Weddings, Grandparents and Child Protection

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Weddings and vicars

A survey carried out at the National Wedding Show in 2006 showed that couples who plan to get married in church are interested in meeting the vicar. Of those who said they wanted a “proper wedding”:

• 69% rated the location as important
• 60% said that the Church had a particular meaning for them 5
• 6% said their partner’s religion was also important to them
• the spiritual or sacred ambience was important to 55%
• 53% said what the vicar was like was important
• The choir, music and bell-ringing was important to 49% of respondents
• the interior and decoration to 47%
• and marriage preparation was important only to 36%.

The latest church statistics (2003) showed that 31% of first marriages took place in church, and 4 out of 10 weddings being planned by people attending the Wedding Show were to be church weddings.

Reported in the Church Times, 19 January 2007.
 

Grandparents and church

According to Christian Research, grandparents are often key for their grandchildren’s faith.

• For 12% of Protestant churchgoers, the grandparents were the most significant people in showing them what faith is about.
• Some 3% of children attending Sunday school are brought by their grandparents.
• If grandparents go to church, 60% of their grandchildren will go to church when they visit.

In the UK there are 13 million grandparents, each with an average of 4.4 grandchildren. A third of grandparents spend 3 days a week caring for their grandchildren, and 82% of children are cared for sometimes by their grandparents.

Reported in the Christian Marketplace, July 2006.
 

Child protection issues in church

According to a survey published by the Churches’ Child Protection Advisory Service in April 2006:

• An average church of 84 in its congregation has 12 children’s workers.
• Three quarters of churches interview all volunteer applicants and ask them to complete an application form – up from only two fifths in 2003.
• Virtually all church leaders showed an awareness of their denomination’s policy on child protection.
• The number of churches with no child protection policy had gone down from 9% in 2003 to 4% in 2005.
• Smaller churches were less likely to have a policy than larger churches, and evangelicals less than non-evangelical.
• Over 90% of churches take the precaution of asking other people in the church about a person who has volunteered – up from half in 2003.
• One in 7 workers had reason to be concerned about possible abuse; of these, all had shared those concerns with the child protection officer or minister.
• Some 12% of leaders were aware of individuals in the congregation who could present a risk to children, and in 88% of these cases were adopting special measures to support the individual and at the same time ensure the safety of children.
• Virtually all (97%) of church leaders and 98% if children’s workers consider child protection issues to be important.

Reported in Caring Magazine, Spring 2006.
 

N.B. The Alliance is committed to encouraging all member churches to comply with all best practice principles regarding child protection and would urge any members who do not currently have a policy in place to contact the Churches’ Child Protection Advisory Service (CCPAS).
Visit www.ccpas.co.uk, email info@ccpas.co.uk or phone 0845 120 4549.