Safe Haven

TRAINING FOR ADULTS WORKING WITH CHILDREN AND YOUTH

We care about children and vulnerable adults and the people who work with them. It is the goal of Holy Spirit Lutheran Church to provide a warm, friendly, and safe environment in which we can nurture the faith development of everyone we encounter.

To honor each person in this community, we must be ever vigilant and intentional in making our faith communities safe. Our congregation cannot ignore this reality. In God’s love, we must respond with direct, positive, and preventative actions to build and sustain our congregation as a Safe Haven – a safe place for all children, youth, and adults.

In creating a Safe Haven, Holy Spirit Lutheran Church includes:

  • A screening process to assure that all persons working with children and/or vulnerable adults can provide a healthy and safe place.

  • A training component to build awareness and provide skills which help us be sensitive and alert to abusive situations and an appropriate loving response.

  • An expectation that all those who provide care for those under 18 and vulnerable adults will undergo training once every three years.

In a Safe Haven community, the adults who lead, teach, and care are protected, trained, equipped, blessed, and serve with the power of the Holy Spirit. As Luther explains in the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed, “just as he calls, gathers, enlightens, and makes holy the whole Christian church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one common, true faith.”

All adults working with our children and youth programs need to attend the training once every three years. Safe Haven training is conducted throughout the year so all have a chance to attend prior to working with our Children and Youth programs.

Next Safe Haven Training opportunities:

  • Monday, January 13 at 6:00 pm (via Zoom)

  • Tuesday, June 17 at 7:30 pm (in person)

 

Once you register, please submit the following online forms…

All volunteers must complete a background check every year. Please complete and submit the criminal background check form.

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First-time volunteers must complete and submit the volunteer application online form.

Previous volunteers must complete and submit the renewal application online form.

 

ONLINE REPORTING FORMS

Current Volunteers, if you need them, you may download the Two Adult Exception Report the Incident Report and return them to the church office.

Department of Motor Vehicles Check

Holy Spirit runs a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) check on any person who drives church vehicles or their personal vehicle for an HSLC-sponsored event. This is done in order to maintain our insurance coverage. If you plan to drive for any event, you will need to fill out the DMV Check Form via the button below, plus send a copy of your driver’s license and proof of insurance (if you plan to drive your personal vehicle) to the church office (via e-mail at office@hslckirkland.org or in-person/snail mail at 10021 NE 124th St., Kirkland, WA 98034).