Social media
guidelines
A healthy Christian community is a
safe place of mutual care, where all people feel valued, loved and respected.
These guidelines for engaging on social media
reflect those values.
These guidelines apply to all content and comments
posted to Methodist Church social media channels.
Methodist churches, circuits and districts, and
individuals are encouraged to adopt these guidelines for their own social media
channels and personal social media engagement.
Why use social media?
The Methodist Church encourages the use of social
media tools as a means of extending our engagement with people inside and
outside the church. This includes- Engaging
in conversations ‘where people are’
- Sharing,
learning and encouraging
- Reaching
those who cannot physically attend church
- Forming
and deepening relationships locally and globally
Consider the safety of yourself and
others
It is important that the safety of children, young
people and vulnerable adults especially, must be maintained. Please read the
Children and Youth social media and communications guidance for churches.
If you have a
safeguarding concern, please inform your church or
district
safeguarding officer.
Conversation on social media can sometimes develop
into heated and pointless argument. Be aware of the effect on yourself, and
don’t feel you always need to engage. You can always ‘sign off’ from a heated
conversation calmly, with something like ‘I think we’ll have to agree to
disagree. Peace.’
Respect
Do not post or share content that is sexually
explicit, inflammatory, hateful, abusive, threatening or otherwise
disrespectful. Try to think of the effect on others who may see what you post.
Be transparent
Don’t mislead
people about who you are or use pseudonyms.
Be relevant
Don't add comments to a social media post that are
irrelevant to the topic. Engage in the conversation rather than broadcasting
opinions.
Disagree with love
If you have a criticism you need to make, consider
carefully the tone of what you write. If you are personally attacked, do not
respond in kind. Being a Christian means that sometimes we must speak out and
challenge injustice. But remember when you need to point out something you
think is wrong, that there is a real, and possibly vulnerable, person at the
receiving end of what you say.
Be careful when sharing content
Don’t share in
haste. Read linked content thoroughly or watch a video to the end so you know
exactly what you are sharing, before you judge whether it is suitable to share.
Maintain confidentiality
If telling a story about someone else, ask yourself
first ‘Is this my story to tell?’ Don’t reveal personal
details about others without their explicit permission, this includes phone
numbers.
Our responsibilities
If we deem comments
(or other content) that are posted to the Kenilworth Methodist
Church social media accounts or pages to be unsuitable or offensive, we
will take action that may include hiding, deleting or reporting comments, or
blocking users.
These guidelines
will be reviewed regularly and updated in
light of feedback and experience. If you have questions or suggestions,
please email webeditor@methodistchurch.org.uk