Hey sweet friend!

I am so excited to have you as a member of our community! This is going to be a great season of community, connection, and growth. I can’t WAIT to get started!

Before we go any further, I just want to lay out a few tips, thoughts, and ground rules. I find that communities work so much better when we have a common understanding of what the group is about and how we use it. And so in order to make this community the safest, most encouraging, most positive place it can possibly be, here are a few things I want us to keep in mind:

1. YOU’LL GET OUT WHAT YOU PUT IN

I think that’s how community always happens. The more we put into it, the more we share, engage, put ourselves out there, the more we’ll get out of it. So speak up, we’d love to hear from you. Comment on other girls’ posts. Encourage them, pray for them, get to know them. This will be an awesome place of connection and encouragement if we all decide to join in!

2. THIS IS A PLACE FOR POSITIVITY

This group is meant to be a positive one. I do not expect anything less from you, but I just want to mention that if I see anything that feels to me to be mean, or negative, or demeaning, or judgmental, or inappropriate, I will delete the comment, and if it continues, I will ask that person to leave the group. (Also, please, please, please, no politics!!)

3. PLEASE DON’T USE THIS GROUP TO ADVERTISE

I know many of you are creative individuals. And I love that about you! I do want to protect our Facebook group from being a place that feels like one big advertisement. So please join me in protecting this space by not posting links to your blog posts/shops/Instagram etc.

4. KEEP IN MIND THAT SOME TOPICS ARE BEYOND THE SCOPE OF WHAT THIS FACEBOOK COMMUNITY CAN PROVIDE

I am SO excited for what this community can become. But, because this is an online community instead of an in-person one, there are some topics, subject-matters, and even depths that are just not best for this kind of setting.

There are certain subjects in life that we need a little extra help with— where we need someone in person to help us through. We need someone who can be there to talk back to us, to ask us questions, and to answer our questions. We need consistency, personal attention, and follow-up. Sometimes we might even need professional counseling. But really, those things are beyond the scope of what this community is here for, and beyond the scope of the help I can provide.

No part of the Facebook group is a substitute for in-person community or professional counseling. I am not a licensed counselor or psychologist. ALWAYS consult a professional before taking action that could result in legal or physical or emotional medical consequences.

And so before you bring up a topic in the group, please ask yourself this question:

• Is this a Facebook-level topic? Or is this an in-person-level topic?

We just want you to have the full support that you need.

5. IF YOU VIOLATE THESE RULES, YOUR POST MAY BE DELETED AND YOUR ACCESS TO THE COMMUNITY MAY BE REVOKED OR TERMINATED

Please know that if we feel a post has crossed any of these guidelines, we will go ahead and remove it from the page. If that happens, we will do our best to let you know that it was removed, and why! And truly, we are not wanting you to feel bad or hurt. We just want to make sure we stay on the same page as a community as to what we expect from each other.

Also, if you violate these rules, we do reserve the right to revoke and terminate your access to the community if we think it necessary.

6. HAVE A QUESTION ALONG THE WAY? HERE’S HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ME!

I will be joining in the conversation as much as possible. But sometimes I don’t see the posts I’m tagged in. So if you have any questions along the way, instead of tagging me and posting it in the Facebook group, here’s what to do:

If you have a logistical question, a technical question, or a question about the community or the content itself, or if you need help in any way or for any reason, send us an email! Our email is lexiem@ravenscollective.org and I will be there to answer any question you have!

Friends, thank you so much for reading. We're so excited about these guidelines because we know they'll help us all be on the same page, creating a community where we can each truly thrive.

1. If you have any questions about these guidelines, please don't hesitate to reach out.

   All my love,

   Lexie