Taking Care of Our Children and Youth

As I reflect on Mother’s Day, I am reminded of our responsibility to take care of our children. How can one think of Mother’s Day without also thinking about children? Jeana and I think about the care and protection of our six young grandchildren endlessly.

Yesterday, they were with us to celebrate Mother’s Day. While watching them all together, it reminded me once again that we are always thinking of their care; whether they are inside our home, outside playing, or in their own homes. We pray daily for their care and protection. We also place various practical safeguards to ensure their safety.

When children and youth are abused

I absolutely shudder every time I hear that 25 to 33 percent of girls and 5 to 15 percent of boys will be sexually abused by the time they are 18 years of age. Sadly, most abuse is at the hands of family members or trusted family friends^[1]. Yet, too often it also happens at church.

All Christ-followers should understand that God is very serious about caring for and protecting children. Unquestionably, children are a gift from God. As they are placed into our care, we need to care for them in the highest manner, protecting them at all times.

Jesus is always pictured as one who cares for children. God’s Word says that Jesus believed that children should have direct access to Him. At the same time, he gave serious warnings to any person who would ever harm children.

Jesus would weep over the way children are treated in our culture today. Whether it is the killing of the unborn, the sexual, verbal, or physical abuse of our children and youth, or the tragedy of human trafficking, all are severe violations of children and youth, and should be recognized as evil, wrong, and sinful.

Our churches must be protective of all children and youth

At Cross Church, we have taken a proactive approach in protecting our children and youth when they are entrusted to us. Let me share with you a few ways our church cares for and protects our children:

• Cross Church requires background checks on all employees and volunteers who work with our children and youth.
• Cross Church equips our staff teams that work with children and youth, keeping them up-to-date on their responsibilities of caring for our children and youth.
• Cross Church staff and volunteers are always expected to call authorities immediately if any questionable or suspect situation occurs, as well as cooperate with those authorities.
• Cross Church responds with immediate discipline of those found guilty of child abuse.
• Cross Church ministers with compassion toward any child or youth who has ever been threatened or taken advantage of in any way.
• Cross Church trains and oversees our staff and volunteers on these and other ways to keep our children safe.

We all have a responsibility, but I believe that churches have a greater responsibility and accountability relating to caring for and protecting our children and youth.

Without any doubt, we believe in caring for and protecting our children and youth who are part of any activity at Cross Church. My prayer is always: “Lord, please give us the wisdom we need to care for and protect our children in the highest manner.”

Our church—and every church—needs to be a safe place for children.

Our Southern Baptist Convention has a role to encourage our churches to care for and protect our children and youth

I cannot speak with any level of authority about conventions or denominations other than my own. As an active part of the Southern Baptist Convention, I know this subject is always on our minds, but we must remain vigilant and recognize that not everyone is getting the message.

As recently as June 2013, the Southern Baptist Convention passed a resolution “On Sexual Abuse Of Children.” This resolution gives a brief summary of important facts, noting that there are, “1.8 million reported victims of sexual abuse by more than 750,000 child abuse perpetrators identified in the United States alone.” This is so disturbing to hear and read.

With conviction, this strong resolution was approved. Christ-followers and churches were called upon to be proactive in developing policies relating to people who work with our children and youth, as well as be reactive, when or if, there is any suspect or situation that occurs.

In our Southern Baptist Convention, we also encourage our churches to do background checks on all staff and volunteers. As well, we encourage them to review the U.S. Department of Justice sex offender database, which is linked on our sbc.net website.

Furthermore, we can and must hold up the issue. Yes, we are a convention of autonomous churches, but we need to continue to sound the alarm on national, state, and the association level, calling churches to protect children in their care.

As a Team

We must work together as a team: Parents, churches, and denominations, to do all we can to care for and protect our children and youth. We cannot do it alone. We need each other. We need to be diligent in this task.

It is fitting that a few hours with my very young grandchildren reminds me of our responsibility as family members, our responsibility as a church family, and our responsibility as a denominational family to care for and protect our children and youth.

Yours for the Great Commission,

Ronnie W. Floyd

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^[1] SBC Life Special Report, Protecting Our Children, “Silence is Not Always Golden” by Hope Graham