Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

Welcome to Ethiopian Evangelical Christian Church — Austin ("EECC Austin," "we," "us," or "our"). These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of our website at https://eeccaustin.org, our mobile application, and all related services, features, and content (collectively, the "Services").

By accessing or using our Services, you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to these Terms, please do not use our Services.

2. About Our Church

Ethiopian Evangelical Christian Church — Austin is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit religious organization located in Austin, Texas. We are dedicated to spreading the true message of Jesus Christ and holistically ministering to the needs of the community we serve.

Our Services are designed to support our mission by providing:

• Information about our church, beliefs, and ministries
• Access to sermons, worship content, and devotionals
• Event registration and church calendar
• Online giving and donation processing
• Member portal and directory services
• Prayer request submissions
• Communication with church leadership and staff

3. User Accounts

3.1 Account Creation

Some features of our Services require you to create an account. When creating an account, you agree to:

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

3.2 Account Types

We offer different account types with varying access levels:

• Guest: Basic access to public content
• Member: Full access to member features, giving history, and church directory
• Content Manager: Additional access to manage church content (by invitation)
• Administrator: Full administrative access (staff only)

4. Acceptable Use

4.1 Permitted Uses

You may use our Services for lawful purposes, including:

• Learning about our church, beliefs, and ministries
• Viewing worship times, sermons, and event information
• Submitting contact inquiries and prayer requests
• Making donations and tithes to support our ministry
• Accessing member resources and directories
• Registering for events and volunteer opportunities
• Connecting with the church community

4.2 Prohibited Uses

You agree NOT to:

• Use the Services for any unlawful purpose or to promote illegal activities
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the Services
• Transmit viruses, malware, or other harmful code
• Harass, abuse, threaten, or intimidate other users
• Impersonate any person, entity, or falsely state your affiliation
• Collect or harvest personal information without consent
• Interfere with the proper functioning of the Services
• Use automated systems (bots, scrapers) without permission
• Attempt to reverse engineer or decompile any software
• Use the Services for commercial solicitation without authorization

5. Online Giving & Donations

5.1 Donation Processing

We use Stripe, a trusted third-party payment processor, to securely process all online donations. When you make a donation:

• Your payment information is transmitted securely using industry-standard encryption
• We do not store your complete credit card information on our servers
• You will receive an email confirmation for each donation
• Donation records are maintained for your tax purposes

5.2 Recurring Giving

You may set up recurring donations (weekly, monthly, or custom schedules). You can modify or cancel recurring donations at any time through your account dashboard or by contacting us.

5.3 Refund Policy

Donations are generally non-refundable as they are charitable contributions. However, if you believe a donation was made in error, please contact us within 30 days at support@eeccaustin.org. We will review refund requests on a case-by-case basis.

5.4 Tax Deductibility

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, donations to EECC Austin may be tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. We provide annual giving statements for tax purposes. Please consult with a tax professional regarding your specific situation.

6. Intellectual Property

6.1 Our Content

All content on our Services, including but not limited to text, graphics, logos, images, audio, video, sermons, devotionals, and software, is the property of EECC Austin or our content contributors and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

6.2 Limited License

We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use our Services for personal, non-commercial purposes. You may share sermon content and devotionals for personal edification, provided you include proper attribution to EECC Austin.

6.3 User Content

When you submit content (prayer requests, testimonies, photos, etc.), you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, display, and distribute that content as necessary to operate our Services and ministry. You represent that you have the right to grant this license.

7. Member Directory & Privacy

Our member directory is a private resource for our church community. By participating in the directory, you agree that:

• Your information is shared only with other verified members
• You will not misuse directory information for commercial purposes
• You can control your visibility and contact preferences in your profile settings
• Leadership and staff may have additional access for ministry purposes

8. Third-Party Services

Our Services may integrate with or link to third-party services, including:

• Stripe: Payment processing for donations
• YouTube: Video hosting for sermons and worship content
• Supabase: Database and authentication services
• Social Media: Links to our Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube channels

These third-party services have their own terms and privacy policies. We are not responsible for their content or practices.

9. Disclaimer of Warranties

OUR SERVICES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT:

• The Services will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free
• The content will be accurate, reliable, or complete
• Defects will be corrected in a timely manner
• The Services will meet your specific requirements

10. Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, EECC AUSTIN, ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND VOLUNTEERS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING FROM:

• Your use of or inability to use the Services
• Any unauthorized access to your account or data
• Any errors or omissions in content
• Any third-party conduct or content

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless EECC Austin, its officers, directors, employees, and volunteers from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses arising from your use of the Services or violation of these Terms.

12. Modifications to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated through our website or email. Your continued use of the Services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms.

13. Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your access to the Services at any time, with or without cause or notice, for conduct that we believe violates these Terms or is harmful to other users, the church, or third parties.

14. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any disputes arising from these Terms shall be resolved in the courts of Travis County, Texas.

15. Contact Information

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

• Email: support@eeccaustin.org
• Phone: (512) 550-1273
• Address: 305 Deen Ave, Austin, TX 78753
• Website: Contact Form

16. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

17. Entire Agreement

These Terms of Service, together with our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and EECC Austin regarding your use of the Services.