Camper Safety

Zero-Tolerance Policy

CrossTimbers is committed to a positive, uplifting, Christian environment. CrossTimbers does not tolerate and expressly prohibits sexual harassment and sexual abuse. This policy applies to everyone at CrossTimbers, including employees, board members, volunteers, sponsors, campers, contractors, and vendors of CrossTimbers. Suspected violations of this policy are to be reported immediately to the CrossTimbers Program or Conference Center Director. Upon review by the Director, suspected violators of this policy will be removed from the grounds of CrossTimbers Conference Centers. Employees of Oklahoma Baptists who are suspected of violating this policy will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment and criminal prosecution may ensue. Suspected abuse or neglect of a minor, whether on or off CrossTimbers Conference Centers property or whether perpetrated by CrossTimbers personnel or others, will be reported to state authorities, as required by law. All CrossTimbers staff have completed and cleared a background check, and have been screened and vetted in accordance with Oklahoma Baptists child safety and predator recognition training.

Background Checks

CrossTimbers requires that each church perform background checks on all participants (including students) 18 years of age or older attending with their group CrossTimbers honors background checks for 18 months from the date of the check.

Background Check service providers must perform a national criminal background check that includes:

• A check of the National Registry of Sex Offenders
• A county and/or state criminal court search
• Social Security trace/verification

CrossTimbers offers a few recommendations of PREFERRED SERVICE PROVIDERS for these checks. These organizations are provided as a means of convenience and easy reference. If you use one of these preferred providers, you will receive background checks that are compliant with CrossTimbers requirements. If you choose to use another company, we cannot guarantee that the check is complete or the report is thorough enough to pass compliance checks at on-site registration. These providers all charge a nominal fee for their services; check with each service provider for pricing. Churches are not required to use the preferred service providers, but these companies are examples of the types of organizations your church needs to use to run these checks.

Please use reputable, specialized firms who are able to provide the specific types of checks that CrossTimbers requires!

Do not use the following types of agencies, companies, or individuals to run your checks

• Local, county, or state law enforcement agencies, these organizations are obviously reputable, but their checks are seldom, if ever, NATIONAL
• Obscure providers found on a Google
• Friends or church members in or connected to law

Flagging Background Checks

Each church is responsible to review the background checks that are run on their leaders and sponsors and make determinations regarding each person’s suitability for service. In order to help you as a church to make these determinations, we are providing you with a list of RED FLAG and YELLOW FLAG offenses. These lists are thorough, but not exhaustive.

RED FLAG OFFENSES

If any of the following offenses are reported on a potential sponsor’s background check, you should not use that person as a sponsor at camp.

• Providing alcohol/tobacco/drugs/pornography to a minor
• Voyeurism (peeping Tom)
• Contributing to the delinquency of a minor
• Criminal solicitation of a minor
• Public Indecency
• Exhibitionism (flashing)
• Assault
• Sexual Assault (or any crime that is sexual in nature)
• Homicide
• False Imprisonment
• Kidnapping
• Injury to a child/elderly individual/disabled individual
• Abandoning or endangering a child
• Leaving a child in a vehicle
• Matters related to interference with child custody
• Failure to stop or report the aggravated sexual assault of a child

YELLOW FLAG OFFENSES

This is a list of felony and misdemeanor offenses. Having one of these offenses appear on a person’s check will not automatically disqualify them from being a sponsor. However, the church who brings a person, whose check reveals a YFO, must also complete a YFO Acknowledgment Form for that person. The YFO Acknowledgment Form will serve as a document stating that the church is aware of the Yellow Flag Offenses found on the person’s background check, is willing to take responsibility for the individual, and has determined the person suitable to serve as a sponsor for their church at CrossTimbers. The YFO Acknowledgment Form is available in your Digital Camp Kit.

 YFOs will include any of the following felony or misdemeanor offenses: 

• Driving under the influence
• Possession of a controlled substance
• Making a firearm accessible to a child
• Theft, including identity theft

Background Checks and Pre-Camp Registration

Background checks are run by service providers on behalf of the churches. The church will be responsible for the information contained in the reports and will maintain the privacy of those reports. We require that all sponsor background checks be uploaded to Ministry Safe at least TWO WEEKS before your session begins. Steps to complete this process will be sent to each church’s lead sponsor. You must also submit a Background Compliance Form (upon your arrival to camp) confirming your church approves of the sponsors representing your church at camp.

If you have a last-minute sponsor, their background check will need to be submitted to our office before they are allowed on campus.

Recruiting Sponsors

Sponsors (adult volunteers) set the tone for the session. If a sponsor has a great attitude, students will have a great week at camp. If sponsors are godly role models and use their influence wisely for the Kingdom, there will be more spiritual impact during the week. Please only recruit and take adult sponsors who encourage your students toward the goals of camp.

By attending CrossTimbers Children’s Mission Adventure Camp, your church acknowledges that it is responsible for the selection and supervision of your adult sponsors and further warrants that it has exercised due diligence in the selection of these adult sponsors.

Each church is required to appoint a lead sponsor. The lead sponsor is responsible for the group and serves as the church contact person during the session. This person is typically the children’s pastor/minister, senior pastor, or lay person (only in the absence of a children’s minister or pastor) designated as the children’s leader at their church.

CHURCHES MUST PROVIDE:

• A 5:1 Camper/Sponsor ratio of the same gender while at camp (this will be verified through individual camper registration).
• In addition to this ratio, there must be at least two adult sponsors of the same gender per room.

SPONSOR EXPECTATIONS

Adult sponsors attending CrossTimbers should adhere to the expectations listed below:

• Set the moral and spiritual example for the
• Model and enforce the camp code of conduct and dress
• Ensure the attendance of their students at BOTH worship services each day. Do not send groups of students without adult supervision from your group.
• Participate in the daily in-cabin quiet time and evening devotion
• When possible during the week, equip and encourage students to follow Christ in their daily
• Spend time with students in their dorm to hear their salvation story and/or to share Christ with

PROPERLY SELECTING SPONSORS

All churches are required to run background checks on their sponsors (see Camper Safety); however, background checks are only a small part of a thorough sponsor selection process.

Group leaders should consider the following questions when selecting sponsors for youth camp: