Second Consultation
The second Safe as Churches? Consultation was held from the 8th to the 10th of September 2005.
The emphasis of this Consultation was not on institutions, risk management, or finances. The focus was on what happens to people – those who have been abused, those who have been accused of abuse, and those who have admitted to being abusers. How have we responded? How can we respond more effectively to facilitate justice and healing for the abused, and to provide support and accountability for abusers? *
* From the forward to the Consultation Summary
Safe as Churches? First Consultation 2004
4 - 6 March 2004
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Safe as Churches? I Consultation Summary - full document (405kb)
Safe as Churches? IV Conference 2009
11 - 13 June, 2009
Adelaide West Uniting Church, Adelaide, South Australia
Building on the past 3 ‘Safe as Churches?' Consultations, the members of the Safe Church Project Working Group organised the Safe as Churches? IV Conference 2009 in Adelaide, South Australia.
An extensive program was developed, including opportunities for theological reflection, professional development and nourishment for the work to be done in creating safer churches.
Heads of Churches, Professional Standards Directors and other Practitioners from churches across Australia and New Zealand participated in the conference.
Attached are the papers given at the Conference plenaries:
Canticle of the Sun
Francis of Assisi, 1225
Most high, all-powerful, all good, Lord!
All praise is yours, all glory, all honor
And all blessing.
To you alone, Most High, do they belong.
No mortal lips are worthy
To pronounce your name.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through all that you have made,
And first my lord Brother Sun,
Who brings the day; and light you give to us through him.
How beautiful is he, how radiant in all his splendor!
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Moon and Stars;
In the heavens you have made them, bright
And precious and fair.
All praise be yours, My Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,
And fair and stormy, all the weather's moods,
By which you cherish all that you have made.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Water,
So useful, lowly, precious and pure.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
Through whom you brighten up the night.
How beautiful is he, how gay! Full of power and strength.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Earth, our mother,
Who feeds us in her sovereignty and produces
Various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through those who grant pardon
For love of you; through those who endure
Sickness and trial.
Happy those who endure in peace,
By you, Most High, they will be crowned.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Death,
From whose embrace no mortal can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Happy those She finds doing your will!
The second death can do no harm to them.
Praise and bless my Lord, and give him thanks,
And serve him with great humility.
Translation by Benen Fahy, O.F.M. from St. Francis of Assisi: Writings and Early Biographies
edited by Marion A. Habig, copyright 1973, Franciscan Herald Press, source for this translation: original Italian
Pledge for Peace
To respect myself and others;
To communicate honestly and positively;
To listen carefully to one another, especially to those with whom I disagree;
To forgive others and to apologise and make amends when I hurt another;
To respect God's creation and treat the environment and all living things
with respect and care;
To pursue healthy activities and entertainment which promote a more
joyful and less violent society;
To act courageously and to challenge violence in all its forms whenever
I encounter it,
And to stand with others who are treated unfairly, even if it means
standing alone.
This is my pledge:
To support one another in the household of faith,
To live like saints,
To cultivate God's peace.
In the name of Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Scripture references: Violence
Proverbs 11:30
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, but violence takes lives away.
Jeremiah 22:3
3 Thus says the Lord: Act with justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor anyone who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the alien, the orphan, and the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place.
Scripture references: Peace
Numbers 6:24-26
24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
1 Samuel 25:6
6 Thus you shall salute him: "Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have.
Esther 9:30
30 Letters were sent wishing peace and security to all the Jews, to the one hundred twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus,
Job 22:21-30
21 Agree with God, and be at peace; in this way good will come to you.
Psalms 29:11
11 May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!
Psalms 34:14
14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
Psalms 72:7
7 In his days may righteousness flourish and peace abound, until the moon is no more.
Psalms 85:8
8 Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
Proverbs 16:7
7 When the ways of people please the Lord, he causes even their enemies to be at peace with them.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
Isaiah 2:4
4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Isaiah 11:6-9
6 The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's den.
9 They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
Isaiah 54: 10
10 For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
Isaiah 55:12
12 For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Isaiah 57:19
19 Peace, peace, to the far and the near, says the Lord; and I will heal them.
Micah 6:8
8 He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Matthew 5:9
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Mark 5:34
34 He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease."
Luke 1:78-79
78 By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us,
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Luke 2:14
14 "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"
Luke 7:50
50 And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
Luke 10:5
5 Whatever house you enter, first say, "Peace to this house!'
John 14: 27
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
John 20:21
21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you."
Acts 10:36
36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ-he is Lord of all.
Romans 5:1-5
1 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Romans 14:17
17 For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:33
33 The God of peace be with all of you. Amen.
1 Corinthians 1:3
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 13:11
11 Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Galatians 5:22
22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,
Ephesians 2:17
17 So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near;
Ephesians 6:23
23 Peace be to the whole community, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 4:7
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 3:15
15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful.
2 Thessalonians 3:16
16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with all of you.
2 Peter 1:2
2 May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
2 John 1:3
3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, in truth and love.
Jude 1:2
2 May mercy, peace, and love be yours in abundance.
Bible Study Three - The Paradox of Hope
The Paradox of Hope
"We have never preached violence, except the violence of love, which left Christ nailed to a cross, the violence that we must each do to ourselves to overcome our selfishness and such cruel inequalities among us" - Oscar Romero
1. Naming the Issue
The main message of Jesus was in announcing the Kingdom of God, and calling people to take up their cross and follow him. What does it mean that the Kingdom of God is announced in the violent arrest, torture and execution of Jesus? What does this say for us about our faith and our hope against violence?
Do we as Christians have anything to say about or against violence?
2. Icebreakers
In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:9), Jesus says that the peacemakers are blessed.
Who are the peacemakers that you see? In our world, in our lives?
What makes for a peacemaker?
How are they blessed?
3. Pieces of the puzzle
a. Read Mark 8: 31-38
This passage stands at the mid point of Mark's gospel. Jesus has announced the arrival of the Kingdom of God, and called people to follow him into God's reign of peace and justice. But Mark is writing to a church community many years later (around 70CE) that is enduring Roman invasion, civil tension and persecution from their fellow Jews. For them this reign of peace and justice seem far off - so why is Mark reminding them of Jesus' call to take up their cross?
This call extends beyond announcing God's reign though. Jesus calls the disciples, and by implication each and every one of us to "deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me" (Mark 8:34). The good news is not just the arrival of God's Kingdom, but also the path of discipleship that is the way of the cross.
What sort of hope is this?
We know how the story unfolds, and what the cross will mean for Jesus. So how does calling everyone to follow this same path bring good news and hope?
b. Read 2 Corinthians 4: 7-12
Paul was imprisoned for preaching the Gospel. His fundamental question was: Who's world is this? Jesus' world, or Caesar's world? His answers put him at odds with the world around him.
How do people in the group respond to the idea from this passage that we are:
afflicted, but not crushed
perplexed, but not driven to despair
persecuted, but not forsaken
struck down, but not destroyed
What sort of hope is this?
4. Putting it together
We've been reminded of Jesus' call to take up our cross and follow Him. To follow Jesus is to live out and to announce the Kingdom of God, where the first shall be last and the last shall the be first - a complete re-ordering of our societies.
Paul's story reminds us that being faithful to this call of Jesus will mean being at odds with the world around us. Paul doesn't seek out persecution and punishment. It is the reaction of those in control to the radical message we have inherited from Jesus.
We then, need to understand, that the way of the cross, that Paul trod and we walk, lives in the face of violence. Are we prepared to walk the way of the cross when it means setting our faces towards Jerusalem?
5. Going Further
In what ways have you experienced opposition because of your faith/belief?
Read Revelation 21: 1-8
What sort of hope is this?
6. Closing
To follow Jesus is not to flee from violence, but to be the Face of Love in the midst of violence.
The call to discipleship is not a call to do nothing - it is a call to live by the radical vision of the Kingdom of God.
The way of the cross does not guarantee a life filled with peace and harmony, but asks of us lives lived with hope amidst turmoil and brokenness.
The vision of a new heaven and a new earth is both a promise of things to come and the reality of the world we seek to create as faithful people.
The paradox is that we rely on the One who was crucified, the One who became the least, the One who loved the lost, the One who gave up His life for all, as the symbol of all that we might hope for and as the example for all that we might become.
Bible Study Two - The Face of Love
The Face of Love
"Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars" - Martin Luther King Jr
1. Naming the Issue
There is difference between us. There is diversity among us. There is variety all around us.
How we acknowledge and deal with these differences has an incredible impact on our relationships with other people.
Violence exists in our relationships when we see our diversity as something that is threatening, rather than a gift to be celebrated.
2. Ice breaker
Find a way to give each person in the group a range of faces to look at - photographs, magazines, drawings etc. Ask each person to name what they believe people are feeling by the looks on their faces in the pictures.
If you have no such resources ask the people in the group to express something through a look on their face. Have one person at a time write down what they believe the different members of the group are feeling by the looks on their faces.
Invite group members to share their interpretations of the looks they saw on different faces. The emphasis should not be on trying to get answers ‘correct' but to highlight the variety of responses people have to various facial expressions.
3. Piece of the Puzzle
Assign one of the Bible passages below to each person in the group. It's OK if more than one person end up with each passage - they can work in small groups or as individuals. Each passage contains an interaction between Jesus and another person.
Luke 4: 31 - 37 The man with an unclean spirit
Luke 5: 12 - 16 Jesus cleanses a leper
Luke 5: 17 - 26 Jesus heals a paralytic
Luke 5: 27 - 32 Jesus calls Levi
Luke 7: 11 - 17 Jesus raises the widow's son at Nain
Luke 7: 36 - 50 A sinful woman forgiven
Luke 8: 42b - 48 A woman healed
Ask each person to read their assigned passage and try to imagine themselves as the person Jesus is interacting with.
Spend some time talking about answers to questions such as these: What does Jesus' face look like to the person in the story? What does Jesus' face express? What does his face represent to the person he is interacting with?
What would it mean for us to name Jesus as the Face of Love?
