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A Christian team from the sex offender management field, providing accountability for church leaders to protect kids from sexual abuse
Does your church desire accountability?
Congregations want church leaders to be accountable to protect kids from sexual abuse
Demonstrate your desire for church accountability and sign up today for a free staff meeting training. Please call 615-631-5075 or email kksministries@bellsouth.net
We provide biblical solutions to deal with sex offenders in our churches, ministries, and missions abroad
It has been a blessing to serve:
Churches in 35 states and 2 countries, Focus on the Family, Trevecca University, Christian Television Network (Bridges), Bledsoe Baptist Association, Christian Chronicle, Christian Post, Associated Baptist Press, ABC Nightly News with Charles Gibson, WSMV Nashville, WMUZ Detroit, San Diego Union Tribune, North County Times, Spokesman Review, Beaumont Enterprise, Salon Magazine, Tennessee Sex Offender Treatment Board, Guide One Insurance, Brotherhood Insurance, and Agape Counseling Center.
Church Fact
There are more sex offenders in churches than churches
Church Dilemma
Church leaders are expected to protect kids; however, church leaders are not experts in dealing with secretive church members or registered offenders
Church Problem
There are boundary violations and suspicious behaviors in churches each week.
Is it something innocent or a sexual offense?
Church Answer
Demonstrate to your congregation accountability, seeking wise counsel, and that children are a priority by calling us today. We pray you will call at 615-631-5075
Cofounders Steven Vann and Greg Sporer
We welcome you to our website. Please take your time to browse through each webpage and scroll down to gain a better insight into our unique ministry. We thank God everyday for this ministry because it is God that orchestrated this ministry into being.
In 1989, God led Greg into studying church sexual abuse research and evaluating church sex offenders. Steve has invested thousands of hours counseling adolescent sex offenders. Together God has prepared us for this ministry by testing church safety programs to discern what really keeps kids safe.
We look forward to serving your church and may God bless and keep your kids safe always!
In His service,
Greg and Steve
How can we train every church in this nation at no cost?
We are a non-profit ministry. Churches always seem to support ministries that are worth supporting. We pay our bills from our monthly support from churches that we provide accountability. We will not turn away any church with budget problems because children need our protection from hidden offenders.
Why are there more hidden sex offenders in churches than churches?
Many sex offenders attend church for spiritual reasons instead of seeking professional help because of the mandated reporting laws.
It is typical for offenders to offend on a family member, a neighbor, or a friend of the family and eventually they join a church to try to quit their secret sin.
Many hidden registered offenders attend church to worship. They worship in secret because they fear rejection by their congregation.
Why are most church sexual abuse prevention programs inadequate?
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Church member offenders do not stop offending on kids. Instead, they are passed on to offend again elsewhere.
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Unfortunately, prevention programs do not deal directly with offenders and the secrecy of the sin prevents true repentance and change.
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Church leaders are not held to any accountability standards for protecting kids.
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90% of all sex offenders have spotless records and they can use their clean background checks to gain positions working with kids.
What is the answer for protecting kids?
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Accountability standards for church leaders to protect kids
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God is the only one who can change an offender's heart
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Biblical offender management standards
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Dealing directly with hidden offenders
How do we keep kids safe at churches?
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We are reaching out to registered offenders who attend church to worship.
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We are reaching out to church members and staff with a secret sexual sin with a teen or child.
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We provide accountability for church leaders to protect kids
How many offenders in churches?
Our own ministry review of research indicates 1/6 (800,000) of the 5-6 million non-convicted sex offenders are churchgoers with a secret sexual sin with a teen or child. Many of our peers who work daily with offenders report 33%-50% of offenders are churchgoers. We have been told by our peers in the sex offender management field that we are being too conservative and underreporting.
Review of research and probation reports indicate one forth (150,000) of the 600,000 registered offenders attend church and most are doing well (verified by recidivism research). Many are succeeding because they are repentant with accountability.
Statistically, we can say all churches have a secretive churchgoer with a history of sexual sin with a teen or a child. (see research webpage)
As a ministry, we can't make the above statement unless it is true. We are a ministry that is accountable to God, our board of directors, and we refuse to exaggerate statistics to make a point.
There are too many hidden offenders in churches without church leaders being held accountable for managing offenders and protecting kids. We provide bibilical solutions for church leaders to protect kids.
Providing Biblical Solutions for Church Leaders to:
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Learn how to use Mathew 18:15 effectively to protect kids
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Question boundary violations before it turns into sexual sin
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Biblically deal with registered offenders who turn to God and attend church without jeopardizing church safety
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Biblically deal with church families who have kids with sexual behavior problems without jeopardizing church safety
How do you manage hidden church sex offenders when you can't see them?
Hidden sex offenders can be managed the same way hospitals manage infection and hidden germs. It is a five-step process.
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Utilize experienced professionals
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Ongoing training
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Accountability procedures
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Universal precautions
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Reaching out to the source of the problem
How can churches manage hidden
sex offenders?
- Utilize experienced professionals: Our ministry staff has years of experience managing sex offenders. We have yet to find a church leader who is comfortable managing hidden sex offenders or registered offenders in their church on their own.
