Safe Ministry
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.”
God’s Word and God’s love call on us to show deep care for people. One way we seek to do this is by making sure that our churches are safe places, particularly for those who may be vulnerable.
Lutheran Mission- Australia is committed to the physical, emotional and spiritual welfare and safety of all people, particularly those within our own communities.
We are preparing our own Safe Ministry policy, guidelines and other resources, and plan to release these shortly.
Safe Ministry Team
Expressions of Interest to join our Safe Ministry Team are now open. We are seeking interested and qualified individuals to join the Safe Ministry Team for an initial period of six months on a volunteer basis. LM-A is intending to appoint a Director - Safe Ministry to lead this team and ensure that Safe Ministry is a regular part of LM-A decision-making. The Director and the other team members will be responsible in the first instance for finalising Safe Ministry policies and procedures, and managing the implementation of these policies across the church. A separate team is being established to handle complaints and provide support services.
Interested applicants should send in their EOIs as soon as possible, as this is a priority task for LM-A. Please refer to the following documents including the selection criteria when making your application:
Working with children checks: Australian states and territories
All adults working or volunteering with children require a working with children check. If you are a pastor, church worker or a volunteer working with children (eg Sunday School teacher), you must obtain a check. If you currently have a valid working with children check, please forward the details to admin@lutheranmissionaustralia.org.au, along with your name, and the name of your congregation.
These are called different things in different states. A single screening unit has been set up in each state and territory to conduct working with children checks and issue the resulting cards, registrations or permits. The following state and territory screening units are the only organisations allowed, under legislation, to conduct working with children checks:
Australian Capital Territory Access Canberra –Working with Vulnerable People
New South Wales Office of the Children’s Guardian
Northern Territory Northern Territory Government
Queensland Queensland Government Department of Justice and Attorney-General –Blue Card Services
South Australia Department for Communities and Social Inclusion
Tasmania Department of Justice
Victoria Justice and Community Safety
Western Australia Department of Communities
Safe Ministry Training
We recognise that many people in leadership roles in LM-A congregations and others who are working with children or vulnerable people will have already completed training with other church bodies. We recognised LCA Safe Church training and will consider recognition of other training certificates. For any questions or to forward your training details, please contact admin@lutheranmissionaustralia.org.au
We are partnering with the Anglican Diocese of Sydney to make use of their excellent training and reporting resources. Anyone requiring Safe Ministry training should enrol in Safe Ministry Training – Safe Ministry. The ‘Essentials’ online training costs $30 per person. The training material is Biblical and very supportive.
Need to make a complaint?
LM-A is committed to providing a Christian environment in which people feel safe, are treated fairly, and which is responsive to concerns raised.
If you wish to make a complaint, please contact our Complaints Officer at complaints@lutheranmissionaustralia.org.au