Devotions Archives

Christmas Devotional

Ardor17November 5, 2017Public Updates

It’s the most wonderful time of the year when we celebrate the birth of the most Wonderful Person! Betty Ritchie has developed a 50-day Christmas Devotional with daily readings on some of the names and … Read More

INTRODUCTION

There is no higher standard of just human interaction than that required of us by God and laid out for us in the Bible. God in His nature embodies love and justice, and expects our relationships and interactions with others, including children, to be based on the same principles. In fulfilling our responsibilities, we protect each other’s rights. This is based on an understanding that all people are created equally and have equal value and equal dignity before God, affirmed not just in creation but also in redemption.

PURPOSE

According, Da Nang International Fellowship (hereinafter referred to as DIF) has developed this Child Protection Policy as a foundational guide to our outline our non-negotiable commitment to child safety. It outlines the preventative and responsive measures DIF has in place to safeguard and ensure the care, protection, and wellbeing of children at DIF is being actively promoted.

SCOPE & APPLICABILITY

This policy has been developed as a foundational guide for all DIF Volunteers. These include but are not limited to Church Oversight Council Members, CORE Leaders, Servant Leaders, and all other Volunteer Team Members, not just the DIF Kids and DIF Students (Known) Teams.

DEFINITIONS

DIF defines a child or young person as someone under 18 years of age.

WHY SAFETY & PROTECTION MATTERS

Da Nang International Fellowship (DIF) desires to provide a nurturing environment to teach and to demonstrate the love of God.
DIF recognises the responsibility to protect the welfare of children and young people entrusted to the fellowship’s care.
The DIF Child Protection Policy enables us to provide for good practice and procedures in recruitment of leaders and volunteers which they must adhere to. This not only serves to protect the children in our care, but also gives appropriate guidelines to protect leaders and volunteers, as well as the good witness of DIF.
The information in this document gives practical guidelines for all DIF Leaders (defined as Council Member, CORE Leader and Servant Leaders) and Volunteers to follow in their interactions with children and young people, not just those who serve in DIF Kids or DIF Students (Known).
We are committed to reporting concerns regarding the welfare of children to appropriate authorities.• Youth helpers are an important part of our DIF Volunteer Teams. Youth-aged DIF Kids or DIF Students (Known) Team Members will be given the same opportunities for support and training as adults.

SCHEDULED REVIEW

DIF’s Child Protection Policy and Code of Conduct will be reviewed every three (3) years.

RATIOS

The DIF Kids and DIF Students (Known) ministries provide fun and age-appropriate spiritual development opportunities for children whose parents and/or caregivers are participating at DIF across the following age-groups:

AGE GROUP	LOCATION
PARENT’S ROOM (Newborns – to early walkers)	Level 1 behind the Prayer Room (Education Building)
EXPLORERS (Confident walkers – 5 years)	Level 2, room on the right (Education Building)
IGNITE (6 – 10 years)	Level 2, room on the left (Education Building)
DIF STUDENTS (KNOWN) (11 – 17 years)	Level 1, Prayer Room (Education Building)

VISION STATEMENTS

In alignment with the overall vision of DIF, we feel it is important to clarify the purpose of thedifferent age groups with defined vision statements.

DIF Kids

We are passionate about partnering with parents and/or caregivers as we gather each week to give the gospel and grow the children of DIF through age-specific lessons and activities that lead them to become committed followers of Jesus.

DIF Students (Known)

We are committed to gathering and nurturing an attractive, Christ-centred community of students.Through consistently giving the gospel to our students, we want them to experience God intimately, grow to enjoy Him deeply, and bring Him glory into adulthood.

CORE VALUES

Child-oriented: We partner with parents and/or caregivers to encourage the spiritual development of the children of DIF in an engaging, relevant, and enjoyable way.
Christ-focused: Jesus and His love for us motivates our service so we will be integral in our actions and interactions for the glory and honour of God.
Community: We recognise that we have been made for community, so we prioritise Biblical relationships including unity and integrity.
Consistency: We commit to caring for children individually and over the long term, consistently presenting the gospel and encouraging their spiritual development.
Discipleship: We consistently and intentionally expose the children of DIF to the truth of God’s word, so they become committed followers of Jesus.
Excellence: We believe that attention to detail honours God and inspires His children.
Passion: We model the joy of the Lord with our enthusiasm and excitement as we lead the children entrusted to our care.
Safety: We recognise the importance of providing a safe and nurturing environment for children physically, emotionally, and spiritually through both prayer and practice.
Stewardship: We will faithfully steward Bible-based teaching without compromise.

CHILD PROTECTION POLICIES & PROCEDURES

DIF has five non-negotiable policies along with various procedures that promise safety for children and youth along with their parents and/or caregivers. It should be noted that there is some differentiation in the outworking of these policies and procedures between DIF Kids and DIFStudents (Known) based on age and maturity level. These five non-negotiable policies are the:

1. Two-adult policy
2. Check-in and check-out policy
3. Restroom and diaper policy
4. Recruitment and conduct policy
5. Mandatory reporting policy

1. TWO-ADULT POLICY

First, we have a non-negotiable two-adult policy for any DIF gathering which includes children or young people.

In a DIF Kids or DIF Students (Known) gathering, this means that there must be a minimum of two approved DIF Kids or DIF Students (Known) Team Members age 18 or above present to supervise at all times. A group is never to be left unattended at any time.
Doors in the DIF Kids or DIF Students (Known) rooms will have glass windows that allow for transparency and the rooms activities to be observed easily.
We will uphold our adult-child ratio commitment to ensure our commitment to safety, based on the age of the child(ren) as articulated below.

AGE GROUP	RATIO
PARENT’S ROOM (Newborns – to early walkers)	Parents
EXPLORERS (Confident walkers – 5 years)	1:4
IGNITE (6 – 10 years)	1:8
DIF STUDENTS (KNOWN) (11 – 17 years)	1:10

YOUTH-AGED TEAM MEMBERS	ADULT TEAM MEMBERS
11 – 18 Years	Minimum of 2

2. CHECK-IN AND CHECK-OUT POLICY

Second, we have a non-negotiable check-in and check-out policy for any DIF gathering whichincludes children or young people. This policy is not purposed to cause stress, confusion, orfrustration, but to help parents and/or caregivers know their children will be in their DIF Kids or DIFStudents (Known) room, not wandering about unattended and at risk of harm. It also provides extrasecurity for families who may be going through familial issues with legal implications.

DIF Kids

Children do not enter the DIF Kids spaces without being checked-in at the official DIFCheck-In Station located outside the Prayer Room on Level 1, except babies – confident walkers who must be always accompanied by their parent and/or caregiver.
New or visiting children must be registered and checked-in per the guidelines provided to the team and the appropriate age-group ‘New Family Welcome Letter’ filled with important information given to the parent or caregiver. Parents or caregivers must identify any new or visiting child with special needs, medical conditions, or allergies etc at the time of registration.
Children do not leave a DIF Kids room without being properly checked out by a registered parent or caregiver.
All DIF Kids must remain until all children have been checked-out of their respective room.
Even if you know the parent and the child, do not let the child leave without checking them out correctly. Another parent may see you skip the procedure, assume the policy is inconsistent, and lose faith in the security measure.
In the instance of a late parent and/or caregiver, use the provided phone to call them. Ifthere is no response with two minutes, please notify the wider DIF Kids team via theapplicable team social media chat group to ask for help in contacting the parent. Again, if there is no response, call the DIF Kids Leader and follow their guidance.
Please also promptly notify the DIF Kids Leader about any check-in or check-out difficulties so they can follow other steps to verify the child may be checked out.

DIF Students (Known)

Students do not enter the DIF Students (Known) spaces without checking-in using the check-in device at the entrance of the DIF Student’s (Known) room. If the student consistentlydemonstrates the ability to check themselves in, he/she do not need to be accompanied bytheir parent. This will be at the discretion of the DIF Student (Known) Leader.
New or visiting students must be registered and checked-in following the same process as DIF Kids and the appropriate age-group ‘New Family Welcome Letter’ filled with important information given to the parent or caregiver. Parents or caregivers must identify any new or visiting student with special needs, medical conditions, or allergies etc at the time of registration.
Students will be checked out by the leader as they release students at the end of service.The students will be responsible for connecting with their parents after the service. If the student is unable to connect with parents in a safe and timely manner, after conversation with parent/caregiver, the student will be required to be picked up from the DIF Student’s(Known) room.
Students will not leave the DIF Student’s (Known) room without being released at the end of service. Students will not be released before the service is over as to ensure the process of connecting to their parents is straightforward and consistent. If a student needs to leave early the parent/caregiver must come to the DIF Student’s (Known) room and check out the student.
For any and all extra-curricular DIF Student (Known) events, additional or alternative arrangements for check-in and check-out may apply. The DIF Student (Known) Leader will supply students along with their parents/caregivers written notice clearly stating said arrangements and require signed permission slips for all students involved. It is the responsibility of the DIF Students (Known) Leader and their team to ensure all students have signed permission and arrangements made before the event.

