One of the most impressive things about St. Luke is that it is above all a loving family with an amazing commitment to the well-being of each and every member. That commitment includes a priority for the protection and safety of all of our children.

We see in the news all too often real life reminders of the need to protect children from senseless harm. We as the St. Luke family want to take a pro-active stance to make sure that we are doing everything possible to protect our children from whatever harm that might pose a threat to them. We know that schools, churches, and youth organizations are finding it necessary to implement policies to standardize procedures for setting up a safe environment for children in their care. The church has chosen to implement the Safe Sanctuary policy that does exactly that. It was presented to the Church Council in its entirety and was approved in January of 2013. The policy is only good, however, if we are all fully aware of it and can make it a part of our practices.

Our children and youth ministries are an imperative part of our community and we must do all we can to protect them and help them grow. Throughout the year, group training sessions will be held for anyone who has not yet been Safe Sanctuary trained. Training is required for anyone who works directly with our youth or children (including but not limited to nursery volunteers, choir leaders, confirmation leaders, youth volunteers, SLY parents, Sunday School teachers, VBS leaders, etc.). We also strongly encourage all of our St. Luke Saints to take this training regardless of their involvement with our youth and children. It is a great opportunity for education regarding the issues of safety. Anyone who has not participated in this training will not be permitted to volunteer in any capacity with our youth or children until training has been completed. One on one training can be set up with Jennifer Wright, the Coordinator of Youth & Family Ministries, at any time. Please do not hesitate to call or email her to arrange this.

Thank you all so much for your cooperation as we adhere to this policy and for your commitment to making St. Luke a safer place!