Privacy Policy

Student Soul is a ministry of Leith Valley Presbyterian Church, part of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand (PCANZ). We are committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020 (NZ).

Our practices sit within the wider accountability framework of the PCANZ Code of Ethics and the Children's and Youth Ministry Code of Ethics.

Our Public Website

The public Student Soul website does not use tracking cookies, analytics, or third-party advertising scripts. You can browse the site without any personal data being collected. By browsing the site you accept our Terms of Service.

Your Dashboard Account

When you create an account and sign in to the Student Soul dashboard, we collect and store:

• Account information — name and email address (via Google sign-in or manual sign-up)
• Event participation — RSVPs, serving sign-ups, and attendance
• Preferences — theme, notification settings, and other choices you make within the dashboard

We use authentication cookies solely to keep you signed in. No tracking or advertising cookies are used.

Public Event Registration

When you register for an event via a public RSVP page (without signing in), we collect your name, email, and optionally your phone number and dietary requirements. This information is used only for that event and for pastoral follow-up.

How We Use Your Information

• To manage your account and provide the Student Soul community platform
• To send event confirmations, reminders, and important community updates
• To enable pastors and leaders to support and care for community members

We do not sell or share your personal information with any third party.

Pastoral Care Information

Pastors and church leaders may maintain pastoral notes about community members as part of their duty of care. This information is confidential, restricted to authorised pastoral staff, and is used solely for spiritual care and community support purposes. Students and leaders cannot see pastoral notes held about them.

Data Storage & Security

Your data is stored securely on hosted infrastructure with access controls. All data in transit is protected by HTTPS. Access to personal information is restricted by role — students see only their own data, and pastoral information is limited to authorised staff.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide our services. You may request deletion of your account and associated data at any time.

Your Rights

Under the Privacy Act 2020, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your personal information
• Withdraw consent for communications

Contact

For privacy enquiries, data access requests, or complaints, contact us at tom@studentsoul.org.nz.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner at privacy.org.nz.