Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 2026

1. Introduction

Study the Word ("we," "our," or "the Platform") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our multi-tenant Bible study and church ministry management platform.

2. Information We Collect

Personal Information

We may collect the following personal information:

• Name, email address, and phone number
• Account credentials (password is encrypted)
• Profile information (bio, avatar, timezone preferences)
• Church membership and group affiliations
• Event attendance records
• Payment information (processed by third-party providers)

Automatically Collected Information

When you access the Platform, we may automatically collect:

• Device information (browser type, operating system)
• IP address and general location data
• Usage data (pages visited, features used, time spent)
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies

SMS/Text Message Communications

When you provide your phone number to Study the Word — either directly, through a church administrator, by scanning a QR code, or by clicking an invitation link — you may receive SMS text messages related to your church membership, including:

• Event reminders and schedule changes
• Emergency alerts and safety notifications
• Bible study group coordination
• Onboarding and verification codes
• Church announcements from your administrators

Message Frequency: Message frequency varies based on your church's activity and your notification preferences. You can expect to receive between 2-20 messages per month.

Opt-Out: You may opt out of SMS messages at any time by replying STOP to any message. After opting out, you will receive a single confirmation message and no further SMS messages will be sent.

Opt-In: You may re-subscribe at any time by replying START.

Help: Reply HELP to any message for assistance.

Message and Data Rates: Standard message and data rates may apply depending on your mobile carrier plan.

Carriers: Study the Word does not guarantee SMS delivery. Delivery is subject to your mobile carrier's network availability.

Phone Number Sharing: Your phone number is shared only with administrators of churches you are a member of. We do not sell, rent, or share your phone number with third parties for marketing purposes.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve the Platform
• Process account registration and authentication
• Facilitate church and group management features
• Send event reminders and notifications
• Process donations and generate receipts
• Respond to your inquiries and support requests
• Monitor and analyze usage patterns to improve user experience
• Detect and prevent fraudulent or unauthorized activity

4. Information Sharing

We may share your information in the following circumstances:

• With Church Administrators: Your basic profile and membership information is visible to administrators of churches you join
• With Group Members: Your name and profile may be visible to other members of groups you participate in
• Service Providers: We share data with third-party services that help us operate the Platform (payment processors, email services)
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose information when required by law or to protect our rights and safety

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including:

• Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
• Secure password hashing and storage
• Regular security assessments and updates
• Access controls and authentication requirements
• Audit logging of sensitive operations

6. Your Rights (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have certain data protection rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• Right to Access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate data
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data
• Right to Data Portability: Request transfer of your data
• Right to Object: Object to certain processing of your data
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time

To exercise these rights, please visit your Account Settings or contact us at privacy@studytheword.app.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide the Platform services and fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy. When you delete your account:

• Your personal profile data is deleted or anonymized
• Financial records are retained as required by law
• Audit logs are anonymized but retained for security purposes

8. Cookies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience. For detailed information about our use of cookies, please see our Cookie Policy.

9. Third-Party Services

The Platform integrates with third-party services that have their own privacy policies:

• Stripe/PayPal: For payment processing
• MailerSend: For email delivery
• Telnyx: For SMS message delivery, phone number verification, and delivery status tracking

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of these services.

10. Children's Privacy

The Platform is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Email: privacy@studytheword.app
Data Protection Officer: dpo@studytheword.app