Before you choose sample paragraphs below, please make sure that you have done your work on discernment as to what is really necessary—simply adopting another congregation’s LAA can often leave out important restrictions necessary to your specific situation, and/or include restrictions that are not necessary. Read our page on Limited Access Agreements to help you know what you need.

As you design your specific agreement, you will need to consider how you support the involvement of individuals, and how you balance the safety of members with the individual need to be part of a faith community. Choose the paragraphs that help you create an agreement that fits your situation. Please feel free to reach out to your Region’s Safe Congregations Team member for assistance.

If you are considering creating an LAA to address the behavior of a minister or other staff member in your congregation, please be in touch with either the UUA’s Office of Ethics and Safety and/or your Region’s Safe Congregation team member so that we can offer additional coaching and processes/procedures for these instances.

Aspects of Limited Access Agreements

Introductory Paragraphs

In Cases of a Convicted Sex Offender with Adult Victims

The NAME OF CONGREGATION affirms the dignity and worth of all persons. We are committed to being a religious community open to those who choose to worship with us, especially in times of serious personal troubles. However, based on your background, we wish to have an agreement about contact with vulnerable persons in our congregation. The following guidelines are designed to reduce the risk to both you and members of the congregation of an incident or accusation. We welcome you to our congregation and our membership but your participation will be limited in ways to ensure the safety of our members and to assure that you will not be subject to future accusations.

In Cases of a Convicted Sex Offender with Child Victims

The NAME OF CONGREGATION affirms the dignity and worth of all persons. We are committed to being a religious community open to those who choose to worship with us, especially in times of serious personal troubles. However, based on your background, we wish to have an agreement about contact with children and youth in our congregation. The following guidelines are designed to reduce the risk to both you and our young people of an incident or accusation. We welcome you to our congregation and our membership but your participation will be limited in ways to ensure the safety of our children and to assure that you will not be subject to future accusations.

In Cases of Allegations, Not Yet Proven

A serious complaint or allegation, now under review, has been made about you to the [Right Relations, Sexual Misconduct and Abuse Response, or other name] Team. While this complaint is being investigated, in order to protect the children and youth in our programs from potential risk, and in order to protect you from further suspicion, we ask you to abide by this interim agreement. Signing this document in no way constitutes a presumption or confession of guilt. This is a routine safety precaution, activated without prejudice toward particular individuals or circumstances. This document will be made known only to the [specify who will be informed: Minister, the Religious Educator, designated support people, and the members of the Sexual Misconduct and Abuse Response] Team.

In Cases of Financial Offenses

The NAME OF CONGREGATION affirms the dignity and worth of all persons. We are committed to being a religious community open to those who choose to worship with us, especially in times of serious personal troubles. However, based on your background of financial malpractice, we wish to have an agreement about access to finances and money in our congregation. The following guidelines are designed to reduce the risk to both you and the congregation of an incident or accusation. We welcome you to our congregation and our membership but your participation will be limited in ways to ensure the safety of our finances and to assure that you will not be subject to future accusations.

In Cases of Disruptive or Destructive Behaviors That May Be Symptoms of Mental Health Diagnoses, And/or Prior Issues at Congregations

[Congregation name] affirms the dignity and worth of all persons. We are committed to being a religious community open to those who are in need of worshipping with us, especially in times of serious personal troubles. However, based on your past congregational participation at [other congregation], we have concerns about your participation in our congregation. The following terms are designed to reduce the risk of destructive behavior in our Unitarian Universalist community.

Agreement Detail

Sample 1, Restrictions Concerning Access to Children and Youth

You understand that you will not be allowed to volunteer or chaperone events for children and youth, including children’s religious education classes, talks with children/youth during worship, youth group, children’s and youth’s activities during intergenerational events, and driving children and youth.

The following activities checked “Yes” are activities that we feel are appropriate for your participation.

