Website policy

The website is a powerful tool for communication with the main aim of enabling the church to grow and build itself up in love (Eph 4:16).

The website belongs to all of us and we have a collective responsibility for it. It will be important for potential new members, and enabling all of us to communicate more effectively with one another. We will all know what is going on.

All who contribute, in whatever role, will see this as a work of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and knowledge of the Son of God (Eph 4: 12-13).

Website Development Group (Strategic issues)
Members will be appointed through the Elders and ratified by the Church Meeting. It should broadly reflect the constituency of the church and will deal with strategic issues. Church Meeting will decide how often it meets and its brief will include:

  • Providing the vision for the website
  • Reviewing content
  • On-going development

Editing items- EDITORS

Members will submit stories or events for publishing
Editors will be alerted by email to new material
An editor will consider
1. If an item is in accordance with the house rules
2. Whether it needs editing
3. Who should be able to access it
4. Where it should be published (including front page)

1. House Rules: where there is any doubt that the item is in accordance with the letter or spirit of the house rules, an editor will hold the item and, wherever possible, reach agreement with the contributor so that an appropriate contribution can be resubmitted. Should this not prove possible, the matter will be referred on pastoral grounds to the Minister or Secretary. Where it is clear that breaches of the rules make it inevitable that a members website facility is withdrawn, the matter will be dealt with sensitively and confidentially by the Minister or Secretary. If disagreement continues, the matter will be dealt with by the Elders and, ultimately, go to the Church Meeting.

2. Editing: young peoples contributions will generally be published as received provided that the meaning is clear. Guidance from Junior Church staff will be taken if necessary. Adult contributions may be edited for clerical errors but if more extensive revision is necessary, the editor will liaise with the contributor before publishing a revised version. The lightest possible touch is best.

3. Access: issues of confidentiality and regard for the feelings of others will always be considered, as well as the needs of the church.

4. Location on the website : the first impression of our church will increasingly be the front page of the website so items placed there need to be interesting and understandable to an outsider. In-jokes should be avoided. We are aiming for inclusivity and a warm, genuine welcome to newcomers. Items requested for inclusion in the magazine will be posted onto the magazine page as well as other appropriate areas of the website.

Images

Photographic images are a powerful way of conveying a message.

Whilst photos of the life of the church can be a vibrant way of conveying what we are about, publishing photos of people into a very public forum raises issues of privacy and child protection that must be dealt with sensitively.

The web site will not, therefore, contain group photos. Any individual photos, such as photos of elders, may only be published with the express written permission of the individual.

Operational Group

Members will be appointed through the Elders and ratified by the Church Meeting. They will have the following roles and responsibilities:

Editors will publish material on the website in accordance with this document. They will hold items of concern, endorsing the title line with "by (initials)" and refer when necessary, endorsing the title line wiTH "by" (initials) and REFERRED to Minister/Secretary. An audit trail of actions will be maintained.

Two editors have specific responsibilities:
Dynamic pages (magazine)
Static pages

User Administrator will set up members, ensuring that new members know how to use the website and how to create stories and events within the rules so as to avoid any problems associated with a wider authorship on the website:

All contributions must be civil, tasteful and relevant

Members will receive a copy of this document (which includes the House Rules) when they receive their login facility. Violation is likely to lead to immediate suspension of their website facility.

A posting (story or event) will only be published by the editorial team (constituency to be decided by the Elders) if it is acceptable under the House Rules

All members have a collective responsibility for the website and should bring any concerns to the Minister or Secretary without delay

If there are any unresolved disagreements, the matter will be dealt with by the Elders and, ultimately, go to the Church Meeting.

Page creator and navigation will have oversight of the technical issues of the website.

Style maintainer will have oversight of the aesthetic appearance of the website.