Beyond Physical Safety:

Creating Spiritually Safe Spaces for Our Children

by Rev. Eli’jah Carroll

When we think about safe spaces for children, our minds often go straight to physical safety—and rightly so. Children deserve environments where they are protected, cared for, and free from harm.

For example, when I first arrived at my church, we didn’t yet have a Safe Church Policy—a document designed to help prevent abuse and ensure a physically safe environment for everyone, especially our youngest members. When we finally completed our first draft, it was over 40 pages long! It was an important step, and I am deeply grateful for the ways we continue to prioritize the physical safety of our children and youth.

But physical safety is just part of the picture.

I also want us to think more deeply about spiritual safety—an equally vital but sometimes overlooked aspect of nurturing young people in faith communities.

Spiritual Safety Matters, Too

Spiritual safety means creating spaces where children’s budding faith can flourish without fear of harm, shame, or pressure. It’s about nurturing their souls in ways that are affirming, authentic, and rooted in the love of God.

And this work doesn’t only happen at church. It starts at home, too.

One book I highly recommend for families seeking to nurture their children’s faith is Woven: Nurturing a Faith Your Kid Doesn’t Have to Heal From by Meredith Miller. In it, Miller reminds us, “your family needs a faith culture all its own, a way to joyfully and sustainably follow Jesus as a family and invite your kids along in intentional and meaningful ways” (p. 39).

Faith doesn’t need to be rigid or stressful; it can be a joyful, life-giving part of family life that children are invited into—not coerced into. And it can take many forms: storytelling, shared prayer, conversations about values, acts of service, and simply modeling what it means to live with compassion and hope.

The Church’s Role in Spiritual Safety

Of course, the church has a vital role to play as well. A spiritually safe church models love in ways that children can see, feel, and experience firsthand.

• Love looks like children forming intergenerational friendships with teenagers and adults who mentor, encourage, and care for them.
• Love looks like children feeling free to worship in the sanctuary in ways that are natural and authentic to them—whether that means dancing, drawing, singing, or sitting quietly.
• Love looks like pastors and leaders equipping parents and caregivers with tools to nurture their kids’ faith beyond Sunday mornings.

In short, the safest spaces for children are those that care for both their bodies and their spirits.

As we continue building safer churches and homes, may we remember: true safety means tending to the whole child—their body, mind, and soul.

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