Reducing the Risk

Do you know the background of every ministry worker the children at your church encounter?

Child sexual abuse is a very real problem in ministries today. The good news is you can protect the precious children of your church and decrease your church’s risk of a costly allegation when you implement a training program like Reducing the Risk.

Created by noted legal expert Richard Hammar, JD., LL.M., CPA, Reducing the Risk is designed to help churches train pastors, staff members, and volunteer leaders every year with ease.

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Online streaming videos and downloadable training workbooks walk participants through an effective screening and selection process, common supervision scenarios that require quick, thoughtful decisions, and tips and insights on best practices that can most effectively reduce vulnerabilities.

Instant Access to Streaming Videos

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Complete Training Resources

Leader’s Guide (PDF)

Includes sample training schedules, group discussion questions, and key points of emphasis for the training day.

Screening Forms (PDF)

Customizable screening, selection, application and reference forms help to ensure no details slip through the cracks.

Trainee Workbook (PDF)

Includes activities, discussion questions, and resources to help your leaders and volunteers.

Videos

Child Protection as the Foundation of Your Ministry

Children’s ministry director David Staal introduces churches to the problem of child sexual abuse in the church.

A Victim’s Story

The true story of a victim of clergy abuse.

Sexual Abuse in Faith Communities—an Expert Roundtable

Five experts who deal with different aspects of sexual abuse in the church.

Screening & Selection: Your First Line of Defense

Richard Hammar’s teaching session on the importance of proper screening and selection of staff and volunteers.

Screening & Selection: The Candidate (a short film)

Teaches leaders how to interview a candidate, conduct a background check, and check references.

Legal Requirements: The Church’s Responsibility to Protect Kids (with Richard Hammar)

Richard Hammar explains legal requirements for protecting children in your ministry.

Supervising Scenarios: What Would You Do?

Interactive segment teaches principles of good supervision.

Responding to an Allegation

The story of how one church handled an allegation of child sexual abuse.

Taking the Next Steps

Action steps your church can take to implement or strengthen your child-protection program.

More from ChurchLawAndTax.com

Mastering Reference Checks for Churches

Addressing 15 common questions to reduce ministry vulnerabilities.

Richard R. Hammar

The Value of References The use of references has increased significantly in recent decades as employers seek to manage their risk of liability based on “negligent selection” of workers with insufficient assessment. Perhaps the most common reason that churches use references is to minimize the…

Common Questions About Background Checks

A closer look at what is needed to effectively screen volunteers and employees who work with minors.

Samuel Ogles

Background checks can deter those with bad intentions from having quick and easy access to children, reveal crimes in a candidate’s past that would make him or her unsuitable for service, and demonstrate that the church is exercising due diligence. But many churches often have…

The Ongoing Risk of Child Sexual Abuse in Churches

Far too many churches are legally vulnerable.