We recently received a question through the Church Law & Tax Facebook page asking about how churches should handle vacation Bible schools during the pandemic. Along with highlighting the precautions from this article on reopening, and suggesting another article that, among other things, addresses outreach precautions, I mentioned the importance of monitoring local and state directives and the decisions made by officials from local schools and youth-serving organizations.

The reason: Aligning your church’s standard of care with both government guidance and the policies put forth by school districts and other trusted organizations helps demonstrate the church’s due diligence with setting best practices (and hopefully minimizes potential legal and risk liabilities).

Unfortunately, this approach may mean that vacation Bible schools and other children’s and youth programs cannot happen as scheduled. Delaying those events may not be possible, either, and even if they can happen, other important questions still arise, including how to maintain safety protocols that children or youth may forget—or outright disregard.

Since so many question marks persist, many churches may opt to minister online, including using video-conferencing platforms, phone calls, emails, and texts. But as a recent article from attorneys Robert Showers and Justin Coleman shows, the reliance upon digital tools for children’s and youth ministries raises other significant concerns, such as online bullying and abuse.

To help, the attorneys briefly cover six practical questions regarding virtual children’s and youth ministries, offering general guidance for setting specific policies and procedures.

Remember, it’s critical to treat the threat of abuse with the same level of urgency and concern as you would with in-person gatherings. The potential harm to children and youth is too great to relax your church’s standards. Furthermore, with digital-based ministries now a growing part of many churches, these insights will prove valuable even after the pandemic has passed.

Also this week:

• Can a school be sued for the negligent supervision of a teacher who abuses a student? Why a California appellate court’s recent answer to this question should interest churches.
• Advantage Members: If you missed last week’s presentation from attorney Richard Hammar on politics and church activities, catch the recording now.
• Reopening Your Church: Timely resources and expert insights to help churches bring their congregations back together under one roof.

The Lord bless you and keep you,