Privacy Policy

Sanctuary Church Queensland Ltd (hereinafter called “the Church”) and our related entities understand the importance of your privacy.   In response to this issue, the Church has created this Privacy Policy to protect personal information. This Privacy Policy shall cover the handling of any personal information we shall collect or hold through Sanctuary Church and /or its website (www.sanctuarychurch.au /other websites as the need arises).  There are also Federal laws to protect the privacy of personal information.

Sanctuary Church is committed to protecting its Attendees’ privacy. We have created a Privacy Policy to ensure that we uphold the trust people place in us when they provide us with their personal information. This means that when we collect personal information as part of our caring for our Attendees, we will comply with the National Privacy Principles and other privacy laws. This Policy will be made available to any person requesting a copy.

By providing personal data, including the use of this website, you agree to allow us to contact you, including by mail, email, telephone or SMS text message, in connection with our charitable purposes.

1. How is Information collected?

Personal information is collected directly from you.  It also may be collected in the following ways:

• Visiting the website
• Making a donation to Sanctuary Church
• Registering for an event
• Applying for a job or volunteering at Sanctuary Church
• Providing contact details in writing or orally to Sanctuary Church staff or volunteers
• Purchasing goods or services from Sanctuary Church by providing credit/debit card details
• Participating in church activities or in Church departments or groups
• Contact us by means of email, text, letter, or telephone
• Through face-to-face meetings with staff or volunteers
• Through social media platforms such as Facebook, Youtube, Whatsapp, Twitter or Instagram
• Registering information through our website or Sanctuary Church App
• Through Connect/New people cards, Faith Promise cards, Kids Church enrolment forms and other department paperwork
• Voice and image recordings
• Through third party agencies such as Law Enforcement, Blue Card Commission etc.

2. What Information is collected?

The Church shall collect general information about you, such as your name, address, contact details so the Church can contact you. We may also collect this and other types of personal information during the course of dealing with you, for example when you wish to obtain goods or services from the Church, when you register for conferences or events, and when you participate in Church activities or complete other forms. The information may include some sensitive information (as defined by the Privacy Act), such as health information or information about your beliefs, relevant to the services or assistance you have requested from the Church.

Where feasible, the purpose for which we collect personal information shall be made clear at the time of collection. If you do not provide us with certain information, we may be unable to provide you with access to some of our services or the assistance you have requested.

Users can generally visit the Church website without revealing who they are or other personal information unless they place an order or register with us. The Church shall not collect any personal information about visitors to the website except when they knowingly provide it.

When we collect personal information, we will ensure that we do so lawfully and in a fair manner.  We will only collect information that is necessary for the conducting of our activities.

The types of information collected by us includes:

• Personal details such as your title, name, and date of birth
• Profession, occupation or job title
• Contact details such as address, postal address, post code, email, mobile and telephone numbers
• When relevant to our mission, demographic information such as marital status, nationality, education, employment/qualifications and family details
• Financial information such as donation history or your bank details
• Spouse and family details when you jointly volunteer, register for events, or register your children for any reason at Sanctuary Church
• Non-financial information such as passports, driving licences and financial information such as salary records and expense claims
• Employee and volunteer data such as qualifications, languages and experience
• Records of your contacts with us
• Photographs, images and video provided by you or taken at or by Sanctuary Church services and events
• Visits to the website to enable Sanctuary Church to improve its effectiveness and better promote church services and events
• Details of services that we have provided to you
• Information that you provide to us through our activities/services/surveys or visits
• Images of people attending/participating in a service or other activities – these may be used for promotional or other purposes. Through attending any service or activity of Sanctuary Church you agree to Sanctuary Church using your image in these circumstances.
• In the interests of security and safety and the comfort of the Sanctuary Church community, the church operates video cameras within and around the church premises

Sensitive/special category Personal Information

Some personal information is sensitive information i.e. Health information. We will only collect sensitive information with the consent of the individual, for the purposes required by the activities of Sanctuary Church in the provision of health services (including counselling) or for other purposes allowed or required by the Act.

