Privacy Policy

NewHope values your privacy

NewHope Baptist Church

Privacy Policy

NewHope Baptist Church (“the Church”) has introduced a Privacy Policy to ensure that we always respect the right to privacy of those with whom we interact.

The Church complies with the requirements of the Privacy Act 1988 (as amended). In order to safeguard an individual’s right to privacy, we have created a policy to reflect the spirit and content of the government’s privacy legislation. This will ensure we protect the trust you place in us when you provide us with your personal details.

Our Policy

We will use your personal details to provide any personal ministry, to administer your relationship with the Church and to provide you with information on Church events and ministries.

We only collect information where it is necessary to do so to provide a service to you or where we are required by law to do so (eg staff superannuation and taxation information). Without your personal details we may not be able to interact with you or provide ministry opportunities in a meaningful way.

Your personal details are not generally available to everyone. In some instances information is available on an unrestricted basis (eg Church Directory) but this only occurs with your full knowledge and consent.

Access to your personal information is always restricted to those staff and leaders who require the information to provide a service to you. We will not pass on any of your personal details to any other organisation or third party.

Online Security

Our commitment to privacy includes our internet sites. We have a public web site at www.newhope.net.au which is available to anyone. There is no personal data stored on this site.

We have a web site which is only available to the Church community which contains information similar to the information we print in the weekly church Bulletin. Access to this information is restricted to the Church community and has password protection.

There is also an internal intranet site available only to staff. Access to this information is restricted by type of information on a need to know basis and is protected by password protection (eg credit card giving or taxation receipts for our tax-deductible funds are only accessible by the Administrator and accounting staff).

Security Cameras

To increase security for people and NewHope’s property and facilities, CCTV cameras have been installed in some public areas. Any data collected will only be used for legitimate security reasons and in accordance with the church Privacy Policy and not published for any other reason.

Information We Collect

There are many sources of information that we collect. The sort of information we may collect includes:
• Name and Address
• Phone numbers and email addresses so we can communicate with you
• Family member details
• Details of donations where receipts for taxation purposes are required
• Communications you have with us (eg letters, prayer requests)
• Records of discussions (eg counselling sessions) – we will tell you when we keep a record of meetings/discussions
• Your involvement in ministries so we can provide a meaningful ministry relationship
• Records of visits, Phonecare calls and pastoral matters
• Staff details for superannuation, payroll and taxation purposes.

In order to keep your information as current as possible please let us know of any changes to your personal details.

If you want a copy of this information please write to us and include the pastors/counsellors you deal with. You can request us to modify your personal data at any time if you believe it is not accurate, complete or up to date.

It will be obvious that some of the above information which we collect is of a sensitive nature. In order to comply with National Privacy Principle No. 10, we assure you that:

• Such information will relate solely to members of the Church or to those who have regular contact with the Church in connection with the church’s activities; and
• The Church undertakes to all such individuals whom the information concerns that the church will not disclose such information without the individual’s consent.

There are other matters set out in National Privacy Principle No. 10 which also govern the collection of sensitive information and the church will comply with these matters as well.

We will do everything we can do to respect your privacy and will only make your information available to those who have an absolute need to provide a service to you.