Community Conduct Policy
Effective Date: May 2026 · Applies to: The Fold, The Well, The Upper Room
The Shepherd Network is a faith-based online ministry community grounded in biblical truth, mutual respect, and the love of Christ. Every member — whether in The Fold (free), The Well, or The Upper Room — is expected to engage in a manner that honors God and reflects the character of a believer. This policy exists not to restrict, but to protect the integrity of a community where people come to grow, heal, and be encouraged in their faith.
By participating in any area of The Shepherd Network community, you agree to abide by the standards set forth in this policy. Violations are handled with grace first, but persistent or severe violations will result in suspension or permanent removal.
Our Community Standard
All community interaction must reflect the standard described in Ephesians 4:29 (NASB): "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear."
This applies to all posts, comments, prayer requests, testimonies, direct messages, and any other form of communication within the platform.
Prohibited Conduct
The following behaviors are strictly prohibited in all community areas:
| Prohibited Behavior | Description |
|---|---|
| Harassment or bullying | Targeting, intimidating, or repeatedly attacking another member in any form |
| Hate speech | Content that demeans any person based on race, gender, nationality, disability, or faith background |
| False teaching | Promoting doctrine that contradicts the foundational truths of Scripture without biblical basis |
| Spam or self-promotion | Unsolicited advertising, repeated promotional posts, or commercial solicitation without admin approval |
| Explicit or inappropriate content | Sharing sexual, violent, or otherwise inappropriate material in any community space |
| Impersonation | Claiming to be another member, ministry leader, or staff member |
| Doxxing or privacy violations | Sharing another member's personal information without their explicit consent |
| Disruption of prayer spaces | Using prayer request or testimony areas for debate, argument, or off-topic content |
| Threats or intimidation | Any language that implies harm, threat, or coercion toward another member or the ministry |
| Unauthorized fundraising | Soliciting money, donations, or financial support from community members without admin approval |
Content Standards
All content shared in the community — including posts, comments, images, and links — must be consistent with the values of a Christ-centered ministry. Content that promotes competing ministries, contradicts biblical teaching, or undermines the mission of The Shepherd Network is subject to removal without notice.
Scripture quotations are encouraged. When quoting Scripture, please include the reference and translation. The Shepherd Network uses the NASB (2020) as its primary translation, but all major translations are welcome.
Enforcement — Citation System
The Shepherd Network uses a three-citation enforcement system. Citations are issued by the AI moderation system and reviewed by the site administrator.
The member receives a written warning via their registered email. The violating content is removed. The member is required to review this Community Conduct Policy and confirm understanding before continuing to post. No access restrictions are applied.
The member's posting privileges are suspended for 14 days. Access to read-only content continues. A second written notice is sent. The member must complete a brief conduct acknowledgment form before posting privileges are restored.
The member's account is permanently deactivated. Any active paid membership (The Well or The Upper Room) is cancelled immediately with no refund for the current billing period. The member is permanently banned from rejoining under any email address. The site administrator is notified of all Citation 3 actions.
Severe violations (threats, doxxing, explicit content, or illegal activity) may result in immediate Citation 3 removal without prior citations, at the sole discretion of the site administrator.
Prayer Requests and Testimonies
The prayer request and testimony areas are sacred spaces within this community. They exist for members to share burdens, victories, and encounters with God. These spaces are governed by an additional standard of care:
- Responses to prayer requests must be encouraging, prayerful, and compassionate — never critical or theological debate.
- Testimonies shared by members are their personal experiences and are to be received with respect, not scrutinized or challenged.
- No member may share another member's prayer request outside the platform without explicit written consent from that member.
- The Shepherd Network staff may follow up with members who share prayer requests within 48 hours, per the member's stated communication preference.
Paid Membership Conduct
Members of The Well and The Upper Room are held to the same conduct standards as all community members. Paid membership does not grant immunity from enforcement. Citation 3 removal applies equally to paid members, and no refund will be issued for the current billing period upon removal for conduct violations.
Paid members who believe a citation was issued in error may submit a written appeal to [email protected] within 7 days of receiving the citation notice. Appeals are reviewed by the site administrator and a decision is issued within 5 business days.
Reporting Violations
If you witness conduct that violates this policy, you may report it by contacting The Shepherd Network at:
Text: 502.517.9093 · Email: [email protected]
All reports are handled confidentially. The identity of the reporting member is never disclosed to the subject of the report.
Amendments to This Policy
The Shepherd Network reserves the right to amend this Community Conduct Policy at any time. Members will be notified of material changes via email and/or a notice posted on the community page. Continued participation in the community following notification of changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
Age Eligibility and Child Safety (COPPA)
The Shepherd Network community — including The Fold, The Well, and The Upper Room — is intended for individuals who are 13 years of age or older. This requirement applies to all community tiers, all content areas, and all interactive features of the platform, including prayer requests, discussion boards, and devotional comments.
Paid Membership Tiers (The Well and The Upper Room)
The Well and The Upper Room require all members to be 13 years of age or older. Because these tiers involve financial transactions and subscription agreements, a parent or legal guardian must be the account holder. There is no parental consent pathway for children under 13 to access paid tiers.
VerseKey and The Fold — Parental Consent Pathway for Children Under 13
In recognition that families and young believers may wish to engage with Scripture memorization and free community content, The Shepherd Network provides a COPPA-compliant parental consent pathway for children under 13 to access VerseKey (our Scripture memorization game) and The Fold (our free community tier). This pathway is built on the email-plus method approved by the Federal Trade Commission under 16 C.F.R. § 312.5(b)(2).
When a child under 13 selects the under-13 option on the VerseKey or Fold registration screen, the system collects the child's first name and age, then prompts for the parent or legal guardian's name, email address, and optionally a mobile phone number. A consent notice is sent to the parent by email — and by SMS if a phone number was provided — describing exactly what information will be collected and how it will be used. The parent must click the confirmation link to grant consent. If the parent does not respond within 7 days, the request expires automatically and all associated child information is deleted.
Parents may revoke consent at any time by clicking the revocation link included in all consent emails, or by contacting us directly. Revocation immediately deactivates the child's access. For full details on the parental consent process, data collected, and parental rights, see Section 12 of our Privacy Policy at theshepherdnetwork.org/privacy-policy.
Members Ages 13–17
Individuals between the ages of 13 and 17 are welcome to participate with the knowledge and consent of a parent or legal guardian. By registering for any tier of membership, the user affirms that they meet the minimum age requirement or that a parent or guardian has consented on their behalf.
Inadvertent Under-13 Registration
In compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), The Shepherd Network does not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13 outside of the parental consent pathway described above. If we become aware that a user under 13 has registered without going through the parental consent process, that account will be deactivated and all personal information will be deleted within 5 business days.
Parents or guardians who believe their child under 13 has registered on this platform without consent should contact us immediately at [email protected] or by text at 502.517.9093. We will respond within 24 hours and complete account removal within 5 business days.
This conduct policy applies equally to all members regardless of age. All community standards, prohibited conduct rules, and enforcement procedures described in this policy govern every registered user of The Shepherd Network platform, including those who participate through the parental consent pathway.