Our commitment to provide for the well-being of our children and youth.

We are called by the beliefs of our church and our covenant of baptism to participate in the nurture and guidance of all children of God. One of the Confessions of the Presbyterian Church (USA) makes it clear that we are "to love, pray for and bless (our children)...protecting and providing for them all things necessary for soul and body..." (Westminster Larger Catechism, 7.239).

One of the ways First Presbyterian Church seeks to fulfill this promise is through our Safe Sanctuaries Policy. Adopted by the Session of our church in 2003, the policy provides for:

• Screening of all adult volunteers servining in our Children's and Youth Ministry programs and training them in the intent and practical aspects of the policy.
• A variety of safeguards to minimize the potential risk of any form of child abuse within our programs.
• A Safe Sanctuaries Committee that administers this policy, assuring its implementation throughout Christian Education Ministry programs.

A copy of the complete Safe Santuaries Policy is available upon request.