{"id":13491,"date":"2026-07-15T13:40:50","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T17:40:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/leadership\/?post_type=tribe_events&#038;p=13491"},"modified":"2026-07-15T13:41:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T17:41:37","slug":"safer-sanctuaries-training-jan-2027","status":"publish","type":"tribe_events","link":"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/leadership\/event\/safer-sanctuaries-training-jan-2027\/","title":{"rendered":"Safer Sanctuaries Training"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-columns gb-layout-columns-2 gb-2-col-equal has-theme-white-background-color has-theme-secondary-color gb-columns-center alignfull\" style=\"padding-top:5%;padding-bottom:10%\"><div class=\"gb-layout-column-wrap gb-block-layout-column-gap-2 gb-is-responsive-column\" style=\"max-width:1200px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-column gb-block-layout-column\"><div class=\"gb-block-layout-column-inner\">\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The NC Conference presents <span style=\"margin: 0px;padding: 0px\">a<\/span>&nbsp;Safer Sanctuaries training with Suzanne Cobb&#8230;<\/h4>\n\n\n<div  class=\"tribe-events-schedule tribe-clearfix\" >\n\t<p class=\"tribe-events-schedule__datetime\">\n\t\t<span class=\"tribe-events-schedule__date tribe-events-schedule__date--start\">\n\t\t\tJanuary 9, 2027\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"tribe-events-schedule__separator tribe-events-schedule__separator--date\">\n\t\t\t\t @ \t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"tribe-events-schedule__time tribe-events-schedule__time--start\">\n\t\t\t\t8:30 am\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"tribe-events-schedule__separator tribe-events-schedule__separator--time\">\n\t\t\t\t\t &#8211; \t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"tribe-events-schedule__time tribe-events-schedule__time--end\">\n\t\t\t\t\t12:00 pm\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div  class=\"tribe-block tribe-block__venue tribe-clearfix\" >\n\t\n\t\n<div class=\"tribe-block__venue__meta\">\n\t<div class=\"tribe-block__venue__name\">\n\t\t<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/leadership\/venue\/zoom\/\" title=\"Zoom\">Zoom<\/a><\/h3>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n<div  class=\"tribe-block tribe-block__event-price\" >\n\t\t\t<span class=\"tribe-block__event-price__cost\"> Free <\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Safer Sanctuaries Training<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every United Methodist congregation is required to have a Safer Sanctuaries policy \u2014 but this is more than paperwork. Safer Sanctuaries is a way of being in ministry. It\u2019s a movement to make our churches safe places for children, youth, vulnerable adults, and the people who minister with them.&nbsp;This training will give you the theological grounding, practical tools, and hands-on experience to help your&nbsp;congregation not only&nbsp;<em>have<\/em>&nbsp;a policy but also make it central to the&nbsp;<em>life&nbsp;<\/em>of the church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Who Should Attend<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Leaders (clergy or laity) responsible for creating, revising, or training others in Safer Sanctuaries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Anyone new to Safer&nbsp;Sanctuaries or&nbsp;anyone&nbsp;who needs a refresher.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Children or youth ministry leaders, or anyone tasked with training volunteers in their church\u2019s policy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Congregational care leaders working with vulnerable adults.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What You\u2019ll Gain<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A clear understanding of why every congregation needs a Safer Sanctuaries policy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The ability to recognize the essential policy components and adapt them to your&nbsp;ministries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Confidence to be a Safer Sanctuaries champion in your congregation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-theme-light-gray-background-color has-background\" style=\"border-top-left-radius:20px;border-top-right-radius:20px;border-bottom-left-radius:20px;border-bottom-right-radius:20px\">We recommend that every local church team charged with creating or updating their church&#8217;s policy have a copy of&nbsp;<em>Safer Sanctuaries: Nurturing Trust within Faith Communities<\/em>. If your church does not have this resource, it is available in both print and electronic formats on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Safer-Sanctuaries-Nurturing-Within-Communities\/dp\/0881779628\">Amazon<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/upperroombooks.com\/book\/safer-sanctuaries\/\">Upper Room<\/a>. Purchasing this resource is&nbsp;not<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>required to participate in the session. <br><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-column gb-block-layout-column\"><div class=\"gb-block-layout-column-inner has-theme-white-background-color\" style=\"padding:20px\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Ready to save your seat?