Privacy Policy

Asbury United Methodist Church (Asbury) values your online privacy and security. This Privacy Policy describes the type of information we collect when you visit the Website or install and use our the Mobile Apps and how we use this information. Please read this Policy carefully to understand our policies and practices regarding your information and how we will treat it. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, your choice is not to use our Website or the Mobile Apps. By accessing or using this Website or the Mobile Apps, you agree to this Privacy Policy. This Privacy Policy may change from time to time (see “Will our Privacy Policy change?” below). Your continued use of this Website after we make changes is deemed to be acceptance of those changes, so please check the Privacy Policy periodically for updates.

Can anyone use our Website?

Our Website is not intended for children under 13 years of age. No one under age 13 may provide any information to the Website. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are under 13, do not provide any information about yourself to us, including your name, address, telephone number, email address, or any screen name or user name you may use. If we learn we have collected or received personal information from a child under 13 without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information. If you believe we might have any information from or about a child under 13, please contact us as indicated below.

What information do we collect?

Asbury automatically collects certain information about visitors to our Website and users of the Mobile Apps, such as computer and software information (such as your IP address) and usage/visit information. This is anonymous information that does not personally identify you but is helpful for our marketing purposes, and also helps us to improve your experience on our Website.

Asbury also collects personal information you provide. This could include your contact information, such as your name, phone number, and email address, and additional information about yourself or others you may provide in making requests on our Website (such as requests to serve or for prayers or hospital visits). As part of online event registration, we may also collect payment information, such as a credit/debit card numbers, the card’s expiration date, and other billing information if you donate online.

How do we use your information?

Asbury uses your information for church purposes to better connect with you and to connect you with others involved with our ministry, and to provide the services that may be requested. For example, payment information is used to process your donations, purchases or event registration.

We use Google Analytics to track how you and others use the Website in order to manage and improve the Website. Google Analytics collects information such as how often users visit this site, what pages they visit when they do so, and what other sites they used prior to coming to this site. Google Analytics collects only the IP address assigned to you on the date you visit this site, rather than your name or other identifying information. We do not combine the information collected through the use of Google Analytics with personally identifiable information. Google’s ability to use and share information collected by Google Analytics about your visits to this site is restricted by the Google Analytics Terms of Use, Google’s Privacy Policy and this Privacy Policy. You can prevent Google Analytics from recognizing you on return visits to this site by disabling cookies on your browser, or you can opt out by downloading a browser add-on here. For additional information please see “How Google uses data when you use our partners’ sites or apps,” located here.

We use the various Google Adwords features to advertise on third party websites, including Google, to previous visitors to the Website. With Remarketing, third-party vendors use Cookies (including third-party Cookies such as those from DoubleClick) to provide our advertisements on the internet based upon your past visits to the Website, and with Demographics and Interest Reporting, we use aggregate data provided (such as age, gender, and interests) to understand and communicate better with visitors to the Website. You may opt-out of Google’s use of Adwords by adjusting your advertising settings or by downloading the browser add-on discussed above. To opt out of a third-party vendor's use of cookies you may visit the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page, or to opt out of DoubleClick's use of cookies you may visit the DoubleClick opt-out page.

Will we share your information with others?

Asbury uses your personal information for church purposes. We may provide your information to third parties for to fulfill the purposes discussed above for which we collect the information, or to fulfill the purposes for which you submitted the information – for example, to process a transaction you have initiated with us. We may also share your information to comply with any court order, law or legal process. Asbury will not, however, sell, rent or lease your personal information to commercial entities. Information that can’t be used to identify you individually, such as demographic information, may be shared on an aggregate basis as indicated above. We may offer services to you such as chat rooms, message boards, or other similar discussion forums. Please be aware that any information you divulge in these arenas is deemed public information and is not kept confidential.

How do we protect your information?

