Institute for Church Safety and Risk Management Announces First Canadian Advisory Board Member
The Institute for Church Safety and Risk Management (ICSARM) has announced that Melodie Bissell has agreed to serve on the ICSARM Advisory Board effective January 1, 2010.
Tupelo, MS, December 23, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Melodie is the is the President & CEO of Winning Kids, Inc. a Canadian based organization with a vision to create winning environments for kids by providing the tools, training and momentum needed to win the race against abuse and to create safe environments. She is based out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada and is the first from Canada to join their Advisory Board.
“Having spent the past few months focusing on establishing Church Safety Roundtables across the United States” states ICSARM Executive Director, Michael Boutot, “we are thrilled with the opportunity to expand into Canada.” Boutot continues, “We believe Melodie brings to the ICSARM Advisory Board a sincere passion for the protection of children and a heart for local churches in Canada.”
Melodie consults regularly with churches, para-church ministries schools and camps on abuse prevention, risk management and strategic planning. She co-authored and now is primary distributor of Plan to Protect™, an abuse prevention manual published by Word Alive Press. She has authored Winning Kids, a children’s ministry assessment workbook for organizational leaders who strive for excellence, along with many articles on leadership and mentoring. Services of Winning Kids includes on-line training, background and screening checks, assessments, volunteer training, and risk management consulting. Plan to Protect is widely used across Canada and now being sought after by churches in United States. She works closely with insurance companies in a consultative role.
“I wish I could say that our churches are not at risk and that we are providing the safest of places for our children, youth and vulnerable persons but the media tells us something very different”, states Bissell. She goes on to state “Together we must join voices to raise awareness of the need to mitigate risk and provide protection. The Institute for Church Safety and Risk Management roundtables provide the perfect forum to join voices and learn best practices.”
Prior to launching Winning Kids Melodie served as Executive Provincial Director of CEFOntario (Child Evangelism Fellowship of Ontario) where she served for seven years. She successfully led the ministry through a strategic restructuring including the launch of nation-wide Tel-A-Story ministry, inner-city camping ministry and forged strong partnerships with churches and para-church ministries.
Melodie, also serves as the National Facilitator for Children’s Ministries with The Christian and Missionary Alliance Churches in Canada and serves with other national leaders of children’s organizations on the Children’s Ministry Partnership on the platform of Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. She is an Adjunct Professor at Heritage College, Trinity Western Seminary (ACTS) and School of Urban Biblical Studies.
Melodie has studied Human Resource Management at Humber College in Toronto and is near completion of her Masters of Divinity at Tyndale Seminary, also in Toronto. She also has a counseling certificate from Tyndale University College in Toronto.
Joined with her husband Scott, the Bissells serve at Toronto Chinese Alliance Church (Scott as Pastor of English Ministries and Melodie as Children’s Ministry Consultant) and have three children who are now young adults, Joshua, Victoria and Courtney.
About the Institute for Church Safety and Risk Management, LLC (ICSARM)
The mission of ICSARM is to promote the highest level of professional competence to churches and para-church organizations in the area of church risk management by providing programs of study, service, training, exchange of information and problem-solving discussions, leading to more effective and efficient utilization of church facilities and resources for the overall protection of the church building and her ministries, to include church staff, volunteers and members. General Membership for church leadership is free.
For more information, please visit www.churchriskmanagement.org.
Contact:
Michael Boutot
(662) 322.6713
michael@churchriskmanagement.org
###
“Having spent the past few months focusing on establishing Church Safety Roundtables across the United States” states ICSARM Executive Director, Michael Boutot, “we are thrilled with the opportunity to expand into Canada.” Boutot continues, “We believe Melodie brings to the ICSARM Advisory Board a sincere passion for the protection of children and a heart for local churches in Canada.”
Melodie consults regularly with churches, para-church ministries schools and camps on abuse prevention, risk management and strategic planning. She co-authored and now is primary distributor of Plan to Protect™, an abuse prevention manual published by Word Alive Press. She has authored Winning Kids, a children’s ministry assessment workbook for organizational leaders who strive for excellence, along with many articles on leadership and mentoring. Services of Winning Kids includes on-line training, background and screening checks, assessments, volunteer training, and risk management consulting. Plan to Protect is widely used across Canada and now being sought after by churches in United States. She works closely with insurance companies in a consultative role.
“I wish I could say that our churches are not at risk and that we are providing the safest of places for our children, youth and vulnerable persons but the media tells us something very different”, states Bissell. She goes on to state “Together we must join voices to raise awareness of the need to mitigate risk and provide protection. The Institute for Church Safety and Risk Management roundtables provide the perfect forum to join voices and learn best practices.”
Prior to launching Winning Kids Melodie served as Executive Provincial Director of CEFOntario (Child Evangelism Fellowship of Ontario) where she served for seven years. She successfully led the ministry through a strategic restructuring including the launch of nation-wide Tel-A-Story ministry, inner-city camping ministry and forged strong partnerships with churches and para-church ministries.
Melodie, also serves as the National Facilitator for Children’s Ministries with The Christian and Missionary Alliance Churches in Canada and serves with other national leaders of children’s organizations on the Children’s Ministry Partnership on the platform of Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. She is an Adjunct Professor at Heritage College, Trinity Western Seminary (ACTS) and School of Urban Biblical Studies.
Melodie has studied Human Resource Management at Humber College in Toronto and is near completion of her Masters of Divinity at Tyndale Seminary, also in Toronto. She also has a counseling certificate from Tyndale University College in Toronto.
Joined with her husband Scott, the Bissells serve at Toronto Chinese Alliance Church (Scott as Pastor of English Ministries and Melodie as Children’s Ministry Consultant) and have three children who are now young adults, Joshua, Victoria and Courtney.
About the Institute for Church Safety and Risk Management, LLC (ICSARM)
The mission of ICSARM is to promote the highest level of professional competence to churches and para-church organizations in the area of church risk management by providing programs of study, service, training, exchange of information and problem-solving discussions, leading to more effective and efficient utilization of church facilities and resources for the overall protection of the church building and her ministries, to include church staff, volunteers and members. General Membership for church leadership is free.
For more information, please visit www.churchriskmanagement.org.
Contact:
Michael Boutot
(662) 322.6713
michael@churchriskmanagement.org
###
Contact
Institute for Church Safety and Risk Management, LLC
Michael Boutot
662.322.6713
www.churchriskmanagement.org
Michael Boutot
662.322.6713
www.churchriskmanagement.org
Contact
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