The 2012 United Methodist Church General Conference is coming to a close. Over the last two weeks much has been prayerfully considered by the delegates. United Methodist Insurance was on site, as well, as a sponsor to answer any questions about what we do and how we do it.
If you’d like to catch up, you can catch the headlines of what has occured here.
You can follow the last two days of proceedings and worship, but accessing the live stream, too.
General Conference is only a couple of weeks away and we’ve gathered a number of resources so you can follow along. Please keep all of the delegates and attendees in your prayers.
50 Days of Prayer for Before and During General Conference
United Methodist Church General Conference Website
Follow the General Conference on Your Mobile Device
Follow the General Conference on Facebook
Thank you for attending the 3/15/12 online webinar about Crisis Communication Planning for churches. We hope that you found it informative and we look forward to hearing more from you about you have chosen to implement many of the topics we discussed.
As promised, we’ve collected a number of resources for you:
Emergency Planning for the Elderly and Disabled
Risk Management and Special Events
A few reminders from the webinar:
1) Define what a crisis might look like for your church. Explore together what types of situations, both sudden and smoldering, might impact your church and what it would mean to your ministries.
2) Recruit that communications team and keep them trained!
3) Continually monitor your online and offline channels and add to the channels as new ones are introduced. When a crisis strikes, you want to have every channel outlined, as well as who will access it and what kind of media it will accept (video, 140 characters, photos, etc.).
4) Even when there is no crisis, you should be monitoring what is being said about your church.
5) Ensure your plan is well-integrated with security and operations. All of those things will likely be impacted when a crisis strikes.
6) Keep your congregation informed about your activities – even when there is no crisis! They can be your eyes and ears. They need to know you exist and are there for them.
7) Drill. The first hour after a crisis is reported to you is the most critical. Following the steps we discussed in the webinar, drill your team on how things will happen. Practice makes perfect!
Thank you for attending and we look forward to serving you.
With VBS and other summer camp planning well under way, now is a great time for churches to evaluate their approach to special events.
A church-sponsored retreat, camp, recreational outing, work camp or other travel experience can be a memorable, educational and life-changing event for participants. Groups benefit from strengthened relationships formed and developed between people traveling together. Plans and arrangements are frequently worked out weeks and months prior to these off-site programs, with growing anticipation as the departure date nears. Every group should include in its pre-planning a risk inventory to make each outing as safe as possible. In this post, we’ll talk about adult supervision.
Children and youth outings should only occur when an adequate number of qualified adult escorts accompany the group. Always have a minimum of two adult chaperones on any trip. When children in grades 5 to 8 are involved, 1 adult should accompany every 5 to 7 children. Likewise, 1 adult for every 6 to 8 children is appropriate for trips involving youths in grades 9 to 12. Screen all adults who work with youths, including those who volunteer to escort trips. Consistent implementation of pre-trip screening procedures will reduce risk of physical or sexual abuse or misconduct propagated by adult predators. See our Ministry Protection Memos for tips on screening techniques.
When the outings or events involve families, all adults present share responsibility for supervising the children and youth. For the protection of all participants, clearly state the standards, expectations and schedules for group participation and personal behavior during the event. Independent decisions made by individuals or families may place other participants at risk when rules are nonexistent, unknown or disregarded.
Check back for others in this series, including vehicle safety and release forms.
No one wants to hear that, yet the most recent tornado outbreaks across the Midwest and Southeast illustrated how we never know what kind of crisis will arise. Only one thing is certain – eventually something will happen, whether it be man-made or natural disaster.
As a local church or ministry, you are often the center of the community, especially in times of crisis. It is the church who steps into the gap after a flood, fire or quake and helps the community to rebuild and to give it hope. Many times, however, the church isn’t prepared for a crisis. That holds particularly true when the crisis is one that originates from within the church itself.
In this informative workshop, brought to you by United Methodist Insurance, we’ll cover the basics of crisis communication planning with our special guest Lee Brogden Culberson of Professional Mojo. We’ll cover the following key items:
Identifying what is likely to disrupt your church’s activities
Creating a flow of information
Including final decision makers
Creating a Crisis Communication team (and following through)
Knowing your audiences
Creating your communication channels ahead of time
Retraining your congregation
Involving your congregation
The U.S. Supreme Court announced an opinion on January 11, 2012, in the case of Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church & School v. EEOC, et al. The question presented was whether the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution bar suits brought on behalf of ministers against their churches, claiming termination in violation of employment discrimination laws. The unanimous court resoundingly held that suits such as these are indeed barred.
