Terms of Service

Agreement to Terms

Welcome to Help Us Follow Christ. By accessing or using our platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, please do not use our service.

These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and Help Us Follow Christ regarding your use of our platform for organizing and participating in faith-based small groups.

Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old to use our service. By using our platform, you represent and warrant that you meet this age requirement and have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms.

If you are using our service on behalf of an organization (such as a church or ministry), you represent that you have the authority to bind that organization to these Terms.

Account Registration and Security

Account Creation

To use certain features of our platform, you must create an account. You agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete information
• Maintain and promptly update your account information
• Keep your password secure and confidential
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized access
• Accept responsibility for all activities under your account

Account Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account if you violate these Terms or engage in conduct that we deem inappropriate or harmful to our community.

Acceptable Use

Permitted Use

Our platform is designed to facilitate faith-based community building through small groups. You may use our service to:

• Create and manage small groups for faith formation
• Schedule and coordinate group meetings
• Communicate with group members
• Track commitments and spiritual growth
• Connect with other believers in your community

Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to:

• Use the platform for any unlawful purpose
• Harass, abuse, or harm other users
• Post false, misleading, or defamatory content
• Spam or send unsolicited messages to users
• Impersonate others or misrepresent your affiliation
• Violate the privacy or rights of others
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems
• Interfere with the proper functioning of the platform
• Use automated tools to access or scrape our service
• Promote commercial products or services unrelated to faith formation
• Share content that is obscene, hateful, or discriminatory

User Content

Your Content

You retain ownership of any content you post on our platform, including group descriptions, meeting notes, comments, and commitments ("User Content"). By posting User Content, you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, display, and distribute your content as necessary to provide our service.

Content Responsibility

You are solely responsible for your User Content. You represent and warrant that:

• You own or have the necessary rights to post your content
• Your content does not violate any laws or third-party rights
• Your content is accurate and not misleading
• Your content complies with these Terms

Content Moderation

We reserve the right (but have no obligation) to monitor, review, and remove User Content that violates these Terms or is otherwise objectionable. We may also remove content at the request of group leaders or administrators.

Group Leadership and Responsibilities

Group Leaders

Group leaders have additional responsibilities and authority within their groups. As a group leader, you agree to:

• Use your authority responsibly and in accordance with these Terms
• Respect the privacy and dignity of group members
• Communicate clearly and honestly with your group
• Not abuse your access to member contact information
• Follow applicable laws regarding group activities and communications

Group Member Responsibilities

By joining a group, you acknowledge that your name and contact information will be visible to group leaders and other members. You agree to participate respectfully and in accordance with the group's stated purpose and guidelines.

Intellectual Property

Our Property

The Help Us Follow Christ platform, including its design, features, functionality, and content (excluding User Content), is owned by us and protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

Limited License

We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use our platform for its intended purpose. This license does not include any right to:

• Modify, copy, or create derivative works
• Reverse engineer or decompile our software
• Remove or alter any proprietary notices
• Use our trademarks or branding without permission

Privacy and Data Protection

Your privacy is important to us. Our collection and use of personal information is governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. By using our service, you consent to our data practices as described in the Privacy Policy.

Third-Party Services

Our platform may integrate with or link to third-party services (such as SMS providers, email services, or mapping services). We are not responsible for the content, policies, or practices of these third-party services. Your use of third-party services is subject to their own terms and policies.

Disclaimers and Limitations of Liability

Service "As Is"

Our platform is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. We do not warrant that our service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure.

No Spiritual Advice

Help Us Follow Christ is a platform for organizing groups, not for providing spiritual direction or pastoral counseling. We are not responsible for the spiritual guidance, advice, or teachings shared within groups. Users should seek appropriate pastoral care from qualified clergy or spiritual directors.

Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Help Us Follow Christ shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits or revenues, whether incurred directly or indirectly, or any loss of data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses resulting from:

• Your use or inability to use our service
• Any unauthorized access to or use of our servers
• Any interruption or cessation of our service
• Any bugs, viruses, or harmful code transmitted through our service
• Any errors or omissions in content
• Any conduct or content of third parties on our platform

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Help Us Follow Christ and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to:

• Your use of our platform
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your User Content
• Your violation of any rights of another party

Dispute Resolution

Informal Resolution

If you have a dispute with us, please contact us first at support@helpusfollowchrist.org to attempt to resolve the issue informally.

Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the United States, without regard to conflict of law principles.

Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will notify users of material changes via email or prominent notice on our platform. Your continued use of our service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms.

If you do not agree to the modified Terms, you must stop using our service and may delete your account.

Termination

We may terminate or suspend your account and access to our service immediately, without prior notice, for any reason, including if you breach these Terms.

Upon termination, your right to use our service will immediately cease. All provisions of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination shall survive, including ownership provisions, warranty disclaimers, indemnity, and limitations of liability.

Miscellaneous

Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Help Us Follow Christ regarding your use of our service.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be considered a waiver of those rights.

Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign these Terms without restriction.

Contact Information

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us: