Cookie Policy

A “cookie” is a small text file that a website places on your device when you visit it. Cookies allow the website to remember information about your visit, such as that you are signed in, what items are in your shopping cart, or which language you prefer.

Alongside cookies, modern websites use a small family of similar technologies, including local storage and session storage (data the browser keeps for the site), pixels (tiny images that record when a page or email has been opened), and software development kits (SDKs) embedded in mobile apps. For brevity, we refer to all of these as “cookies” throughout this Policy.

Cookies set by the Church directly are called first-party cookies. Cookies set by a third party whose service is integrated into the Platform (such as a video player or analytics provider) are called third-party cookies.

We use cookies to:

• Make the Platform work (for example, keep you signed in across pages);
• Remember your preferences (such as language and communication settings);
• Understand how the Platform is being used so we can fix problems and improve features;
• Protect the Platform and its members from fraud, abuse, and security incidents;
• Make our shop function (such as remembering what is in your cart);
• Where you have opted in, support limited advertising for Church events and resources.

We do not use cookies to build behavioral profiles for sale to third parties, and we do not participate in advertising networks that engage in cross-context behavioral advertising.

The cookies on the Platform fall into the categories below. A current list of specific cookies, their purposes, providers, and durations is available in the cookie preferences panel on this page.

Some cookies on the Platform are set by trusted third parties whose services we use. These include:

• Hosting and content-delivery providers that help us deliver pages quickly and securely;
• Payment processors that handle donations and shop checkouts;
• Video and audio hosts that deliver sermon recordings and livestreams;
• Analytics providers that help us understand usage in aggregate;
• Email and messaging providers that deliver newsletters and transactional notifications and that may set pixels to confirm delivery.

Each of these third parties has its own privacy and cookie policies. We make reasonable efforts to choose vendors whose practices align with the standards described in our Privacy Policy.

You have several ways to control how cookies are used on the Platform:

• Cookie preference center. You can review and change your category-level cookie choices at any time using the preferences panel below.
• Browser controls. Most browsers allow you to view, delete, and block cookies. The exact steps vary by browser; visit the help section of your browser for instructions.
• Global Privacy Control (GPC). Where required by law, we honor browser signals such as Global Privacy Control as a request to opt out of any sharing of personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. Because we do not engage in such advertising, GPC is treated as a confirmation of our existing practice.
• Do Not Track. Some browsers transmit a “Do Not Track” (DNT) header. Because there is no industry agreement on the meaning of DNT, the Platform does not respond differently to DNT signals; however, you can use the cookie preference center to opt out of optional categories.

If you choose to block strictly necessary cookies, parts of the Platform (including sign-in, the shopping cart, and the donation form) will not work properly.

Cookies are also categorized by how long they live on your device:

• Session cookies exist only for the duration of your visit. They are deleted when you close your browser. Most of our strictly necessary cookies are session cookies, used to keep you signed in as you move between pages and to keep your shopping cart intact during checkout.
• Persistent cookies remain on your device for a set duration or until you delete them. They allow the Platform to remember you when you return so that you do not have to sign in or set your preferences again on every visit. Persistent cookies have a defined maximum lifetime, after which they expire automatically. We aim to set the shortest lifetime that still provides a useful experience, typically thirty (30) to ninety (90) days for preference cookies, and up to thirteen (13) months for analytics cookies.

If we make a mobile application available, it may include software development kits (SDKs) that function similarly to web cookies. SDKs allow the app to deliver core functionality (such as push notifications and crash reporting), measure performance, and integrate with services like payment processing or analytics. The categories described above apply to SDKs in the same way they apply to web cookies; you can manage SDK behavior through the in-app privacy settings and through the privacy controls of your mobile operating system.

Where applicable law requires it, we rely on the following legal bases for our use of cookies:

• Strictly necessary cookies are used on the basis of our legitimate interest in operating the Platform securely and reliably, and your reasonable expectation that core features such as sign-in and the shopping cart will work.
• Functional, performance, embedded-content, and ministry-advertising cookies are used on the basis of your consent, which you may withdraw at any time through the cookie preference center.

We will not set non-essential cookies on your device before you have had a reasonable opportunity to express your preferences.

The links below open guidance from the browser maker on how to view, accept, and block cookies. Note that browser-level controls are global, not Platform-specific; if you delete or block cookies from one site, you will affect every site you visit.

• Google Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data
• Apple Safari: Settings → Privacy
• Mozilla Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
• Microsoft Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions
• Mobile browsers: see the help section in your device’s Settings app.

For information about opting out of analytics tools, you can also visit the analytics provider’s opt-out page directly. We include a current list of providers and their opt-out links in the cookie preference center.

The Platform is not directed to children under thirteen (13), and we do not knowingly use cookies to collect personal information from children under thirteen. Parents and guardians who manage accounts on behalf of children in our Children’s Ministry programs may set cookie preferences on their household account.

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time as our practices, our technology, or applicable law evolves. The “Last updated” date at the top of this Policy indicates when it was most recently revised. Material changes will be communicated through the Platform and, where appropriate, by email.

If you have questions about this Cookie Policy or about the specific cookies in use, please contact us: