Social Media

Social media is an easy and effective way for ministers and churches to engage with their congregations and beyond.

However, there are a few things to keep in mind if you wish to have a successful social media presence. For example, social media is about engagement, not broadcasting, and each channel (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc) should be treated differently.

Toolkit

We have created a social media toolkit to help you use social media strategically and safely. It is suitable for people who are new to social media and those who want to use their channels more effectively.

The toolkit contains six documents, which you can locate and download at the bottom of this page:

1. Getting started on social media– a guide to choosing the right platform.
2. Social media strategy template (and bonus content guide)– thinking strategically about your content.
3. Self-care guide – how to stay safe on social media, personally and on behalf of your church.
4. Smartphone video filming tips– create engaging videos with your phone.
5. Dealing with trolls and angry users​ – what to do when you or the church you represent receive negative comments.
6. Ministers’ Social Media Policy – Synod staff members are encouraged to comment, publish and engage on social media, provided they adhere to this document.

Moderation policy

Our Facebook page and Twitter account are designed to promote discussion and feedback, however the moderator reserves the right, without explanation, to exclude any content which does not conform to the following guidelines:

When posting material, we ask you to be respectful by not using language that is: threatening, abusive, defamatory, indecent, offensive or constitutes harassment, unlawful, aggressively argumentative, pointlessly repetitive, constitutes bullying or ‘trolling’, vilifying or attacking individuals on the basis of personal characteristics, or is irrelevant to the topic under discussion.

This includes using this site as a forum to elicit support from others to join other sites or groups that intend to sabotage or demean.

Any posts or comments which breach these guidelines will be deleted and users who continually abuse them may be banned.

Disclaimer: The views of Facebook/Twitter users interacting with these accounts are not the views of the Uniting Church in Australia Victoria and Tasmania Synod.

Related Documents