6 Keys to Successfully Screening Church Staff and VolunteersWritten by Glen M. Johnson
Whether you are in process of formulating a screening policy for your congregation, or already have a screening program in place, here are some tips to help you with your efforts to protect your church family.1. Get your house in order. a) Decide who will oversee screening process and keep track of paperwork. This person must be well respected in congregation, be trusted to handle confidential information, be well organized and if possible have human resources and management experience. Recognize this ministry within life of congregation. Place an announcement in Sunday bulletin and bless ministry within Sunday liturgy. b) Set up a filing system. All screening documents should be stored in a locked file cabinet (within congregation or offsite) for an indefinite period of time. Files should never be left out in open or in a readily accessible location. 2. Assess risk and determine screening requirements for position in question. Assess level of power, authority and control of those who minister, level of vulnerability of those being ministered to, and risk that harm could be committed by sexual harassment, exploitation, assault, emotional, verbal, physical, spiritual or financial abuse. Screen appropriately for level of risk inherent in position. 3. Gather information from those to be screened, including following: a) A well crafted Application Form that contains key questions concerning past incidents of inappropriate behavior. b) A Reference List of all candidate's schools, employers, congregations, and religious supervisors over last five years. A minimum of three references should be checked.
| | Corporate Execs and Entrepreneurs are Turning to Astrology and Psychic ReadingsWritten by L. Barrett Powell
With exposure of corporate greed, layoffs and unemployment, disappearance of pensions, and widening of gap between rich and poor, stress has increased greatly among corporate executives, academics and other professionals. To cope, they are turning to spiritual sources, but not what you would think. These days it is not uncommon for an executive vice president to close his door, pick up telephone, and consult his personal astrologer or spiritual intuitive - known by many as a psychic or clairvoyant.For nearly four years I have been operating Healing Universe, which runs and advice site called Inpsired Living Advice Network. This type of counsel is becoming increasingly commonplace. It is not a spiritual trend or fad that will fade away. In fact it will increase greatly over next decade. I may spend several hours a day working with men and women around globe who seek advice about situations at work or in their family so they can make decisions. Every day I speak with professionals who are university professors, radio executives, well-known winery owners, investment portfolio fund managers, entrepreneurs, presidents and vice presidents, music industry execs, homemakers, and parents from around world. Those global clients come from places such as Australia, United Kingdom, Denmark, Canada and USA. Clients typically keep their conversations under wraps, not telling their office staff or colleagues. But they consult her on a regular basis many times weekly or bi-weekly, to help them gain clarity in a decision-making process or to develop resources to make progress on a project.
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