01
Acceptance of these terms
By creating an account or otherwise using Steeple, you agree to these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy. If you don't agree to them, please don't use the app.
You must be able to form a binding contract to use Steeple. If you're using Steeple on behalf of a church you're not personally authorized to represent, these terms still apply to you individually.
02
What Steeple is (and isn't)
Steeple helps people find, explore, and connect with local churches. Steeple is a discovery platform -- it isn't a church itself, isn't a religious authority, and isn't a substitute for a church's own leadership, teaching, or pastoral care.
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Steeple's team reviews churches before listing them and applies its own criteria for inclusion. That said, a church appearing on Steeple isn't a comprehensive endorsement of everything that church teaches or practices, and it isn't a guarantee of any kind. Please use your own judgment -- visit, ask questions, and evaluate any church directly before making it your spiritual home.
Steeple is not a church review or rating platform, not a social network, and not a political or theological debate forum. Churches are shown as ministry partners to help you find a place to belong, not as products to be rated or ranked against each other.
03
Eligibility and accounts
You must be at least 13 years old to create a Steeple account, consistent with our Privacy Policy. If you're under 18, please make sure a parent or guardian is comfortable with you using the app.
You're responsible for keeping your account credentials secure and for anything that happens under your account. Please provide accurate information when you sign up, and keep it reasonably up to date. One account per person -- please don't create an account on someone else's behalf without their permission.
You can delete your account at any time from Settings. Deleting your account removes your profile, preferences, saved churches, and planned visits, consistent with the retention terms in our Privacy Policy.
04
Acceptable use
When using Steeple, please don't:
- Break the law, or use Steeple to facilitate anything illegal
- Harass, threaten, or abuse another person or a church you contact through the app
- Impersonate another person, church, or organization
- Post or send content that's obscene, hateful, or discriminatory
- Send spam, unsolicited advertising, or use Steeple's messaging feature for anything unrelated to genuinely connecting with a church
- Scrape, harvest, or use automated tools to collect data from Steeple
- Attempt to bypass Steeple's security, access another user's account, or interfere with the app's normal operation
- Submit a church claim request on behalf of a church you're not actually authorized to represent
We may remove content, restrict features, or suspend an account that violates these terms.
05
Messaging and reporting
When you message a church through Steeple, that conversation is between you and the church. Steeple doesn't monitor conversations as they happen, but you can report a conversation or block a church directly from within the messages feature if you experience abuse, spam, or anything that violates these terms.
We may review reports and take action, including restricting an account's ability to send or receive messages, based on what we find.
06
Church listings and accuracy
Church information on Steeple comes from a mix of sources: publicly available information researched directly from a church's own website, information self-reported by a church through Steeple's claiming process, and information submitted through Steeple's public data and photo submission process.
Steeple makes real efforts to keep listings accurate, but can't guarantee that every detail -- service times, ministries, contact information, or anything else -- is complete or current. If you notice something that looks wrong, we'd genuinely appreciate you letting us know.
07
Claiming a church listing
If you represent a church and want to manage its Steeple listing, you can submit a claim request. By submitting a claim, you're confirming that you're actually authorized to represent that church.
Steeple reviews claim requests and may approve, deny, or ask for more information before granting access to manage a listing. We reserve the right to revoke a claim at any time if we determine it wasn't legitimate, or if the listing is being managed in a way that violates these terms.
08
Content you submit
You keep ownership of the content you submit to Steeple -- your profile information, your messages, and, if you manage a claimed church listing, anything you add on that church's behalf. By submitting content, you grant Steeple a license to display, store, and use it as needed to operate the app.
You're responsible for what you submit, and by submitting it you're confirming you have the right to share it -- for example, that a photo you upload is actually yours to share, or that you're authorized to post it on a church's behalf.
09
Intellectual property
The Steeple name, logo, and app design belong to Steeple and its founder. Please don't use them without permission. Church names, logos, and photos belong to their respective churches.
10
Termination
You can stop using Steeple and delete your account at any time. We may suspend or terminate an account that violates these terms, engages in abusive behavior toward other users or churches, or poses a risk to the safety or integrity of the platform.
11
Disclaimers and limitation of liability
Steeple is provided "as is," without warranties of any kind, express or implied. We don't guarantee the app will always be available, uninterrupted, or error-free, or that any church information is complete, accurate, or current.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Steeple and its founder aren't liable for any damages arising from your use of the app -- including any interaction, visit, or relationship you have with a church you found through Steeple. Your interactions with churches, and your decisions about which church to join or attend, are entirely your own.
12
Governing law and disputes
These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Indiana, without regard to its conflict-of-law rules, and any dispute arising from these terms or your use of Steeple will be handled in the state or federal courts located in Indiana.
13
Changes to these terms
We may update these terms as Steeple grows. If we make a material change, we'll update the effective date above and, where reasonable, let you know through the app.
