AWESOME, Keith. I don’t know if you personally do the writing, or if you have “helpers.” But your writing skills are EXCELLENT. I love the organization of information and numbering-style to make it easier to read. I rarely find errors, and they are always minor. Bravo, sir.
ABOUT ME: I was involved in “classified projects” under governmen…
AWESOME, Keith. I don’t know if you personally do the writing, or if you have “helpers.” But your writing skills are EXCELLENT. I love the organization of information and numbering-style to make it easier to read. I rarely find errors, and they are always minor. Bravo, sir.
ABOUT ME: I was involved in “classified projects” under government control for approximately 25 years, and finished my career in over 30 years in the legal field (part of those times overlapped). I was in charge of obtaining background checks for employees and storing/ maintaining classified records for 5 of those years (it was stressful 🤷🏻♂️). Now you know how important I am 😂
Okay, to ALL about this valuable article.
1. In the introduction, Keith stated to perform background checks on ALL volunteers. Do not skip anyone! From janitorial services through the Senior Pastor. ANYONE paid and ANYONE volunteering..all means all.
And, Keith mentioned this is an “essential step” in protecting the church (kids are your main concern). It’s a STEP. Don’t drop your guard just because you have this system in place. So I continue to encourage a policy that you must be a member for 1 year before working with minors. I know it sounds harsh, but it really does make some predators just go somewhere else…most want to get started right away.
2. Under the heading “Confidential,” (see also paragraphs “Legal and Ethical Considerations…Checks” and “Secure Storage”): I can not stress enough how important it is to take this one seriously. I would highly recommend finding someone who has experience in this area. Locked file cabinets are about as secure as wrapping it with kite twine and tying it with a bow. And we all know how fun it is to be notified that our data has been compromised at a company, and that usually only involves our current address and some financial data. If someone gets your background check info, “becoming you” through identity theft is now a walk in the park. I’ve been background checked too many times to count, and I still worry about who has my data how it’s being handled.
NOTE: Be smart; be inventive: I had one job where the company would only give me a plain-old-4-drawer-run of-the-mill file cabinet. The lock on these are a joke. So, I labeled the drawers with titles like, “University Policies on Grounds Maintenance.” Hardly something anyone cared about. It was really hard copies of background applications.
3. Under “Submit Information,” Keith lists previous addresses as part of the required information. True! But, if you’re like me and spent 8 years (or more) in the military, or maybe you just like to change houses a lot, you may not have a clue as to past addresses. Just be honest and come as close as possible. I was stationed on Coronado Island, CA for 3 months and lived off base. I just list the dates, as close as possible, and Coronado Island, CA as my address. I’ve never been denied a clearance/background check on lack of perfect addresses. TIP: If possible, keep a copy of yours for future reference/the next time.
3. Under “Volunteers,” Keith mentions being “fair” about approving people who may have some type of offenses on their record. I’m a huge believer in second chances. We’re all getting one through the shed blood of Jesus(Amen?). So be a blessing, not a roadblock. However, (😁) don’t be naive. Think it through, seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and don’t be overly enthusiastic about getting a new worker. Slow is good. If a person had anger management issues, there’s nothing wrong with being honest and saying, “really glad to have you on board; let’s start in this ministry-_______ , rather than with teens, because they even push my hot-buttons. Then we can move forward together.” If they get mad and are adamant about, “I work with the teens or not at all,” then you’ll know there’s still an anger management issue. Honesty is tough, but most people respect it.
4. NOTE TO KEITH: This was a long, but valuable article. Just a suggestion: Cut it off at the “Best Practices for Safeguarding Your Ministry.” While that part is also valuable, it is really a separate subject from background checks. It could easily be a standalone article/subject. It did contain some references to background checks, but they were probably covered in the main body of the article. It has been my experience that the majority of people won’t read long articles all the way through, at least not thoroughly. You’re probably an exception. Again, awesome work and very much needed. The devil’s in the details; you’re helping keep the devil at bay.
AWESOME, Keith. I don’t know if you personally do the writing, or if you have “helpers.” But your writing skills are EXCELLENT. I love the organization of information and numbering-style to make it easier to read. I rarely find errors, and they are always minor. Bravo, sir.
ABOUT ME: I was involved in “classified projects” under government control for approximately 25 years, and finished my career in over 30 years in the legal field (part of those times overlapped). I was in charge of obtaining background checks for employees and storing/ maintaining classified records for 5 of those years (it was stressful 🤷🏻♂️). Now you know how important I am 😂
Okay, to ALL about this valuable article.
1. In the introduction, Keith stated to perform background checks on ALL volunteers. Do not skip anyone! From janitorial services through the Senior Pastor. ANYONE paid and ANYONE volunteering..all means all.
And, Keith mentioned this is an “essential step” in protecting the church (kids are your main concern). It’s a STEP. Don’t drop your guard just because you have this system in place. So I continue to encourage a policy that you must be a member for 1 year before working with minors. I know it sounds harsh, but it really does make some predators just go somewhere else…most want to get started right away.
2. Under the heading “Confidential,” (see also paragraphs “Legal and Ethical Considerations…Checks” and “Secure Storage”): I can not stress enough how important it is to take this one seriously. I would highly recommend finding someone who has experience in this area. Locked file cabinets are about as secure as wrapping it with kite twine and tying it with a bow. And we all know how fun it is to be notified that our data has been compromised at a company, and that usually only involves our current address and some financial data. If someone gets your background check info, “becoming you” through identity theft is now a walk in the park. I’ve been background checked too many times to count, and I still worry about who has my data how it’s being handled.
NOTE: Be smart; be inventive: I had one job where the company would only give me a plain-old-4-drawer-run of-the-mill file cabinet. The lock on these are a joke. So, I labeled the drawers with titles like, “University Policies on Grounds Maintenance.” Hardly something anyone cared about. It was really hard copies of background applications.
3. Under “Submit Information,” Keith lists previous addresses as part of the required information. True! But, if you’re like me and spent 8 years (or more) in the military, or maybe you just like to change houses a lot, you may not have a clue as to past addresses. Just be honest and come as close as possible. I was stationed on Coronado Island, CA for 3 months and lived off base. I just list the dates, as close as possible, and Coronado Island, CA as my address. I’ve never been denied a clearance/background check on lack of perfect addresses. TIP: If possible, keep a copy of yours for future reference/the next time.
3. Under “Volunteers,” Keith mentions being “fair” about approving people who may have some type of offenses on their record. I’m a huge believer in second chances. We’re all getting one through the shed blood of Jesus(Amen?). So be a blessing, not a roadblock. However, (😁) don’t be naive. Think it through, seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and don’t be overly enthusiastic about getting a new worker. Slow is good. If a person had anger management issues, there’s nothing wrong with being honest and saying, “really glad to have you on board; let’s start in this ministry-_______ , rather than with teens, because they even push my hot-buttons. Then we can move forward together.” If they get mad and are adamant about, “I work with the teens or not at all,” then you’ll know there’s still an anger management issue. Honesty is tough, but most people respect it.
4. NOTE TO KEITH: This was a long, but valuable article. Just a suggestion: Cut it off at the “Best Practices for Safeguarding Your Ministry.” While that part is also valuable, it is really a separate subject from background checks. It could easily be a standalone article/subject. It did contain some references to background checks, but they were probably covered in the main body of the article. It has been my experience that the majority of people won’t read long articles all the way through, at least not thoroughly. You’re probably an exception. Again, awesome work and very much needed. The devil’s in the details; you’re helping keep the devil at bay.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU DO!
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