Posting policies for social media and web

DO NO HARM

One of the benefits of social media is that it provides the opportunity to share views, thoughts, joys and concerns about all areas of life. Our social media contributions can be very effective tools for ministry if we are careful to apply caution before we post. We will be careful that our posts are not “doing harm” by insulting or damaging the reputation of others. We will make sure our posts are respectful and in good taste. And we remember:  Every- thing we post – status updates, comments, tweets, blogs - becomes public immediately after we click ”send” (even if we’re using a limited access setting).  We can’t take it back once it’s out there, so we will use discernment with everything we post.

DO GOOD

Online and social media is one of the most effective methods of church networking and communicating today. When used properly, it can have a significant encouraging influence on our readers and become a powerful tool for delivering the Gospel message to a large audience that extends beyond our contact list. It is a great tool for net- working and providing the world with news about our church and ministry. It also is a very useful tool for obtaining feedback and ideas from our audience and can be used to gain insight for sermons, Bible study topics, worship times, needs of the community, etc. The “good” and positive uses of social media are endless.

STAY IN LOVE WITH GOD

Online and social media is a great way to find meaningful devotional materials, thought provoking blogs, inspiring worship videos and media resources, and current articles and tools for our ministry. Users have reported that their social media usage helps keep them informed and enthusiastic about their ministry on a daily basis. While it can definitely help us “stay in love with God,” it also can be very distracting.

We will make sure our use of social media does not occupy so much of our time that we are no longer participating in meaningful Bible study, devotional times, worship and conversations with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Social media can serve as a tool to aid, promote and conduct discussions, studies and devotional times, but should not be our primary source of interaction with the world.

TERMS FOR USE

This online and social media policy  includes any type of posting on the internet including, but not limited to, postings on social networking sites (such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Tumblr); blogs and other on-line journals and diaries; bulletin boards and chat rooms; micro-blogging (such as Twitter); and postings of video or audio on media-sharing sites (such as YouTube or Flickr).

Only specifically authorized employees of the Michigan Conference are permitted to establish social media websites on behalf of the MIUMC or to speak on behalf of the MIUMC through social media websites.  Respect other people’s content and intellectual property rights.

Do not claim authorship of something that is not yours.  If you are using another party’s content, make certain that they are credited for it in your post, and that they approve of you utilizing their content.   Do not use the copyrights, trademarks, publicity rights, or similar rights of others, including those of the MIUMC, without the necessary permissions of the rights holder(s).

MIUMC maintains the right to monitor and access any information or data that is created or stored using the MIUMC’s technology, equipment, servers, cloud storage or electronic systems including, without limitation, emails, internet usage, hard drives and other stored, transmitted or received information. 

MIUMC reserves the right to control all technology access and may, with or without warning, ban, delete, or modify content and those posting it.   Terms for immediate removal from all social media include:

• Violations of copyrights, trademarks, publicity rights, or similar rights of others, including those of the MIUMC, without the necessary permissions of the rights holder(s).
• Obscenity, nudity, defamation, or hate speech (Speech that targets people or groups based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or any other protected status).
• Comments/posts that threaten to harm individuals, groups, or organizations.
• Bullying or harassing behavior, including the posting of material intended to "bait" or cause harmful discussions.
• Commercial advertisements or solicitations of funds.
• Endorsement or encouragement of illegal activities.
• Multiple off-topic posts or repetitive posts that are copied and pasted.
• Personal information includes but is not limited to e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, mailing addresses, or identification numbers.

Failure to adhere to these guidelines and policies may result in the temporary or permanent loss of posting privileges, with or without prior notice.