministry

If your ministry is growing, that’s something to celebrate. More families involved means more opportunities to share the hope of the Gospel and make an eternal impact. But growth also brings new challenges—especially when it comes to keeping people safe while still creating a warm, welcoming environment. In fact, the most vulnerable organizations are those that are experiencing new growth! It’s the tension every ministry leader feels: How do we love people well without letting our guard down?

• We want volunteers to feel a sense of belonging and purpose.

• We want visitors to feel accepted and known.

• We want children to have a ton of fun.

Yet we also know that not everyone who walks through our doors has good intentions.  The very openness that makes ministry beautiful can also make it vulnerable.

The Tension Is Real

If you’ve ever felt pulled between hospitality and caution, you’re not alone. Many leaders wrestle with questions like:

• How do we assimilate new volunteers quickly while still vetting them thoroughly?

• How do we train our volunteers without paralyzing them with rules?

• How do we create a safe environment for kids while keeping ministry fun and relational?

It can feel like a constant balancing act. But here’s the truth: safety and love aren’t opposites, they’re partners. The most godly way to act is with both compassion and conviction. Creating a safe environment is one of the most loving things you can do for the people God has entrusted to your care.

Building a Culture of “Safe Love”

The key is building a culture that values both compassion to love and conviction to protect. That starts with leadership. When ministry leaders talk openly about safety, not as a burden but as a form of stewardship, it changes the tone for everyone else.

Here are a few practical ways to start:

• Perform an audit. Is your child check-in/check-out process consistent every week, or does it change depending on who’s serving? Is there ever a scenario where a child is alone with an adult that is not their parent? Periodically take time to notice if policies and procedures are being followed. Consistency builds trust and safety.

• Invest in training. Whether it be online or in person, equip your volunteers and security team to spot concerning behavior early. Prevention should always be the focus. Train everyone who serves to say something if they see policies not being kept.
  

• Communicate clearly. Parents and volunteers feel most confident when they see that your ministry takes safety seriously—and when they understand why each safety measure is in place. Create a simple, easy-to-follow process to regularly communicate the what, why, and how of safety, both for the ministry as a whole and for each specific area.
  

• Stay humble and proactive. Even healthy ministries can have blind spots. Who do you know that has ministry experience and can share life lessons with you in this area? It’s wise to invite an outside perspective to help you see what you might be missing. 

You Don’t Have to Navigate This Alone

At Ministry Defender Solutions, we exist to help ministries protect what matters most. We understand the unique challenges of balancing hospitality with safety and we’re here to help you do both well.

If you’d like to better understand your ministry’s current strengths and vulnerabilities, we’d love to offer you a free ministry safety assessment and consultation. It’s a simple, practical way to identify potential blind spots and strengthen your safety culture.

Reach out to us today at MinistryDefenderSolutions.com

Because loving people well means keeping them safe.

One Safety Policy We Recommend For Ministries: Background Checks with Arrest Alert Continuous Monitoring

When it comes to protecting your ministry and its members, one of the most effective steps you can take is implementing a robust background check policy. At Ministry Defender Solutions, we’ve seen how one carefully crafted policy can transform a ministry’s approach to safety, ensuring a secure and welcoming environment for everyone.

In this post, we’ll share why we recommend implementing a background check policy that includes arrest alert continuous monitoring for ministry volunteers, how it safeguards your congregation, and tips to get started.

Why Background Checks Matter for Ministries

Ministries are unique in their mission, serving as safe havens for worship, spiritual formation, and community. Unfortunately, these environments can also attract individuals who may seek to exploit trust. Implementing background screening for ministry volunteers serves as a first line of defense, ensuring that those who interact with children, youth, or vulnerable adults are thoroughly vetted. 

As we like to say at Ministry Defender Solutions, background checks are a great first step to help DETECT and DETER. Predator behaviors are often repeatable, and many offenders have a history that could surface during a background check. Criminal history is detected to help your ministry make an informed decision for if and where the person should serve. Checks also help deter those with ill intentions as often they don’t want to go through the background check process and self select out. 