Any sensitive information that Sanctuary Church collects in the course of its activities is covered by an exemption set out in National Privacy Principles 10.  This exemption permits Sanctuary Church to collect information regarding such things as the religious affiliations of Attendees without first receiving your consent to the collection. However, Sanctuary Church does not disclose this information without an individual’s consent. We collect this type of personal information relying upon National Privacy Principles 10.1(d) only in relation to members of Sanctuary Church.

We may collect and store sensitive personal information such as:

• Health information provided during pastoral meetings
• Health information to assist attendance at Sanctuary Church services and events.
• Religious information (attendance at Sanctuary Church events/activities, personal faith decisions, baptisms)
• Prayer requests

 

3. How collected information is used

We use personal information to provide personal ministry to an individual, to administer an individual’s relationship with Sanctuary Church and to provide individuals with information on Church events and ministries.  Without personal information details, Sanctuary Church, may not be able to interact with an individual or provide ministry opportunities in a meaningful way.

We will where possible and make all reasonable attempts to advise all individuals of the purposes for which their personal information is collected, and of those third parties to whom the information is usually disclosed.

Whenever we collect personal information from third parties concerning an individual, we will take reasonable steps to advise that individual that we have the personal information, the reasons why we have it, and how the individual may gain access to it.

The Church shall use the personal information we collect for the purpose disclosed at the time of collection, or otherwise as set out in this Privacy Policy. We shall not use your personal information for any other purpose without first seeking your consent, unless authorised or required by law. Generally, we shall only use and disclose your personal information as follows:

• to establish and maintain your involvement with the Church; events that you have attended, what areas and activities of Sanctuary Church you have supported, record and acknowledge any donation, to provide products or services you have requested.
• the purpose it was collected and for related purposes that the person would reasonably expect it to be used.
• to provide the products or services you have requested from the Church.
• to answer your inquiry or request further information or complaint about us, our services, activities and events
• to manage employees and volunteers
• to fundraise and process donations and related statutory rights and obligations.
• to register you for events, conferences or promotions.
• to assist us to make the Church’s sites, services and products more valuable to our community.
• for direct promotion of products or services and to keep you informed of new developments we believe may be of interest to you. If we contact you in this way without obtaining your prior consent, we shall provide you with the opportunity to decline any further promotional communications.
• to third parties where we have retained those third parties to assist us to operate the Church and provide the products or services you have requested, such as religious education instructors, catering and event coordinators, promotions companies, transport providers, health care providers, website hosts and IT consultants, and our professional advisers such as consultants, lawyers and accountants. In some circumstances we may need to disclose sensitive information about you to third parties as part of the services you have requested; and
• to different parts of the Church to enable the development and promotion of other products and services and to improve our general ability to assist Church attendees and the wider community.
• to carry out analysis and market research and improve our website and communications, for example matching anonymised user’s data with social media sites such as Facebook to better understand people’s interests
• to improve our ability to assist Sanctuary Church attendees and the wider community.
• to assist Sanctuary Church with management and administrative purposes such as accounting, credit/debit card payments, anti-fraud measures, maintenance and development
• where consent is provided for its particular use
• if we are required by law to disclose it.
• for any other purpose as allowed or required by the Act.
• To promote the interests of Sanctuary Church, it’s Christian mission and its charitable objectives.

4. Access to your information

You may request access to the personal information that the Church holds about you by contacting the Office.   We shall provide you with access to your personal information unless we are legally authorised to refuse your request.   

If you wish to change personal information that is out of date or inaccurate at any time, please contact us. After notice from you, we shall take reasonable steps to correct any of your information that is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date. If you wish to have your personal information deleted please let us know and we shall delete that information wherever practicable.

We will take all reasonable steps to protect the information from misuse, loss, unauthorised access or disclosure. Sanctuary Church has procedures to destroy all personal information which is no longer needed.

