Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

• Account Information. When you create an account, we collect your email address. We use magic link authentication — we do not collect or store passwords. You may optionally provide a display name and timezone.
• Share Activity. When you share a Bible study with a friend, we collect the sender name you enter and generate a short link to track whether the recipient opened the study. We do not receive your recipient's phone number; sharing happens through your own messaging app.
• Feedback. If you submit feedback through the app, we collect the search term, your feedback text, and optionally your email address. By submitting feedback, you grant us permission to use it to improve the Service. Feedback is treated as non-confidential.
• Donations. If you make a donation, payment processing is handled by Stripe, Inc. We receive your email address, donation amount, and transaction identifiers. We do not store your credit card number on our servers.
• Newsletter Subscriptions. If you subscribe to our newsletters (Gather or The Daily), we collect your email address and share it with our email service provider, Kit (formerly ConvertKit).

Information Collected Automatically

• Analytics Data. We use a server-side analytics system that does not load any JavaScript tracking code in your browser. We collect page views, referring URLs, approximate geographic location, device type, and browser type. We generate a short-lived, pseudonymous identifier from server-side request data (such as browser type and approximate location) to estimate unique visitor counts. This identifier is not stored on your device, cannot be used to track you across other websites, and is not linked to your identity unless you are signed into an account. If you are signed into an account, analytics data may be associated with your account profile to provide you with a history of your activity and progress.
• Sensitive Topic Engagement. Our Service helps people explore spiritual and emotionally sensitive topics such as anxiety, doubt, grief, and loneliness. We do not use your reading or search activity for advertising. We limit internal access to engagement data and treat spiritual-topic activity as sensitive.
• Engagement Data. We track which sections of a study you viewed (e.g., scripture, questions, action steps) to understand content engagement. For course lessons, we track lesson completion.
• Push Notification Data. If you enable push notifications, we store the technical subscription endpoint and encryption keys required to deliver notifications to your device.
• PWA Usage. If you install our app as a Progressive Web App, we record the first and most recent time you accessed the app in standalone mode.
• Visit Tracking. We count unique days you visit the app to display your engagement history on your account page.
• Cookies and Local Storage. We use essential first-party cookies and/or local storage to keep you signed in and enable core features (such as session management). We do not use cookies for advertising or cross-site tracking.

Information We Do Not Collect

• We do not collect passwords (we use email magic links exclusively).
• We do not use third-party advertising trackers or client-side analytics scripts.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide and maintain the Service, including delivering Bible studies and tracking your favorites and completions.
• Process share invitations and notify you when a friend opens a study you shared.
• Process donations and provide tax-deductible receipts.
• Send transactional emails (magic link sign-in, share notifications, donation receipts).
• Send newsletters you have subscribed to (Gather weekly newsletter, The Daily devotional).
• Send push notifications you have opted into (daily reminders, share updates).
• Analyze aggregate usage patterns to improve content and the user experience.
• Maintain the security and integrity of the Service.

Marketing emails (such as newsletters) may include standard open and click tracking to measure deliverability and engagement. You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time. Transactional emails (such as sign-in links and donation receipts) are sent as needed to operate the Service.

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only in the following circumstances:

• Service Providers. We use the following third-party services to operate the Service: Supabase (database hosting and authentication), Vercel (website hosting), Stripe (payment processing for donations), Resend (transactional email delivery), and Kit (ConvertKit) (newsletter delivery). These providers access your data only to perform services on our behalf and are obligated to protect it.
• Share Recipients. When you share a study, the recipient sees the name from your profile in the share message. Recipients do not have access to your email address or account information.
• Legal Requirements. We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or governmental authority.

4. Data Retention

• Account Data. We retain your account information for as long as your account is active. You may request deletion at any time.
• Analytics Data. Aggregate analytics events are retained for up to 48 months and then deleted.
• Share Invites. Share invite records (short codes and click counts) are retained to provide ongoing share tracking and sender notifications. You may request deletion of your share history by contacting us at team@friendsfollowingJesus.com.
• Donation Records. Donation records are retained as required for tax and legal compliance.
• Newsletter Subscriptions. Your email is retained by Kit until you unsubscribe.

5. Your Rights and Choices

• Account Deletion. You may request deletion of your account and associated data by contacting us at team@friendsfollowingJesus.com.
• Email Unsubscribe. Every marketing email includes an unsubscribe link. You can also manage notification preferences in your account settings. Transactional emails (like sign-in links and receipts) are sent as needed to operate the Service.
• Push Notifications. You can disable push notifications at any time through your account settings or your device's notification settings.
• Data Export. You may request a copy of your personal data by contacting us at team@friendsfollowingJesus.com.
• Additional Rights. Depending on your location, you may have additional rights regarding your personal data, including the right to access, correct, object to processing, restrict processing, or lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at team@friendsfollowingJesus.com.

6. Security

We implement industry-standard security measures, including:

• Row-level security policies on all database tables, ensuring users can only access their own data.
• HTTPS encryption for all data in transit.
• Security headers (HSTS, X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options) on all responses.
• Restricted access to administrative functions through role-based authorization.
• No storage of payment card information on our servers.

7. Children's Privacy

The Service is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us at team@friendsfollowingJesus.com and we will promptly delete it.

8. International Users

The Service is hosted in the United States. If you access the Service from outside the United States, your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States. Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards for international transfers (such as standard contractual clauses) or other lawful mechanisms. By using the Service, you understand your information may be processed in the United States.

9. Legal Bases for Processing (Where Applicable)

Where required by law, we process personal data on the following bases: to provide the Service to you (contract), to protect and improve the Service (legitimate interests), and for optional features like newsletters and push notifications (consent, which you may withdraw at any time).

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy on this page with a new "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:

Uncommon Pursuit, through its ministry initiative Friends Following Jesus
Email: team@friendsfollowingJesus.com
Website: friendsfollowingjesus.com