Legal

Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 2025

1. Introduction

NorthWoods Church ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website at northwoodschurch.org or interact with us through any of our ministry platforms, online giving portals, event registrations, or communications. Please read this policy carefully. If you disagree with its terms, please discontinue use of our site.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect the following categories of information:

• Personal Identification Information: Name, email address, phone number, mailing address, and similar contact data you provide when filling out forms, registering for events, signing up for a Life Group, or giving online.
• Financial Information: Payment details (credit/debit card numbers, bank account information) submitted through our secure third-party giving processors (e.g., Church Teams). We do not store full payment details on our own servers.
• Usage Data: IP address, browser type, pages visited, time spent on pages, and other analytics data collected automatically when you use our site.
• Communications: Messages, prayer requests, or inquiries you submit through our contact or connection forms.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Process online donations and send giving confirmations and annual statements.
• Register you for events, classes, and ministry programs.
• Communicate updates about services, sermons, events, and church news.
• Connect you with a Life Group, serve team, or pastoral care as requested.
• Respond to your inquiries and prayer requests.
• Improve our website and ministry services through aggregate analytics.
• Comply with legal obligations, including IRS charitable contribution reporting.

4. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share information with trusted service providers who assist in operating our website and ministry (e.g., Church Center / Planning Center, Church Teams, Libsyn, LeadConnector), strictly for the purposes described above. These providers are bound by confidentiality obligations.

We may also disclose information when required by law, to protect the rights and safety of our congregation, or in connection with a legitimate pastoral care or emergency situation.

5. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance user experience and gather analytics. You may configure your browser to refuse cookies; however, some features of the site may not function properly as a result. We use Google Analytics and similar tools to understand aggregate site usage — no personally identifiable information is transmitted to these services under our configuration.

6. Third-Party Links & Embeds

Our site contains links to third-party websites and embeds (e.g., Church Center registration, SermonSync, Libsyn podcast player). Once you leave our site, this Privacy Policy no longer applies. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, or as required by law (e.g., financial records for IRS reporting). Giving records are retained for a minimum of seven (7) years. You may request deletion of your personal data at any time, subject to legal retention requirements.

8. Children's Privacy

Our website is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. Our children's ministry registration forms are intended for parents and guardians. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately.

9. Your Rights & Choices

You have the right to:

• Access, correct, or request deletion of your personal information.
• Opt out of marketing emails at any time via the unsubscribe link in any email we send.
• Request a copy of your annual giving statement through our giving portal.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@northwoodschurch.org.

10. Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information. Online giving is processed through PCI-DSS compliant third-party processors. However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. Changes to This Policy

We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy at any time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of our site after changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us: