Community Guidelines

1. Respect & Kindness

We are a community rooted in faith. Every interaction should reflect the values of love, grace, and respect.

• Treat others as you'd like to be treated. Disagreements are natural; disrespect is not.
• No hate speech, discrimination, or harassment based on race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, denomination, or any other characteristic.
• No personal attacks, name-calling, or bullying. Critique ideas, not people.
• Be patient with new members. Everyone starts somewhere.
• Assume good intentions. Give others the benefit of the doubt before reacting.

2. Listings & Directory Standards

Listings are the heart of MyFaithVillage. Maintain their quality and trustworthiness:

• Accuracy: All information must be truthful and current — name, location, contact details, photos, hours, and descriptions.
• Relevance: Listings must be faith-based or serve the faith community. Purely secular businesses without a faith connection may be removed.
• No misleading claims: Don't exaggerate qualifications, endorsements, or affiliations.
• Photos must be yours or properly licensed. No stock photos presented as your actual location or team.
• One listing per location/service. Don't create duplicate listings to gain visibility.
• No illegal goods or services. Listings promoting anything unlawful will be removed immediately.
• Keep listings updated. Outdated or abandoned listings may be flagged for review.

3. Reviews & Ratings

Reviews help the community make informed decisions. Keep them honest and constructive:

• Be honest and fair. Share your genuine experience.
• Be specific. "Great church!" is less helpful than "The worship team is welcoming, and the children's ministry is excellent."
• No fake reviews — don't review your own listing, a competitor's listing, or pay for reviews.
• No personal attacks on staff or members. Focus on the experience, not individuals.
• No profanity or vulgar language in reviews.
• Listing owners may respond to reviews publicly — keep responses professional and gracious.

4. Faith Groups

Faith Groups are spaces for believers to connect around shared interests. Group members and leaders must:

• Stay on topic. Group posts should relate to the group's stated purpose.
• Sign the group covenant before posting (required for each group you join).
• No spam, solicitation, or self-promotion unless the group specifically allows it.
• No divisive content designed to provoke anger or division within the faith community.
• Respect group leaders' decisions. They volunteer their time to moderate.
• Report, don't retaliate. If you see a violation, use the Report button instead of engaging.

Strike system: Violations result in escalating consequences: Warning → 24-hour mute → 7-day mute → Group ban → Platform ban. See our moderation policy for details.

5. Prayer Wall

The Prayer Wall is a sacred space. Treat it with reverence:

• Share genuine prayer requests and encouragement. This is not a place for debates or promotion.
• Respect confidentiality. Don't share others' prayer requests outside the platform without permission.
• No judgment. Every request, no matter how small or large, deserves compassion.
• No graphic or disturbing content. Sensitive topics should be handled with care and appropriate content warnings.
• Use the "Praying for you" button to show support silently when words aren't enough.

6. Marketplace & Classifieds

Our marketplace connects community members for buying, selling, and exchanging:

• Honest descriptions: Accurately describe items, condition, and pricing.
• No prohibited items: Weapons, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, counterfeit goods, stolen property, or anything illegal.
• No bait-and-switch: The item delivered must match the listing.
• Fair pricing: Gouging or predatory pricing is not acceptable in our community.
• Honor commitments: If you agree to a sale, follow through.
• Meet safely: For in-person exchanges, meet in public places during daylight hours. MyFaithVillage is not responsible for in-person transactions.

7. Messaging & Communication

Direct messaging should be respectful and purposeful:

• No unsolicited marketing or spam. Only message users who would reasonably expect to hear from you.
• No harassment via messages. If someone asks you to stop contacting them, stop immediately.
• Keep communications professional when contacting listing owners or service providers.
• Don't share private messages publicly without the sender's consent.

8. Content Standards

All content on MyFaithVillage — listings, posts, photos, reviews, messages — must meet these standards:

• No profanity, vulgar language, or sexually explicit content.
• No graphic violence or gore.
• No content promoting substance abuse.
• No misinformation or conspiracy theories presented as fact.
• No copyright infringement. Only post content you own or have permission to use.
• No impersonation of other individuals, organizations, or staff members.

9. Reporting & Moderation

We rely on the community to help maintain standards:

• Use the Report button on any listing, review, group post, prayer request, or message that violates these guidelines.
• Reports are confidential. The reported person will not know who reported them.
• Our moderation team reviews all reports within 24–48 hours.
• False or malicious reports may result in action against the reporter.
• Appeals: If your content is removed or your account is restricted, you may appeal by emailing hello@myfaithvillage.com with "Appeal" in the subject line.

10. Consequences

Violations of these guidelines may result in:

• Content removal — offending content is taken down
• Warning — formal notice via email
• Temporary suspension — 24 hours to 30 days depending on severity
• Permanent ban — for severe or repeated violations
• Listing removal — fraudulent or harmful listings are permanently deleted
• Legal referral — illegal activity is reported to appropriate authorities

The severity of the action depends on the nature of the violation, whether it's a first offense, and the impact on the community.

11. Your Responsibilities

As a member of MyFaithVillage, you agree to:

• Follow these Community Guidelines at all times
• Comply with our Terms of Use
• Report content that violates these guidelines
• Keep your account information accurate and secure
• Not use the platform for any unlawful purpose

12. Changes to These Guidelines

We may update these guidelines as our community grows and evolves. Material changes will be communicated via email or a notice on the Site. Continued use of MyFaithVillage after changes constitutes acceptance.

13. Questions?

If you have questions about these guidelines or need to report a concern, contact us at hello@myfaithvillage.com or use the Report feature on any content page.

Together, we build a community worthy of the faith we share.