Information you provide electronically, including through the website may be held on computers in Sanctuary Church locations and on servers in Australia.

Information you provide in paper form, such as consents, letters or recordings of meetings with staff or volunteers will be transferred to secure virtual system or a secure physical filing system.

5. How we may share your information

• We will only use personal information for the primary purpose for which it is collected.

• In most cases, the purpose will relate to the spiritual, pastoral, social, educational and administrative functions of the Church.  Those functions include maintaining personal information for the purpose of providing pastoral care within our congregation, and for the promotion of activities and functions associated with the church.
• We will only share your personal information and sensitive information in accordance with your express consent and instructions, as provided through the exclusions set out in the Australian Privacy Principles.
• We provide personal information to Church staff and lay leadership as related to the area of ministry in which the lay leader is involved. It is reasonable to expect that pastoral care cannot be done thoroughly without the use of lay leaders, and therefore the information collected may be disclosed for purposes of pastoral contact.
• Pastoring, on behalf of the church, will be conducted only by pastoral staff or authorised volunteers.
• We do not give out a person’s contact details to non-staff who may phone or otherwise request unless permission is given by the person whose contact details are required.
• Records made during the pastoring process will be kept secured.
• Where records are on paper, these will be kept in a locked office and/or filing cabinets.
• Electronic files will be password protected, accessible only to the person authorised to create or access that file.
• Access to these files by persons other than those who created the file should only occur in cases where pastoral care is being provided by another authorised staff member and the information contained in the file is necessary for effective pastoral care.
• Care will be taken to ensure the integrity of the information contained in files. Personal opinions will not be reflected as facts.
• We do not give, sell, rent or loan any identifiable information regarding members and adherents to any person or organization. 
• When statutory requirements dictate that files are required to be kept for seven years after the file is closed, the Church will ensure the file is held securely for that entire time.
• When files are no longer needed, all information is to be shredded or electronically deleted.
• Care will be exercised when sending group emails to ensure email addresses are not provided unless authorised by the owners. To ensure privacy the “BCC” field will be used, as people whose names are in the “BCC” field cannot be seen by other recipients.

6. For what purposes do we collect, hold use and disclose your personal information?

We collect personal information from members of our congregation and visitors to our church for a variety of pastoral reasons so that we can perform our activities and functions and to provide best possible quality of service for the following purposes:

• To provide services to you and send communications to you.
• Answer enquiries and provide information or advice on existing and new services.
• To update our records and keep your contact details up to date.
• To departments of the Church to enable the development and promotion of other activities and services and to improve our general ability to assist Church attendees and the wider community.
• When there is reasonable need to provide contact details of church members to other church members who are involved in a team ministry together, pastors or staff may disclose those details.
• Your personal information will not be shared, sold, rented or disclosed in accordance with this privacy policy.
• For the immediate reason for which you have provided it to us (for example, to enable us to process your request, payment, registration etc.
• We do not provide your personal information to other organisations for the purposes of direct marketing.

7. Public Prayer

Due to the often-sensitive nature of prayer requests and taking into consideration the dire need often represented by a prayer request, we have endeavoured to implement a process which will protect the privacy of individuals and yet still allow those in our Church to be prayed for should they desire it. Names may only be used in public prayer if consent is first gained from the person who is the subject of the prayer request.

These guidelines will apply to all prayer within the Church that could be considered public, including any prayer requests submitted to the Emergency Prayer Chain.

8. Cross-Border disclosure of personal information

• The Church regularly communicates with missionaries overseas.
• The church has the highest responsibility to protect missionaries and must ensure that any personal information transferred to a recipient in a foreign country has adequate protection for the circumstance.

