Privacy Policy

HomeChurchFinder.com ("we," "us," or "our") operates a free, community-supported directory of home churches across the United States. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding that information. By using our website, you agree to the practices described here.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide Directly

When you submit a church listing through our submission form, we collect the information you voluntarily provide, which may include:

• Church or fellowship name
• City and state
• A description of your community
• Meeting day and time
• Church style or tradition
• Your name (as the submitter)
• A contact email address for your church
• An optional website URL

Please note: the contact email address you provide for your church listing will be publicly visible on the site so that people seeking a church can reach you directly. Only provide an email address you are comfortable making public.

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit HomeChurchFinder.com, we and our third-party service providers may automatically collect certain technical information, including:

• Your IP address and approximate geographic location
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Pages you visit and how long you spend on them
• Referring website or search terms that brought you here
• Date and time of your visit

This information is collected primarily through Google Analytics (see Section 3 below) and is used to understand how visitors use the site so we can improve it.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Display church listings in our public directory so seekers can find home churches near them
• Review and approve church submission requests
• Respond to questions, update requests, or removal requests you send us
• Analyse site traffic and usage patterns to improve the site
• Maintain the security and integrity of our website

We do not use your information to send unsolicited marketing emails, sell advertising targeted at individual users, or share your data with third parties for their marketing purposes.

3. Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC, to collect and analyse site usage data. Google Analytics uses cookies and similar technologies to collect information about your use of our site and report website trends to us. This data is collected in an aggregated, anonymised form.

Google's ability to use and share information collected by Google Analytics is governed by the Google Analytics Terms of Service and Google Privacy Policy. You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

4. Church Listing Submissions (Web3Forms)

Church submission forms on this site are processed by Web3Forms, a third-party form handling service. When you submit a church listing, your form data is transmitted to Web3Forms and then forwarded to us via email. Web3Forms' handling of your data is governed by their own privacy policy. We do not store form submissions in a database — they are received as emails and manually reviewed.

5. Cookies

Our website uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — primarily through Google Analytics. These cookies help us understand how visitors use the site. We do not use cookies to identify individual users personally or to track you across other websites for advertising purposes.

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling cookies may affect some site functionality.

6. Public Church Listing Data

Information in our public church directory — including church names, cities, descriptions, meeting styles, and contact email addresses — is intentionally made public so that people searching for home churches can find and contact them. If you submitted a listing and would like it updated or removed, please email us at hello@homechurchfinder.com and we will action your request within 5 business days.

7. Data Retention

Church listing information remains on the site indefinitely unless a removal request is submitted. Google Analytics data is retained according to Google's standard retention policies (typically 26 months). Form submission emails are retained in our inbox until manually deleted.

8. Children's Privacy

HomeChurchFinder.com is not directed at children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

9. Third-Party Links

Some church listings may include links to external websites (e.g., a church's own website). We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those third-party sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any external site you visit.

10. Security

We take reasonable measures to protect the information we hold, including using HTTPS encryption for all site traffic. However, no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, including the right to access, correct, or request deletion of information we hold about you. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at hello@homechurchfinder.com.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of the site after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the data we hold, please contact us at:

HomeChurchFinder.com
Email: hello@homechurchfinder.com