Safeguarding

Why does safeguarding matter in a Christian community?

St John the Baptist works to provide a safe environment for the whole Church family, especially children and adults at risk. We aim to be a place where children and young people are nurtured and protected; and where all people, and especially those who may be vulnerable for any reason, are able to worship and pursue their faith journey with encouragement and in safety.
We follow the national legal and procedural framework for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults, and Church of England policy and practice.

Reporting a Concern

The safeguarding officer for St John the Baptist Church is:
Alberta Rosenior
Tel. 020 8863 9413

You can contact either the officer or the parish priest if you have any questions about our policies and procedures or if you suspect a child or vulnerable adult is at risk. If you believe someone is in imminent danger please call 999.

Church Policies

Our Safeguarding policy was reviewed and adopted by the Parochial Church Council (PCC) at the start of 2024. The policy is reviewed annually and displayed at the back of church on the notice board.

Useful links & contacts

If you need help, are concerned about someone or just need to talk, please contact our safeguarding officer or the parish priest.
If you believe someone is in immediate danger call 999.

If you would like to get in touch with another agency, such as the NSPCC or need to contact the diocesan safeguarding team directly, please follow this link.

The current edition of A Safe Church can be found at: Safeguarding

Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Visitors click here.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning. People of all ages and backgrounds are welcome to join us. We are an eclectic inclusive church. There is space for buggies and it is a safe place for breastfeeding.

Where and When

We meet in the Church for our Sunday Service starting at 10am. When you arrive, you will be greeted by one of our welcomers.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. We don't currently have a disabled toilet.

Our Service

The main service begins at 10am with a warm welcome from the priest. You will then be invited to stand and we sing a hymn while the choir, servers and priest process in. The service can be followed in the service booklet handed out by the welcomers. Our style of worship follows the Church of England Common Worship. It is easy to follow, with a mixture of prayers and hymns (both traditional and modern), and includes Holy Communion each week. We all begin together in church, and on the weeks when there is Children's Church, the children move into the hall before the readings begin. They then rejoin us for Communion. After the service free refreshments are available in the hall.

What about my kids?

Children are welcome in the church service. There are books available and a colouring table. We encourage parents to help the children engage in the service by following the service sheet together, joining in with the talk in All Age services, and joining in with prayers where they can.

On the second, third (and sometimes fourth) Sunday of the month we have Children's Church which uses the Diddy Disciples resources. It involves bible stories, songs, prayers and craft. Parents are encouraged to stay with their children if they are below school age to help them get as much out of the session as possible.

We want parents to be able to feel they can worship as much as possible as well as the children, so that church can be a place of refreshment, friendship and spiritually uplifting for everyone.

As children get older, there are more opportunities for them to participate in the life of the church. For more information please see our Children's Church page.

Children

Get in touch with us to plan your visit

If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.

Name:

Telephone:

Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.

Leadership


Leader 1		Leader 2
Leader Intro		Leader Intro

We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.

Best Wishes

(Handwritten Signature)