Effective Date: June 15, 2026
At First Presbyterian Church of Laurens, SC (“we,” “us,” or “our”), we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you visit our website (https://www.firstpreslaurens.org/), attend our services, use our digital tools, or interact with our ministries.
1. Information We Collect
We only collect information that is necessary to fulfill our mission, provide services to you, and keep you informed about church activities. The types of information we may collect include:
Personal Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number, and mailing address when you register for an event, sign up for a newsletter, or fill out a connection card.
Financial Information: When you make a tithe, offering, or donation online, your payment information (such as credit card details or bank routing numbers) is collected. Note: We do not store full credit card numbers on our servers; this data is processed securely by our third-party payment processors.
Demographic and Ministry Data: Information regarding your age, family members, marital status, and ministry interests to help us tailor our communications and care.
Automated Website Data: When you visit our website, we may automatically collect non-personal data, such as your IP address, browser type, device information, and pages visited, using cookies or similar tracking technologies to improve our site’s functionality.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
To communicate with you about upcoming events, services, schedule changes, and ministry updates.
To process and provide tax-deductible receipts for your online and in-person donations.
To manage volunteer schedules, class registrations, and small group communications.
To provide pastoral care and respond to prayer requests or inquiries.
To improve our website, digital tools, and overall visitor experience.
3. How We Share Your Information
First Presbyterian Church of Laurens will never sell, rent, or lease your personal information to third parties. We may only share your information in the following limited circumstances:
Service Providers: We may share data with trusted third-party vendors who perform services on our behalf, such as website hosting, email distribution (e.g., Mailchimp), church management software, and secure payment processing. These providers are bound by strict confidentiality agreements.
Church Directory: If you are a member or regular attendee, your contact information may be included in our secure, internal church directory. You may opt out of being included in this directory at any time.
Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to comply with legal processes, protect the safety of our congregation, or defend our legal rights.
4. Data Security
We implement reasonable technical, administrative, and physical security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, or disclosure. However, no electronic transmission of data over the internet can be guaranteed as entirely secure.
5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Our website uses “cookies” to enhance your browsing experience, remember your preferences, and help us analyze site traffic. You can choose to disable cookies through your web browser’s settings, though doing so may limit your ability to use certain features of our site (such as our custom calendar or class portals).
6. Your Rights and Choices
You have the right to manage how we connect with you:
Opt-Out: You can unsubscribe from our email communications at any time by clicking the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of our emails.
Update Information: You can update or correct your contact and personal information by contacting the church office.
Data Deletion: You may request that we delete your personal information from our active databases, subject to legal and financial record-keeping requirements.
7. Third-Party Links
Our website may contain links to external sites not operated by us. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those third-party websites. We encourage you to review their individual privacy policies.
8. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal obligations. We will post the revised policy on this page with an updated “Effective Date.”
9. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how your data is handled, please contact us at:
First Presbyterian Church of Laurens
Address: 400 West Main Street, Laurens, SC 29360
Phone: 864-984-6561
Email: [email protected]
