Keeping ourselves and others safe from harm is one of the most important things we can do.
The Bible reminds us that God created us, cares deeply for us, and wants us to enjoy the good world He has made. But the reality is, there are lots of things in life that can hurt us.
Like:
- fire
- broken glass
- wild animals!
Thankfully, there are simple ways we can protect ourselves from most of these things, for example:
- helmets for bike rides
- oven gloves for baking
- sunglasses on a sunny day.
We take these little safety measures often without a second thought.
But here’s the thing, it’s not just objects or accidents we need to be careful of. Sometimes, sadly, we need to be protected from people.
When People Hurt People
Sometimes we hurt each other without meaning to. But there are also times when harm is caused deliberately — we would call that abuse. There are lots of different types of abuse, like neglect, or it could be physical, emotional, sexual, or financial. In fact, there are many types of abuse.
And it can happen anywhere, at school, at home, at work, at a club, or even at church.
The Bible, in Psalm 91, describes God as our place of safety and refuge. As God’s people, we’re called to reflect that — to create communities where everyone can feel safe, welcomed, and valued. But safety doesn’t happen by accident. Just as helmets and oven gloves help us in everyday life, there are things we can put in place to protect one another. That’s where safeguarding comes in.
So, What Exactly Is Safeguarding?
The word can sound a bit formal, maybe it leaves you thinking of criminal record checks, policies, or endless tick-box forms. And yes, those are part of it. But safeguarding is much bigger than paperwork.
At its heart, safeguarding simply means protecting people from harm.
Safeguarding as Culture
Churches and charities are unique places that have open doors to welcome all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds. But with that openness comes a responsibility to protect one another. Abuse and harm aren’t things we like to imagine happening “on our watch”… but sadly, they do. And the consequences can be devastating and long-lasting.
Thanks to the bravery of survivors who have spoken up, we now know much more about the risks of abuse. As a result, most organisations have safeguarding policies, training, and even a designated person responsible. That’s a good start. But for safeguarding to really work, it can’t just sit on one person’s desk. It has to become part of the overall culture.
That means creating spaces where abuse has nowhere to hide, where people feel confident to speak up, and where safety is actively prioritised — physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Safeguarding for Christians
So why should Christians, in particular, care about safeguarding? Simply put — because God does.
Safeguarding isn’t just ‘sensible practice’ — it’s part of our calling. The Bible is full of verses about standing up for the vulnerable. The Scriptures remind us again and again to care for orphans, widows, strangers, and children. Over 2,000 verses speak about justice and injustice — and safeguarding fits right into that picture.
At Thirtyone:eight we talk about safeguarding in terms of mandate, motivation, and mission:
- Mandate: Every generation has a responsibility to care for vulnerable people.
- Motivation: Leaders (and all of us) must seek God’s priorities for the vulnerable.
- Mission: We must use every means possible to keep people safe, heard, and valued.
That shifts safeguarding from being a checklist to being part of our discipleship. It’s not just good governance, it’s wisdom. It’s living in a way that reflects God’s own heart for justice and protection.
What Can I Do?
Safeguarding isn’t just “someone else’s job”. Just like an umbrella only works if you actually open it, safeguarding only works if we all play our part.
Here are some simple steps:
- Be aware: know the signs of abuse, and notice if something doesn’t feel right
- Speak up: if you’re worried about yourself or someone else, talk to someone you trust.
- Learn more: take part in training, use resources or become a member with Thirtyone:eight.
- Model safety: help create an environment where everyone feels valued and secure.
Safeguarding isn’t about rules for the sake of it. It’s about ensuring every person — young or old, vulnerable or strong — can thrive and flourish. And that matters, because each one of us is special to God, so each one of us deserves to feel, and to be, safe.
As part of our annual safeguarding campaign, Safeguarding Sunday, we have created this short video to help you understand what safeguarding is, and why it's so important.