Introduction

Protecting your private information is our priority at Sugar Creek United Methodist Church. This statement of privacy applies to our main church website (www.sugarcreek.org), all sub-pages (URls), and all other website URLs currently owned or operated by the Sugar Creek United Methodist Church.

For the purposes of this Privacy Policy, unless otherwise noted, all references to Sugar Creek United Methodist Church shall include Sugar Creek, Sugar Creek UMC, SCUMC, We, Us, and the Church. Instances and derivatives of the word You shall be understood to mean persons using the Sugar Creek UMC website. By using the Sugar Creek UMC website, You consent to the data practices described within this statement.

Collection of Personal Information

Sugar Creek may from time to time collect anonymous information of the users of the Website. This information is not tracible to You. Collected information may include, but not restricted to, country, state, and/or city of access, date and time of access, length of time spent on Website, IP address, browser type, domain names, referring website, and pages viewed. This information is collected for the sole purpose of tailoring a quality experience for Website users.

Sugar Creek UMC does not disclose, share, sell, or provide any information gained from this collection with third parties unless (without Your further consent) compelled to do so by law enforcement or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary.

We do not collect personally identifiable information unless You voluntarily provide such information to us. Personal Information may include, but not limited to:

  • First and last name;
  • A home or other physical address including street name and name of a city or town;
  • Online contact information;
  • A screen or username that functions as online contact information;
  • A telephone number;
  • A persistent identifier that can be used to recognize a user over time and across different websites or online services;
  • A photograph, video, or audio file, where such file contains a child’s image or voice;
  • Geolocation information sufficient to identify street name and name of a city or town; any other Information concerning a child or the parents of that child.

Points of collection may include registering for an online account with the Website, logging into the Website, signing up for a special event, completing an online form on the Website, sending Us an email, or purchasing a product. To wit, We will use Your information for, but not limited to, communications with You in relation to Our services and products You have requested from Us. We also may gather additional information in the future.

Children Under Thirteen

The Sugar Creek United Methodist Church family of Websites does not knowingly collect personal information from users under the age of thirteen in compliance with the Children Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) enacted by the US Congress in 1998. Users under the age of thirteen are hereby required to obtain parental consent before interacting with the Website. The Church assumes all Users of the website are of age or have received parental consent to use the Website.

Although COPPA does not apply to teenagers, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is concerned about teen privacy and does believe that strong, more flexible, protections may be appropriate for this age group. See FTC Report: Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change: Recommendations for Businesses and Policymakers (Mar. 2012), at 29, 60. The FTC also has issued a number of guidance documents for teens and their parents. These educational materials are available at www.OnguardOnline.gov.

Photo and Video Policy & Disclaimer

At Sugar Creek photography and videography allow us to reach out to our community and communicate our mission as a church via our website and social media. The Church reserves the right to use any photograph or video taken at any event sponsored by Sugar Creek without the expressed written permission of those included within the photograph and/or video. Further, We may use the photograph or video in publications or other media material produced, used, or contracted by Us including but not limited to: brochures, books, newsletters, newspaper ads, television, websites, and social media platforms.

To ensure the privacy of individuals and minor children, images will not be identified using full names, ages, or personal identifying information without prior written approval from the photographed subject, parent, or legal guardian.

A person attending a Sugar Creek UMC event who does NOT wish to have their image recorded should make their wishes known by filling out the Photo and Video Opt-Out Form and submitting it along with a photograph of each family member who is included in the No Photo Opt-Out Form, to the church office at 1022 New City Road, Chatham IL 62629 at least twenty-four (24) hours before the event.

By participating in a Sugar Creek UMC event, or by failing to submit a No Photo Opt-Out Form and required photographs of those who are not to be photographed, at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the event to the church office, You are agreeing to release, defend, hold harmless and indemnify Us from any and all claims involving the use of Your picture or likeness.

Any person or organization not affiliated with Us may not use, copy, alter, or modify Our photographs, graphics, videography or other similar reproductions or recordings without the advance written permission of an authorized designee of the Church.

We assume no responsibility and cannot regulate the personal use of cameras during Our events. However, We ask that everyone be mindful of privacy concerns when taking images and/or posting them to social media platforms. We encourage Our community to be sensitive when concerns are raised. In addition to privacy, avoiding undue distraction is important, especially during worship. When appropriate, please be discreet when using cameras in and around the church.

Church Notifications

From time to time, You may receive notifications from the Church via electronic mail (email), SMS text messages, phone calls, and/or postal mail. When You provide your personal information to the Church, you consent to receive such notifications unless You submit a request to have your personal information changed or removed from our system.

Cookies

We may use cookies for tracking your web browsing activity. A cookie is a string of information that websites store on your computer, and that the user’s browser provides to the website each time you return to the website. We use cookies across Our Websites to help identify and track usage as well as keep a user logged into the Website. Users who do not wish to have cookies placed on their devices should set their browsers to refuse cookies before using Our Website. Let it be known that certain features of the Website may not function properly without the aid of cookies.

Accessing or Editing Personal Information

You may contact Us to request that we update, remove, or correct the personal information collected by our Website. Please note that consistent with local law, we may retain personal information for auditing purposes, to troubleshoot problems, assist with investigations, enforce our policies, or comply with legal requirements. Please note we are not responsible for permitting the review, or the updating or deleting personal information provided to a third party, including any mobile application, social media platform, or wireless service provider.

Changes to this statement

The Church reserves the right to make changes to this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify You about significant changes to the way we treat personal information by sending a notice to the primary email address specified in your account, by placing a prominent notice on our Website, or updating any privacy information. Your continued use of this Website after such modification will constitute your: (a) acknowledgment of the modified policy; and (b) agreement to abide and be bound by that policy.

Date of enactment

This Privacy Policy was approved by vote of the Sugar Creek United Methodist Church Leadership Team on the fifteenth day of March, 2022 and was hereby effective at that point.