In what follows, I will offer five steps for preventing abuse in children’s ministry. I offer them as a pastor whose primary area of influence is children’s ministry. If you are a pastor thinking through this issue for the first time or a church planter starting a new children’s ministry, my hope is to provide some direction and stimulate further thought. Before providing specific steps, however, I want to mention two of the many reasons why taking steps to prevent abuse should be a priority for pastors and children’s ministries.
TAKING ABUSE PREVENTION SERIOUSLY
Taking steps to prevent abuse in children’s ministry should be a priority because it’s biblical. God places a high value on children. Scripture tells us that children are created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27), that children are a gift from God (Psalm 127:3), and that Jesus values children (Matt. 18:10).
The Bible instructs God’s people to care for those who are vulnerable (James 1:27). Additionally, the Bible refers to pastors as shepherds (1 Pet. 5:2), and part of the responsibility of a shepherd is protection. In the context of a local church, there are those who can do great harm through false teaching and immoral behavior (1 Pet. 2:1–3). Wolves come
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