Southside Pentecostal Fellowship (referred to as “SSPF”, “we”, “our”, or “us”) is committed to protecting your privacy and managing personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020 (New Zealand). This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, store, disclose, and protect your personal information when you interact with us — whether through our website, social media, events, donations, or ministry involvement.

1. What is Personal Information?

Personal information is any information about an identifiable individual. This includes your name, contact details, and any other information that can be used to identify you.

2. What Personal Information We Collect

We may collect personal information in the following ways:

A. Information You Provide Directly

• Your name, phone number, email address, and address when you:

  • • Contact us

    • Subscribe to newsletters or updates

    • Register for events or ministries

    • Make a donation

    • Volunteer or serve in a ministry

• Age or date of birth (e.g. for children’s ministry)

• Emergency contact details (for volunteers, events, or children’s programs)

• Payment information (processed securely via third-party platforms)

B. Information We Collect Automatically

• IP address, browser type, device type

• Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see section 7)

• Pages accessed and interactions with our website

C. Information From Third Parties

We may collect personal information from:

• Online donation platforms

• Ministry or event registration services

• Referral by another person (e.g. if someone signs you up on your behalf)

3. How We Use Your Personal Information

We use your personal information to:

• Communicate with you and respond to inquiries

• Manage participation in church ministries, events, and volunteer teams

• Provide pastoral care or support

• Send newsletters, devotionals, prayer requests, updates, or alerts (you can unsubscribe anytime)

• Process donations and provide receipts (for tax purposes, if applicable)

• Maintain accurate church membership and engagement records

• Improve our website, services, and communications

• Comply with legal obligations under New Zealand law

4. Legal Basis for Processing Personal Information

Under the Privacy Act 2020, we collect and use your information for purposes that are directly related to our church’s functions and activities, and only in ways that are fair, lawful, and not unreasonably intrusive.

5. How We Store and Protect Your Information

We take reasonable steps to ensure the security of your personal information. This includes:

• Secure storage in protected systems (cloud-based or local)

• Role-based access controls (only authorised staff or ministry leaders)

• Encryption for sensitive information

• Regular backups and password protection

• We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected and in accordance with legal obligations.

If information is no longer required, we securely destroy or anonymise it.

6. Who We Share Your Information With

We may share your personal information with:

• Third-party service providers (e.g. newsletter systems, online giving platforms, cloud storage, event registration tools) who help us operate and are bound by privacy agreements.

• Government agencies or legal authorities where required by law or to comply with legal obligations.

• Other churches or ministries only with your express permission (e.g. if you request a referral or ministry support).

• We will not sell, rent, or trade your information.

7. Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website uses cookies and analytics tools to enhance your experience and collect usage data.

Cookies are small files stored on your device that help us:

• Understand site traffic and user behaviour

• Remember preferences for future visits

• You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings, but some site features may not function properly as a result.

We may use Google Analytics or similar services, which may store data on servers outside New Zealand. However, your IP address will be anonymised before being stored where possible.

8. Storage and Transfer of Information Overseas

Some third-party service providers we use may store or process data outside of New Zealand (e.g. Australia, USA, or other countries). We take reasonable steps to ensure any overseas data handling complies with New Zealand’s privacy requirements under the Privacy Act 2020.

9. Your Rights Under the Privacy Act 2020

You have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you

• Request correction of any inaccurate or incomplete information

• Withdraw consent for any non-essential processing

• Request deletion of your information where appropriate

• Complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner if you believe your rights have been breached

• To exercise any of these rights, please email us at contact@southsidepentecostals.com. We will respond within 20 working days as required by law.

10. Data Breaches

In the unlikely event of a privacy breach that poses a risk of serious harm, we will notify the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and affected individuals as required under the Privacy Act 2020.

11. Children’s Privacy

We are committed to protecting the privacy of children. Where we collect information about children (e.g. during Sunday School or Kids’ Ministry registration), we require consent from a parent or guardian. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 16 without such consent.

12. Links to Other Websites

Our website may include links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for their privacy practices or content. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any external sites you visit.

13. Updates to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal obligations. The latest version will always be available on our website with the updated “Effective Date.”

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how your personal information is handled, please contact us:

📧 Email: contact@southsidepentecostals.com

🌐 Website: https://southsidepentecostals.com

Thank you for trusting Southside Pentecostal Fellowship. We value your privacy and are committed to protecting the personal information entrusted to us as we serve God and our community.