Know what you should do if you ever see anything inappropriate happen. This is a great thing to review as a Staff and Volunteer Leadership team. Do your leaders know what to do in case they witness something inappropriate? Do you know what to do? If you do, make sure the rest of your staff and volunteers. If you don’t then TODAY would be the best time to go through what you are “legally” and “morally” responsible to do.
Follow up. There is the “legal” action to take and the “moral” action to do. That is what Joe Paterno is getting criticized for right now (and what ultimately cost him his job). He did the “legal” thing but people are calling him to a higher moral standard that he should have taken additional action especially since the University did not. As believers and ministers, we are called to a moral high ground. Sometimes just doing what is “legally” responsible is not good enough. We have to follow up with what actions were taken…especially when minors are involved!
Protected the Young. We are all in ministry because of our desire to have young people be changed through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Therefore, when they are under our care and around us, we need to protect them, not just against sexual predators, but against bullying
As an admirer of Joe Paterno and a die-hard Penn State football fan, this whole scandal makes me so sad (and angry at time). How could this happen? DON’T let this happen under your watch. So right now,
TAKE A MINUTE and think through what your policies and procedures are for dealing with these kinds of issues. We can never assume anything and unless you want your ministry tarnished and all the great work you have done in the community as what is happening with Joe Paterno and Penn State., then we need to think this through and come up with an appropriate, legal and moral standard you will adhere to if something this tragic happens. We should all be praying for those victims at Penn State and be praying that what is happening there never happens under our watch.
Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Experiences? Post a comment and let the discussion begin so that we can all benefit from it.]]>