• Worship services: No ( ) Yes ( ) | With designated support person* No ( ) Yes ( )
• Coffee Hour: No ( ) Yes ( ) | With designated support person* No ( ) Yes ( )
• Adult meetings while children in building, such as choir: No ( ) Yes ( ) | With designated support person* No ( ) Yes ( )
• Adult meetings without children in building: No ( ) Yes ( )
• Have a key to the building: No ( ) Yes ( )
• Intergenerational church activities: No ( ) Yes ( ) | With designated support person* No ( ) Yes ( )
• Intergenerational group outings such as skating, baseball games, camping trips, etc.: No ( ) Yes ( ) | With designated support person* No ( ) Yes ( )
• Alone in building with minister or other staff: No ( ) Yes ( )
• Access to church computer: No ( ) Yes ( )
• Social activities in other member's homes with children present: No ( ) Yes ( ) | With designated support person* No ( ) Yes ( )
• Other specified activities [specify]: No ( ) Yes ( ) | With designated support person* No ( ) Yes ( )

*A designated support person is a person who knows about your history/situation and has been designated by you with our approval to accompany you to activities where children and youth may be present.

Sample 2, Restrictions Concerning Access to Children and Youth

Within these guidelines, the congregation welcomes your participation in adult worship services, coffee hour, committee meetings, adult education, all adult social events, and well-supervised intergenerational events. You are to avoid all contact with children on congregation property or congregation-sponsored events. This includes the following:

• Please do not talk with children. [If the individual has children in the congregation, consider adding whatever restrictions might be helpful—should they be allowed playdates at the home of the person, can they drop off and pick up their children in the educational wing, etc.]
• Please do not volunteer or agree to lead, chaperone, or participate in events for children and youth including such things as religious education classes, stories or talks for worship, youth group events, activities during intergenerational events, driving or otherwise transporting children and/or youth, coming of age programs.
• Please remain in the presence of an adult who knows your situation at all times when children are present.
• If a child in the congregation approaches you, either at church or in a community place, politely and immediately excuse yourself from the situation.
• Please avoid being in the building unsupervised when activities involving children are in session, such as nursery school or youth group.

Sample 3, Restrictions Concerning Youth and Young Women

• I agree to be accompanied by a support person, who is aware of my offense behavior and the terms of my probation, at all times while on church property and/or at church activities.
• I agree to avoid situations in which I am alone with a teen or young adult woman from the congregation, either on or off the congregation’s campus. This includes not being alone with female visitors to and friends of the congregation as well as members. I will politely and immediately excuse myself if I accidentally find myself in such a situation.
• I will not spend time with the congregation’s teens or youth group, either formally or informally, one-to-one or as a group.
• I will only take on leadership roles in the congregation with the prior approval of the minister and the Safe Congregation team, who are aware of my criminal record and the potential of the congregation’s exposure to legal risk.
• I will accept feedback concerning my behavior from my support people, without defensiveness, and correct the behavior in question. I will report the issue to my therapist as soon as possible.
• I will make a continual, concerted effort to show good boundaries in my relationships with people in NAME OF CONGREGATION. This respect and sensitivity to others’ physical and emotional boundaries, as well as my own.
• I will stop attending if the leadership of NAME OF CONGREGATION asks me to stop participating, without argument or debate.

Sample 4, Restrictions for Person with Disruptive/Destructive Behaviors That Are Symptoms of Their Mental Health Diagnosissample 3, Restrictions Concerning Youth and Young Women

• I, [person’s name], agree to the following terms clarifying my participation at the [congregation].
• I agree to care for my mental health by remaining under care of a psychiatrist, and I agree to follow a consistent treatment plan.
• At all times while on congregational property and/or at congregational activities, I agree to be accompanied by a support person who is aware of my past offensive behavior and the terms of this Limited Access Agreement.
• I accept that I am barred from serving the congregation in any leadership capacity—including serving as a [articulate places that seem appropriate: some samples are tech volunteer, serving as a teacher, serving on the board, or any other leadership role] due to my past destructive behavior at [other congregation] including [if previous offenses at another congregation, spell them out here: samples include misappropriation of mailing list, logo, and name for my own agenda,] and my refusal to be held accountable for or repair the harms that I caused.
• I will accept feedback concerning my behavior at [congregation] from my support people, without defensiveness, and correct the behavior in question. I will report the issue to the mental health professionals who serve me as soon as possible.
• I will stop attending or participating in any way if the leadership of [congregation] asks me to stop participating. I will not argue with them or debate them, and will leave quietly and respectfully.

