Social Media

This policy provides guidelines for employees and volunteers to follow when they use social media tools on behalf of Tree of Life Open Bible Church(Herin TOL), or when TOL becomes part of a social media dialogue.

New social media tools emerge regularly. This policy applies to all forms of social media: those currently in use and those that TOL may adopt at any time.

Every employee has the responsibility to maintain Brookline Sprouts and Tree of Life's public image and to use the Internet in a responsible manner, especially with regard to social media. Staff are advised to manage their personal security settings to ensure that their information is only available to people they choose to share information with. Even so, they should remain aware that some posts may still be visible to more than its intended audience via search engines, screen shots, etc. Every post and comment made both as a staff member and an individual should be weighed against the possibility of it becoming the topic of public discussion. Employees may be held responsible for any online behavior or content that connects them to the center or implicates the center in that behavior. Employees may also be held responsible for any statements, posts, communications, or other online behavior or content that is not consistent with the center’s mission and philosophy.

Use of social media for personal use during work hours is not allowed. Any posts, comments, or other social media content discovered by Administration or brought to the attention of Administration by other parties that is detrimental to the center’s public image or perception of standards may result in disciplinary action (including termination) and a formal request for removal of said content.

Use of Social Media

• All TOL policies, including harassment, confidentiality, and software use policies, apply to the use of social media.
• TOL’s official social media participation is managed by the social media team under the Director of Operations. This team is responsible for regularly posting information on the ministry’s behalf and for monitoring and responding to posts on these pages.
• Ministry employees who misuse the ministry’s social media resources in ways that violate the law or other ministry policies are subject to disciplinary action.

Social Media Guidelines

• Volunteers interested in representing TOL on social media must first sign a consent and application form and attend a social media training class. The class will outline the recommended practices, limitations, and legal parameters for administering the ministry’s social media accounts.
• Social media postings should not disclose sensitive or confidential information, unless the person that the information concerns has given written consent to share such information. This may include medical information or other personal matters.
• Social media representatives should refrain from posting photos of individuals—or identifying the individuals—on the ministry’s official social media pages without their prior written consent which may be given by email or text. Social media representatives are responsible for disabling the “tagging” of individuals in photos posted on the ministry’s page. If the photos include location information, this information is to be removed as well.
• Social media representatives will respect copyright and fair use laws, making sure that they have permission or authority to use content before posting it. Simply giving credit to the author will not protect the ministry from a possible copyright infringement claim.

Social media representatives will monitor the page at least once per week, removing content that is obscene, embarrassing, abusive, or otherwise objectionable. If any posted material appears to be illegal (e.g., child or elder abuse, etc.), social media representatives should contact their supervisor and other appropriate authorities.

• When communicating with youth via social media, employees and volunteers should follow the ministry’s youth communication policy.
• In addition, ministry workers and volunteers who serve in children and youth ministries should keep their professional image in mind. Online conduct and behavior affects this image. TOL discourages staff members and volunteers from accepting invitations to “friend” youth members within personal social networking sites. Contacting youth members outside the ministry’s youth group page may create risks for the ministry workers and alter the dynamic between a youth leader and youth.
• Employees and volunteers are personally responsible for the content they publish online, including content they publish through their own social media pages. Employees should be sure to identify themselves as part of the ministry staff, including their role at TOL and make it clear that they are speaking for themselves, not officially for the ministry.
• As an employee or volunteer of Tree of Life Open Bible Church, remember that your online posts have the potential to affect the ministry, even those you make on a personal level. For this reason, we ask that you conduct your online interactions in accordance with the ministry’ statement of faith, and code of conduct.
• In the event of a crisis, contact the social media leader, church leadership, and the church attorney before responding to any posting or comments related to the crisis.

Student confidentiality should be maintained at all times – therefore, pictures of or with the children, as well as any statements about the children on personal pages is prohibited. If you would like to share photos or other content on your own account, send them to Administration for posting, and then share the approved Sprouts post.

“Friending,” “following,” or otherwise creating ties between your social media accounts and that of client families (especially Sprouts families) is discouraged, if they were not known to you before coming to Brookline Sprouts.

Use of social media on center devices (classroom tablets, the office computer, etc.) is prohibited in the child care center. Any Sprouts-related content should be forwarded to Administration for review and posting on our official Facebook page. Student confidentiality should be maintained at all times – therefore, pictures of or with the children, as well as any statements about the children on personal pages is prohibited. If you would like to share photos or other content on your own account, send them to Administration for posting, and then share the approved Sprouts post. This also ensures that social media posts contain only children with a signed photo release for public sharing.