3. RESTROOM AND DIAPER POLICY

Third, we have a non-negotiable restroom and diaper policy for any DIF gathering which includes children or young people. The procedures within ensure accountability for adult and student leaders, safety for our children, and security for parents – everybody wins.

DIF Kids

Do not change diapers under any circumstances. Should a child require a new diaper, contact the parent or caregiver immediately.
Should a child require the restroom, they must be accompanied by two DIF Kids Team Members aged 18 or over. One DIF Kids Team Member will remain with the child holding the bathroom door open, while the other DIF Kids Team Member checks each cubicle in the toilet block to ensure there are no other adults inside before directing the child to go in. If there are adults in the toilet, wait for them to leave or politely ask them to do so. Toilet blocks should be monitored for people loitering.
When you only have 2-3 adult leaders in your room, there are two options: the whole group goes for a walk to the restroom in single-file while holding hands with a leader at the front and back; or, one leader escorts the child to the restroom while the windows remain open and the other leader over the age of 18 watches from the window or door to assist and maintain accountability for the other leader, while ensuring the rest of the group is safe and engaged.
Do not assist the child with toileting.strong>If assistance is required, paging of the parent or caregiver is required.

DIF Students (Known)

Should a student require the restroom, they will be released to use the single restroom beside the classroom. If the student is unable to be responsible enough to get themselves to and from the restroom in a timely, safe manner the issue will be reported to parent/caregiver and new restroom policies will be put in place for that student.
Do not assist the student with toileting. If assistance is required, paging of the parent or caregiver is required.

4. RECRUITMENT & CONDUCT POLICY

Fourth, as a demonstration of our commitment to provide an environment for children and young people to thrive, DIF has clear recruitment procedures and expectations regarding volunteer conduct.

Recruitment

For new persons wishing to specifically join the DIF Kids or DIF Students (Known) teams, we require that they have already and regularly attended DIF services for a minimum of three months (or at the discretion of the DIF Senior Pastor(s) and/or Council Member in consultation with the DIF Kids or DIF Students (Known) Leaders).
All new DIF Kids Team Members must complete an I Want To Volunteer form and have their application approved by the DIF Senior Pastor(s) and/or Council Member in consultation with the DIF Kids or DIF Students (Known) Leaders prior to commencing service.
All DIF Kids or DIF Students (Known) Team Members are expected to read, sign, and adhere to all DIF policies and procedures prior to their commencement of service.
All DIF Kids or DIF Students (Known) Team Members must participate in all available training opportunities prior to their commencement of service; hands-on observation and training with experienced DIF Kids or DIF Students (Known); as well as additional training and capacity building times scheduled throughout each calendar year.
All DIF Kids or DIF Students (Known) Team Members must wear their provided identifying team t-shirt and/or tag each service they are rostered on.

Conduct

You should not be alone with a child at any time unless this child is your own.
You cannot assist children or students with toileting. If assistance is required, paging of the parent or caregiver is required per the above restroom and diaper policy.
You cannot actively seek touching or hugging from children or have children sit on your lap. You cannot wrestle with or tickle children. Children seeking hugs should not be rejected but hugs are to be to the side and not prolonged. You must keep your interactions to commonly accepted public expressions of friendship.
You may not counsel or pray with children alone. While there may be a need for private conversations with children or young people from time to time, DIF Kids or DIF Student (Known) Team Members should have such conversations where others can see, if not hear, with at least one other adult should be aware of the conversation occurring. Any altar or follow-up ministry with children must be done in the full view of others. Do not invite a child to your home or visit a child in his/her home unless a parent or authorised adult is present.
You may not give any physical discipline. You may not hit or yell at any child. Make positive requests of children should you need to. For example: “let’s do this now” is more positive than “don’t do that”. If those attempts fail, parents or caregivers should be contacted promptly.
You must not photograph or video children, or upload photos or video of children to any social media or internet forum or share images with others without parental consent.
You must report any behaviour you think is inappropriate by any other person regarding children. Child abuse is a crime, and we must not try to cover it up in the hope of not bringing disgrace to the church. You must report directly to a member of the DIF Senior Pastor(s) and/or Council Member.

5. MANDATORY REPORTING POLICY

Finally, report or respond to allegations of abuse.

What is ‘Child Abuse’?
DIF defines ‘Child Abuse’ to be a general term used to describe the different ways in which a child’s physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual health are damaged by the actions of another person.

Incident reporting procedure: against DIF Volunteer
If a child reports an incident of abuse against a DIF Volunteer Team Member, the person in receipt of the information should do the following:

- Look at the child directly and listen carefully.
- Do not question the child or young person to enable you to obtain more information.
- Don’t promise to keep any secrets before you know what they are.
- Finish by assuring the child that you are treating the matter seriously and will let them know what you will do next.