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full has-custom-border\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/leadership\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2025\/10\/ss-logo-1200x675-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/leadership\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2025\/10\/ss-logo-1200x675-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11761\" style=\"border-top-left-radius:20px;border-top-right-radius:20px;border-bottom-left-radius:20px;border-bottom-right-radius:20px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/leadership\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2025\/10\/ss-logo-1200x675-1.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/nccumc.org\/leadership\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2025\/10\/ss-logo-1200x675-1-720x405.jpg 720w, https:\/\/nccumc.org\/leadership\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2025\/10\/ss-logo-1200x675-1-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n<script>\nvar gform;gform||(document.addEventListener(\"gform_main_scripts_loaded\",function(){gform.scriptsLoaded=!0}),document.addEventListener(\"gform\/theme\/scripts_loaded\",function(){gform.themeScriptsLoaded=!0}),window.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){gform.domLoaded=!0}),gform={domLoaded:!1,scriptsLoaded:!1,themeScriptsLoaded:!1,isFormEditor:()=>\"function\"==typeof InitializeEditor,callIfLoaded:function(o){return!(!gform.domLoaded||!gform.scriptsLoaded||!gform.themeScriptsLoaded&&!gform.isFormEditor()||(gform.isFormEditor()&&console.warn(\"The use of gform.initializeOnLoaded() is deprecated in the form editor context and will be removed in Gravity Forms 3.1.\"),o(),0))},initializeOnLoaded:function(o){gform.callIfLoaded(o)||(document.addEventListener(\"gform_main_scripts_loaded\",()=>{gform.scriptsLoaded=!0,gform.callIfLoaded(o)}),document.addEventListener(\"gform\/theme\/scripts_loaded\",()=>{gform.themeScriptsLoaded=!0,gform.callIfLoaded(o)}),window.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",()=>{gform.domLoaded=!0,gform.callIfLoaded(o)}))},hooks:{action:{},filter:{}},addAction:function(o,r,e,t){gform.addHook(\"action\",o,r,e,t)},addFilter:function(o,r,e,t){gform.addHook(\"filter\",o,r,e,t)},doAction:function(o){gform.doHook(\"action\",o,arguments)},applyFilters:function(o){return gform.doHook(\"filter\",o,arguments)},removeAction:function(o,r){gform.removeHook(\"action\",o,r)},removeFilter:function(o,r,e){gform.removeHook(\"filter\",o,r,e)},addHook:function(o,r,e,t,n){null==gform.hooks[o][r]&&(gform.hooks[o][r]=[]);var d=gform.hooks[o][r];null==n&&(n=r+\"_\"+d.length),gform.hooks[o][r].push({tag:n,callable:e,priority:t=null==t?10:t})},doHook:function(r,o,e){var t;if(e=Array.prototype.slice.call(e,1),null!=gform.hooks[r][o]&&((o=gform.hooks[r][o]).sort(function(o,r){return o.priority-r.priority}),o.forEach(function(o){\"function\"!=typeof(t=o.callable)&&(t=window[t]),\"action\"==r?t.apply(null,e):e[0]=t.apply(null,e)})),\"filter\"==r)return e[0]},removeHook:function(o,r,t,n){var e;null!=gform.hooks[o][r]&&(e=(e=gform.hooks[o][r]).filter(function(o,r,e){return!!(null!=n&&n!=o.tag||null!=t&&t!=o.priority)}),gform.hooks[o][r]=e)}});\n<\/script>\n\n                <div class='gf_browser_gecko gform_wrapper gravity-theme gform-theme--no-framework' data-form-theme='gravity-theme' data-form-index='0' id='gform_wrapper_171' style='display:none'>\n                        <div class='gform_heading'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class='gform_required_legend'>&quot;<span class=\"gfield_required gfield_required_asterisk\">*<\/span>&quot; 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Dr. Suzanne Cobb, a Raleigh, NC, native, graduated from Atlantic Christian College (now Barton College) with a B.S. in Education of the Hearing Impaired and taught Special Education for five years. She earned an M.Div. from Duke Divinity School (1999) and a D.Min. from Hood Theological Seminary (2013), focusing her doctoral work on \u201cBuilding Trust in the First Six Months of a New Appointment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A longtime member of Soapstone UMC, Suzanne held various leadership roles, including Children\u2019s Choir Director, Sunday School Superintendent, Youth Counselor, VBS Coordinator, and Women\u2019s Group Leader. She also chaired the United Methodist Women, sang in the Chancel Choir, and helped establish the church\u2019s preschool program, where she worked from 1992-2004.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Suzanne began her pastoral ministry in 2004, serving Leah\u2019s Chapel\/Shiloh UMC (2004-2006), Saint Luke UMC-Sanford (2006-2011), The Milwaukee Charge (2011-2015), and Fletcher\u2019s Chapel UMC-Durham (2015-2024). She retired in June 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Throughout her ministry, Suzanne served on the Conference Disaster Relief and UM Volunteers in Mission committees, chaired the MERCI Board, coordinated Sanford Disaster Relief, and held leadership positions in Conference Youth Ministry, including Chair of the Conference Committee on Youth Ministries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In retirement, she most recently served as the Interim Lead Pastor at Soapstone UMC from January 1 to June 30, 2025, and she continues serving as Chair of the Raleigh Wesley Board and a member of the Conference Safer Sanctuaries Committee.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every United Methodist congregation is required to have a Safer Sanctuaries policy \u2014 but this is more than paperwork. Safer Sanctuaries is a way of being in ministry. 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