Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Starting Point operates the Starting Point: Discipleship mobile application and the web platform at https://startingpoint.site. In this policy "we", "us" and "our" refer to Starting Point.

You can contact us at manorldsapiens@gmail.com.

2. What data we collect

We collect the following personal information when you register or use our platform:

• Identity data — full name, date of birth, gender
• Contact data — phone number, email address
• Location data — city and country (optional)
• Programme data — session attendance, follow-up notes, milestones
• Device data — device type and operating system (for app support only; we do not use advertising identifiers)

For participants who are minors (under 18), we may also collect guardian contact details provided by your church administrator or facilitator.

3. How we use your data

We use your personal information solely to:

• Enrol you in the Starting Point 5-week discipleship programme
• Connect you with a personal facilitator who will support your journey
• Send you session reminders, programme materials, and follow-up messages via email, SMS, or WhatsApp
• Track your progress through the programme sessions
• Allow you to access your session materials and course content through the app
• Provide church leadership with aggregated (non-identifiable) reporting on programme outcomes

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.

4. Legal basis for processing

We process your data on the basis of consent (given when you or your church administrator registers you in the programme) and legitimate interest (to fulfil the pastoral care and follow-up commitments of the Starting Point programme).

5. Third-party service providers

We use the following trusted third-party services to deliver communications. Each provider processes only the data necessary to send the message:

• Africa's Talking — SMS delivery. Your phone number is shared with Africa's Talking solely to deliver text messages. Privacy Policy ↗
• Twilio — WhatsApp message delivery. Your phone number is shared with Twilio solely to deliver WhatsApp messages. Privacy Policy ↗
• Email provider — Transactional email (session reminders, welcome messages). Your email address is used only for programme communications.

All providers are contractually bound to use your data only for the purpose for which it was shared and to maintain appropriate security standards.

6. Data retention

We retain your personal data for as long as you are an active participant in the Starting Point programme, or for up to 2 years after your last activity, after which data is anonymised or deleted unless a longer retention period is required by law or your church's safeguarding policy.

You may request deletion of your account and data at any time (see Section 8).

7. Data security

We implement industry-standard security measures including encrypted data transmission (TLS/HTTPS), hashed passwords, and access controls so that only your assigned facilitator and church administrators can view your personal information. API tokens are rotated on logout and expire automatically.

8. Your rights

You have the right to:

• Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Correction — ask us to correct inaccurate data
• Deletion — request that your data be deleted ("right to be forgotten")
• Opt out of communications — unsubscribe from email, SMS, or WhatsApp messages at any time via the link in any message or through the app's notification settings
• Portability — receive your data in a portable format
• Objection — object to processing based on legitimate interest

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at manorldsapiens@gmail.com. We will respond within 30 days.

9. Children's privacy

Where participants are minors (under 18), enrolment is carried out by a parent, guardian, or authorised church administrator. We require parental or guardian consent before processing a minor's data and store guardian contact details alongside the minor's profile for safeguarding purposes.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page will reflect any changes. Continued use of the app or platform after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

11. Contact us

For any questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy, please contact: