Classis Abuse Response Team

Report to Classis Hamilton

January, 2007

Dear Classis Delegates,

Abuse Awareness

February 25, ’07 is Abuse Awareness when the church recognizes that all forms of abuse affect their members individually or corporately as the body of Christ. This year's theme is education. We encourage each pastor to acknowledge this theme or a message relating to a form of abuse on or near the above date.

On this theme of education, in November, two of your Safe Church Team members met with a Free Reformed Church council and a Reformed Church congregation to discuss abuse issues and child safety policies. These churches from other denominations are now struggling with implementing abuse prevention/child safety policies and have asked us for assistance.

One way that pastors can promote education is through the purchase of several inexpensive, easy-to-read booklets about abuse prevention.  These can be ordered through the Abuse Prevention Office (616-224-0735). You can order these materials for the church library; place brochures in the pamphlet rack; keep some available in your office as resources; and offer them to elders when they call on individuals who are hurting from abuse-related issues. There is a list of booklets available at www.crcna.org/abuse and follow the resource links. 

Each pastor is asked to contact the Deacons and remind them to schedule an offering for the office of Abuse Prevention on February 25.  Synod recommends to the churches one offering per year for Abuse Prevention.

Thank you in advance for your support of Abuse Prevention.

Advocate Training

Bette Vander Giessen, one of our Safe Church Team members, attended the Advocate training workshops in Grand Rapids on November 17-18 on the campus of Calvin College. We now have someone in Classis Hamilton who is trained in the advocacy role and familiar with the Panel Hearing process.

Safe Church Team Pamphlets

The Office of Abuse Prevention has just published three new pamphlets and a poster. They are:

1.  “The Advisory Panel Process — what a church member should know.”  We have ordered enough to give one to each church member in classis (one per mailbox).

2.  The Advisory Panel Process — what the accused and accuser need to know.” We have ordered one for each council member in classis.

3.  The Advisory Panel Process — procedures for handling abuse allegations against a church leader.” We have ordered one for each council member in classis.

4.  A triangular shaped eye catching poster to post on the church bulletin board indicating our three areas of responsibility — Education, Support and Panel. We have ordered one for each church in classis.

If we receive these in time, they will be distributed at this January Classis meeting.

We as a team continue to covet your prayers for our work.

In His Service,

John Gilson, Chairperson,
Classis Hamilton Abuse Response Team
classishamilton@bfree.on.ca