Communication Resources

This ever-evolving page is dedicated to providing resources associated with church communications. Communication is essential to our role as evangelists in and for the church in sharing the Good News of Christ with others.

    Resources

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    Media & Photo Release Template

    You are free to download and use this template to customize a media/photo release form for your congregation. 

    Helpful Guidelines for Healthy Communications

    Digital Communications

    • Online interactions are no different from in-person interactions.
    • Digital communication is not confidential and can be shared.
    • Respect boundaries and transparency
    • Laws on reporting suspected abuse/neglect/exploitation apply online.

    Guidelines for Interactions with Children & Youth online

    • Adults who minister to children should set strict privacy settings on social media profiles.
    • Adults should not send friend requests to minors or communicate with them directly without another adult present.
    • Adults should create a separate, closed group account to connect with youth.
    • Report any suspicious material involving abuse/neglect/exploitation of a child to local authorities and document it for church records if on a church-affiliated site.

    Guidelines for online “Groups”

    • Youth groups should have at least two adults and two youth administrators
    • Create and use a behavioral covenant for online youth groups so all members understand what is to be expected.
    • Report any suspicious material regarding child abuse/neglect/exploitation to clergy and/or the Department of Human Services.
    • Inappropriate material should be removed immediately.
    • Parents can join social networking/text groups for youth.
    • Posts visible to youth should be considered carefully, as they represent the church.

    Clergy Guidelines for Interactions with Adults

    • Set strict privacy settings on social media to protect adult and youth members from inappropriate content.
    • Decide whether to accept friend requests from parishioners, as declining or accepting some and not others could create tension.
    • Do not send friend requests to those being ministered to, to avoid power imbalances.
    • Do use faith community-associated groups on social media with multiple administrators.
    • When working with youth, establish church-sponsored digital communication groups.
    • When a cleric’s ministry ends, remove parishioners as “friends” or contacts on social media.
    Copyright and Licensing Information

    Copyright compliance is a major area of responsibility and concern for most church music and creative arts leaders who use copyrighted materials.

    • OneLicense – subscription-based or one-time resources for online music licensing and permissions for faith communities. If you live stream, you need to add the live streaming license. They have varied tiers for membership based on average Sunday attendance. Learn more at onelicense.net.
    • Public Domain Hymns – a catalog of hymns in the public domain with sheet music and lyrics available for download. Learn more at pdhymns.com.
    • Christian Copyright Solutions – another resource for online music licensing and copyright permissions for faith communities. They offer a bundle package for annual membership. Learn more at christiancopyrightsolutions.com.
    Download Images of Bishop Akiyama

    To download a high-quality portrait of Bishop Akiyama for print: please visit our “About Our Bishop” page here. There are instructions for downloading a portrait for print on that page.

    After downloading, you can send the image to print at a local convenience store’s print center or local digital printing store.

    ECWO Logos and Use

    Below you will find the Episcopal Church in Western Oregon’s logos. Please see the style guide for assistance in how to use our logo properly. There are other colors available if the ones below do not work for your needs. Please reach out to the director of communications for other colors.

     

    Episcopal Communicators

    Episcopal Communicators is a self-supporting organization of communication professionals working in the Episcopal Church for dioceses, faith communities, and organizations.

    Their mission is to foster community that inspires and supports excellence in church communications.

    With an annual membership, communicators are linked to resources, webinars, and an annual conference with speakers, workshops, and networking. Learn more at episcopal-communicators.wildapricot.org.

    Social Media Graphics for Faith Communities

    Below are .zip files of graphics made by our communications director for faith communities to use on their social media profiles, websites, and bulletins. When you click a link below, the .zip drive will download to your computer, you must open that file, and it will populate the folder. 

    Advent: 

    Lent: 

    Holy Week:

    The Episcopal Church Communications Resources

    Below you can find more information regarding The Episcopal Church’s style guide and how to use their images and logos properly.