The Key Elements of a Background Check Policy

A comprehensive ministry background check policy should include these elements:

1. Universal Screening: Every volunteer and staff member who works directly with vulnerable groups should undergo a background check. No exceptions.

2. Regular Renewals: Background checks should be updated at least every three years. For leaders and volunteers with high levels of access and influence, annual renewals should be considered. 

3. Utilize Arrest Alert Continuous Monitoring: Arrest Alert is a powerful safety solution that allows ministries to be notified within 24 hours of an arrest. This helps you immediately restrict any future access of that person to vulnerable persons as well as gives you the opportunity to connect with them immediately and lend redemptive support.  

4. Clear Guidelines for Disqualification: Define which offenses are disqualifying, such as crimes against children or violent offenses.

5. Confidentiality Protection: Ensure that sensitive information obtained through background screening is handled securely and ethically.

6. Consistent Implementation: The policy should apply to everyone, from long-time members to new volunteers, to create a culture of fairness and safety.

Creating a Culture of Safety

While a background check policy is essential, it’s not the only step your ministry should take to ensure safety. Complement this policy by:

• Training Volunteers on Appropriate Touch: Set clear expectations for physical interactions to prevent misunderstandings or inappropriate behavior.

• Monitoring and Supervision: Establish protocols for supervising volunteers, especially in children's ministries where there should never be isolation, even in bathrooms.

• Recognizing Repeatable Predator Behaviors: Educate staff and volunteers on warning signs of predatory behavior and grooming to stay vigilant.

By combining these efforts, your ministry creates a proactive approach to safety.

Getting Started with a Background Check Policy

Introducing a background screening process for ministry volunteers doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are three steps to help you get started:

1. Connect with a Trusted Partner: Ministry Defender Solutions is proud to serve over 3,500 ministries and to be the exclusive partner of Brotherhood Mutual Insurance. We would love to share how our background checks and arrest alert monitoring are not only industry leading, but also time and cost effective.  

2. Communicate the Policy to Volunteers: Be transparent about the importance of the policy and how it protects the ministry and its members as mentioned above. 

3. Make It a Standard Practice: Incorporate the background check and renewal process into your onboarding procedures for all volunteers and staff. No exceptions.

Final Thoughts

Your ministry’s mission is too important to leave safety to chance. Implementing a ministry safety policy that includes background checks with arrest alert monitoring is one of the best ways to protect your congregation, ensure child safety, and foster a culture of security and trust.

At Ministry Defender Solutions, we’re here to help you implement a background check policy tailored to your ministry’s needs. Reach out to us today to learn how we can partner with you to create a safer, stronger ministry.

Connect with us. 

Child Safety: A Cornerstone of Church Ministry

Ensuring child safety in churches is not just a priority—it’s a responsibility that every ministry must embrace. Churches are places of refuge, learning, and growth, but they must also be safeguarded against risks that can harm the most vulnerable members of their community.

At Ministry Defender Solutions, we specialize in providing solutions like background screening for church volunteers, robust safety policies, and educational tools to help ministries protect children. Here, we’ll explore actionable steps to enhance child safety in your church and foster a secure, welcoming environment for families.

Why Child Safety Matters

Children depend on adults to create environments where they can thrive spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Without proactive measures, churches may unknowingly become targets for individuals with harmful intentions.

Prioritizing child safety helps to:

1. Build Trust: Parents are more likely to engage with a ministry that demonstrates its commitment to protecting their children.

2. Prevent Harm: Clear policies and procedures reduce the risk of abuse or misconduct.

3. Fulfill Your Mission: A safe environment allows children to grow in their faith without fear.

Steps to Enhance Child Safety in Your Church

Creating a culture of safety requires a multifaceted approach. Here are the key steps to get started:

1. Screen Volunteers Thoroughly

The cornerstone of child safety is knowing who’s working with your children. Implementing background checks for church volunteers ensures that individuals with a history of inappropriate behavior are identified and excluded.

