Our commitment
El-Shaddai Church of God in Christ (“El-Shaddai,” “we,” “us”) cares for the people entrusted to us — and that includes the personal information you share with us. This policy explains, in plain language, what we collect through our website (elshaddaicogic.org), our member area and our mobile app, how we use it, and the choices you have.
The short version: we collect only what we need to serve you and our church family, we never sell your information, and you decide what other members can see about you.
What we collect
When you contact us or fill out a form (prayer requests, “I’m interested” and membership forms, the contact form, ministry interest): your name, email and/or phone number, and whatever you choose to write.
When you have a member account (a Member or Friend of El-Shaddai):
- Your name, email address and password (your password is stored scrambled — we can’t see it).
- Profile details you or the church provide, such as phone, birthday, home address, gender, marital status, spouse’s name, anniversary, number of children and occupation.
- Church records such as membership, the groups and ministries you’re part of, your household, baptism information, and whether you’d like pastoral visits.
- A profile photo, if you add one.
- Your directory privacy choices.
Some member information was carried over from the church app we used previously, so you may find details in your profile that you didn’t enter yourself. You can review and update them at any time.
When you use the website or app: like most websites, our web server keeps standard technical logs (such as your device’s IP address and browser type) for security and to keep the site running. If you sign in, a small “cookie” keeps you signed in.
How we use it
- To answer your questions, follow up when you ask us to, and help you get connected.
- To pray for you and provide pastoral care.
- To keep accurate membership records and organize ministries, groups and households.
- To send you church communications, such as your account invitation and important updates.
- To run the member directory for church members — only with the details you choose to share.
- To keep the website, app and your account secure.
We do not use your information for advertising, and we do not sell, rent or trade it to anyone.
Who can see your information
Church administrators. A small number of church staff and leaders who manage the website can see member records, forms and prayer requests so they can serve you.
Prayer requests. When you choose “Our prayer team,” your request goes to the church’s prayer team. When you choose “The Pastor only,” it is emailed privately to the Pastor alone, and the text of your request is not stored in the website’s records.
Ministry leaders. If you send an “I’m interested” form for a ministry, it goes to the church office and may be shared with that ministry’s leader.
Other members — only what you choose. Everyone starts out hidden from the member directory. Only signed-in church members can see the directory, and they see only what you have turned on (for example, your photo or phone number). Friends of the church and the public cannot see it.
Children and youth. Members under 18 are never shown in the member directory, and their photos are never shown to other members, regardless of any settings.
Service providers. We use trusted services to operate: our website host, our email provider, and our online giving provider. They handle information only as needed to provide their service to us.
When required. We may share information if the law requires it, or if necessary to protect someone’s safety.
Online giving
Online gifts are processed by our giving provider on their secure website. We do not receive or store your card or bank account numbers. The provider’s own privacy policy covers the payment information you give them.
Your photo
If you add a profile photo, we crop it to a square and re-save it, which removes hidden information that phones often attach to pictures (such as the location where it was taken). Member photos are kept in a private location, not in the public part of the website, and are only shown to people allowed to see them.
Your choices
- Review and update your profile anytime from My Profile on the website or in the app.
- Control the directory — choose whether you’re listed and exactly what is shared.
- Remove your photo at any time.
- Ask us to delete your account or correct anything you can’t change yourself, by contacting us below. We may keep basic records the church is required to keep (for example, records of gifts for tax statements).
- Stop church emails by letting us know.
Children
Our website and app are meant for adults, youth and families. We do not knowingly collect personal information online from children under 13 without the involvement of a parent or guardian. Parents and guardians may review, update or ask us to delete their child’s information at any time by contacting us.
Videos, maps and other websites
Our pages show worship videos from YouTube and Facebook, a map from Google Maps, and text styles from Google Fonts. When these load, those companies may collect information under their own privacy policies. We use YouTube’s privacy-enhanced mode where possible. Links to other websites (such as our social media pages or giving provider) are covered by those sites’ own policies.
Keeping information safe
We protect your information with secure connections, scrambled passwords, private storage for photos, and access limited to the people who need it. App sign-ins use secure tokens that expire. No system is perfectly secure, but we take care to protect what you share with us — and we will let you know if a problem affects your information.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as our ministry and tools change. When we do, we’ll change the date at the top of this page, and we’ll let members know about important changes.
Questions or requests
If you have questions about your information or this policy, or would like to update or delete your information, please contact us:
- Email: info@elshaddaicogic.com
- Phone: (414) 445-9911
- Mail: El-Shaddai Church of God in Christ, 2976 N. 27th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53210