How We Keep This Space Valuable- Community Guidelines

6d (edited) • General

Last updated 5/22/2026

I'm not big on having a lot of complex rules, but because we've decided to make this community public, we'll need to be more intentional about keeping the conversation healthy, on-topic, and welcoming for everyone who stops by.

Public visibility means a wider audience, which is great for the mission, but it also means we have to keep a closer eye on things than we would in a closed group.

We've all seen groups where every thread becomes a pitch, every comment is a thinly veiled ad, and the actual learning gets buried under self-promotion. That's not what we're building here. This is a space for ministry leaders, pastors, and church workers to learn, experiment, and grow together in using AI thoughtfully for Kingdom work.

These rules will adjust as we learn what the community needs.

A note on grace

Most rule breaks come from people who didn't read the guidelines, not bad actors. We'll assume the best on a first offense. If you're unsure whether something fits, ask a moderator before posting. Questions about these guidelines are always welcome. Message a moderator anytime. We'd rather answer than enforce.

The short version

Follow the Golden Rule and treat each other with respect
Be positive and make an effort
Search before asking questions
Paid offerings go in Show and Tell only, never in regular threads
Free, genuinely useful resources are welcome when they fit the conversation
Don't repeat the same link across multiple threads
No affiliate links, no DM pitches, no spam

When a thread is link-free, you'll see a note from moderators inside the post. Respect those zones.

1. Follow the Golden Rule

Treat others the way you'd want to be treated. This is the foundation everything else rests on.

2. Be positive

Bring energy that builds the community up. Disagree freely, but treat each other with respect. Personal attacks, sarcasm aimed at members, and contempt have no place here. We can be honest without being unkind.

3. Make an effort

When you ask a question, give us enough context to actually help you. When you answer a question, take a moment to give a real answer. Drive-by comments and low-effort posts make the community less valuable for everyone.

4. Search before asking questions

Many questions have already been asked and answered here. Take a minute to search before posting. You'll often find what you need faster, and you'll keep the community from cycling through the same questions repeatedly.

5. This is a learning community, not a marketplace

Discussions, questions, and shared experiments come first. If your main reason for joining is to promote a product, service, or audience, this isn't the right fit.

6. Linking rules

What you can share in regular threads:

Free resources that directly help answer a question or fit the discussion
Tools, guides, articles, and videos that genuinely help, regardless of source

What belongs in Show and Tell instead:

Your own paid products, courses, coaching, or services
Paid newsletters or monetized content
Lead magnets and anything requiring an email or signup to access
Free trials that convert to paid, or free tiers of paid products

What's not allowed anywhere:

Affiliate links of any kind
"Check my bio" or "DM me to learn more" workarounds
Unsolicited promotional DMs to other members

7. What we mean by "free"

Free means truly free. If accessing a resource requires an email, signup, or any other exchange, it counts as promotional content and belongs in Show and Tell. Lead magnets are a legitimate business practice, just not in regular threads. If you want to share something widely in the community, consider making it accessible without a signup wall.

8. The bar is usefulness, not just "free"

A relevant free guide that answers someone's question is exactly what we want. A free guide dropped into an unrelated thread because you wrote it is not. Ask yourself whether your link helps the conversation happening, or just helps you.

9. Don't repeat the same link across threads

Even genuinely useful free resources become promotional when shared repeatedly. If you've already mentioned a resource in the community, you don't need to mention it again every time a related question comes up. Trust that members can find your earlier post or search the community. Repeatedly linking the same resource, even a free one, will be treated as promotional behavior.

10. Promoting other communities

Many of our members run their own faith-based Skool groups, churches, or memberships, and we love that. We've created a dedicated space for sharing those communities: Community Spotlight

That's where free and paid community promotion belongs, not in regular threads. If a member directly asks for community recommendations and yours genuinely fits, you can mention it in response. Just don't lead with it or repeat it across threads.

11. Sharing AI-generated content

When you share AI output, add your own thinking. Tell us what you tried, what worked, what didn't, and what you'd change. Posts that are just raw AI output without reflection don't help anyone learn.

12. Theological differences

Our members come from different traditions. We're united around thinking well about AI in ministry, not around resolving doctrinal debates. Keep discussions focused on AI application rather than which tradition has it right.

13. Show and Tell thread guidelines

Post your paid offerings, lead magnets, communities, and promotional content here
Maximum once per week
One link per post. Don't stack multiple offerings into a single post to work around the weekly limit. If you have multiple things to share, choose the one that matters most this week and save the others for future weeks
Include a clear description of what it is and who it's for
Posts must connect to AI in ministry in a clear way. Your AI tool, your course on using AI for sermon prep, your prompt library, your custom GPT, all welcome. Unrelated offerings, even ministry-focused ones, don't fit here

14. Profile self-promotion

Your Skool profile can mention what you do and link to your work. That's the right place for it. We don't monitor profiles, but we do moderate what happens in posts and comments.

Enforcement

First offense: post removed, private message explaining why
Second offense: 7-day posting suspension
Third offense: removal from the community
Spam, scams, or misleading content: immediate removal

If you think a moderation decision was wrong, message us. We're open to hearing your side.

These guidelines may change

As the community grows, rules may be updated to keep the space healthy. We'll notify members of significant changes, but it's your responsibility to review the guidelines periodically.

Continued participation means you accept the current version.

Show & Tell Here

Community Spotlight Here

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