Our WhatsApp groups serve as an extension of our church community, aiming to foster a supportive and uplifting environment where members can share life experiences, encourage one another in their faith, and stay connected with church activities. To maintain this positive atmosphere and uphold our values of unity and respect, the elders have established these guidelines to ensure that discussions remain relevant, uplifting, and conducive to building deeper connections within our church family.
- Avoid Debates: Refrain from engaging in debates within the group. Save these discussions for face-to-face meetings where there’s more opportunity for in-depth and time-restricted dialogue. Steer clear of divisive or sensitive topics that may cause conflict.
- No Rebuking or Correcting: Avoid criticizing or correcting others in the group. If you have concerns, address them privately or raise them in face-to-face meetings.
- Avoid Incorrect Scripture Use: Avoid overly dogmatic interpretations that may lead to unnecessary debate or confusion. Scripture quotations are to be used in their proper textual context, avoiding eisegesis, which is the insertion of personal opinions into the text.
- Avoid Spam: Avoid sharing unrelated or excessive content. Content should contribute to the spiritual growth or edification of the group but should not be frequent or extensive. Try to not share long running videos.
- Ask Questions: Feel free to ask questions or give responses that align with the uplifting and encouraging atmosphere we aim to maintain without engaging in divisive discussions between members.
- Share Life Experiences: Feel free to share your personal experiences, testimonies, prayer requests, and uplifting stories that reflect your journey of faith.
- Share Church Activities: Feel free to share announcements, updates, and reminders about upcoming services, events, and community outreach initiatives.
Repercussions for not abiding by these rules/guidelines could include:
- Reminder: A simple reminder that the guidelines exist, and please be aware of them.
- Warning: A polite reminder to adhere to the group guidelines.
- Temporary Removal: Temporary removal from the group for a specified period if the behaviour persists despite warnings.
- Permanent Removal: Permanent removal from the group if the member continues to violate the rules despite previous warnings.
The moderators of these guidelines are the elders (Andy, Noel and Marcol).
Messages that break the guidelines could be marked with a 🗯 feedback emoji.
Example moderation messages
Reminder
Hi, please be aware of our WhatsApp community guidelines, which can be viewed here:-
https://thedoc.church/whatsapp
Warning 1
This message breaks the community guidelines. Please be aware of them, which can be viewed here:-
https://thedoc.church/whatsapp
The guideline in question was:-
Warning 2
This message breaks the community guidelines. Please be aware of them, which can be viewed here:-
https://thedoc.church/whatsapp
Please don’t break the guidelines. Doing so will result in a temporary removal from the WhatsApp group.
While we believe in free speech, we also believe in the freedom to walk away from it; as a church, we don’t want our members walking away from the WhatsApp group if we can help it.
The guideline in question was:-
Temporary removal
This message breaks the community guidelines. Please be aware of them, which can be viewed here:-
https://thedoc.church/whatsapp
Please don’t break the guidelines. We’ve spoken to you about this before, so you’ll now be removed from the group for X week/s.
While we believe in free speech, we also believe in the freedom to walk away from it; as a church, we don’t want our members walking away from the WhatsApp group if we can help it.
The guideline in question was:-
Permanent removal
This message breaks the community guidelines.
https://thedoc.church/whatsapp
We’ve spoken to you about this before, and you have already been temporarily removed from the group. You will now be permanently removed from the group. I am sorry it has come this.
The guideline in question was:-