Privacy Policy

Saalem Church (“Saalem Church,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains what information we may collect through our website, online forms, registrations, events, ministries, and other digital services, how we use that information, and the steps we take to protect it.

By using our website or providing personal information to Saalem Church, you acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

What Information We Collect

There are various places on our website and through our ministry activities where you may choose to provide personal information. The information collected depends on how you interact with Saalem Church.

Registrations & Forms

When you register for an event, ministry, program, camp, group, or other activity, we may request information such as:

  • Your name

  • Email address

  • Phone number

  • Mailing address

  • Age or date of birth

  • Parent or guardian information

  • Emergency contact information

  • Ministry or group preferences

  • Information necessary to safely participate in an event or program

We use this information to process registrations, communicate with you, administer our ministries and programs, maintain appropriate records, and provide the services or activities you have requested.

Certain registrations involving children or youth may require additional information and consent from a parent or legal guardian.

Newsletters & Church Communications

You may choose to receive emails, newsletters, announcements, ministry updates, event information, or other communications from Saalem Church.

We may collect information such as your name, email address, phone number, and communication preferences for these purposes.

You may unsubscribe from promotional email communications by following the unsubscribe instructions included in the email. Certain administrative communications related to registrations, events, ministry participation, or services you have requested may still be necessary.

Communications With Us

When you contact Saalem Church through our website, email, forms, prayer requests, Connect Cards, or other communication channels, we may retain the information you provide so that we can respond to your request and better serve you.

Please use discretion when submitting sensitive or confidential information through online forms or electronic communications.

Ministry, Event & Community Features

Our website and associated ministry platforms may allow you to register for events, join groups, submit prayer requests, volunteer, give financially, or participate in other church activities.

Information you provide through these services may be accessible to authorized Saalem Church staff, ministry leaders, volunteers, or service providers when necessary to administer the applicable ministry or service.

Automatic Data Collection

Our website and third-party services may automatically collect certain technical information when you visit or interact with our website.

This may include:

  • IP address

  • Browser type

  • Device information

  • Pages visited

  • Referring website

  • Date and time of your visit

  • General website usage and analytics information

This information may be used to maintain website security, understand how visitors use our website, improve our online services, and diagnose technical problems.

Cookies

Our website and third-party services may use cookies and similar technologies to remember preferences, provide website functionality, understand website traffic, and improve your experience.

Most web browsers allow you to control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of some parts of our website.

How We Use Your Information

Saalem Church may use personal information to:

  • Provide church, ministry, and pastoral services

  • Process event and program registrations

  • Communicate important information and updates

  • Manage ministry participation and volunteer involvement

  • Maintain appropriate church and ministry records

  • Provide safe programming for children and youth

  • Process donations and financial transactions

  • Respond to questions, requests, or prayer submissions

  • Improve our website, ministries, programs, and communications

  • Maintain the security and proper operation of our systems

  • Meet applicable legal, regulatory, insurance, or reporting requirements

We will seek to use personal information only for reasonable purposes connected with the activities and ministries of Saalem Church or as otherwise permitted or required by law.

Sharing Your Information

Saalem Church does not sell your personal information.

We may share information with trusted third-party service providers that help us operate our website, process registrations, manage church information, send communications, process donations or payments, host digital services, or provide other services on our behalf.

These providers may receive only the information reasonably necessary to perform their services and may maintain their own privacy policies and practices.

Information may also be shared with authorized Saalem Church staff, pastors, ministry leaders, or volunteers when reasonably necessary to administer a ministry, event, program, or service.

We may disclose personal information when required by law or when we reasonably believe disclosure is necessary to protect the safety, rights, or property of Saalem Church, our members, participants, visitors, or others.

Donations & Online Payments

Saalem Church may provide opportunities to make donations, pay registration fees, or complete other transactions online.

Payment transactions may be processed through third-party payment providers. Saalem Church does not necessarily receive or store your complete credit or debit card information. Payment providers process financial information according to their own security and privacy practices.

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party payment or giving platform you use.

Children & Youth

Protecting the privacy and safety of children and youth is important to Saalem Church.

Some of our ministries, programs, camps, and events require information about minors. Where appropriate, we require a parent or legal guardian to provide information, complete registration, and/or provide consent on behalf of a minor.

Information concerning children and youth is used only as reasonably necessary to administer programs, maintain appropriate records, communicate with parents or guardians, and support the health and safety of participants.

We do not knowingly use children's personal information for commercial marketing purposes.

Photos & Video

Saalem Church may photograph or record church services, events, programs, camps, and ministry activities.

Where appropriate, photo or video consent may be requested through event or ministry registration forms. Images or recordings may be used for church communications, social media, websites, promotional materials, archives, or other ministry-related purposes in accordance with the consent provided.

Parents or guardians should review the applicable consent options when registering children or youth for Saalem Church programs.

Security

We take reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures to protect personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, misuse, alteration, loss, or destruction.

However, no website, electronic communication, or information-storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

Access, Updates & Corrections

You may contact Saalem Church if you would like to request access to, update, or correct personal information we maintain about you.

We may need to verify your identity before completing certain requests.

Some information may need to be retained for administrative, financial, legal, safeguarding, insurance, or recordkeeping purposes even after a deletion request is received.

Third-Party Services

Saalem Church may use third-party platforms and service providers for services such as:

  • Church management

  • Event registration

  • Online giving

  • Payment processing

  • Email communications

  • Website hosting

  • Forms

  • Video or media hosting

  • Social media

  • Analytics

When you interact directly with a third-party service, your information may also be subject to that provider's privacy policy and terms.

YouTube API Services

Saalem Church uses YouTube API Services to display publicly available video content from our YouTube channel and playlists on our website. This may include video titles, thumbnails, publication information, and links to videos hosted on YouTube.

By using features on our website that interact with YouTube, users acknowledge that these features are provided through YouTube and are subject to the YouTube Terms of Service and Google's Privacy Policy.

YouTube Terms of Service: YouTube Terms of Service

Google Privacy Policy: Google Privacy Policy

Our website's YouTube integration is used only to retrieve and display publicly available information from Saalem Church's YouTube content. We do not use the YouTube API to access private YouTube account information, upload content on behalf of users, modify user accounts, or collect YouTube authentication credentials.

Data Storage and Deletion

Saalem Church does not use this integration to collect or permanently store personal information from users' YouTube or Google accounts. Publicly available YouTube video and playlist information may be temporarily cached to improve website performance and reduce unnecessary API requests.

Cached YouTube data is periodically refreshed or deleted and replaced with current information from YouTube. Because our integration does not request access to a visitor's YouTube account, there is no YouTube account data for visitors to request that Saalem Church delete.

For questions about our use of YouTube API Services or this Privacy Policy, please contact Saalem Church using the contact information provided on our website.

External Links

Our website may contain links to websites or services operated by organizations other than Saalem Church.

We are not responsible for the content, security, or privacy practices of external websites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing personal information.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

Saalem Church may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our ministries, website, technology, service providers, or legal requirements.

The most current version of this Privacy Policy will be posted on our website.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about our privacy practices, please contact us at:

Saalem Church

21 Walkover Street
Thunder Bay, ON
P7B 1L1

(807) 767-6938
office@saalem.com