Safe Church Policy

First Congregational United Church of Christ, Grand Marais

submitted to the Church board January 2012, updated March 2025.

The pronouncement of the United Church of Christ General Synod Eighteen on Sexual Harassment and Abuse in the Church makes the following theological affirmation:

As Christians, we believe all creation is precious to God. We believe that as persons created in the image of God, women and men are equal. Through our baptism, we are called to be co—creators with God of a world where justice, peace and mercy are to be enjoyed by all… We find in scripture a vision of beloved community, the hallmarks of which are protected for the vulnerable, hope for the oppressed, and love and respect among all of God’s people, weak and strong. It is a community in which ultimately “mourning and crying and pain will be no more.” (Revelation 21:4) The scripture calls all within the church to “let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good... to do acts of mercy, to extend hospitality which assures safety and mutual respect.” (Romans 12:9ff)

I. General Background

The members of the First Congregational United Church of Christ, Grand Marais are committed to creating and maintaining a worship and work community in which members, friends, staff, and volunteers can worship and work together in an atmosphere free of all forms of discrimination, harassment, exploitation, or intimidation.  Our goal is to pursue love, safety, peace, and security for all who participate in our programs, wherever held, and those who use our facilities.

To that end, the members of the First Congregational UCC have adopted this Safe Church Policy to provide guidelines to ensure a secure and nurturing environment in which infants, children, youth, and adults can learn about, experience, and share God's love.  We recognize that we are morally responsible for providing the highest quality and safest care possible in all areas of our ministry programs.  Furthermore, we know that the expectations of accountability among persons seeking employment, volunteers, church members, and all those involved in the ministries of our church require honesty, integrity, and truthfulness for the health of all persons and relationships.