Sample 5, Restrictions Concerning Money and Finance

I understand that I will not be allowed to volunteer or serve in any elected position that allows me access to congregational funds. This includes serving as usher, teller, treasurer, or bookkeeper or in other positions where I would have access to money, credit card information, or other financial instruments of the congregation.

The following activities checked “Yes” are activities that you may engage in within the congregation.

• Worship services: No ( ) Yes ( ) | With designated support person* No ( ) Yes ( )
• Serve on Finance or Endowment Committee: No ( ) Yes ( )
• Serve on the board of the congregation: No ( ) Yes ( )
• Key to the Church Building or Offices: No ( ) Yes ( )
• Access to church computer: No ( ) Yes ( )
• Other specified activity: No ( ) Yes ( )

Sample 6, Sample Restriction for Youth Participant in the Congregation

[Name of youth], we support your participation at [name of congregation]. In order to protect your safety and the safety of others, and in keeping with our commitment to affirm the inherent worth and dignity of all, we ask you to agree to the following:

• Other than the regular Youth Group meeting at [location], I agree to be accompanied by a parent or support adult* when attending morning worship or other Church / Youth Group events.
• I understand that I am not to go off by myself anywhere in the congregation’s buildings or on the congregation’s property and must be accompanied by my support adult if I want to leave an activity for any reason.
• In keeping with our Youth Group Covenant, I agree to refrain from using inappropriate sexual language or behavior. I also agree to refrain from bringing contraband to any church activity which includes but is not limited to drugs, weapons, cigarettes, vaping paraphernalia, alcohol, sexual imagery that is pornographic and/or objectifies others, etc.

I understand that the consequence of not adhering to this agreement will result in being excluded from some or all Church / Youth Group activities.

* Support Adult: An adult who is aware of this agreement and their responsibility to support you in being safe. Current support adults are: [name individuals]. If there are other adults you feel comfortable with, this list can be expanded. All potential support people must be approved by the religious educator [or other appropriate leader in the congregation].

Possible Additional Clauses

Restricting Access to Particular Parts of the Buildings

The following restrooms will be off limits: (can be adapted to add additional spaces that are off limits)

Restrictions on Virtual Participation

The restrictions in this agreement apply both to your presence on or in the property of the congregation and/or to any virtual platforms that the congregation chooses to use, such as Zoom, Facebook, etc.

Notification within the Congregation

The following people will be advised about the existence of this LAA in order for them to protect the (insert targeted persons here) for whom they care: [minister, religious educator, president, Right Relations Committee, Sexual Misconduct and Abuse Team, designated support persons, etc.]. A copy of this document will be kept: [in a locked drawer in the XXX office].

Sample Acknowledgement of the Impact of Non-compliance

I understand that refusal to comply with the requirements listed and/or refusal to sign this agreement is reason for exclusion from all congregational, in-person or online events.

LAA Closing and Signatures

Sample Closing

This agreement will be reviewed regularly every six months (time frame should be set to reflect your practices, policies, and the severity of the issue) and will remain in effect for an indefinite period, unless terminated by the responsible party at the congregation. Any violations of this agreement during its effective period will be considered when completing the regular review of this agreement. Breaches may also result in additional restrictions and/or removal from involvement with the congregation, either during a review period or at any time.

Signatures

Add printed name, signature, and date for each party:

Signatures, Printed Names, and Dates
The person who is subject to the agreement	Witness to the subject's signature
Senior minister	Religious Educator
Congregational President