Loving Like Jesus: Why Safeguarding Matters in Every Church - By Sarah Denner

Hi everyone — I’m Sarah, the Parish Safeguarding Officer here at St Paul’s. This week marks Safeguarding Sunday, and as someone once wisely said to me, “Every Sunday should be safeguarding Sunday!” So, what is Safeguarding Sunday and why are we mentioning it?

Safeguarding Sunday is now in its 7^th year. It aims to inspire churches to talk about safeguarding and to reflect on our past failings, whilst striving to move forwards towards a world in which every child and adult feels safe and valued.

What is safeguarding?

As a Christian, I believe every person should feel welcomed into church and supported to become the best version of themselves — from the youngest to the oldest. And that’s something I see happening week after week at St Paul’s as we grow in relationship with one another. Of course, relationships can be messy, and life isn’t always straightforward (Jesus never promised it would be!). For me, that’s exactly why safeguarding matters.

“Safeguarding” is a big word, and people often have very different ideas about what it means. For some, it’s mainly about child protection. For others, it brings to mind high-profile cases in the media. The truth is, safeguarding covers so much more.

It includes things like:

• safer recruitment and DBS checks,

• risk assessments,

• responding to historic abuse,

• spotting and reporting signs of potential abuse,

• induction of staff and volunteers,

• promoting safe working practices.

In short — safeguarding is about making church a safe and welcoming place for everyone.

Safeguarding at St Paul’s

Here at St Paul’s, we already have a really solid foundation. We’ve got strong procedures in place, robust recruitment processes, and clear policies. Behind the scenes, I work with the clergy and PCC to keep all this up to date. I’m also here if you ever want to raise a concern, have a question, or just want to chat about how safeguarding works.

But safeguarding isn’t just a checklist to complete. We’ll never be able to say, “we’ve done safeguarding.” It’s not a one-off job — it’s an ongoing commitment. The real goal is to build a culture of safeguarding: a church where care, accountability, and speaking up are second nature, and where everyone feels safe to be themselves.

Creating that culture isn’t just down to me or the staff team. It’s something we all do need to do together.

How you can help

So what does that look like in practice? Here are five ways you can play your part:

1. Keep your eyes open

   If something feels off — even if it’s just a niggle — don’t ignore it.

2. Say something

   If something troubles you, come and talk to me or one of the clergy. It’s always better to raise it than stay silent.

3. Talk about it

   Safeguarding isn’t a taboo subject. Let’s make it part of our normal conversations in our teams and small groups.

4. Join in training

   Please engage in safeguarding training. It’s not just a tick-box exercise. The training helps us to be safer and more confident.

5. Pray

   Pray for those who are vulnerable. Pray for wisdom and courage for those in safeguarding roles. Pray that our church continues to be a safe, loving place for all.

   
   

Safeguarding is about creating a community where everyone can flourish in safety and dignity. It’s not just my responsibility — it’s ours. So let’s keep building a culture together where care, vigilance, and welcome are at the heart of everything we do.