4. Piece of the Puzzle 2
Our faces can tell us about many of the differences between people. Faces can carry distinguishing features that help us to identify such things as race, gender, culture etc.
When was the last time you walked through a crowded (city) street? Close your eyes and imagine the faces you might see.
How do you react to:
a homeless man singing at the top of his lungs
two or three Middle-Eastern young men, talking and laughing
a couple of schoolgirls, engrossed on conversation
business people, walking with purpose
an old school friend you haven't seen in years, but who you're not keen to talk to
an older person on a walking frame blocking pedestrian traffic
some tourists, asking for directions
What thoughts and feelings do you have when you imagine seeing these people?
How are your reactions affected by the differences you believe there are between you and these people?
5. Putting it together
Ask participants to talk about any films they've seen which include stories of people encountering others who are different.
Ask participants to talk about their own (negative and positive) experiences of encountering people who were different
Are there any common themes to the positive stories about encountering difference? What do people think enables us to get past those things that make us different?
6. Going Further
Luke 9: 51 (in the NRSV):
"When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem"
Talk about what people think the phrase ‘set his face' means here?
What will happen to Jesus in Jerusalem?
So then, Jesus sets his face towards a place where much violence will occur, and we are made aware that our life of faith will cause us to do the same.
7. Closing
Violence appears in many forms in our life together, not just in its various physical expressions. Our experience of diversity may have led to the violence that exists in excluding, labelling or denigrating others.
Our fear of difference can lead us to try to protect or control what we know. Life again becomes a property to be defended rather than a gift to be shared.
Spend some time praying and reflecting on the ways in which we have given in to the fear of difference.
You might want to name for yourself 2 or 3 people who you struggle in relationship with due to differences between you.
Think of a meaningful way for your particular group to commit itself to love, inclusion, healing and respect for difference.
Bible Study One - Violence and Vineyards
"Much violence is based on the illusion that life is a property to be defended and not a gift to be shared"- Henri Nouwen
1. Naming the issue
a. Violence occurs in many forms and has many definitions. Often we are seduced by journalism and media that seek only to highlight graphic physical violence and sensational visual images (ie: celebrities or natural disasters). Violence occurs in many forms - we are unfortunately aware of domestic and sexual violence. But what about violence in our language, in our social life, in our economic forms?
b. Look up the dictionary for a definition of violence. How many different ways are there to understand the word? Some interesting ones include:
i. "a distortion of meaning or fact."
ii. "any unjust or unwarranted exertion of force or power, as against rights, laws, promise etc."
iii. "rough force in action"
c. What is the alternative option that Jesus offers? Can you think of stories where Jesus talks about or acts against violence? Share them with the group. Does Jesus offer an alternative to violence as the way of the world, the law of the jungle?
2. Ice-Breakers
a. Using newspapers - where do you see violence in the world? What forms of violence do you see? Why do these happen?
b. Where have you seen violence experienced in your community or in people you know? Why do you think that these things happen?
3. Piece of the puzzle 1
a. Read the story of Naboth's Vineyard in1 Kings 21
b. What forms of violence occur in this story? (hints; look at the details - how is Naboth killed, why is he killed, imagine what his community was like after his death)
c. Who commits violence? How does Ahab, Jezebel, the elders and the nobles all commit violence?
d. Why do they act this way?
e. If property was inherited, or passed on down the generations within the family, how did Ahab end up with the vineyard?
4. Piece of the puzzle 2
a. Read Matthew 20:1-16 as a group
b. Assign each person one of the characters roles and re-read the passage, acting out the roles.
c. How does each person feel about what has happened? Do they feel it was fair? Why do they act the way they do?
d. This story is a parable for the Kingdom of God. What point is Jesus trying to make? For some this is a parable about the nature of grace - or more specifically how we live out grace through radical inclusion. How does the authority figure in this story compare with the authority figures in Naboth's story?
5. Putting it together: Changing Rooms
a. What would happen if we reversed the stories? For example if Jezebel, Ahab and the nobles practiced the radical inclusion that Jesus talks about? How would it be different? Reconstruct the story as you might imagine it. Do the same for the parable from Matthew. What would happen if the owner of the vineyard acted as Ahab and Jezebel had?
b. Go back to the newspaper stories and your experiences from the beginning of the session. What might they look like if you switched them around to include either the radical inclusion of grace, or the authority of power and control seen in 1 Kings.
6. Going Further
Think of Australia's history, and in particular the relationship between our Indigenous peoples and non-indigenous peoples. Where has there been evidence of radical inclusion, and when has property ownership and violence been the dominant way? What would Australia be like if radical inclusion or grace was the basis for our country?
7. Closing
Violence is a difficult and uncomfortable topic for a bible study. For many of us who live safely it can feel like a distant or abstract topic. The terrible reality is that many of us live with violence of some form within our schools, jobs, family and even our churches. Spend some time praying for the places in which we live and that we might be part of overcoming violence in all parts of our life.
Pray for the different scenes from the newspapers where violence is an everyday reality around the world.
You may wish to light a candle as a reminder that we are called to be a light to the world.
You may wish to place the newspaper articles in the middle of your group
You may wish to take these prayers and thoughts into your next worship time.