At a minimum, comprehensive background check should include:

• National sex offender registry searches.

• SSN Search

• National criminal database searches 

2. Establish a Clear Child Safety Policy

Every church should have a written policy that outlines expectations for behavior, supervision, and reporting. Your policy should include:

• Rules for appropriate interactions between adults and children.

• Mandatory reporting procedures for suspected misconduct.

• Requirements for at least two adults to be present during all child-related activities.

3. Train Your Staff and Volunteers

Providing regular training on child safety in churches ensures that staff and volunteers understand their roles in protecting children.  Check out our Child sexual abuse prevention training.  Topics should include:

• Recognizing signs of abuse.

• Preventing inappropriate behavior.

• Responding to concerns or incidents effectively.

4. Monitor and Supervise Activities

Transparency is critical in maintaining safety. Use open spaces for activities, avoid private one-on-one interactions, and have a system in place for regular supervision.

5. Utilize Technology for Safety

Implementing tools like visitor management systems can enhance security. For example, a system that scans visitor IDs and checks them against sex offender registries helps prevent predators from entering your church.

The Role of Background Screening

Partnering with Ministry Defender Solutions for background screening for church volunteers & employees is one of the most effective ways to protect your ministry. By vetting individuals before they engage with children, you reduce risks and reinforce a culture of safety.

At Ministry Defender Solutions, we make the process simple and effective. Our background checks are tailored for ministries, providing the peace of mind you need to focus on your mission.

Ongoing Commitment to Child Safety

Child safety isn’t a one-time effort—it’s an ongoing commitment. Here’s how your church can maintain a culture of safety over time:

1. Regularly Update Policies: Ensure your safety policies are current and account for new risks.

2. Continue Volunteer Education: Schedule annual training sessions to reinforce safety practices.

3. Encourage Open Communication: Create a safe space for parents, children, and volunteers to voice concerns.

Protecting Your Ministry’s Mission

When your church prioritizes child safety, you demonstrate your commitment to protecting the vulnerable and fostering an environment of trust. Families will be confident in your ability to provide a safe space for their children to grow and thrive.

At Ministry Defender Solutions, we’re here to help you take proactive steps to ensure safety in your ministry. From background screening for church volunteers to trainings on Child sexual abuse prevention & armed intruder training, we offer the tools and expertise you need to protect what matters most.

Contact us today to learn more about our solutions and how we can support your ministry’s mission of safety and care.

Resurrection Sunday Safety Tips

Scott, one of our experienced Security Consultants serving at a large, 6 campus church, recently shared some valuable safety tips we believe every church should consider this coming Resurrection Sunday.  Feel free to implement these safety tips with your staff!

• Pray

• Treat Security as a Ministry:  Being able to engage with attendees is a ministry opportunity.  Be prepared to handle a situation with care.  You don’t have to be a “Bouncer” in most cases. 

• Pre-Plan with Local Police:  I always recommend checking in with your local police and asking if they are monitoring any potential situations targeting Houses of Worship.  Having a visible police presence can serve as a deterrent. 

• Understand the Power of Hello:  Maintaining a safe environment is a team effort.  I always recommend briefings with your greeters, ushers, parking team, and Guest Services so everyone understands how to engage someone with a smile and eye contact accompanied with “Hello, how can we serve you today?”   This helps determine if you have a visitor or someone who may need greater attention. 

• See Something, Say Something:  I always recommend reminding volunteers and staff that if something doesn’t look or sound right, tell someone right away. 

• Establish a Visible but Friendly Security Presence:  A welcoming, watchful presence can deter threats and provide peace of mind. Consider plainclothes team members in the congregation as well as stationed individuals at key entrances and exits. Your goal is to be seen without being distracting.

