The Prevent Child Abuse Georgia (PCAG) Faith Task Force will present its second annual Faith Summit March 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Metro Atlanta Red Cross Headquarters.

“Turning Choice into Change: Empowering Families Through Leadership and Faith” will explore faith-based ways to prevent child abuse.

The PCAG Faith Task Force was established to identify avenues for communities of all faiths to come together to learn, share and support one another in protecting children from abuse within families and within churches.

Sue Stubbs, director of the Office of Child and Youth Protection for the Archdiocese of Atlanta, said that the event is designed to raise awareness about child abuse in faith environments.

“It’s a great opportunity to connect with other faiths and to see that this isn’t just a Catholic issue,” she said. “But I think we have a lot to share. We (the Catholic Church) have actively gone out and tried to address these issues.”

Everyone is invited to attend the event.

“I think this will offer tools, not only for those in parishes, but for families and individuals as well,” Stubbs said. “This is about coming together to protect our kids.”

The March 28 event will begin with registration and a continental breakfast from 8:30 to 9 a.m. From 9 to 10 a.m., there will be an introduction to Prevent Child Abuse Georgia and the Faith Task Force as well as an overview of child sexual abuse and community responsibility.

After a 15-minute break, there will be three breakout sessions, including: “Understanding Healthy Sexual Development in Children”; “Let’s Talk: Building Protective Factors Within Families and Communities Through Coaching and Communication”; and “Expert Panel: Building Strength Within Families to Balance the Underlying Conditions that Lead to Child Maltreatment.”

From 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., Luther Smith, a professor at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology and board chair for the Interfaith Children’s Movement of Metropolitan Atlanta, will give the keynote address during lunch.

From 1 to 3 p.m. there will be a facilitated discussion concerning organizational prevention policy and practice, followed by networking and a small group idea exchange until 3:45 p.m., when the day will conclude with closing remarks and benediction.

The Metro Atlanta Red Cross Headquarters are located at 1955 Monroe Drive, NE.