53. Building A Safer Church with Kris Buckman

One background check can make us feel responsible, but it cannot make our church safe. We sit down with Kris Buckman to talk plainly about sexual abuse prevention and what Next Gen leaders can actually implement in kids ministry and student ministry without getting overwhelmed.We unpack why training has to come first, how awareness changes culture, and what grooming patterns and offender behaviors can look like in trusted environments. Kris explains why churches often miss the bigger picture when they treat prevention as a one-time checkbox, and he shares a simple framework built around five essentials: training, screening, protecting, reporting, and caring. We also point you to free resources at SBCabuseprevention.com, including templates and an Essentials Curriculum designed to give teams step-by-step next actions.Share this with a ministry teammate and leave a review so more churches build safer systems for kids and teens. What is the first policy or practice you need to update this month?Register for ETCH Conference 2026Connect with Lifeway Next Gen Ministry