Church Social Media Guidelines: What to Post, What to Avoid, and Who Approves What

Without guidelines, social media becomes a free-for-all. Or nothing gets posted because nobody's sure what's okay.

Guidelines aren't about control. They're about clarity. When everyone knows what's appropriate, people are empowered to post—not paralyzed.

This isn't a legal document. It's a shared understanding.

What We Post

On-brand content:

• Sunday highlights and worship moments
• Event promotions and announcements
• Scripture and encouragement
• Community stories and spotlights
• Behind-the-scenes glimpses
• Sermon clips and quotes

The vibe:

Welcoming. Authentic. Helpful.

Posts should reflect who we actually are, not a polished version that doesn't match the experience of showing up.

Examples of good posts:

• Photo carousel from Sunday with a caption about the message
• Scripture graphic with a reflection question
• Video clip of pastor sharing an insight
• Volunteer appreciation with real names and faces (with permission)
• Event promotion with clear details

What We Don't Post

Political content:

No endorsements. No partisan takes. No sharing of politically charged content.

If there's any doubt about whether something is political, it probably is. Skip it.

Controversial hot takes:

Social media is not the place to weigh in on every cultural debate. When in doubt, don't.

Negative comments about others:

Other churches. Other organizations. Public figures. We don't tear down—we build up.

Photos without permission:

Especially of minors. More on this below.

Unverified information:

If you can't confirm it's true, don't post it. No rumors. No speculation.

Personal opinions framed as church positions:

If a staff member has a personal opinion, that's fine. But it shouldn't appear on the church account as if it's the church's position.

Sarcasm that could be misread:

Text doesn't convey tone well. What's funny in person can land wrong online.

Photo and Privacy Rules

Photos are powerful. They're also personal. Handle with care.

General crowd shots:

Photos of public gatherings from a distance are generally fine. These are "crowd" photos where no individual is the focus.

Close-ups and identifiable individuals:

If someone is the clear focus of the photo, get their permission before posting.

A verbal "okay if I post this?" is often enough for adults. For anything you're uncertain about, ask explicitly.

Photos of children:

Parent or guardian permission is required. Period.

Many churches handle this through a photo release form—signed at registration or during new member orientation.

When in doubt, don't post the photo. Or crop so the child isn't identifiable.

Sensitive moments:

Altar calls. Counseling moments. Visible emotion during worship.

These are sacred. Posting them can feel exploitative. Default to not posting unless you're absolutely sure it's appropriate and permitted.

The hierarchy:

If unsure → ask.

If you can't ask → don't post.

The Approval Process

Who can post? Who approves? Make this clear.

One person (or team) posts everything. Content comes from ministries, gets reviewed, and is posted by the communications lead.

Pro: Consistent voice, less risk.

Con: Bottleneck if that person is unavailable.

Multiple people can post, but anything outside routine content needs approval first.

Example: Sunday recap posts are pre-approved. A new statement about a sensitive topic needs review.

Pro: Faster, more coverage.

Con: Requires trust and training.

Define what's "safe to post" and what needs a second set of eyes.

Safe to post:

• Sunday photo recap
• Scripture graphics
• Event promotion (for approved events)
• Volunteer appreciation

Needs approval:

• Anything referencing current events
• New messaging or positioning
• Personal stories or testimonials

Turnaround:

If approval is required, define how fast it happens. "Same-day response" keeps things moving. "Review at the weekly meeting" creates delays.

Handling Comments and Messages

Respond promptly:

Within 24 hours for comments and DMs. Faster if possible.

Positive comments:

Thank them. Like the comment. Engage briefly.

Questions:

Answer or direct them to the right person. "Great question—email [email protected] and Sarah can help!"

Negative or critical comments:

Don't delete unless it's abusive. Respond graciously and briefly. Take the conversation offline if needed. "I'm sorry you had that experience. We'd love to talk—can you email us?"

Trolls and spam:

Delete. Block. Don't engage.

If someone is being abusive, vulgar, or clearly just trying to provoke, there's no obligation to respond. Remove the comment and move on.

Who monitors:

Assign someone to check comments and messages daily. This can be the same person who posts, or a designated responder.

Unanswered messages = missed opportunities.

Training Your Team

Anyone who posts on behalf of the church should know:

• What's okay to post (and what's not)
• Photo permission requirements
• The approval process for anything unusual
• How to handle comments

A 15-minute walkthrough is enough. Share the guidelines document (this one, adapted to your church) and answer questions.

For new staff or volunteers on the social media team, include this in onboarding.

The One-Page Version

We post:

• Sunday recaps and worship moments
• Event promotions
• Scripture and encouragement
• Community stories and team appreciation

We don't post:

• Political content or endorsements
• Hot takes on controversial issues
• Photos without permission (especially of kids)
• Anything unverified

Photos:

• Adults: permission preferred for close-ups
• Children: parent permission required

Approval:

• Routine posts: [name] can post directly
• Sensitive topics: review with [name] first

Comments:

• Respond within 24 hours
• Be gracious, even when criticized
• Delete spam and abuse; block trolls

Questions:

Contact [communications lead] at [email].

Print this. Share it with your team. Update annually or when something changes.

The goal isn't to limit what gets posted. It's to make everyone confident about what's appropriate—so more gets posted, not less.