Communication Content Policy
First Methodist United Church will use communication to build community, celebrate our
efforts, empower and enfranchise the congregation, and support the vision of our church.
To that end, we will seek out and communicate in words, photos and video. We will use all
the tools at our disposal, including announcements, Prevue, e-news, Web and Facebook.
Topics will include:
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Highlights of church projects and programs.
Items about members, to include their efforts/accomplishments in the church, in
their profession and in the community. Initially, the communication team will
identify them. As we move forward, we anticipate that many will be suggested by
other members. We will strive for a representative sampling.
Stories about new members.
The agenda and proposals before church leadership, (currently Church Council) and
summaries of meetings and reports from the ministries.*
Information that markets our programs, services or church, such as videos of people
talking about what they like best about our church.
News about upcoming FUMC and some Wesley events, forums.
Promotions for worship services and topics.
Messages from our spiritual leadership.
News from the conference and district to include any messages from the Bishop and
summaries of significant conference deliberations.*
Spiritual and supportive messages on topics such as grief, loneliness, stewardship,
parenting, forgiveness, etc.
Timely alerts about tragedies that befall members of our community such as deaths,
fires, major accidents. This will be limited to members and their dependents and any
of their children who are former members of our church. The wishes of the families,
of course, should always be respected. If there is a question about appropriateness,
the lead communicator or pastors should be consulted. Wording should stick to the
facts and link to obituaries for details on the person's life. Example: We extend our
deepest sympathies and pray for [member name] on the recent death of [name].”
We also should post details about memorial services, if local, as soon as they are
known. *
Baptisms, confirmations, and marriages of members.
A list of those members requesting prayers, in hospice or serving in the military.
A calendar.
Given the wider breadth of content, print layouts will need to be reconsidered for Prevue
and the weekly announcements. We often will not be able to devote entire pages to a
specific ministry nor run the same announcement for numerous weeks/issues. When
information exceeds space, staff is authorized to prioritize content to ensure that key
messages, as defined by the ministries — including the communication ministry— are
included. They also may eliminate duplication, consolidate or condense. If help is needed,
they should reach out to the FUMC lead communicator or administrator.
After we have accommodated these priority communications, we may consider others, such
as those that seek to inform us of:
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Opportunities to serve our community (blood drives, food drives).
Travel or conference opportunities not related to an official ministry.
Advice about important topics not related to an official ministry, such as healthy
living, caring for creation, etc.
Programs in which members are involved but not officially tied to FUMC, if relevant
to the mission and vision of our church.
Books not tied to a class or ministry, if relevant to the mission and vision of our
church.
When space is not available in printed materials for these important items not central to our
mission, we will provide a headline in our e-news with links to content on the Web.
For the communications above followed by an *, staff will be responsible for reaching out to
information holders to request the information and, if needed, obtaining approval from the
parties involved, the lead communicator or the pastors.