You might be thinking, "nothing bad has ever happened at my church! Why do we need to establish policies and guidelines involving reducing the risk of child/youth abuse at my church?" And the United Methodist Church’s response is because we do not want anything bad to ever happen at your church. One way you can help this to be true is by being prepared and having a plan.Read full story

Each month, we present true-to-life scenarios that occur regularly in our congregations. Read the story and select the most appropriate response.

Empty Classroom

Mary is an active member of Asbury United Methodist Church, a small congregation in a small town. When she took her seven-year old daughter Denise to her church school classroom, they found it empty. The teacher wasn’t there. Mary leaves Denise there and goes in search of the teacher. You walk by the room and notice Denise there alone.

What do you do?