An Overview of Data Privacy and Churches

A policy on data privacy refers to a document stating an organization’s commitment to treat the personal information of staff, members, customers and other involved parties with complete confidentiality.

You can’t ignore the concern over data privacy for churches, and while it may seem complicated, there are resources available to help churches get educated on the subject.

Understanding data privacy as a pastor or church leader can help instill a new level of trust, and reinforce the meaningful relationships you’ve built with the people and communities you serve. People simply want to know the information you have of them is protected, whether it’s the details on their membership record, counseling appointments, financial data or even employment status. They need to know that you place a priority on keeping their information secure, and you’re taking steps to protect their privacy.

Data as an Asset

Data is one of the most valuable assets a church has. It’s essential to know and understand the many kinds of data you may collect as a church. Protecting data is not necessarily difficult; however, it should be approached deliberately and strategically.

As a pastor or church leader, you have a responsibility to protect the information members share with you, which may include their names, phone numbers, addresses, ages, notes, etc. Even though people are becoming more and more sensitive about how their data is collected and used, you have a significant role to play in making sure that it is protected.

Email and telephone ommunication is probably one of the highest-priced assets of any church, followed closely by the database. With ChurchPad, you can have all your members’ contact details secured, and at your fingertips.

Prioritizing Data Protection

Churches have various kinds of data, and categorizing them can help set a value to protect them strategically.

Imagine your church membership database was no longer available, or if members’ private information was made public, that’s quite a big deal. How about you look through the data you have as a church and how it’s protection should be prioritized?

Data and security breaches are becoming more common, even in the church space, which is why it is recommended for every organization, including churches, to be proactive with their physical and computer security. We built ChurchPad to address the core and expanding needs of churches, with a wide array of unique but connected products while ensuring optimum security of data obtained.

The Difference Between Data Privacy and Data Protection

As you endeavor to protect the information your congregation share with you, it’s important to educate yourself around data privacy laws and regulations. Data privacy is about authorized access — who owns it and who gets to use or modify it. Data protection, on the other hand, is about securing data against unauthorized access.

With ChurchPad, you have controlled access to a revolutionary suite of tools within the same platform and avoid using different unconnected solutions and data points across your church. It helps you to have your church data all in one place, and by extension, makes it easy to manage, import, or export this data. With the data in a more enclosed spaced, protecting becomes less difficult.

Finances and financial data are critical parts of every church’s overall data. ChurchPad has a well-established system that allows your members and guests multiple ways to give — whichever one they are comfortable with. However, be assured that all giving methods are highly secured. Your members can even invite others to give through a customized secure giving link.

ChurchPad provides you unlimited access to both compressed and detailed data reports on contributions and donation. You get track incoming funds, generate reports and create estimates for funds quite easily. Your members can also get real-time statements (up-to-date, yearly) via various methods for their financial/tax returns purposes. It helps them to track their expenses as well as plan better towards the future regarding their church commitments.

Basically, ChurchPad empowers your church culture to create an ultimate experience while leveraging technology. Our efficient check-in process, prayer and testimony sharing tools integrated with our award-winning mobile app not only activate your ministry participation but connect it to everyone around the world. We deepen engagement within the church community by encouraging generosity, enhancing outreach and evangelism, and creating communication channels with effective feedback systems. We believe that technology can fuel the mission of the church. ChurchPad is one of the most secured, easy, and inexpensive way you can manage data as a church leader.