Tell the DIF Senior Pastor(s) and/or Council Member as soon as possible.
Write a detailed account of the conversation in which the child made the allegation. This should be done as soon as possible and contain as much of a “direct quotation” of the words used by the child as the person reporting the allegation can remember. This report should be given directly to the DIF Senior Pastor(s) and/or Council Member.
In the case where a third party is accused by a child, the DIF Senior Pastor(s) and/or Council Member will contact the parents or caregivers immediately and a process of thorough investigation and appropriate action will be taken. Throughout any investigation, the DIF Volunteer who has been accused will be removed from the ministry roster.
Under no circumstances should a DIF Kids Team Member carry out their own investigation into the allegations or suspicion of abuse.

Incident reporting procedure: Third Party
In the event a child discloses abuse by a third party to a DIF Volunteer, the person in receipt of the information should do the following:

Look at the child directly and listen carefully.
Do not question the child or young person to enable you to obtain more information.
Don’t promise to keep any secrets before you know what they are.
Finish by assuring the child that you are treating the matter seriously and will let them know what you will do next.
Tell the DIF Senior Pastor(s) and/or Council Member as soon as possible.
Write a detailed account of the conversation in which the child made the allegation. This should be done as soon as possible and contain as much of a “direct quotation” of the words used by the child as the person reporting the allegation can remember. This report should be given directly to the DIF Senior Pastor(s) and/or Council Member.
The DIF Senior Pastor(s) and/or Council Member will follow the rules of reporting as laid out by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam per the below:

Authority: Department of Labour, Invalids & Social Affairs – Da Nang branch
Address: Level 20, Da Nang Provincial Government Administrative Centre located at 24 Tran Phu Street, Da Nang City, VIETNAM
Phone: +84 236 382 7616
Website: http://ldtbxh.danang.gov.vn

FIRST AID PROCEDURES

All ministry area are supplied with an appropriate First Aid Kit.
Should a kit need supplies, a DIF Volunteer Team Member can complete an DIF Supply Request (available in the Administration Folder in your ministry area) and submit it directly to the DIF Pastoral Administrator. Alternatively, inform your DIF Volunteer Team Leader.
In the event First Aid is required, please contact a DIF Senior Pastor(s) and/or Council Member.
All First Aid should be administered by a qualified First Aid trained Team Member, unless it is an emergency, in which case the reporting DIF Volunteer Team Leader should first call the Ambulance Hotline number (115) and then the appropriate First Aid should be commenced by the first person available and capable as directed by the hotline.
The DIF Senior Pastor(s) and/or Council should be informed of any injury or illness that required First Aid.
An Incident Report Form should be completed by those who witnessed the incident and the person administering First Aid. The completed form should be submitted directly to the DIF Pastoral Administrator.
Parents or caregivers should be notified by the DIF Kids or DIF Students (Known) in consultation with the DIF Senior Pastor(s) and/or Council Member of any incident or First Aid administered during a service immediately at the end of the service for minor incidents, and as soon as possible for serious incidents.

IMPLEMENTATION

Any breach of this code involving a criminal offence may lead to a report being made to the relevant authorities.
Any breach relating to the harm, or risk of harm, of a child or young person will be dealt with according to those outlined in DIF’s policies including but not limited to the Volunteer Policy and Child Protection Policy.
Any other breach will be considered by the DIF CORE Leader and the Pastor(s) considering the best interests of the volunteer and those we serve and may result in the volunteer being stood down either temporarily or otherwise. The Senior Pastor(s) will notify the Church Oversight Council of any decisions in this regard.
All DIF Council Members, CORE Leaders, Servant Leaders and Volunteer Team Members should be open to correction and humble enough to submit to the Holy Spirit and the Church Oversight Council to modify attitudes and behaviours that may discredit the Gospel or the church.

IMPORTANT CONTACTS

For questions or concerns about these guidelines, or you would like discuss an issue of concern for a child’s welfare, please speak to one of the following people:

Kelvin Windsor Senior Pastor email adress +84 932 828 795	Rebekah Windsor Senior Pastor & DIF Kids Leader email adress +84 932 828 895	Cindy Brewer Teaching Pastor email adress
Paul Hilton Council Member email adress +84 903 589 885	Jinho Woo Council Member email adress +84 986 608 718	Phuong Le Council Member email adress +84 935 447 775
	Ambre Doolan DIF Students Leader email adress +84 842 006 743

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