The safety of every student in our care is a sacred responsibility.

At Zealous Youth Ministries, we serve students from high school through their early college years — and we never take lightly the trust families place in us. Protecting the young people who walk through our doors reflects the value God places on them, and we've put clear, intentional standards in place to keep them safe. The following is a summary of our full Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy, which guides everyone who serves with Zealous.

Every leader is screened before they serve.

No one serves with students at Zealous until they've completed our screening process. That includes a written application, a personal interview, reference checks, and a criminal background check. We hold our leaders to the Christian standards of character described in our Bylaws and Statement of Faith, and anyone who doesn't meet them will not serve.

Our leaders follow a clear code of conduct.

Every Zealous leader agrees to standards designed to protect students, including:

• The two-adult rule — students are never intentionally left alone, one-on-one, with a single leader in a private or unsupervised setting.

• Appropriate, transparent interaction — physical affection is limited to what is appropriate, non-secretive, and welcomed; abuse, inappropriate touch, and inappropriate conversation are strictly prohibited.

• Open communication — direct, private messaging between a leader and a minor is avoided in favor of group or parent-included communication that a parent could always see.

• Safe supervision and travel — we maintain appropriate adult supervision at gatherings, and follow clear standards for transportation and overnight events, including advance parental consent.

We take every concern seriously.

We are committed to responding quickly and seriously to any concern about a student's safety. In keeping with our policy and Texas law, any suspected abuse or neglect will be reported to the appropriate civil authorities. If you ever have a concern, you can reach us directly at zealousyouthconference@gmail.com.

We partner with parents.

We see parents and guardians as partners, not bystanders. Before a minor attends any Zealous event, a parent or guardian completes and signs our required registration and release forms. We're always glad to walk you through what participation looks like. Your questions and involvement are always welcome.

Want to know more?

We're happy to share more about how we care for and protect the students at Zealous. Reach out anytime at zealousyouthconference@gmail.com — we'd love to talk.