April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and this coming Sunday (April 23) our worship service will be focused on how Christian faith informs our commitments to creating a safe and nurturing environment for children and youth.  In 2006, Columbus Mennonite adopted the Keeping CMC Safe policy which helps guide us in this work.  Part of the policy includes a commitment to ongoing training and education on abuse prevention at a congregational level. 

This worship service will count as training for anyone present.  Anyone interested in working with children this year will have a chance to fill out a paper application on Sunday, or they may fill one out at our website later. 

For more information on the importance of this work and what congregations can do, check out the editorial, “You Can Prevent Abuse,” in the Mennonite World Review written by Anna Groff, executive director of Dove’s Nest. 

We will also be taking a special noisy offering on Sunday to benefit Dove’s Nest, so don’t forget to bring your coins!