Privacy Policy

1. About This Privacy Policy

Friendship Baptist Church ("Friendship," "the Church," "we," "our," or "us") respects the privacy of visitors, members, donors, and families. This Privacy Policy explains how information may be collected, used, shared, and protected when you visit https://www.friendshipmesquite.org/ or communicate with the Church through this website.

This Policy applies to the Church’s website and online activities described here. Other in-person ministry activities or third-party services may be governed by additional notices or policies.

2. Information We May Collect

Information you provide: When you use the Plan Your Visit contact form or contact the Church, you may provide your name, email address, message, and other information you choose to share. If you contact the Church about a ministry, event, or pastoral matter, the information may include the subject of your inquiry and any details you voluntarily provide.

Donation information: When you give online using Tithely, information such as your name, contact details, donation amount, designation, donation frequency, and transaction or receipt details may be processed by Tithely and made available to authorized Church personnel for donation administration and recordkeeping. Payment-card or bank details are handled through the giving provider and its payment partners as described in their policies.

Technical information: When you visit the site, hosting and security systems and third-party features may process technical information such as IP address, browser and device type, pages requested, approximate location inferred from IP address, timestamps, and cookie or similar identifiers.

Sensitive information: A message to the Church may voluntarily reveal faith-related information, prayer needs, or other sensitive matters. Please avoid submitting unnecessary sensitive medical, financial, identification, or other highly confidential details through a general website form.

3. How We Use Information

We may use information to respond to your questions and visit requests; communicate about worship services, church events, and ministries you ask about; provide requested pastoral or ministry follow-up; process and acknowledge donations through Tithely; maintain accurate records; operate, secure, troubleshoot, and improve the website; and comply with applicable legal obligations.

We seek to use personal information for purposes reasonably related to your interaction with the Church. We do not sell or rent information submitted directly through the Church’s contact forms or pastoral inquiries to data brokers or third-party advertisers.

4. Online Giving Through Tithely

Our Give Online button opens a giving experience provided by Tithely (Your Giving Group). Donations are completed through that service rather than through a payment form designed by Friendship. The provider may collect donor contact details, payment information, and transaction details in accordance with its own privacy notice.

Friendship may receive donation and donor-record information needed to acknowledge contributions, maintain contribution records, and administer church finances. For information about how Tithely handles donor information, please review Tithely’s Privacy Policy. Please contact Tithely directly for requests relating to an account or information that it controls independently.

5. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Our website displays a cookie-preference tool through CookieAdmin. Depending on the website features enabled and your choices, cookies or similar technologies may be used for essential site operations, preferences, functionality, security, analytics, or third-party content.

You can review available categories and adjust your selections through the cookie-preference controls displayed on the website. You may also manage cookies through your browser. Disabling some technologies can affect how site features, including embedded media, operate.

The cookie categories shown in the consent tool describe possible purposes; they should not be interpreted as a definitive inventory of every cookie active at every visit. Actual technologies may change as website features and plugins are updated.

6. YouTube, Social Media, and External Services

The site features sermon videos through YouTube and a YouTube feed integration. When you view or interact with embedded media, your browser may communicate with Google/YouTube, which may process information under its own terms and privacy practices. See Google’s Privacy Policy.

The site also links to Facebook, Instagram, and other external destinations. Following a link or interacting with third-party content may involve information being collected by those services. Their separate privacy policies apply to their own operations.

We use WordPress and website tools, including contact forms, hosting, security, and cookie-preference functionality. Providers that help operate these features may handle information as needed to provide their services.

7. Photography, Recording, and Livestreams

Friendship may photograph or record church services, ministries, or events, and may share worship recordings or related photographs on its website and official communication channels. Such material may incidentally show attendees.

If you have a concern about an image or recording involving you or your child, please contact the Church using the details below. We will review reasonable requests and consider any applicable legal obligations and practical limitations of third-party platforms.

8. Children and Families

Our website provides information about ministries for children and teenagers, but our general contact form is not intended for children under age 13 to submit personal information independently. Parents or legal guardians should make inquiries on their behalf.

If you believe a child has provided personal information through the site without appropriate authorization, please contact us so we can review the situation and take appropriate action. When collecting information for any separate children’s ministry activity, the Church should provide any additional notices or parental permissions required by applicable law.

9. When Information May Be Shared

We may share information with authorized Church staff or ministry volunteers who need it to respond to an inquiry or provide a requested service; service providers that support website hosting, contact forms, security, communications, or donations; and public authorities when disclosure is required by law or reasonably necessary to protect rights and safety.

We seek to limit access to personal information according to the purpose for which it was provided. Independent services, such as Tithely or YouTube, may act under their own privacy policies when you interact with their features.

10. Security and Retention

We aim to use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards to protect information under the Church’s control. No website, transmission, or storage method can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

We retain information only for as long as reasonably necessary for ministry communications, requested services, accounting and donation records, security, or applicable legal obligations. Different records may be subject to different retention periods. We may delete, anonymize, or securely dispose of information when it is no longer needed.

11. Your Choices and Privacy Requests

You may contact us to ask about personal information you have provided to the Church, request correction or deletion where appropriate, or ask us to stop optional Church communications. We may need to confirm your identity before responding and may retain certain records when required or permitted by law.

Cookie preferences can be adjusted through the site’s cookie-preference tool and through browser settings. Requests concerning a Tithely account, YouTube account, or other third-party service may also need to be directed to that provider.

Privacy rights and obligations vary under U.S. federal and state laws and may depend on the Church’s legal status and the nature of the information or service. We will review requests under the laws that apply to the specific circumstances.

12. Visitors from Outside Texas or the United States

This website is operated for a church located in Mesquite, Texas, United States. Information sent through the site or handled by its service providers may be processed or stored in the United States or other places where those providers operate.

If a law that applies to you provides additional privacy protections, you may contact the Church to make a request. The applicability of any particular law depends on the circumstances; this Policy does not claim that every state or international privacy law applies to the Church.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our ministries, website features, service providers, or legal requirements. The updated version will be posted on this page with a revised “Last updated” date. Significant changes may be communicated through additional notices when appropriate.

14. Contact Friendship Baptist Church