- Ongoing training: One or two doses of training a year will not build skills to keep kids safe from hidden sex offenders. Our ongoing training builds skills at avoiding false accusations, decreasing boundary violations and questioning suspicious behaviors. It is too risky for a hidden sex offender to offend on kids with a church skilled in questioning suspicious behaviors.
- Accountability requirements for church leaders: Church leaders need accountability requirements to protect kids. Every church will tell their congregation that their kids are safe, but are church kids truly safe? Our ministry has developed safety standards based on church leaders managing sex offenders in their church. Please scroll down for a list of our accountability requirements or click on our church accountability webpage.
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Universal precautions: If there were one church sex offender per 1000 churches, risk management safety programs and background checks would be sufficient. The fact is that there are more churchgoers with a history of a sexual offense with a teen or a child than there are churches. The church must implement safety policies and pro-active offender strategies as if there is a church member or staff member offending on church kids. Churches are a place for sinners and sex offenders are attracted to churches for spiritual help with their secret sin.
Reaching out to the source of the problem: Our ministry has methods for church leaders to reach out directly to hidden offenders. Although many offenders are reachable due to their desire to quit their sin, most churches shy away from dealing directly with offenders out of fear or inexperience.
The Question of the Day!
Would your congregation feel more secure having Keeping Kids Safe Ministries serve your church?
Can individuals support our ministry?
We can not keep kids safe without the support of monthly giving from our ministry partners. Be a ministry partner for $15 a month. Please send your checks to:
Keeping Kids Safe Ministries
PO Box 1288
Smyrna, TN 37167
What is next?
Churches have a choice of preparing now or waiting until the media breaks a story about your church and a hidden church offender who is usually a known member. There are no second chances with sexual abuse for the victim or the congregation.
Please call 615-631-5075 or email kksministries@bellsouth.net to sign up today to start keeping kids safe at your church. Please scroll down for more information on how we serve churches and how church leaders are accountable.
How we serve and how church leaders are accountable to keep kids safe
1. We serve by working with your church youth workers and leaders to train them to identify and deal with suspicious behaviors, how to avoid false accusations, and build communication skills to avoid misunderstandings between a youth worker and a teen/child. This training is ongoing and is a threat to a hidden sex offender.
Church will demonstrate training materials are being completed by all staff and church youth workers.
2. We serve by reviewing all youth policies and church youth worker handbooks to provide suggestions on making improvements to deal with safety issues related to hidden offenders.
Church will develop a plan and demonstrate progress in updating policy changes and church worker handbooks.
3. We serve by setting up a tracking system of church sexual abuse cases on your computer. This system allows for church leaders to prepare Lessons Learned to prevent it from happening at your church.
Church will demonstrate Monthly Lessons Learned are completed by all staff.
4. We serve by assigning a Christian professional with years of experience working with sex offenders to your church.
Church will demonstrate an on-going open communication with our ministry about safety issues relating to sexual abuse and to consult with us about safety problems before they turn into a church crisis.
5. We serve by assisting with materials to communicate to the whole congregation about child sexual abuse, repentance, confession, change, forgiveness, and accountability.
Church will demonstrate an on-going process of quarterly lessons addressing these issues, and an annual presentation incorporating a message from Keeping Kids Safe Ministries.
A spiritual revival is sweeping the nation with registered offenders
Repentant sexual offenders are turning to Jesus and attending churches
It is a joy to know God is working in the lives of sexual offenders. Sooner or later the joy turns to concern. Are sexual offenders going to attend my church?
Churches have a choice of preparing now or waiting until the offender shows up at the church door. Churches that wait for the offenders to show up at door are experiencing church splits. Part of the congregation may believe accepting repentant offenders in church is God's will and others fear their children will be harmed.
How we serve and how church leaders are accountable to keep kids safe
1. We serve by helping your church leaders verify if registered offenders who want to attend your church are meeting treatment and probation expectations.
Church will demonstrate that verification forms are being sent and completed by probation and treatment providers when working with an offender who has been on probation or in treatment.
2. We serve by helping your church develop a Church Covenant of Accountability with expectations and rules for registered offenders to comply with and demonstrate he/she is seeking God instead of seeking children, and being accountable.
Church will demonstrate that covenant partners have been assigned to any person with a known offending history.
3. We serve by working with your senior church leaders to implement a policy to deal with offenders who worship in secret. We provide methods for hidden offenders to stop their secretive church attendance and replace secrecy with spiritual growth and accountability.
Church will demonstrate paving the way for hidden registered offenders in the church to enter into accountability.
4. We serve by providing you with a daily spiritual accountability program for offenders in your church.
Church will consult with us about the participation of any registered offender using this program.
Why are children being offended at church?
With all the publicity about church sexual abuse cases, churchgoers are still reluctant to believe that an offender might be a secretive church member whom they know and respect.
Are church leaders defenseless at protecting church kids with secret sexual sinners in their church?
Absolutely not! Church leaders can be trained to be skilled at identifying suspicious behaviors or recognize early signs of sexual offender's behaviors (grooming) prior to any offense. Many church offenders take weeks and months of grooming prior to the first sexual offense.
Note: Hidden church offenders have 2 weaknesses:
1. Boundary violations
2. Suspicious behaviors
It is too risky for hidden offenders to stay in a church that is skilled in dealing with boundary violations and suspicious behaviors.
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