Online Privacy Policy — First Presbyterian Church of Carson City

Effective date: 12/1/2026

First Presbyterian Church of Carson City ("the Church," "we," "us") respects the privacy of everyone who visits our website, gives online, or connects with us digitally. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have.

This policy applies to our website at fpccarsoncity.org, our church email communications, online giving, livestreams, and our official social media pages. It does not cover information you share with us in person or on paper, which we handle with the same care and confidentiality as expected of a church community.

We are a nonprofit religious organization. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information.

Information we collect

We collect only what we need to serve you and run the ministry of the Church.

Information you give us, such as when you fill out a contact or visitor form, submit a prayer request, register for an event or class, sign up for our newsletter or email list, volunteer, or give online. This may include:

  • Name, mailing address, email address, and phone number

  • Family members' names (for example, when registering children for programs)

  • Prayer requests or pastoral care needs you choose to share

  • Giving details, such as gift amount, date, and designated fund

Information collected automatically when you visit our website, such as your browser type, device type, pages visited, referring website, approximate location (city or region), and the date and time of your visit. This is collected through cookies and similar tools described below.

Please do not send sensitive personal information (such as health details) through website forms unless you are comfortable sharing it. For confidential pastoral matters, we encourage you to contact a pastor directly.

How we use your information

We use your information only for church and ministry purposes, including:

  • Respond to your questions, visitor cards, and prayer requests

  • Provide pastoral care and connect you with ministries, small groups, and volunteer opportunities

  • Send newsletters, event announcements, and other church communications you have signed up for

  • Process donations and provide year-end giving statements for tax purposes

  • Register you or your family for events, classes, and programs

  • Maintain our church membership directory (members only; see below)

  • Improve our website and understand which content is most helpful

  • Comply with legal obligations and protect the safety of our congregation

Online giving

Online donations are processed by a secure third-party payment provider, Vanco. Your card or bank account details are entered directly with that provider and are never stored on our website or by church staff.

The Church receives your name, contact information, gift amount, date, and designated fund so we can record your gift and send your annual contribution statement. Giving records are kept confidential and are available only to the treasurer, financial secretary, and others with a need to know for accounting purposes.

The payment provider's own privacy policy governs how it handles your payment information.

How we share information

We do not sell, rent, or trade personal information. We share it only in these limited cases:

  • Service providers that help us operate, such as our website host (Squarespace), email newsletter service, online giving processor, and church management software. They may use your information only to provide services to us.

  • Church leaders and staff — pastors, elders, deacons, and ministry leaders — when needed to care for you or carry out a ministry you've asked to join.

  • Prayer requests are shared with the prayer team or congregation only if you give permission. Mark any request "confidential" and it will be shared with the pastor only.

  • Member directory: members' contact details may appear in a directory available only to members. You may ask to be left out or to limit what is listed.

  • Our denomination, ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians, may receive general statistics such as membership totals, not individual personal details, unless required for denominational records.

  • Legal requirements: when required by law, subpoena, or court order, or to protect the safety of any person.

Cookies and analytics

Our website uses cookies — small files stored by your browser — to keep the site working and to understand how visitors use it. Our website platform (Squarespace) sets essential cookies and provides basic visitor statistics. [If applicable: We also use Google Analytics to measure site traffic.]

Some of these providers, including embedded content from YouTube, Facebook, or maps, may collect information about your online activity over time and across different websites. We do not use cookies for targeted advertising.

You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. Some site features may not work properly if you do.

Livestreams, photos, and video

Worship services and some church events may be livestreamed or recorded and posted on our website or social media. Cameras are generally focused on the chancel and those leading worship, but people in the congregation may appear incidentally.

We may also post photos from church events. We will not post names with photos of children, and we will not post a child's photo without a parent or guardian's permission.

If you prefer not to appear, please let an usher or the church office know, or sit in the area designated as off-camera. To have a photo of you removed from our website or social media, contact us using the information below.

Children's privacy

Our website is intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information online from children under 13. Registrations for children's and youth programs must be completed by a parent or guardian.

If you believe a child under 13 has sent us personal information online, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

Data security and retention

We use reasonable safeguards to protect your information, including encrypted (HTTPS) connections on our website, password-protected accounts, and limiting access to staff and volunteers who need it. No system is completely secure, however, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

We keep personal information only as long as needed for the purposes described here. Giving records are kept as long as required for tax and accounting purposes, generally seven years. If we learn of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you as required by Nevada law.

Your choices

You may at any time:

  • Unsubscribe from emails using the link at the bottom of any message, or by contacting the church office

  • Review or correct the personal information we hold about you

  • Ask us to delete your information, except records we must keep by law (such as giving records)

  • Opt out of the member directory or limit what is listed

  • Ask that a photo of you or your child be removed from our website or social media

To make any of these requests, contact us using the information below. We will respond within a reasonable time.

Nevada residents: We do not sell covered information as defined by Nevada law (NRS 603A). You may still send a request to opt out of any future sale to the contact below.

Links to other websites

Our website may link to other sites, such as our denomination, partner ministries, or YouTube. We are not responsible for their privacy practices, and we encourage you to read their policies.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will post the revised version on this page and change the effective date at the top. Significant changes may also be announced in the church newsletter.

Contact us

For questions about this policy or to make a request about your information, please contact:

First Presbyterian Church of Carson City, 115 N Division St, Carson City, NV 89703 Phone: (775) 882-1032 Email: info@fpccarsoncity.org