In the last month and a half the Prairie Star District office has received several inquires concerning the presence of known or suspected sex offenders in at least four different congregations. This increased awareness of the issue is not surprising given the number of high profile cases involving the sexual abuse children, youth, and vulnerable adults in congregations around the country. Fortunately, none of the congregations in our district has had to deal with the moral, spiritual, and legal repercussions of a public accusation of sexual abuse in recent memory. However, it is in the best interest of our children, youth, and vulnerable adults that we collectively do everything we can to make certain that our congregations are as safe as possible. Therefore, we strongly recommend that every religious professional in our district to be familiar with the latest resources and recommendations from the UUA regarding sexual abuse and misconduct.

• "Help Prevent Harmful Acts With Responsible Staffing," a brief article from Interconnections outlining the issue, with links to UUA resources: http://www.uua.org/interconnections/toolbox/vol8-3-toolbox.html

• The UUA's Responsible Staffing site, including links to helpful documents: http://www.uua.org/programs/ministry/responsiblestaffing.html

• Safe Congregations Resources from the UUA's Congregational Services Staff Group: http://www.uua.org/cde/education/safecong.html

• "Balancing Act," a pdf of the Rev. Debra Haffner's excellent publication on procedures for dealing with known sex offenders in a congregation: http://www.uua.org/cde/ethics/balancing/BalancingAct.pdf

• Church Mutual's Reducing the Risk II website, with information on the Reducing the Risk program (including their new online certification process): http://www.reducingtherisk.com/