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Privacy Policy

Effective Date: May 7, 2025

Lake Forrest Church ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of visitors to our website, https://greatagencyhub.wixsite.com/lake-forrest (the "Website"). This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, and protect your personal information. By using our Website, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

 

1. Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of information from you:

  • Personal Information: This includes information that can be used to identify you, such as your name, email address, phone number, postal address, and any other information you voluntarily provide to us when you:

  • Fill out contact forms

  • Subscribe to our newsletter or email lists

  • Register for events or programs

  • Make online donations

  • Submit prayer requests

  • Create an account on our Website

  • Participate in online forums or discussions (if applicable)

  • Submit volunteer applications

  • Automatically Collected Information: When you visit our Website, we may automatically collect certain information about your device and browsing activity, including:

  • IP address: (Internet Protocol)

  • Browser type:

  • Operating system:

  • Referring website:

  • Pages you visited on our Website:

  • Date and time of your visit:

  • Cookies and similar tracking technologies: (See Section 3 below)

  • Demographic Information: We may collect demographic information, such as age, gender, and interests, but this information will be collected anonymously and used in aggregate.

2. How We Use Your Information

We may use your information for the following purposes:

  • To Communicate with You: To respond to your inquiries, provide information about our church, events, and programs, and send you newsletters and other communications you have requested.

  • To Process Donations: To process your online donations and provide you with donation receipts.

  • To Register You for Events: To register you for events, programs, and classes.

  • To Improve Our Website: To analyze website traffic and user behavior to improve our Website's content, functionality, and user experience.

  • To Personalize Your Experience: To personalize your experience on our Website by providing you with content and features that are relevant to your interests.

  • To Fulfill Legal Obligations: To comply with applicable laws and regulations.

  • Internal Record Keeping: To maintain accurate records of church membership, attendance, volunteer activity, and donations.

  • Prayer Requests: To share prayer requests with our prayer team (only if you specifically consent to sharing)

  • To administer online forums/groups: If applicable, to manage user accounts and moderate discussions in online forums or groups.

  •  

3. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect information about your browsing activity on our Website.

  • Cookies: Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device when you visit a website. We may use cookies to:

  • Remember your preferences

  • Track your browsing activity

  • Personalize your experience

  • Analyze website traffic

  • Google Analytics: We may use Google Analytics to collect information about your use of our website. Google Analytics uses cookies to collect this information. You can learn more about Google Analytics and how to opt out by visiting the Google Analytics website: https://policies.google.com/privacy and https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. You can choose to accept or decline cookies. If you decline cookies, you may not be able to use certain features of our Website.

 

4. Sharing Your Information

 

We will not share your personal information with third parties except in the following circumstances:

  • With Your Consent: We may share your inform with third parties if you have given us your consent to do so.

  • Service Providers: We may share your information with third-party service providers who assist us with operating our Website, processing donations, sending emails, or providing other services. These service providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and only use it for the purposes for which we have engaged them.

  • Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to a valid legal request.

  • To Protect Our Rights: We may disclose your information when we believe it is necessary to protect our rights or the rights of others.

  • Succession: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or any form of sale or transfer of some or all of our assets, personal information held by us may be among the assets transferred. We will provide notice on our website of any such change in ownership or control of your personal information.

We will not sell your personal information to third parties.

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https://www.ncl.com/about-us/privacy-policy

https://www.cj.com/legal/privacy

 

 

5. Data Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. These measures include:

  • Encryption: Using encryption to protect sensitive information transmitted online (e.g., donation information).

  • Firewalls: Implementing firewalls to protect our servers from unauthorized access.

  • Secure Socket Layer (SSL): Using SSL certificates to secure our website.

  • Access Controls: Limiting access to your personal information to authorized personnel only.

  • Regular Security Audits: Conducting regular security audits to identify and address vulnerabilities.

While we strive to protect your personal information, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the absolute security of your information.

 

6. Data Retention

We will retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

 

7. Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

  • Access: You have the right to access the personal information we hold about you.

  • Correction: You have the right to have your personal information corrected if it is inaccurate or incomplete.

  • Deletion: You have the right to have your personal information deleted, subject to certain exceptions.

  • Objection: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information.

  • Restriction: You have the right to restrict the processing of your personal information.

  • Data Portability: You have the right to receive your personal information in a portable format.

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the contact information provided below. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe.

 

8. Children's Privacy

Our Website is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under the age of 13, we will take steps to delete the information as soon as possible.

 

9. Links to Other Websites

Our Website may contain links to other websites that are not owned or controlled by us. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of these websites before providing them with your personal information.

 

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post any changes on our Website and update the "Effective Date" at the top of this Privacy Policy. Your continued use of our Website after any changes to this Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the changes.

 

11. Contact Us

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

Lake Forrest Church 21 S. Summit Ave Gaithersburg, MD 20877 , LForrestChurch@outlook.com, 301-781-3123

 

Important Considerations & Customization:

  • Legal Review: Crucially, have a lawyer review this policy. Privacy laws are complex and vary.

  • Specific Technologies: Clearly list all third-party services you use and how they handle data (e.g., Mailchimp for newsletters, Planning Center for church management, Stripe or PayPal for donations). Link to their privacy policies.

  • State Laws: Be aware of state-specific privacy laws like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) or the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (CDPA) if you have visitors from those states. You may need to add specific disclosures.

  • GDPR: If you have visitors from the European Economic Area (EEA), you must comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This requires a higher standard of data protection and transparency.

  • Transparency: The more transparent you are, the better. Explain why you collect each piece of information.

  • Accessibility: Make the privacy policy easy to find on your website (e.g., in the footer of every page).

  • User Consent: Get clear, affirmative consent for things like email marketing. Don't automatically add people to lists. Use opt-in checkboxes.

  • Prayer Requests: Be very clear about how prayer requests will be shared (e.g., only with staff, with a prayer team, anonymously in the bulletin). Get explicit consent.

  • Photos/Videos: If you take photos or videos at church events, state your policy on how those images might be used (e.g., on the website, in social media). Consider getting consent forms for minors.

  • Data Minimization: Only collect the data you truly need. Don't ask for information "just in case."

  • Regular Review: Review and update your privacy policy regularly (at least annually) to ensure it accurately reflects your data practices and complies with current laws.

By addressing these considerations and seeking legal advice, you can create a privacy policy that is both effective and compliant. Good luck!

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