How to provide help, hope and healing to sexual abuse survivors in your church Church Executive: Even now, it seems like sexual trauma incidents are treated like isolated incidents. Why? Dr. James Reeves: Sexual abuse occurs in a subterranean place. In a secret place. Most of the public is living on one level; beneath that, […]
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Church Executive: Are churches typically easy targets for fraud? Sarah Barham: Yes, because typically one person is responsible for completing all financial responsibilities from beginning to end. This means one person opens the mail to review invoices, sets up vendors in the accounting software, writes the checks, reconciles the bank accounts, and produces financial reports. […]
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Here’s how to avoid some common payroll mistakes Church Executive: Why is it important for a church to understand the differences between an employee and a contractor — and what are those differences? Sarah Barham: It’s important to understand the differences because of the employer’s tax responsibility and reporting requirements. The church will […]
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The dangers of choosing an organization-centered response By Gregory Love & Kimberlee Norris At a Christian school in West Texas, five employees were recently arrested and charged with ‘Failure to Report with Intent to Conceal’ after a teen reported he had been sexually assaulted on campus, by another student. Nine days later, four administrators from […]
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By Gregory S. Love & Kimberlee D. Norris Youth Leader Arrested for Sexual Abuse of 14-Year-Old Girl screams the frontpage headline of a major metropolitan newspaper — yet again. As detectives investigate, several other teen girls come forward with additional allegations. Parents of students in the program express hurt, anger and bewilderment: how could this […]
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By Anonymous “When I called the next day to check in, my father said that the retailer was running into issues refunding the money for the unauthorized purchase on his account. The fraud department wanted him to purchase a VISA gift card that they could load the money on to send him his refund faster. […]
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Professional advice on what’s required for volunteers versus staff For many churches, a background check is the only line of defense employed when screening volunteers and staff. Is it enough? Brian Gleason: A background check is a best practice in searching for any previous convictions since previous behavior is the best indicator of future behavior. […]
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Churches want to do all they can to keep the children in their care far from harm. Yet, these spaces are often considered “soft targets” among offenders. That’s because — despite the best intentions — gaps and missteps are prevalent in churches’ efforts to create a safe space for all. Here, two expert panelists discuss […]
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By Gregory Love & Kimberlee Norris SEXUAL ABUSE ALLEGATIONS continue to make headlines, and subsequent media coverage indicates that ministry leaders tend to be unprepared for child sexual abuse issues. Unfortunately, this lack of awareness is not unusual. Earlier articles in this series introduced topics that church leaders must understand and apply, if children are […]
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By Rodney C. James Picture a group of men and women at the ready. Hard hats, leather gloves, steel toe boots, hammers, nails, and all the tools needed to tear down, renovate or expand your church building. A beautiful scene, isn’t it? Not so fast. Let’s rewind the tape. Where are permissions needed from the […]
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