Social Media
Social media has changed the way the world communicates. It's how entire generations connect, and we're excited to be able to use social media in God's service. It can be a tricky, even unsafe, place to navigate though, which is why we've developed this resource page for you. Together, let's use God's wonderful gift of social media wisely and well.
LCANZ social media
Navigating the world of social media can be tricky. Most people know that you never, ever, put anything on social media (even on your private or closed-group page) that you wouldn't want the world to see. You also know how easily you can harm the name of the Lutheran Church (and worse, the name of Jesus) if you post inappropriate material on social media. But there are also other things to consider:
- Does your congregation really need a social media presence?
- If so, who will be responsible for the content?
- How do you keep your people, especially children, safe on social media?
- How can you guard against inappropriate content being posted?
Currently, in the social media space the LCANZ Churchwide Office uses only Facebook. While there are plenty of other options out there, Facebook is the platform many people in our church are using, so that's where we're putting our energy. Your social media audience might mean you use something else, or a number of social media platforms.
But no matter what social media you use in your congregation or community, you need to consider how you will manage your site, so that it stays true to your aims and is a faithful witness to Christ in our world. At the Churchwide Office we have adopted some house rules for LCANZ Facebook. You are welcome to use them exactly as they are, or adapt them for your own social media as appropriate.
Who's managing your social media?
The Churchwide Office communications team keeps abreast of changes in legislation around social media (we've published one example below) and is constantly researching best practice. The LCANZ has a Social Media Policy, which applies to all agencies (including congregations) of the church. As you prepare social media guidelines for your own agency or congregation, you might find the management procedures we adopt at the Churchwide Office helpful. You are welcome to adopt or adapt these documents for your local context.
You are invited to use these promotional and inspirational images that you can simply copy and drop into your social media pages.
High Court judgement: implications for owners of social media accounts
December 2021
A High Court of Australia judgement (Fairfax vs Voller) in September has implications for all organisations that use social media. A majority of justices (5–2) ruled that the owners of social media accounts can be considered 'publishers' and are thereby potentially liable for defamatory and other illegal comments on their accounts. This applies even if the comments were made by a third party and even if the organisation did not know the comments were there.
The LCANZ Churchwide Office has implemented measures to minimise the risk on our accounts, and we are urging all congregations and other agencies of the church to introduce similar measures. You are welcome to adapt the LCANZ social media procedures to your congregation's or agency's needs (button links in the gold section above).
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