Since the passage of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, our Courts of Appeals have consistently held that a “ministerial exception” exists, based on the First Amendment, that prohibits secular courts from interfering with the freedom of a religious organization to select its ministers. However, in the US Supreme Court, this precise question had not been presented. There is a long line of Supreme Court precedent, dating to Watson v. Jones, 1872, and continuing to the present, that has recognized the right of the religious organization to select its ministers, but these cases have only addressed the issue in the context of property disputes.
The unanimous opinion in the Hosanna-Tabor case is that the Religion Clauses of the First Amendment do, indeed, bar suits against religious organizations on behalf of ministers claiming wrongful termination in violation of employment discrimination laws. This opinion will have real significance for our annual conferences and local churches.
The opinion specifically allows the religious organization to define the meaning of “minister” and to make decisions regarding selection of ministers. The probable effect will be to reduce the number of complaints made to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and lawsuits initiated on behalf of ministers removed from ministry. Another consequence may be an increase in complaints made within the church’s disciplinary process.
Many annual conferences are already engaged in work to develop more thorough and effective processes for selection, supervision, and even discharge of ministers. The United States Supreme Court has recognized the church’s responsibility for ministerial leadership selection. This work is vitally important. As the concurring opinion of Justice Alito states, “A religion cannot depend on someone to be an effective advocate for its religious vision if that person’s conduct fails to live up to the religious precepts that he or she espouses.”
In order to fulfill the church’s mission, we must be careful in our selection processes and dedicated in our efforts to support the ongoing education and development of ministers filled with integrity.
The Safe Sanctuaries program, which is an important part of protecting the weakest among us, was mentioned in a recent NPR program where they were discussing the recent Penn State allegations.
If you’d like to listen to the program, you can do so here. If you’d like more information about Safe Sanctuaries, please contact Rev. Joy Melton.
Christmas, Easter, and other holidays throughout the year are times of deep religious significance and time-honored traditions. They are also times of extensive activity within the church, which requires extra attention to safety. Some hazards are unique to the Christmas season; other hazards are magnified during the holidays. Ideally, safety preparations should begin months in advance. Here are a few to get you started:
Buildings and Grounds
The exterior portion of the building and grounds should be kept in good repair at all times. Reduce tripping hazards in parking lots, sidewalks and stairs. The roof should be checked to ensure it will withstand winter weather conditions.
Christmas Trees
Natural evergreen trees and garland present significant fire hazards. When selecting a tree make sure it’s a fresh one. Freshness can be determined by examining the needles. The needles of a fresh tree will be supple and will bend in half without breaking. Color may not be an indicator of freshness, as some trees are touched up with paint to give the appearance of being fresh.
Christmas Lights
Purchase only UL (Underwriter’s Laboratories) approved lighting. Outdoor lights must be designed for outdoor use. When buying new lights, purchase only lights which can be used indoors and outdoors to prevent the Christmas season confusion. Carefully check all lights before use for frayed wires, damaged insulation, loose connections and broken or cracked sockets. Discard any lights which cannot be safely repaired. Do not connect more than three strings of lights together, unless the manufacturer instructions permit.
Other Decorations
Heating, Cooling and Ventilating
Holidays can add an extra burden to all utility systems. Utility systems equipment, which is improperly maintained, may become dangerously overtaxed. A qualified technician should service the equipment regularly.
Fire Alarm System
The presence of Christmas decorations, as well as additional people, creates an increased fire risk. Fire alarm systems should be checked regularly.
Emergency Exits
Emergency exits should be kept accessible, clearly marked, and with illuminated signs. Emergency lights should be tested to ensure they will function in the event of a power failure. During crowded services it is important that aisles and exit ways be kept clear. Ushers should know where the emergency exits are located and be trained in emergency evacuation procedures.
Taking a few common-sense steps can ensure your holiday traditions are protected and that your ministries are ready to serve. If you have questions or need more information, contact us.
Join us for a series of informative videos.
Join Chief Resource Officer Joy Melton as she shares more information about why Safe Sanctuaries is so important to your United Methodist ministries, children and elders.
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