Preamble:

Faith Church of Lafayette Indiana (“Faith Church,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) values the open exchange of ideas and the building of community within our online platforms. We believe that these digital spaces should reflect the love, grace, and truth of Jesus Christ. This Content Moderation Policy ("Policy") outlines our commitment to fostering a welcoming, respectful, and God-honoring environment for all who engage with our online presence.

1. Scope and Application:

   This Policy applies to all content shared on official Faith Church of Lafayette Indiana platforms, including, but not limited to:

   • Website: Comments, forum posts, blog contributions.
   • Social Media: Posts, comments, direct messages, and any content shared on official Faith Church accounts.
   • Live Chat: Real-time chat functions on our website or social media platforms.
   • Video and Image Sharing: Content uploaded to official Faith Church channels or platforms.

   This Policy applies to all users, including but not limited to:

   • Members of Faith Church
   • Visitors to our online platforms
   • Staff and volunteers
     
2. Our Community Values:

   We strive to maintain an online environment consistent with the teachings of Jesus Christ. We encourage content that is:

   • Truthful and Accurate: Grounded in biblical principles and verifiable facts.
   • Respectful and Honorable: Treating others with dignity, even in disagreement. Refrain from personal attacks, insults, derogatory language, or inflammatory rhetoric.
   • Constructive and Edifying: Contributing to discussions in a way that builds up the body of Christ and points others towards Him.
   • Relevant and Appropriate: Focusing on topics related to Faith Church’s mission, ministries, and values.
   • Grace-Filled: Responding to others with patience, understanding, and a willingness to forgive.
     
3. Content We Discourage:

   To maintain a safe and healthy online environment, we strongly discourage content that is:

   • Harmful and Hateful: Promoting or inciting violence, hatred, discrimination, harassment, or prejudice based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or any other protected characteristic.
   • Offensive and Profane: Using vulgar, obscene, or disrespectful language, including profanity, sexual innuendo, and inappropriate humor.
   • Spam and Self-Promotion: Posting irrelevant links, advertisements, or content primarily for personal or commercial gain.
   • Confidential and Private: Sharing personally identifiable information about individuals without their explicit consent, including addresses, phone numbers, or private matters.
   • Doctrinally Divisive: While respectful theological discussions are welcome, we discourage content that promotes discord, undermines the core doctrines of Faith Church as outlined in our Statement of Faith (add link if applicable), or seeks to sow division within the body of Christ.
   • Copyright Infringing: Sharing content that violates copyright laws. Users are responsible for ensuring they have the right to share any materials they post.
     
4. Moderation Procedures:

   Faith Church has designated a team of individuals (Content Moderation Team) responsible for monitoring and enforcing this Policy. The Content Moderation Team has the authority to take the following actions:

   • Content Editing: Correcting minor issues like typos or removing inappropriate language while preserving the message's overall intent.
   • Content Removal: Deleting content that violates this Policy.
   • Warnings and Notices: Issuing private or public warnings to users regarding Policy violations.
   • Temporary Suspension: Restricting access to our platforms for a specified period for repeated or serious violations.
   • Permanent Blocking: Banning users who engage in severe, persistent, or egregious violations.
   • Reporting to Authorities: In cases involving illegal activity, credible threats of harm, or content that endangers children, we will report the matter to law enforcement.
     
5. Responding to Negative Comments:

   We recognize that feedback will not always be positive. We are committed to addressing legitimate concerns and complaints with transparency, humility, and a desire for resolution. We will make every effort to:

   • Listen Carefully: Seek to understand the perspective of the individual expressing concern.
   • Respond Gracefully: Even when disagreeing, maintain a respectful and compassionate tone.
   • Take Appropriate Action: Address valid criticisms constructively, offer solutions where possible, and seek to learn from mistakes.

   We will remove comments deemed to be solely intended to be hurtful, disrespectful, irrelevant to the discussion, or otherwise violate this Policy.
   

6. User Responsibilities:

   Users are solely responsible for the content they post on Faith Church’s online platforms. By engaging with our online communities, users agree to:

   • Adhere to this Content Moderation Policy.
   • Respect the opinions and beliefs of others, even when they differ from their own.
   • Use good judgment when posting content.
   • Refrain from engaging in personal attacks, harassment, or other harmful behavior.
   • Report any content that they believe violates this Policy to the Content Moderation Team.
     
7. Policy Review and Updates:

   Faith Church reserves the right to review and update this Policy at any time to reflect changes in technology, community standards, and legal requirements. We will make reasonable efforts to notify users of any material changes.
   

8. Questions and Concerns:

   If you have any questions or concerns regarding this Content Moderation Policy, please contact us at [Provide Contact Information].

   This Content Moderation Policy is not exhaustive and does not constitute a contract. We encourage all users to engage with our online communities in a way that honors God and promotes love, respect, and unity within the body of Christ.