We believe that Churches need to take responsibility for how people (especially kids) are treated. If you’ve been invited to be part of our kids or youth ministry teams, lead adult groups, or teach SRE (Special Religious Education) in a school setting, there’s a couple of things we require you to do:

KIDS/YOUTH LEADERS

If you have been invited to serve with our kids or youth ministries, these are the steps we need you to work through before starting:

1. Obtain a NSW Working with Children Check (WWCC)

This is a legal requirement for all those who are working with people under the age of 18. Here’s how to get one:

A) Go to https://wwccheck.ocg.nsw.gov.au/Apply and follow the prompts.

B) Once you have done this, you need to take your application number and ID with you in person to the Service NSW office in Rusden Street, Armidale (formerly RMS).

C) Once you have lodged your application, they will email you your WWCC number and the expiry date.

D) Please inform Georgia Burke (Admin Leader) [email protected] of your number and expiry date, along with your date of birth, so that she can verify the check and then update the church records.

2. Fill out a ‘Safe Ministry Volunteers Check’ form and return to the St Mark’s office

Available online here. Hard copies are also available in the office. Please ask a St Mark's staff member to witness your signature.

3. Complete Safe Ministry Training

If you have never done Safe Ministry training before, or it has been longer than 3 years since you last completed it, you will need to do the Essentials Training.

If you have completed training within the past 3 years, you can do the Refresher Training.

How to access online Safe Ministry Training:

The Essentials and Refresher Safe Ministry courses are available online through the Sydney Diocese, by accessing the following link: online-training-information.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on ‘Create Account’ or ‘Log in to Account’ if you already have one. St Marks has paid for our members to access this training, so contact the Office to get a code - phone 6787 4015 or email [email protected] or [email protected] . Once you have this code, there is a blue bar at the top of the Checkout page, which says ‘Have a coupon? Click here to enter your code’, click on this and enter it. You will then be able to begin working through the self-paced modules (via the dashboard, under ‘your enrolled courses’) and once these are completed you will need to book in for a live webinar as the last step (all explained as you follow the link).

Once you have finished the training they will send you a certificate, please forward that on to Georgia Burke (Admin Leader) [email protected] for our church records.

Occasionally, face-to-face training occurs within the Armidale Diocese which will be advertised in the St Marks email digest.

JUNIOR LEADERS

If you are under 18* and have been invited to help with kids ministries, this is what we need you to do:

1. Complete Junior Leader training with Matt Sheridan

Please contact the office [email protected] or speak to Matt Sheridan to organise this.

2. Fill out and return a ‘Safe Ministry Check - Volunteers 13-17 years’ form

Available here. Hard copies also available in the Church foyer magazine rack. Your parent or guardian also needs to sign if you are under 16 years of age.

*Once you turn 18 you will need to apply for a Working with Children Check number - see Point 1 under 'Kids/Youth Leaders' above.

ALL OTHER LEADERS (eg: Growth Group, Chapel Council, Music Team Leader)

Are required to complete Safe Ministry Training as above in point 3 and return the Safe Ministry Check form - see Point 2 above. If you have any questions, please speak to the staff or email [email protected]

SRE TEACHERS

Need all of the above requirements under KIDS/YOUTH LEADERS, as well as:

1. Fill out and return a ‘SRE Engagement Form’ to the office

Available here. Hard copies also available in the Church foyer magazine rack.

2. Complete SRE Training modules

All SRE teachers are required to complete Accreditation/Training Modules* which are available online via the following link: sre-essentials-training-online-course

* Please note there is a cost for this course.