Duty of Care

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As congregations are coming back to in-person worship and other activities, it is a good time to review your duty of care program.

The United Church of Canada is committed to providing a safe environment for worship, work, and study in all communities of faith. We have a legal, moral, and spiritual duty to care for and protect participants in our church programs. This is a legal principle called duty of care, and church groups have been, and will be, held legally responsible for ensuring reasonable measures are taken to ensure safety.

Our church is blessed with the gifts of many who offer leadership as volunteers, staff, and ministry personnel. These people have a special calling to offer their time and talents in congregations through Sunday schools, programs for children and youth, choirs, home visiting, and many other ministries of the church. A duty of care program helps ensure that everyone, including staff, volunteers, participants and the church as a whole, are safe and protected.

Canadian Shield Regional Council, in partnership with our sister region Shining Waters Regional Council, has begun a series of workshops exploring and discussing duty of care in our communities of faith.

Duty of Care Workshop – April 25, 2023

This workshop will provide a general overview of duty of care and how communities of faith can review their programs and assess risks. This event is designed to engage congregational staff (lay and clergy) and key lay leaders, including members of the church board/council, M&P committee and all committees/working groups with responsibility for worship, outreach, and spiritual growth/Christian education in the fundamentals of creating safer worshipping communities.