No personal information will be sent without the individual’s consent, and only in the manner that the individual prescribes

9. Legal Basis for Using Your Personal Information

We will only process your personal information where we have a legal basis to do so. The legal basis will depend on the reason or reasons we collected and need to use your information. Under the Law in almost all cases the legal basis will be:

• because it is in our legitimate interest as registered charitable and Christian religious entities to use your personal information to operate and improve our service as a church.
• to fulfil any contractual relationship, we have with you in relation to provision of products or services, such as registration at events.
• because you have consented to Sanctuary Church and/or the Local Church using your information for a particular purpose.
• because we need to use your personal information to comply with a legal obligation, such as protection and welfare of individuals.
• to protect the vital interests of you or another person, for example, in pastoral situations.
• to process sensitive / special category personal data that is relevant to us as a not-for-profit religious organization.
• where you have given consent for us to contact you by email, phone or SMS, to send you information and marketing communications.

Your personal information is seen by a limited number of staff and key volunteers under a duty of confidentiality who are involved in the administration of Sanctuary Church.

 

10. Changes to this Privacy Policy

The Church reserves the right to amend this policy at any time as deemed necessary. To ensure you are kept updated with changes, please continue to visit this privacy page regularly.

11.          Online Privacy

Sanctuary Church is also committed to privacy on our Internet sites. We have a public website at www.sanctuarychurch.au which is available to anyone. Sanctuary Church collects personal information on its Internet site from you when you fill out a form (e.g. when purchasing products from our online shop or conference etc). The information that we request is limited to what is needed to provide you with the service. When browsing our Internet site, cookies are only used for our on-line shop in order to facilitate transactions.

When you browse this web site, our Internet Site Host makes a record of your visit and logs the following information for statistical purposes:

• your server address
• your top-level domain name (for example .com, .gov, .au, .uk etc)
• the date and time of your visit to the site
• the pages you accessed, and documents downloaded
• the previous site that visited and/or the Search engine keyword used to find our site
• the type of browser and operating system you are using
• the amount of data in bytes that you download from our site

No attempt is made to identify users or their browsing activities except, in the event of an investigation, where a law enforcement agency may inspect logs.

We have sections on the website which are available only to certain Attenders and Leaders of Sanctuary Church.  These sections include information like that which is distributed in hard copy form to other Leaders and have password protection.

We also have an internal Intranet site, and this is available only to staff and key volunteers of Sanctuary Church. Access to this information is restricted by type of information on a needs-to-know basis.

12.          Counselling

Sanctuary Church conducts counselling. Personal information we collect from individuals before and during counselling sessions is always kept confidential and secure. Some of this information is sensitive information (see above).

When files are not being used by a counsellor, they will be appropriately labelled and stored in locked filing cabinets. On occasion, the personal information collected by counsellors must be shared with third parties. For example, this personal information will be shared where:

• there is danger of harm being caused to the client or others.
• when Sanctuary Church is required by law to disclose the information; or
• when there are matters of a serious moral nature which require the attention of senior leadership within the Church.

13.          Anonymity

Where practicable and lawful, Sanctuary Church will endeavour to provide individuals with the option of interacting anonymously. However, given the activities in which Sanctuary Church is engaged in, this will generally not be a practicable option.

14.          Access to Information

We will provide people with reasonable access to the personal information collected by Sanctuary Church in the course of its dealings with the person. However, in certain circumstances we may deny access to this information to the extent that:

• Providing access would pose a serious and imminent threat to the life or health of any individual.
• Providing access would have an unreasonable impact upon the privacy of other individuals.
• Any other reason as consistent with the Act.

In such a situation we will explain to the person the reason for denying such access.

Sanctuary Church will do everything it can do to respect the privacy of individuals and will only make an individual’s personal information available to those who have an absolute need permitted by privacy laws to provide a service to the individual.

15.          Questions and contact

Please direct further enquiries to The Administrator, Life Church Qld Ltd  t/a Sanctuary Church

A:  75 Tanawha Tourist Dr, Mons, Qld, 4556

P:  PO Box 813, Mooloolaba,  QLD 4557

Ph: (07) 5443 8306

E:   admin@sanctuarychurch.au