Privacy Policy

Introduction

Teach.It, a service of Barnabas Software ("we," "our," or "us"), provides educational and administrative sermon planning tools designed to assist independent Baptist churches, pastors, and ministry leaders in the stewardship of their congregations and lesson preparation. We recognize that the data entrusted to us is sensitive and spiritual in nature. This policy outlines our commitment to protecting the privacy of both the Ministry Leaders (our customers) and their Church Members (the end-users).

Relationship of Parties & Data Ownership

• The Church as Data Owner: The church using Teach.It and Barnabas Software is the "owner" and "controller" of their data. Barnabas Software acts as a "processor," providing the platform to store and manage that information.
• Pastoral Confidentiality: We respect the sanctity of the pastor-parishioner relationship. Our staff will never access your specific pastoral notes, lesson outlines, or membership records unless explicitly requested by you for technical support purposes.
• Your Content: You retain full ownership of all lessons, outlines, illustrations, and content created within Teach.It.
• Export Rights: Users are encouraged to utilize the built-in export features to download their lessons and data at any time. We recommend performing a final export prior to cancelling a subscription.

Information We Collect

We collect information in the following ways:

• Account Information: When a ministry leader signs up, we collect contact and billing information (names, email, phone, church affiliation, and payment details).
• Service Data: This is the information you upload to your portal (teach.it.barnabassoftware.com), such as sermon outlines, notes, illustrations, Bible verses, and class or group records.
• Technical Data: IP addresses, browser information, and session cookies used solely for security, performance monitoring, and to maintain your logged-in state.
• Messaging & SMS Data: If a church uses messaging or SMS features provided by Barnabas Software platforms, we collect mobile numbers of opted-in recipients, the date and time of opt-in, the opt-in method, and message delivery logs solely to enable and manage the messaging program.

Texas Data Privacy & Sensitive Information

As a Texas-based entity, Barnabas Software complies with the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA). We recognize that data used in a church context may imply religious affiliation (Sensitive Data). We process this information only to provide the service requested and never for sale, advertising, or third-party marketing.

How We Use Information

• To Provide the Service: To maintain your portal, sync live whiteboard sessions, render digital handouts, process subscriptions, and ensure software functionality.
• SMS & Messaging Delivery: Phone numbers and opt-in records collected through our messaging tools are used exclusively to send church-authorized SMS messages to consenting recipients. This data is never used for Barnabas Software's own communications or shared with other organizations.
• Technical Support: To troubleshoot issues you report to us.
• Security: To monitor for unauthorized access and protect the integrity of the databases.
• No Data Mining: We do not scan, "mine," or analyze your congregation's data or lesson materials for advertising or third-party marketing.

Data Security

We implement robust security measures to protect your ministry's data:

• Encryption: All data is encrypted in transit via SSL/TLS and encrypted at rest on our servers.
• Isolation: Each organization's data is logically separated to ensure that one congregation cannot access the records of another.
• Backups: Regular backups are performed to prevent data loss.

Sharing and Disclosure

• Third-Party Service Providers: We use reputable third-party providers (such as secure cloud hosting and payment processors). These providers are only permitted to use your information to perform their specific tasks.
• Legal Mandates: We will only disclose stored data if required by a valid legal order (subpoena or warrant). If legally permitted, we will attempt to notify the Church Pastor before such disclosure.
• No Sale of Data: We will never sell your church's data or your members' contact information to any third party.

Mobile Messaging Consent & SMS Program Disclosures

Barnabas Software provides SMS and messaging tools to churches as part of our platform. The following disclosures apply to the collection, use, and protection of mobile opt-in information. This privacy policy is publicly accessible at:

• No Sharing for Marketing: Mobile opt-in data and messaging consent information will never be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.
• How Opt-In Works: Church members provide opt-in consent directly within the church's Barnabas Software portal. Opt-in may occur via a web-based enrollment form, a keyword reply to a designated number, or verbal/written consent recorded by church staff. The opt-in record (phone number, timestamp, and method) is retained to document consent.
• Consent is Church-Specific: Consent applies solely to communications from that specific church. It does not constitute consent to receive messages from Barnabas Software or any other organization.
• How Messaging Data Is Used: Phone numbers and consent records are used only to deliver SMS messages that church administrators send through the platform (e.g., service reminders, announcements, pastoral care follow-ups). This data is not used for any other purpose.
• Message Frequency: Message frequency varies and is determined solely by the church administrator. Recipients can expect to receive messages based on their church's communication schedule.
• Message & Data Rates: Message and data rates may apply depending on the recipient's mobile carrier and plan.
• Opt-Out: Recipients may reply STOP at any time to unsubscribe from a church's SMS messages. Reply HELP for support information. Opt-out requests are honored immediately and the recipient's number is added to the church's suppression list.

Subscription Cancellation and Data Deletion

We maintain a strict data minimization policy regarding cancelled accounts:

• Teach.It 7-Day Grace Period: Upon cancellation of a Teach.It subscription, your data will remain accessible for seven (7) days to allow for final exports.
• Permanent Deletion: On the 8th day following cancellation of a Teach.It subscription, all user content (lessons, library items, assets) and personal account data will be permanently purged from our active databases.
• General Account Deletion: For general Barnabas Software services, databases are permanently purged after a standard grace period of 30–60 days unless a sooner deletion is requested.
• System Backups: Residual data may exist in encrypted system backups for up to 30 days before being completely overwritten by our standard backup rotation.

Contact Information

For questions regarding this policy or to request immediate data deletion, please contact Barnabas Software: