Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
“Speak out on behalf of the voiceless, and for the rights of all who are vulnerable.” (Proverbs 31:8 CEB)
The above verse contains some of the words of wisdom a mother taught her son – a son who would go on to become a king (see Proverbs 31:1). More than that though, they reflect a teaching that we see throughout the Bible – that those who follow God are called to look out for those who are the most needy in society.
One of the common refrains in the Bible is to look after the needs of the widows, the orphans, and the foreigners among us (see Zech 7:10 for example). Isaiah 1:17 tells us to “learn to do good. Seek justice: help the oppressed; defend the orphan; plead for the widow” (CEB). In ancient Israel, these were the people who were most at risk in society. Women and children were not allowed to represent themselves in a legal setting, which meant that they would be unable to seek any legal redress for wrongs committed against them without help, making them easy prey for the unscrupulous.
While we like to think that we live in a fairer and more equitable society than those of past generations, there are still many who are voiceless and vulnerable in our midst. As Christians, it is important that we speak up for those who are unable to speak for themselves – that we protect those who are vulnerable from those who would cause them harm or seek to profit from them.
One of the ways that we do this as an organisation is through our safeguarding policy and procedures. These policies and procedures help ensure that we help protect the most vulnerable amongst us. These policies and procedures have been developed with the help of an outside organisation called Thirty-One:Eight that specialises in safeguarding for churches and Christian organisations. Our policies are also regularly reviewed by our Board of Trustees.
These procedures include carrying out criminal record (DBS) checks on our staff and volunteers who work with children and vulnerable adults, and seeking external advice from Thirty-One:Eight on how to best respond to a safeguarding concern and whether these concerns need to be raised with external agencies (e.g. the police).
Over the last few months, we have been looking to appoint a safeguarding contact in each congregation. This is somebody who is able to assist anyone in the congregation who wishes to raise a concern about safeguarding. In the coming weeks we plan to encourage our churches by informing them as to who the safeguarding contact is in our various congregations.
Additionally, concerns or suggestions can be taken directly to our safeguarding officers, Alexis Luckhoo and Jackie Mill. Their contact details are in the enclosed leaflet which also contains helpful contacts for external agencies. A copy of our safeguarding policy can also be obtained by emailing Alexis at info@gracecom.church or by ringing the Church office on 01858 437099.
For our safeguarding policies and procedures to be effective, we need everyone’s help. It can be easy when we have a concern to dismiss it as unimportant or assume it has already been reported, but it is important that we speak up to help ensure that our congregations and events are a safe and welcoming space for everyone.
Your brother in Christ,
Gavin Henderson
National Ministry Leader