| A. |
You who are gathered here tonight are fulfilling a very
important role in protecting, assisting, and bringing our elders and
vulnerable adults to Jesus by your ministry. You are committing to
your church community to act as welcoming guardians of their safety,
while you are with them. This is a sacred trust and one that I want
to salute you for undertaking. |
| B. |
I have been asked to present an introduction to
the topic of elder abuse - how we in volunteer ministry can keep our
elders and vulnerable adults safe; how we can protect you –
our volunteer ministers from false allegations or being placed in
compromising situations; and how we can all be faithful stewards of
the resources of our church communities. |
| C. |
The topic of abuse is a difficult one, which can make people uncomfortable.
It may cause us to feel anxious, afraid, sad, angry, worried or any
one of a number of other negative feelings. But the issues I am going
to be presenting are very important to talk about. |
| D. |
We are going to be looking at how risk management relates to the
Care Team Ministry, increase our knowledge of the specific risks involved
in working with vulnerable adults and identify ways to enhance Risk
Management practices at our respective faith communities. We hope
you will take this information back to other members of your ministry
team and share it with them. |
