1.11 Practical module exercises
These are not “assessments” yet. They are formation exercises to build your safeguarding instincts.
Exercise A: Define your safeguarding vocation in one paragraph
Write one paragraph answering:
- What does it mean to safeguard as a minister of Christ?
- What are you refusing to do, even under pressure?
- What will you do reliably, even when it costs you socially?
Keep this paragraph. You will revise it after later modules.
Exercise B: Identify your top three risk points
Answer honestly:
- In safeguarding situations, what temptation is most likely to distort you? (fear, conflict avoidance, loyalty, shame, anger, urgency, denial)
- What kind of person is most likely to manipulate you? (charming leader, distressed victim, angry family member, powerful donor, persuasive peer)
- What situation is most likely to lead you into informal investigation? (community pressure, desire for clarity, desire to defend someone, desire to “fix it quickly”)
Then write one sentence for each: “When I face this, I will do X instead.”
Exercise C: Practise speech discipline
Write two short scripts (5–7 lines each).
Script 1: What you say to a discloser at the moment of disclosure (calm, serious, no promises of secrecy, no interrogation).
Script 2: What you say to a community member who presses for details (“Tell me what happened; I deserve to know”).
You are training yourself to speak safely.
Exercise D: The five “always” commitments
Complete these statements:
- “I will always prioritise immediate safety by…”
- “I will always keep evidence discipline by…”
- “I will always escalate through safeguarding channels by…”
- “I will always keep clean records by…”
- “I will always resist secrecy and retaliation by…”
Keep your answers short, practical, and unromantic. This is about what you will do, not what you wish you would do.