• What is Your Disruption Plan?:   Plan in advance with staff what your disruption plan will be.  If your services are interrupted, how will you proceed?  You could have someone protesting or challenging the pastor.  Our team will politely engage while the worship team prepares to have everyone stand and sing Amazing Grace until the situation is resolved. 

• Prepare for Those That Need Extra Time:  Good Friday and Easter can be emotional services.  Some people just need a little extra time.  Many times we see ushers trying to hurry people out of the worship center so they can prepare for the next service.  I recommend having a care team that can respond if needed.  They can always go to a private area if needed but many times, someone just needs a little time to understand what our Savior did for us. 

• Prepare for Medical or Behavioral Incidents:  Have your team ready with basic first aid and a plan to discreetly handle someone experiencing a medical episode, disruptive behavior, or emotional crisis.  Holidays can bring up a lot for people, and being both compassionate and prepared is vital.

• Conduct a Pre-Service Walkthrough and Briefing:  Run a team huddle the morning of Easter to review roles, expectations, and response protocols.  Walk the campus to check exits, fire alarms, AED locations, and anything out of place. Pray together and remember, a calm, unified team makes all the difference.

• Police Presence:  We utilize plainclothes officers onsite to handle criminal and disruptive situations.  They attend our briefings and have radios to communicate with the safety team members.

• Don’t Touch Anyone!: This is important because once you touch someone, they can file assault or battery charges against you.  The only time someone should be touched is if someone fears for their safety or someone else’s.

If you and your Ministry found these safety tips helpful, please let us know!  We would love to hear if these helped out in any way possible! 

Fill out this link and let us know if you found these tips helpful!

Predator Behaviors Are Often Repeatable: Protecting Your Ministry with Effective Screening Policies

In any ministry, safeguarding your congregation should be a top priority. One critical truth often overlooked is that predator behaviors are often repeatable and look for easy access. Recognizing this pattern and taking preventative action can help protect your ministry from preventable harm.

Why Predator Behaviors Are Often Repeatable

Statistics and research on predator behavior reveal a concerning reality: many predators follow repeatable patterns to gain quick and easy access.  This is especially true for individuals who target children or vulnerable adults.

For instance:

• Grooming Behaviors: Predators often use similar strategies to build trust with their victims, such as offering special attention, gifts, or privileges to minors experiencing emotional, mental or physical distress.

• Quick Access to Vulnerable Groups: Predators may intentionally seek roles that provide access to children or vulnerable individuals, such as volunteering in youth ministries or daycare programs where they can isolate children and youth. 

• Criminal Histories: Many predators have past offenses that may surface during a background check or arrest history that can give a “whisper behavior” of concern. 

This is why background screening and regular training on sexual abuse prevention for staff and volunteers are critical in identifying and addressing potential risks.

The Role of Background Checks in Preventing Repeated Behaviors

A robust ministry background check policy is one of the most effective tools for identifying individuals with histories of inappropriate or harmful behavior. Here’s how:

1. Detecting Criminal Records: A comprehensive background check can reveal past offenses, including crimes against children or violent acts.

2. Deterring those with a Criminal History: Simply requiring a background check can be enough to deter predators from seeking further access as often they will move on to an easier target at another ministry. 

3. Arrest History: Ministry Defender Solutions has a unique ability to look at arrest history over the last decade and report on all volunteer background checks. This means you won’t be limited to court convictions to paint a better picture of a person’s past. 

Creating a Culture of Awareness

While background checks are essential, they’re just one piece of the puzzle. Creating a culture of safety within your ministry means equipping staff and volunteers with the knowledge to recognize and respond to concerning behaviors.

Here are some steps to help:

• Training Volunteers on Warning Signs: Educate your team on behaviors like excessive favoritism, isolating children, or pushing established policies and procedures. 

• Setting Clear Boundaries: Create policies that define appropriate touch, acceptable forms of verbal affirmation, and bathroom procedures. 

