“Let the Children Come”: A Vision for the Church to Value and Protect the Lives of Children
Having worked with churches, charities and not-for-profits in Senior Executive & risk management roles for most of her career, Dr. Melodie Bissell launched Plan to Protect®, Inc. fifteen years ago with a desire to raise the bar on safeguarding the vulnerable sector. She accomplishes this through consulting and training and providing leaders with the tools, training and momentum needed to accomplish their vision and goals while safeguarding the mission of the organization and their people. Melodie currently serves as the Chair & Sr. Safeguarding Consultant at Plan to Protect®. Melodie is an author of numerous books and journal articles, her most recent book is the 2022 version of Plan to Protect® A Safeguarding Guide for children, youth and adults. As a Victim-Advocate, Melodie is committed to giving voice to victim-survivors of abuse as she stewards the disclosures and stories of abuse on behalf of clients. In 2022, Melodie received her doctorate at the University of Toronto. The focus of her thesis was on nurturing the spiritual healing of victim-survivors of abuse. Melodie’s vision for safeguarding is rooted and grounded in God’s wonderful message of salvation for children. Melodie invites you to join the network of members of Plan to Protect®, where you will have access to safeguarding policies, procedures, training and tools. Melodie is available for speaking and training opportunities. Contact Melodie at [email protected]
Jesus’ words still echo through time: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14). These words were not just a gentle invitation—they were a command. A command to the Church to make room, to open arms, to clear the way. Yet in too many places, we’ve allowed hindrances to remain. We’ve allowed silence, fear, neglect, and even abuse to take root where there should be protection, joy, and peace.
I believe it is time for a holy reformation in how we see and treat children in our churches—a movement rooted in the heart of the Father.
The Father’s Heart for His Children
God’s heart beats for His children. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture is filled with language that communicates how deeply God values and loves children. He sees them. He knows them. He calls them by name.
To carry the heart of the Father is to mirror His priorities. If our churches truly reflect the Father’s love, we will not merely “welcome” children into our buildings—we will fight for their safety, champion their worth, and protect their innocence.
Safeguarding as Ministry, Not Just Policy
For far too long, safeguarding has been seen as a legal obligation or an insurance requirement. But what if we saw it differently? What if safeguarding became part of the DNA of the Church—woven into our identity, our theology, and our ministry?
Safeguarding is not just a checklist or a liability shield. It is a ministry—a sacred calling to protect and care for the vulnerable. It is a ministry to:
- Children and youth, who deserve to grow up safe, free, and secure in God’s love
- Volunteers and ministry leaders, who need clear guidance and support to serve well
- Victim-survivors of abuse, who carry deep wounds and need the Church to be a place of healing, not further harm
- Parents and caregivers, who entrust us with the most precious gifts God has given them
- Offenders, who have come to Jesus but need to parameters and safeguards in place
- The wider congregation, who need to see that love is not just preached but practiced with integrity and action
- The community, who has lost trust in the Church, and need a reason to once again find their way home
When safeguarding becomes part of who we are—not just what we do—our churches will radiate safety, welcome, and compassion from the inside out. It will shape our decisions, our discipleship, our staffing, our programming, and our pastoral care.
Removing Every Hindrance
Jesus said, “Do not hinder them.” Yet we often do. We hinder children when we ignore their cries, when we overlook their discomfort, when we choose reputation over truth. We hinder them when we dismiss their questions or stifle their expression of faith.
To remove hindrances is to remove every stumbling block—every adult who has misused their influence, every system that has protected abusers, every silence that has allowed shame to grow.
A Generation That Knows Jesus and Walks in Peace
My vision is to see a generation of children rise up, unafraid and unashamed, knowing they are loved by God and valued by His Church. I long to see children growing up in places of worship where their joy is nurtured, their sense of security is unwavering, and their peace is protected. I yearn for them to be discipled and mentored by safe individuals who will not betray the trust we have given them.
We cannot undo the harm that has been done in some places, but we can ensure it does not continue. We can be proactive. We can be vigilant. We can repent for the ways the Church has fallen short and commit to doing better—for the sake of the Gospel, and for the sake of every child made in the image of God.
Let It Begin With Us
If we are to value the souls and lives of children, it must begin with the Church. It must begin with us.
Let us be churches that:
- Reflect the protective heart of the Father
- Guard the innocence of childhood
- Pursue holiness in every area of our lives
- Create spaces of safety, healing, and joy
- Empower children to know Jesus personally
- Model integrity, humility, and justice in leadership
- Embrace safeguarding not just as practice—but as ministry
Over the past 25 years, we’ve made significant progress in raising the bar on safeguarding. But to truly protect the vulnerable, we need a deeper transformation—a heart change. Safeguarding must move beyond being a task we complete in order to do ministry; it must become a ministry in itself—central to how we care for and serve others. May the Church become the place where children run with confidence—never with fear. May no child ever again be hindered from coming to Jesus. And may we, as His people, rise to this sacred responsibility with courage, compassion, and conviction.
- “Let the Children Come”: A Vision for the Church to Value and Protect the Lives of Children
Jesus’ words still echo through time: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14). These words were not just a gentle invitation—they were a command. A command to the Church to make room, to open arms, to clear the way. Yet in too many places, we’ve allowed hindrances to remain. We’ve allowed silence, fear, neglect, and even abuse to take root where there should be protection, joy, and peace. - Insurance and Accountability (Part 2): A Return to the Biblical Principles of Stewardship and Justice
When the Bible and prayer were removed from public schools in the early 1960s, secular humanism filled the void. Over time, the influence of Greek philosophy and worldly ideologies seeped back into the church—just as in Paul’s day—lulling believers into thinking life can flourish apart from God’s commands. Ken Ham reminds us that Genesis 1–11 outlines both righteous judgment and the futility of hiding from God. A generation raised without a biblical worldview inevitably produces leaders unprepared to deal with sin, resulting in weak protocols and poor accountability in the church. - Insurance and Accountability (Part 1): Examining the Causes of the Abuse Crisis in Churches
It is no secret that houses of worship are unfortunately engaged in a blistering crisis of adult and child sexual abuse. Beyond the atrocity of the abuse itself, some churches are increasingly guilty of concealing abuse and of placing unbiblical trust in man’s systems rather than God’s Word. Many American churches appear to be caught up in the postmodern culture of “my truth,” giving subjective feelings more authority than objective,