Privacy Policy

Middle Street Baptist Church Online Privacy Policy

We take your privacy seriously.  This Policy is written to help you understand what information we collect from you, why we collect it, and how we use your information.  It governs use of our website (www.middle.st), our email newsletter, serviced by Mailchimp (www.mailchimp.com), and our church database, serviced by Breeze (www.breezechms.com).

Our church’s online presence is always changing to meet the needs of those we serve.  We understand that the privacy needs of our website visitors are also changing as the online world evolves. This Policy may therefore change from time to time.

In accordance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), we never knowingly collect information from any person under 13 years of age.

The personal information we collect

We collect information from you in the following circumstances:

When you visit our website

Our website host, Squarespace (www.squarespace.com), collects depersonalized data about visitors to our website.  This data provides information that we can use to make our website more helpful for visitors. 

Squarespace collects data to power its site analytics, including information about your browser, network, and device; web pages you visited prior to coming to this website; and your IP (Internet Protocol) address.  This information may also include details about your use of this website, including clicks, internal links, pages visited, scrolling, searches, and timestamps.

Squarespace also uses cookies and similar technologies, which are small files or pieces of text that download to a device when a visitor accesses a website or app.  To learn more about viewing the cookies Squarespace uses, visit https://support.squarespace.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001264507-The-cookies-Squarespace-uses.

Accepting our cookies allows you to keep your user preferences from session to session.  Although most browsers accept cookies by default, you can set your browser to refuse all cookies, or to tell you when you’re being sent a cookie.  Some www.middle.st features and services may not function properly if you have cookies disabled.

This Policy applies only to web sites and services that are owned and operated by Middle Street Baptist Church.  We cannot regulate other sites linked to from within our various web sites and services.  These other sites may place their own cookies or other files on your computer, collect data or solicit personal information from you.  You should familiarize yourself with their unique Privacy Policies, should you choose to visit their sites.

We do not store any of your cookie or log information on any Middle Street-owned computers or servers, and all data is anonymous to the greatest extent possible.

To read Squarespace’s privacy policy, visit https://www.squarespace.com/privacy.

When you contact us through our website

When you contact us through our website, we will ask for some basic information so we can respond to your request.  The information we collect is limited to your name, email address, and the details of your request.  That information may be stored in our secure database (Breeze) to help us follow up if needed.

If you choose to email someone directly through an email link on our website or newsletter, that person will have your email address and any other information contained in your email.

When you give or register for an event through our website

When you give to the work of the church or to register for an event through our website, you will be asked for your name, email address, mailing address, and the details required for the gift or event registration.  If you give by credit or debit card, this includes your card number, expiration date, and security code.  If you give via ACH bank withdrawal, this includes your account number and bank routing number.  We never see your payment information, we do not store your payment information on church-owned computers or servers, and we cannot access your payment information.  Only our payment processor (Stripe) and Church Management Software provider (Breeze) may have access to that information.  That information is sent to our card processor using industry standard encryption technology called secure socket layers (SSL), which ensures that it is encrypted during transmission.  You will see a locked padlock icon or solid key icon at the bottom of your browser window, and the letters “https” (rather than “http”) located in the URL address window at the top of your browser so you can verify that your transaction is secure.

See the section “Where your information is stored” (specifically the “Breeze” and “Stripe” sections) for more details.

About our church management software

Breeze, our church management software provider, helps us communicate with, connect, and engage the members of our congregation.  We store contact information and membership data about church members, attenders, and visitors in Breeze.  We store information that you have provided to us at some time in the past, which may include information you provided many years ago when you became a member of Middle Street Baptist Church.

You are able to create a personal account with Breeze, which allows you to view the contact information we have on file for you and manage your online giving.  When you create an account, you will immediately be able to see the following information if we have it on file for you: name, birthdate, gender, family information, membership information, contact information, and school grade.  You will also be able to manage your online giving.

You can only see your own information.  You will not be able to see anybody else’s information, nor can any other member see your information.  Only Middle Street staff and authorized agents can see your contact information.

If you wish to edit any of your contact information, please email us at hello@middle.st.  We cannot see or edit your payment information.  Please do not send us any payment, bank account, or credit card information.

If you sign up for an account through our Church Management Software (Breeze) you will select a username (which can be your email address) and a unique password.  This will allow you to access your giving record online.  Please do not share this password with anyone.  We cannot see your password.  If you lose or forget your password, click the “forget your password” link on the Breeze sign-in page and follow the instructions provided.

At any time you may request to view all the contact and demographic information we have about you by emailing hello@middle.st.  If you do not want us to retain certain information, we will gladly remove it from our records.  Removing information may mean we are unable to provide certain services which we normally provide to members.

Why we collect your information

We collect your contact information to further the purpose of the ministry by facilitating communication between Middle Street Baptist Church staff, officers, agents, members, and attenders.

Where your information is stored

Any time you share information through our website, Breeze, or Mailchimp, that information is stored on the computers and servers of those respective service providers.  We only store basic contact information (name, address, phone number, email) and membership data on Middle Street computers and servers.

To learn more about how our service providers collect, use, and store your information, see each of their privacy policies.

Breeze

Breeze (breezechms.com) is our database and Church Management Software (ChMS).

For the full Breeze privacy policy, see the Breeze Privacy page at https://app.breezechms.com/privacy-policy.

Mailchimp

Mailchimp (mailchimp.com) is our newsletter service provider.

Each of our newsletters has an “unsubscribe” link at the top of the message.  When you click that link, you will no longer receive our monthly email update.  Your information remains on the Mailchimp server, including a change to your subscription status.  This protects you from being resubscribed against your wishes after you have unsubscribed.

For the full Mailchimp privacy policy, see the Mailchimp Privacy page at https://mailchimp.com/legal/privacy.

Stripe

Stripe (stripe.com) receives and processes any payment information you provide through Breeze or through our website.  Your online giving information is governed by both the Breeze privacy policy and terms of service (see link above) and the Stripe Connected Account Agreement at https://stripe.com/connect-account/legal.

What we do with the information we collect

We will never rent or sell any of the personal information you give to us.  From time to time we may contact you to inform you of upcoming events or church activities, update you about church news, or follow up on previous interactions you may have had with us.  Additionally, we may contact you directly to respond to questions you may have asked us, and to make you aware of the status of any event registrations you have made.  If you have made an online financial gift to the work of the church, you will receive an email confirmation of your gift.  We will also mail you a record of your giving at the end of the calendar year.  If you would prefer not to hear about upcoming events or church activities from us, please email us at hello@middle.st, and we will remove your details from our mailing file.

Any questions about our privacy policy can be directed to hello@middle.st.