• Regular Policy Reviews: Update your safety protocols regularly to address emerging risks and ensure they align with current best practices. Audits to see if policies are being followed should be conducted every 6 months. 

How to Get Started

Preventing repeatable predator behaviors in your ministry starts with the right policies and vetting process. Here’s how you can take action today:

1. Implement Background Screening and Rescreening for Ministry Volunteers: Not all background checks are the same! Finding a thorough and cost effective screening and rescreening policy for all volunteers that serve children and youth as well as staff and safety team is an essential first line of defense. 

2. Develop a Comprehensive Vetting Process: Applications, interviews, and references are vital to ensure you know who is serving in your ministry. It is also a great way to get to know volunteers and staff personally while identifying their gifts and passions so they can make a bigger Kingdom Impact. 

3. Establish a Six Month Rule: Volunteers should be a part of your church family to some degree for at least 6 months before serving children and youth. Because predators want quick access to vulnerable populations, many will leave and go elsewhere when they learn quick access isn’t available.

Final Thoughts

Predator behaviors are often repeatable, but your ministry has the power to break the cycle. By implementing a proactive safety policy that includes background checks, training on grooming behaviors, and a thorough vetting practice, you can significantly reduce the risk to your congregation and ensure you are not a weak target that attracts predators with ill intentions. 

At Ministry Defender Solutions, we specialize in helping ministries like yours protect the people you love. We are committed to helping your ministry stay safe and on mission. Contact us today to learn how our background screening services and child sexual abuse prevention training can support your ministry’s mission of safety and trust.

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A Safety Policy to Upgrade for Your Ministry and Why

In today’s world, ensuring the safety and security of your ministry is more critical than ever. Every day we are hearing new reports of preventable predatory behavior in churches, schools, non-profits and camps. One area that often gets overlooked but has a significant impact is upgrading policies that govern child safety in ministries. A proactive approach can not only protect your congregation but also foster a culture of trust and accountability.

Here, we’ll discuss a vital policy to upgrade, for your ministry and why doing so is essential for safeguarding your ministry and its mission.

Why Upgrade Safety Policies? 

1. Protect the Vulnerable
   Children and other vulnerable individuals depend on the ministry to provide a safe environment. Implementing a more rigorous screening policy ensures that only trustworthy individuals are allowed to serve in roles involving close contact with vulnerable populations.

2. Prevent Repeated Offenses
   As noted in predator behaviors are often repeatable, individuals with harmful intentions often seek out environments with lax policies. Upgrading your screening process can deter predators and prevent access to your congregation.

3. Demonstrate Due Diligence
   In the event of an incident, having a robust screening policy in place demonstrates that your ministry took all reasonable steps to ensure safety. This can mitigate liability and show your commitment to protecting your congregation while also protecting the witness of the Body of Christ.

4. Build Trust with Families
   Parents are more likely to engage with a ministry that prioritizes safety. A clear, upgraded policy signals your commitment to their children’s well-being.

The Policy to Upgrade: Volunteer Vetting 

When it comes to safety, the policy you can’t afford to overlook is your volunteer vetting process. Many ministries still rely on outdated or inconsistent methods, which can leave gaps in protection. Let’s look at the most important vetting practices and find one to upgrade in your ministry today.

Key Components of an Upgraded Volunteer Vetting Policy

1. Background Checks

Comprehensive background screening for ministry volunteers should include at a minimum:

• National sex offender registry checks.

• National criminal database search.

• Social security verification with Alias and Former Name Search.

• Local County of residents criminal search.

Partnering with a trusted background screening provider ensures accuracy and compliance with legal standards while still reporting the maximum amount of legally reportable data.

2. Reference Checks

Did you know that research shows that more than 80% of sex offenders do NOT have a criminal history? In addition to background checks, incorporating thorough and accurate reference checks can provide valuable insights into a volunteer’s character and past behavior. Getting to at least 4 references and one leader at a previous child serving organization is imperative. 

