Abuse Awareness and Prevention Network

The Abuse Awareness and Prevention Network (AAPN) exists to inform and educate Canadian Christians about issues and policies relating to abuse awareness. The network also helps to equip denominations, congregations, schools, camps, and ministries with best practices and resources connected to abuse awareness and prevention.

Upcoming Conference

Days

Hours

Minutes

Seconds

Overview

Reducing the Risk Conference

Hosted by the Abuse Awareness and Prevention Network, the Reducing the Risk conference will provide abuse awareness and prevention training from ministry experts, utilizing interactive, insightful and creative sessions.

Date: November 2, 2024

Location: Toronto

Willowdale Baptist Church

15 Olive Ave, North York, ON M2N 4N4

Date: November 2, 2024

Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (ET)

Lunch: Provided

Cost: $40 / $35 early bird

Parking is available on site. The building is accessible and conveniently located one block south of Finch station.

Outcomes

Conference participants will have:

Greater awareness of reducing the risk of abuse in your ministry context.
New tools, connections, and resources to better equip participants to reduce risk.
Recorded sessions (including theatrical enactments) and training material from the conference will be made available to registered participants. These resources will be shared after the conference through an online toolkit, video series, and printed resources.

Highlights

Conference Highlights:

Hear from leading experts in abuse prevention
Theatre group will enact case studies and scenarios
Opportunity to network with peers and abuse awareness experts
Collaborate with other denominations and groups
Counselors on site
Prayer room

Who can benefit?

All are welcome!

Who can benefit from this event?

Pastors
HR managers/directors
Church members/board members
Ministry leaders and teachers
Camp workers
Volunteers

Workshop topics

Topics

Pastors, Power, and Wise Self-Care Boundaries
- This session is an exploration of the various types of power, and how they might be at play within a pastoral context. Pastors and church leaders are often over-worked and responding to congregant expectations that may not be reasonable or fair. Understanding the diverse nature of power in such contexts heightens self-awareness, enabling the wisdom to create boundaries for good self-care, the tools needed to educate congregants about healthy and fair expectations of their pastors, and prevent boundary transgressions.
Porn, Purity, and Healthy Sexuality
- An examination of the effects of pornography culture, and purity culture. Combined, or alone, the resulting forms of silence that surround each of these can result in shame and harm, which impedes healthy sexual development, contributes to sexual dysfunction in relationships, and greater risk of domestic abuse. This topic will include a framework for what healthy sexuality could look like.
If I Had Only Known: Lessons Learned in Hindsight on Clergy Sexual Abuse
- This workshop enters into the backstory of The Meeting House to examine some of the pre-conditions in which clergy sexual abuse takes place. It will also provide data gathered from interviews with those who have deconstructed their faith, a process often triggered by revelations of clergy sexual abuse. Schuurman draws on research that is both sociological and biographical in understanding how things can go horribly wrong in places deemed to be about God's people doing God's work in God's house.
The Power to Do Good: The Use and Misuse of Power in the Church
- By virtue of their role in the church , ministry leaders have significant influence and authority over those to whom they minister. This interactive workshop will explore how ministry leaders can be intentional about using their influence in ways that lead to the building up and flourishing of others and guard against using power in ways that bring harm. Through case studies and conversation, we will explore together the stewardship of power, healthy boundaries, and best practices using power to do good.
Biblical Leadership and Power Differentials
- What difference does it make when leadership is exercised from a Christian worldview? While the Bible may not be explicit in its teaching when it comes to leadership styles and techniques, Scripture does provide a clear framework for the way Christians should lead. And this includes being aware of and properly handling the inevitable power differentials that are part of almost all human interaction. This workshop will explore these issues and their relevance for the Christian ministry context.
(De)Weaponizing Scripture: Making the Bible Safe From Abuse
- Addresses some of the main ways the Bible is manipulated to perpetuate harm and empower abusers. To that end, Rauser analyzes seven common ways Scripture is weaponized with practical examples. Rauser argues that we can begin to unmask and defeat this weaponization by centering on the central purpose of the Bible in the call to form us into people of righteousness who emulate Jesus and exhibit the love of God and neighbour.
Respect, Disrespect and Abuse
- In 1996, Christian Horizons (now Karis) developed a two-day abuse prevention course that focused primarily on defining abuse, identifying types of abuse, examples of each type, the responsibility to report and the consequences for not reporting. All content was accurate to agency policies, but the weight of the content sometimes left new hires questioning their choice to join our team. In 2017, through a review of data on abuse allegations, we decided to re-vamp efforts. By starting our course with a clear picture of respectful supports, we reinforce our values, vision, and mission in practical ways. Through a series of brief videos, we help people distinguish respect from disrespect, and disrespect from abuse.
Elder Abuse
- Join us for an engaging workshop that uses interactive drama techniques to explore and understand elder abuse and ageism. Participants will learn to identify different types of elder abuse, recognize warning signs, and practice bystander interventions through the dramatization of realistic scenarios, all while engaging in accessible, inclusive activities.