PRIVACY POLICY

Thank you for being part of the Elmbrook Church community.

We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. When you share personal information about yourself, you are placing your trust in us, and we take that trust seriously. When you visit our websites, use our mobile app, come to our facilities, or use any of our services, you share your personal information with us. This policy explains, as clearly as we can, what information we collect, how we use it, and the rights you have regarding it. Please take a few minutes to read it.

By using our websites, mobile app, or services, you agree to the terms of this policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of our sites, apps, and services.

Scope

This policy applies to all personal information collected or submitted to Elmbrook Church and its subsidiaries.

Last updated: [July 2026]

What information we collect and authorized systems

Elmbrook Church collects two primary types of information. The first is voluntary information that you provide through our websites, in person, or through an authorized third-party service we use to collect information. This may include event registration information, membership information, volunteer applications, contact information, and shipping or billing information. The second is technical and usage information automatically provided by your computer, device, or browser each time you visit one of our sites, such as your IP address, browser type, pages visited, device information, or time spent on our sites.

The information Elmbrook Church collects helps us provide information and services, administer our ministries and programs, process registrations and transactions, communicate with you, protect our systems, and improve our services and digital experiences. We may combine information obtained from authorized sources with information you voluntarily provide.

Personal, ministry, volunteer, donor, employee, customer, and congregant information may be collected, stored, processed, or transmitted only through technology systems formally approved by Elmbrook Church through its designated technology, privacy, legal, risk-management, and data-governance process.

Approval from an individual pastor, ministry leader, staff member, volunteer leader, department, committee, or executive does not by itself constitute authorization to use a system.

Before a system may be used, Elmbrook Church must determine that it meets the church’s established requirements, which may include:

• A written agreement between Elmbrook Church and the service provider
• Clear ownership and control of all information collected on behalf of the church
• Immediate and continuing access by authorized church personnel
• The ability to export, transfer, and permanently delete church information
• Appropriate privacy, security, retention, access-control, and breach-response practices
• Sufficient insurance, indemnification, and financial accountability
• Appropriate system administration, documentation, support, and continuity planning
• Compliance with applicable church policies, legal requirements, and contractual obligations
• A determination that the system is operationally necessary and does not unnecessarily duplicate an existing approved system

Systems developed, owned, hosted, or controlled by an individual staff member, volunteer, ministry participant, donor, or other private individual may not be used to collect or store information on behalf of Elmbrook Church unless ownership and administrative control of the system have been formally transferred to the church and all established review requirements have been satisfied.

No individual may retain exclusive control over church information, system credentials, administrative access, source files, databases, or the ability to export or transfer information.

Elmbrook Church reserves the right to decline or discontinue any system for privacy, security, legal, insurance, operational, financial, continuity, ministry, or risk-management reasons, even when the system has been offered without cost or has received support from an individual leader or ministry.

How we use your information

We use the information you provide, or that we collect, for church purposes. We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it beyond Elmbrook Church staff, except with the trusted service providers we need to operate, such as payment processors and software vendors, as described in this policy. We never share your personal information with outside organizations for their own marketing or advertising.

We do use third-party software through business relationships with other providers. In some cases, we cannot control or fully know their privacy practices, which may change over time.

If we offer public features such as social media pages, livestream chat, or community discussion areas, please remember that anything you share there is public and is not protected.

Registration

Some of our sites let you register, and some features require it. Registration forms may ask for contact information (such as your name, email, and mailing address), demographic information (such as your country or gender), and profile information (such as your viewing or listening preferences). You may receive a username and password. We use this information to communicate with you, provide the services you request, and personalize your experience. We may use aggregated demographic and profile information to improve and report on our services.

Children (COPPA)

We strive to comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13, or create online profiles for them, without appropriate parental notice and consent. If a feature requires registration for a child under 13, a household member who is 13 or older must register on the child's behalf, which allows us to notify the child's parent or guardian. A user's age is not always possible to verify, and Elmbrook Church cannot be responsible when someone misrepresents their age.

If you believe we may have unintentionally created a profile for a child, or collected a child's information without parental consent, please contact us using the information at the end of this policy.

For more about protecting your child's privacy online, visit the Federal Trade Commission's guide, "Protecting Your Child's Privacy Online."

