Faith and Web

My congregation needs a social media policy.    So this morning I set out on a little Web quest to look at such policies created by other churches.  I bet we’re far from alone, but to my surprise, I could find almost nothing.

That said, there are a few excellent general resources.  I pass them along for those who might have similar needs.

• Safe Church guidelines for social media from the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut was the closest match to what I was looking for.  It has specific suggested language, and even a way to create a small booklet to distribute.  I’ll be doing just that with my congregation’s Communication Committee.
• One of my favorite church blogs, New Media for Unitarian Universalists by Shelby Meyerhoff, has Does the UUA have a sample “new media policy” for congregations? It’s a list of “some general principles that may help guide congregations in their new media use.”
• Finally, 12 Tips for Developing a Social Networking Policy and Usage Guidelines for Your Church has another helpful checklist of things to consider.

Do you know of other social media policy resources for churches — particularly sample policies? If so, please let me know.

P.S. A late addition:  ChurchCruch recommends PolicyTool for Social Media for quickly generating what we need.

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According to a recent study “the most valuable brands in the world are experiencing a direct correlation between top financial performance and deep social media engagement.”

I wonder.  Is this also the case for churches, denominations and other religious organizations?  While we’re not Toyota, Dell, Amazon or even Starbucks (much as my congregation loves coffee and coffee hour), I can’t help but think if it’s true for corporations, it’s true for us too.  It might even be more so.  Religion is much more personal.

The study was done by two groups: Wetpaint,  a company I hadn’t heard of before, and Altimeter, the company of Charlene Li, co-author of Groundswell and one of the world’s most trusted voices on social media.

Here are some of the findings that leap out at me as particularly helpful and noteworthy for religious organizations.

• “Socially engaged companies are in fact more financially successful.”
• “Resembling any in-person exchange, socializing requires more than just being there — you have to interact with others, instigate discussions, and respond during conversations.”
• “As the number of channels increase, overall engagement increases at a faster rate.”

And here are a few of the lessons learned that might be of use to us.

• Deputize people throughout your organization.
• Centralize coordination.
• Be in it for the long haul.
• Engage in new channels where people already are.
• Be conversational from the start.

To learn more, see the study itself, ENGAGEMENTdb: Ranking the Top 100 Global Brands (a 34 page PDF) or visit the companion website, engagementdb.com.  If you are very brave, you can even take their  five-question survey and see how your institution compares to the very top brands.

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O brave new religious world. Today’s New York Times has a quick article on a few of the realities of congregations using Twitter and Facebook: Lead Us to Tweet, and Forgive the Trespassers.

Here’s a sampling:

• “The anxieties are different for every group. Some Muslim clerics have told followers to avoid making statements on social networking sites that antiterrorist investigators might misinterpret as suspicious.”
• “[S]ome in the clergy see a basic tension between the anonymous world of online life and the meaning of religious community.”
• “‘In Judaism, we believe that God resides in the community — among people in the same room at the same time, hearing each other’s voices and looking in each other’s eyes,’ said Rabbi Gerald C. Skolnik of the Forest Hills Jewish Center in Queens, who also wanted it known that he carries an iPhone and a laptop and is talking with his congregation about a Facebook page. ‘But can you tweet a minyan?’ he asked, referring to the quorum of 10 people required for most Jewish devotions. ‘I don’t think so.’”

It also mentions the Rev. Bill Reichart, a Presbyterian in Atlanta and an acknowledged leader in this area.  I googled a little, and sure enough, found his terrific blog that’s full of tips and insights for those of us interested in faith and the Web, particularly 2.0-inclined ministers: Ministry Best Practices. From a quick foray, here are a few of the posts I found.

• Why Should Your Church Invest in Social Media?
• Language Tools for Ministry.
• Fire Your Volunteers.

What fun it is to be back, exploring such delightful e-avenues.

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