Lygon Street Christian Chapel (LSCC) takes its responsibilities to the children in its care extremely seriously. We are delighted that many members of the LSCC community are willing to give their time and skills to helping our children develop their Christian faith. It is our goal to create a safe and loving environment in which the children who are entrusted to our care are able to learn about God, discover Bible truths, and learn what it means to follow Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. It is our desire and commitment that our children, being precious and created in the image of God, grow in the love and delight of God in a safe environment.
The highest mandate to safeguard children from abuse in the Church comes from the Bible. Psalm 127:3 reminds us that “children are a heritage from the Lord.” The Lord is our Heavenly Father who entrusts children into the care of parents to protect, nurture and “bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). As a church community we support parents in their role to children. That is why the Lord Jesus warns, “if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin (the idea of causing them to stumble), it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea” (Matthew 18:6). The Lord Jesus also rebuked His disciples when they hindered the little children from coming to Him, saying “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:13-15).
We are committed to upholding a preventative approach to child safety and wellbeing that includes meeting our legal obligations in compliance with the 11 updated Victorian Child Safe Standards created under the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005 (Vic) and administered by the Victorian Commission for Children and Young People. Our Child Safety Policy & Procedures and Code of Conduct are the foundation and practical outworking of this commitment. This applies to every individual and each activity we do.
Documents can be found here:
- LSCC Child Safety Policy Procedures 2023 (Updated-20230911) must be followed by all staff and volunteers involved in ministry to children at LSCC. It applies to all activities at LSCC which involve, result in or relate to contact with children.
- LSCC Child Safety Code of Conduct 2022 sets out the behaviour that LSCC expects from all our staff and volunteers working with children and young people.
- LSCC Privacy Policy outlines how we collect and manage your personal information.