Emails, newsletters, and other communications

You may receive newsletters and other communications from us, and visitors can sign up to receive them. These may promote a ministry, product, or service from our family of sites. When you sign up, we ask for contact information such as your name and email, and sometimes demographic or profile information. You can unsubscribe at any time using the instructions at the bottom of our emails.

We may also send service-related messages needed to operate and administer our sites, ministries, and services.

Communications with us

When you contact us with a question or feedback, we may keep your message and the information you provide so we can respond and serve you better.

Interactive and community features

Our sites and apps may offer interactive and community features, such as social media pages, livestream chat, online community groups (including our Realm portal), text messaging, and member profiles. Some of these features are public, and information you post or send through them may be seen, collected, and used by others, which could result in messages from people other than Elmbrook Church. Other features, such as our Realm community portal, are limited to people in our church community. You are responsible for the content you post or send.

Contests, giveaways, and surveys

When you enter a contest, giveaway, or survey, we may ask for contact information (such as your name, email, mailing address, and phone number), and sometimes demographic or profile information. We use it to run the promotion, for example to contact winners, and we may send you newsletters or other information we think you will find useful. You can unsubscribe at any time. We may share aggregated, non-identifying information, but we do not share your personal information with sponsors or other outside organizations for their own use.

Online purchases and giving

Some of our sites and services let you buy goods, register, or give online. These areas are powered by third-party e-commerce vendors we have engaged. We only use vendors that comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS).

Cookies are small text files placed on your device through your browser. They let us recognize you when you return, log you in faster, and improve your navigation. They also help us understand how you use our site, including which pages you view, which links you click, and how often you visit. To learn more about cookies, including how to refuse them, visit allaboutcookies.org. If you disable cookies, some features may not work as well.

Third-party tracking and advertising

Elmbrook Church does not allow third-party marketing on its platforms. We do not permit third-party social media companies or services to collect information about your browsing behavior through cookies, plug-ins, or other tracking technologies for use by third-party ad networks.

Artificial intelligence (AI)

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support our work, such as drafting communications, answering questions, or improving our website. We do not enter, upload, or use your personally identifiable information on public or third-party AI platforms. Any information we use with AI tools is limited to data that does not identify you personally.

Photos and video

Photos and videos help tell the story of our church. They show visitors what to expect and let us share our vision through our website and our digital and print media.

Photography, videography, live streaming, and other recording may take place during worship services, ministry activities, classes, programs, and events. Elmbrook may use this media in materials it produces or commissions, including posters, brochures, newsletters, social media, and other printed and digital materials.

By taking part in our services, ministry activities, classes, programs, and events, you agree to the following:

You consent to be photographed, recorded, or filmed.
You grant Elmbrook permission to use recordings that include your image, likeness, voice, or words, without compensation or credit, for promotional, publicity, and other purposes, worldwide and in perpetuity.
You release Elmbrook from any claims related to the use of your image, likeness, voice, or words, and you agree to hold Elmbrook harmless from such claims.

We aim to use photography and video responsibly. We will not knowingly post media that would be embarrassing, objectionable, or hurtful to an identifiable person.

If you find a photo of you or your child on an Elmbrook website or social media page and would like it removed, please contact us at support@elmbrook.org. Please note that we cannot remove your image from video or livestream recordings. We also have no control over media recorded or posted by people outside the church, such as community members or news outlets, and we cannot remove media from publications or sites that Elmbrook does not operate.

Links to other websites

Our website may link to third-party websites, and at times you may be taken to a third-party site that still appears to be ours. Those sites have their own privacy policies, which you should review. While we choose our links carefully, we are not responsible for the content or data practices of other companies.

How we protect and store your information

We take reasonable administrative, technical, and physical steps to protect your personal information from loss, theft, unauthorized use, disclosure, or change. However, no method of security or transmission over the Internet is completely secure. While we work to protect your information, we cannot guarantee its security, and you share it with us at your own risk.

We may store and process your information in the United States, where data laws may differ from, or be less strict than, those in your home country.

Visitors outside the United States

Elmbrook Church is located in the United States, and our website and services are intended for use in the United States. We do not seek personal information from individuals outside the United States. Our collection, use, and disclosure of information through our website is therefore governed by United States law.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will post the changes here and update the "Last updated" date above. Your continued use of this website after changes are posted means you accept them. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

If you have questions about our privacy practices, please contact our Communications Department:

Elmbrook Church, Central Office 777 S. Barker Rd., Brookfield, WI 53045 (262) 786-7051 support@elmbrook.org

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