God calls us to make our churches safe places, to create communities of faith where children and adults grow safe and strong. Safe Sanctuaries is the movement and initiative to fulfill this call upon us, to ensure our sanctuaries, classrooms, mission encounters, camps, and retreats – and all spaces where we gather to worship and serve God – are places of trust where children, youth, and vulnerable adults may experience the abiding love of God and fellowship within the community of faith.
Since 2007, churches in the South Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church have sought to provide and implement formal Safe Sanctuary policies. As part of this commitment, Trinity requires all persons who supervise activities involving children, youth, and/or vulnerable adults to be aware of our Safe Sanctuary policies, undergo regular background screening, read and agree to our Participant Covenant, take part in training and education, and abide by our Safe Sanctuary policy at all times.
If you are interested in volunteering in a Trinity UMC ministry that works with children, youth, and/or vulnerable adults, you will need to take several steps to become Safe Sanctuary Certified. Below is a list of ministry areas and the Staff or Program Director who can assist you in the certification process.
- Children (ages 0-5th grade) - Shawn McClure
- Youth (6th-12th grade) - Shawn McClure
- Missions & Outreach - Rev. Michelle Cockcroft
- Congregational Care - Elsie Wright
- Music & Arts - Ben Chumley
- Church Staff - Kathryn Price
- Trinity Children's Center - Mel Rayner
- Other - Rev. Michelle Cockcroft
Steps to Become Safe Sanctuary Certified
- Speak with a member of clergy, program staff, or our Safe Sanctuary Coordinator to discuss the many ways your gifts can be used in ministry with children, youth, and/or vulnerable adults.
- Complete a Safe Sanctuary Application.
- Thoroughly and carefully read Trinity's Safe Sanctuary Policy and complete the Participant Covenant form.
- Upon receipt of both your Application and Participant Covenant, you will receive an email invitation from our outside screening partner, Trak-1 Technologies, with a secure link to submit your authorization for a criminal background check, personal reference review, and optional driving record check. Please have the following on hand to complete this electronic invitation:
- Social Security Number
- Names & email addresses of three non-related personal character references (if you have been associated with Trinity UMC for less than six months, two of these references must be Trinity members)
- Driver's License number (if applying to be an approved driver)
- Attend a Safe Sanctuary training session. These are scheduled at least annually and as needed throughout the year. Training may be in a group setting, one-on-one, or online. Options for training may be arranged with Trinity's Safe Sanctuary Coordinator.
Steps to Maintain or Renew your Safe Sanctuary Certification
- Carefully read our current Safe Sanctuary Policy and sign Trinity's Participant Covenant Statement.
- Authorize an updated background screening (required every three years).
- Additional training may be required to address policy updates since your last certification. More information will be provided when your updated Covenant Statement is submitted.
For Our Community Partners
If you are an agency or community partner that wants to either work with Trinity UMC children, youth, and/or vulnerable adults or host your own program at our facilities, please follow the steps below. We appreciate your commitment to provide a community of care with us.
If your event involves supervision of children, youth, and/or vulnerable adults by anyone other than a parent or legal guardian, at least two attendees must be Safe Sanctuary approved. Names of these approved supervisors will be required on your Facilities Reservation form. Please contact our Safe Sanctuary Coordinator or Office Administrator to access a current list of approved supervisors. You and/or representatives of your organization may also apply for Safe Sanctuary approval; please see the steps above.
Forms
Trinity United Methodist Church Safe Sanctuary Policy (updated 5/2/2023)
Safe Sanctuary Application (online) Safe Sanctuary Application (PDF)
Participant Covenant Form (online)
Participant Covenant Form (PDF)
To view the list of current approved supervisors and drivers, please request a password from our Safe Sanctuary Coordinator (SafeSanctuary@TrinitySpartanburg.org) or our Office Administrator (office@TrinitySpartanburg.org).
Approved Supervisors & Drivers (password-protected)
To report an incident of abuse or Safe Sanctuary policy violation, please print and complete the following form. Refer to Section IV of Trinity's Safe Sanctuary policy (Response by Church Workers to Allegations of Abuse) for reporting requirements.
Training
Currently, Safe Sanctuary training is only available in person, either in a group setting or one-on-one. In late June 2023, an online training module will be available here.