3. Ongoing Monitoring

Screening shouldn’t be a one-time event. Implement ongoing criminal history checks to ensure volunteers and staff remain compliant with your safety standards. Background checks should be conducted at least every three years. Also, arrest alert continuous monitoring should be considered for some or all volunteers and staff for an even more proactive approach. 

4. Mandatory Training

Enhance your vetting policy and culture of prevention by requiring volunteers to complete training on child sexual abuse prevention that includes examples of appropriate touch, recognizing signs of abuse and grooming, and how to report those breaking policy. Online training is a great way to ensure all staff and volunteers are trained and should be supplemented with training on important policies unique to your ministry

5. Interviews and Applications

Adding a simple interview and application to learn more about your volunteers and staff is a vital part to not only ensuring child safety, but getting your leaders connected with serving opportunities that are a good fit for them. Learning more about their Gifts, Passion and Story (GPS) and investing in the relationship early is a foundational piece to volunteer care. It also allows you to gather needed information to practice informed intuition in case there are red flags discovered that should keep them from serving with children. For sample interview questions and applications, reach out to us! We’d love to share more.

How to Implement the Upgrade

1. Evaluate Your Current Policy

Identify gaps in your existing volunteer screening process and prioritize the ones of most importance. 

2. Pick One Policy to Upgrade at a time

This is about direction, not perfection. Implementing one upgrade at a time will allow a practical and enjoyable approach. 

3. Communicate the Change

Inform your congregation and volunteers about the upgraded policy, emphasizing its importance for child safety and overall ministry protection. Getting buy-in from those around you by explaining both the “why” and the “how” is always needed for long term effective change. 

4. Partner with Experts

Ministry Defender Solutions is committed to helping provide industry leading safety solutions to help resource you to meet all five policy upgrades mentioned. We want you to save time and money while staying safe. We are here to help!

Take Action Today

The time to upgrade your volunteer screening policy is now. Contact us to learn more about our comprehensive services and how we can help your ministry create a safer, more welcoming environment for all.

Let’s work together to protect what matters most—your ministry and its mission.

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The Importance of Visitor Management Systems for School Safety

In today’s world, ensuring student safety has become one of the most critical priorities for schools. While traditional security measures like surveillance cameras and security personnel are essential, they may not be enough to address the modern safety challenges faced by K-12 schools. This is where a school visitor management system comes into play. Visitor management systems are not just technological add-ons; they are transformative tools designed to safeguard students, staff, and the school community.

What is a School Visitor Management System?

A visitor management system, like SafeVisitor, is a digital solution that tracks and manages everyone who enters and exits your school premises. Whether it’s parents, volunteers, contractors, or delivery personnel, this system ensures that only authorized individuals are granted access.

Key Features of Visitor Management Systems:

1. Instant Background Screening: When visitors check in, their government-issued ID is scanned, running an immediate check against sex offender registries and other exclusion lists. This prevents predators from gaining entry.

2. Digital Visitor Logs: Unlike traditional sign-in sheets, digital logs provide a detailed, time-stamped record of all visitors. This is invaluable in emergency situations when schools need to account for everyone on the premises.

3. Customizable Screening Protocols: Schools can tailor the system to include specific requirements such as fingerprinting or signed waivers.

Why Schools Need Visitor Management Systems:

1. Enhanced Safety: The system acts as the first line of defense, keeping unauthorized individuals out of the school.

2. Building Trust: Parents, guardians, and the community will have greater confidence in a school that prioritizes safety.

3. Compliance: Many states now mandate stringent safety measures in schools, and a visitor management system helps schools stay compliant.

Implementing a visitor management system for schools isn’t just about meeting regulatory requirements; it’s about creating a secure environment where students can learn and thrive without fear. Investing in a solution like SafeVisitor is a proactive step toward achieving this goal.