Clearances and Safe Church Guidelines

We love our children and want to keep them as safe as possible. In addition to being trained in and following Safe Church Guidelines in all of our ministries, everyone who volunteers with our children and youth as well as our staff and elders, are required to have these 3 documents on file with the church office:

  1. PA Child Abuse History Clearance

  2. PA Criminal Background Check

  3. FBI Criminal History/Background Check OR Disclosure Form

In many cases, you will instantly receive the results for both Child Abuse and Criminal Checks.  Please download these documents and submit them into Church Center using this form or click the button below.  

** If it is easier to print them and bring them to church, that is fine. Or you can email them to info@stfphila.org**

How to obtain clearances for volunteering with children & youth:

1.  PA Child Abuse History Clearance (Click here)

  • If you have done this ONLINE in the past, you can renew your application in an attempt to avoid re-submitting all of the info. Here is a document explaining how to do this: RENEW Child Abuse Clearance Instructions IMPORTANT: If you previously submitted your application on paper, you will NOT be able to renew your application, you will need to submit a new application. Also, if you make any errors when trying to renew, or have difficulty, I recommend submitting a new application. It’s quite difficult to do the renewal process if it’s not done perfectly.

  • If you are submitting a new application, here are a few pointers:

    • Application Purpose:  “Volunteer Having Contact With Children”

    • Volunteer Category:  “Other”

    • Agency:  “Spirit and Truth Fellowship”

    • If you do not enter your Social Security number, you will have a significant delay

    • Near the end, you’ll be asked for an authorization code.  There is none.

    • Here are very detailed instructions, if you need help: Child Abuse Clearances- Detailed Instructions



2.  PA Criminal background check  (click here)

  • NOTE: When you think you’ve finished, click on the “Control Number”. This link will take you to the document that needs to be downloaded and turned in.



3.  FBI Criminal History/Background Check (Fingerprinting) 

  • If you have been a PA resident for 10 consecutive years, you can skip the FBI check, and sign this disclosure form instead: Disclosure Statement STF Volunteers 

    • You may print and sign the form, then email a copy or photo of the signed form to info@stfphila.org

  • If you have NOT been a PA resident for 10 consecutive years, you will need to get fingerprinted.  You must first apply online and schedule your appointment online.  There is a fee of $22.60 for volunteers.  After scheduling the appointment, you will select a location to be fingerprinted. Please submit a reimbursement request to the church by clicking here.  

Instructions for obtaining FBI Criminal History/Background Check

  • Go to https://uenroll.identogo.com

  • Enter the service code at the top of the screen

    • Volunteers: 1KG6ZJ

    • Employees:  1KG756

  • Click “Schedule/Manage Appointment”

  • Follow the rest of the prompts.  A few special things to note:

    • You DO need to submit “Employer Info” even if you are a volunteer:

      Spirit and Truth Fellowship
      4400 N. 6th Street
      Philadelphia, PA 19140

    • There is NO Authorization code or coupon code.  You’ll need to pay with your credit card and submit a reimbursement form to the church.  Contact Us if you’d like the church to provide funds upfront.

Safe Church Resources

Spirit and Truth Fellowship (CRC) is committed to making the church a safe place for all people. Sexual, physical, and emotional abuse are a reality in our society, and Spirit and Truth has a responsibility to ensure that each person in our fellowship is protected from these evils. Special care must be taken to see that children involved in our ministries can develop a healthy, spiritual, and happy life within the caring and loving Christian community environment without the intrusion of child abuse.

For any questions or concerns regarding our Safe Church Policy, contact Cathy Frank.

Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect

This website is helpful for recognizing abuse and neglect.

Anyone who has reasonable grounds to suspect a child has been abused or neglected is required by law to report the suspicion to either the Childline state hotline or the Department of Human Services (DHS). It is helpful to have contact information for the child’s guardian when reporting (address, phone  number, etc). The Children’s Ministries Supervisor has these on file.  

Phone Numbers: Childline: 1-800-932-0313 

DHS (Philadelphia): 215-683-6100 

Website: PA DHS Child Welfare Portal

To read our full Safe Church Policy, visit this page.


Nursery Training Packet

Children’s Church Training Packet

Youth Group Training Packet