Asbury is committed to protecting your personal and payment information. We have implemented security measures, including Internet encryption software, Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol, and firewalls to prevent information from being compromised. Payment information is encrypted and is accessible only by individuals authorized to process this information. However, we cannot guarantee that the Website, Mobile Apps or email correspondence from Asbury are free from computer viruses. We strongly recommend that you employ anti-virus software when accessing the Website or utilizing the Mobile Apps and take basic security precautions, such as keeping any passwords confidential, regularly updating and patching your computer/device (including any anti-virus and anti-spyware software), clearing your browser cache before accessing sensitive information in order to eliminate stored copies of Web pages, and logging off when finished with transactions. You are ultimately responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and are responsible for all uses of your account, whether or not actually or expressly authorized by you.

What about cookies and web beacons?

Our Website uses “cookies” and “web beacons” to better interact with you. A cookie is a small piece of data that is stored on your computer’s hard drive that allows our Website to remember your preferences and interactions with the Website. A cookie does not access other information from your hard drive or other cookie files you may have from other sites. . A “web beacon,” also known as an Internet tag, pixel tag or clear GIF, links web pages to web servers and their cookies and may be used to transmit information collected through cookies back to a web server. We and our third-party service providers may use beacons or pixels in emails to help us track response rates, identify when our emails are accessed or forwarded, and for other purposes listed below.

To the extent required by applicable law, Asbury will obtain your consent before placing cookies or similar technologies on your computer. You can stop some cookies from being downloaded on your computer by selecting the appropriate settings on your web browser. Most browsers will tell you how to stop accepting new browser cookies, how to be notified when you receive a new browser cookie and how to disable existing cookies. You can find out how to do this for your particular browser by clicking "Help" on your browser's menu or by visiting www.allaboutcookies.org. The Website is not designed to respond to "do not track" signals received from browsers. However, if you do decline cookies, certain functions of our Website may not be available.

Links to other websites

Our Website includes links to other websites, including those of third-party providers utilized to provide services offered on this Website (which may be identified by the address bar in your browser). Please be aware that this Privacy Policy applies only to this Website and to the Mobile Apps. The privacy measures taken by these websites can be found in each website’s own privacy policy.

How do I remove my email address or other information from Asbury’s mailing list?

If you would like to stop receiving emails from our ministry, you can do so by simply sending us an email with that request at [email protected]. You can also opt-out of emails by clicking the link at the bottom of the weekly email. If you have a question about any other personal information you may have provided to use, please contact us as indicated below. 

Will our Privacy Policy change?

It is our policy to post any changes we make to our Privacy Policy on this page. If we make material changes to how we treat our users’ personal information, we will notify you through a notice on the Website home page. The date this Privacy Policy was last revised is identified at the top of this page. You are responsible for periodically visiting our Website and the Mobile Apps and this Privacy Policy to check for any changes.

What about social media?

Asbury may use different social media websites and applications to interact with you. We may collect information about you from our interaction with you or other users (e.g. any users who are “friends” or other connections of yours) through such websites and applications and use such information as described in this Privacy Policy. You will also be subject to any terms of use disclosed at any social media pages that we manage when interacting with those pages. The owners and operators of such websites and applications, and the managers of other social media pages, may impose their own terms of use and privacy policies with respect to the use of such websites, applications and pages. This Privacy Policy does not govern the use, handling, or treatment of content you post at such websites and applications by those owners, operators or managers. Before using or posting any information at any such website or application you should review the particular terms of use and privacy policies applicable. You should use extreme caution when deciding to share personal information on such websites or applications. 

Asbury uses Facebook’s “pixel tag” to deliver Facebook ads to Website visitors or to similar Facebook users. While the data we collect in this way is anonymous to us, it is stored and processed by Facebook and Facebook may use it for its own promotional purposes outlined here: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy. You can object to the collection of your data by Facebook pixel or object to the use of your data for the purpose of displaying Facebook ads at https://www.facebook.com/ads/preferences/?entry_product=ad_settings_screen.

How do I contact your ministry with questions?

We are happy to receive and respond to any questions you may have about this Privacy Policy. Feel free to send your questions to [email protected] or call the office at 918.492.1771.