Ministry Margin Privacy Policy
Effective date: July 2, 2026
Ministry Margin apps are designed to keep your church data under your control.
Ministry Margin does not operate a server that collects, stores, sells, analyzes, or advertises against your church data. The apps connect directly to Planning Center using your Planning Center account permissions, store the data they need on your device, and use Apple services only when you choose features that require them.
This policy applies to Ministry Margin apps, including Ministry Margin for Mac and Ministry Margin Directory for iPhone. Some features are available only in certain apps; app-specific differences are noted below.
Planning Center Data
Ministry Margin signs in to Planning Center using Planning Center's secure OAuth sign-in process. Ministry Margin does not ask for, receive, or store your Planning Center password.
When you connect Planning Center, the apps may read data your Planning Center account is allowed to access. Depending on the app and features you use, this may include:
- People list data, such as names, profile photos, phone numbers, email addresses, physical addresses, household or family details, and list membership
- Service plans, teams, assignments, schedules, blockouts, songs, and related service information
- Calendar events, registration-related event information, and reports available to your Planning Center account
Ministry Margin may import and cache selected Planning Center data on your device so the app can open quickly, search, display useful views, and remain helpful between refreshes. For example, the Mac app can import a Planning Center People list into the app for browsing, searching, contact workflows, and prayer-request association. Ministry Margin Directory imports the Planning Center People list you choose so you can browse, search, contact people, and connect prayer requests to people.
Planning Center requests go directly between the app and Planning Center. Ministry Margin does not receive a copy of your Planning Center data on a Ministry Margin server.
Some features may send changes back to Planning Center when you intentionally use them, such as creating blockouts or updating supported Planning Center workflow data. Those changes are made through Planning Center using your account permissions.
Local Storage
Ministry Margin stores app data locally on your device. This may include cached Planning Center data, selected lists, app preferences, profile images, prayer requests, and connection state.
Planning Center OAuth tokens are stored securely using Apple's Keychain.
If you sign out of Planning Center in the app, Ministry Margin removes the local Planning Center session and local account-scoped cached data from that device. Deleting the app also removes its local app data from that device.
Your original church records remain managed by your church in Planning Center.
Prayer Requests
Prayer requests are private Ministry Margin app data. They are not written back to Planning Center.
You can use prayer requests locally without iCloud Sync. In that case, prayer requests stay on the device where they were created.
If you turn on Prayer iCloud Sync, prayer requests sync through Apple's CloudKit service using your own iCloud account. This allows prayer requests to stay updated across supported Ministry Margin apps, such as Ministry Margin for Mac and Ministry Margin Directory for iPhone.
Prayer requests are not sent to a Ministry Margin server and are not shared with analytics, advertising services, or Planning Center.
When a prayer request is deleted, it is removed from normal app views. To prevent old offline devices from bringing deleted prayer text back, Ministry Margin may retain a minimal deletion record in iCloud sync metadata. That deletion record is designed not to retain the prayer text, the person's name, or the person's Planning Center ID.
Apple Contacts
Ministry Margin apps may help you save Planning Center contact information into Apple Contacts when you choose to do so.
Ministry Margin Directory saves a selected person to Apple Contacts only when you choose Save to Contacts.
Ministry Margin for Mac may add or update contacts from a selected Membership list when you explicitly choose the Contacts sync feature. The app asks for Contacts permission before using this feature. It uses Apple Contacts locally to add missing cards or update clear matches. Unclear matches are skipped.
Ministry Margin does not upload your Apple Contacts database to Ministry Margin, Planning Center, or any advertising or analytics service.
Contact Actions
When you choose to call, text, email, or open directions, Ministry Margin hands that action to the appropriate Apple app or system service, such as Phone, Messages, Mail, Contacts, or Maps. Those Apple services are governed by Apple's privacy practices and your device settings.
iCloud
Prayer iCloud Sync is optional. If enabled, prayer requests sync through Apple's CloudKit service using your iCloud account.
Turning off Prayer iCloud Sync stops that device from syncing prayer requests through iCloud. It does not necessarily delete prayer records already stored in your private iCloud data. To remove synced prayer requests, delete them in the app before disabling sync, or manage app data through Apple's iCloud settings where available.
Purchases and Subscriptions
Purchases and subscriptions are handled by Apple through the App Store. Ministry Margin does not receive your payment card number.
Apple may provide subscription status or transaction information needed to unlock paid features. Apple's handling of payment and App Store data is governed by Apple's own privacy policy.
Demo Mode
Demo mode uses sample data on your device. Demo mode does not connect to Planning Center and does not upload demo church data to Ministry Margin.
Analytics, Advertising, and Tracking
Ministry Margin apps do not include third-party advertising SDKs.
Ministry Margin apps do not track you across apps or websites.
Ministry Margin does not sell personal information.
Ministry Margin does not use church, contact, Planning Center, or prayer data for advertising.
Apple may provide developers with App Store, TestFlight, crash, or performance information under Apple's own systems and privacy practices. Ministry Margin does not use that information to identify church members, prayer requests, or Planning Center records.
Logs, Search, and AI Features
Ministry Margin is designed not to place prayer text, contact data, pastoral-care data, or Planning Center records into diagnostic logs.
Prayer and contact data are not intentionally exposed to Spotlight, Siri, Apple Intelligence, or AI features by default.
If you manually copy, export, screenshot, email, or share information from the app, that action is controlled by you and may be handled by the service you choose.
Children and Ministry Data
Ministry Margin is intended for ministry leaders and church staff, not for use by children.
Depending on your Planning Center permissions, church data visible in the app may include information about children, families, or household relationships. Ministry Margin treats that information as sensitive ministry data and uses it only for the app features you choose.
Data Retention and Deletion
Local app data remains on your device until you sign out, delete the app, clear the relevant data through app settings where available, or your operating system removes it.
Planning Center data remains controlled by Planning Center and your church's Planning Center account.
Prayer requests stored only locally are removed when deleted in the app or when the app's local data is removed.
Prayer requests synced with iCloud remain in your private iCloud data until deleted through the app or managed through iCloud. Minimal deletion metadata may be retained to prevent deleted prayer requests from reappearing on other devices.
Apple Contacts created or updated by Ministry Margin remain in Apple Contacts until you edit or delete them in Contacts.
Third-Party Services
Ministry Margin uses these services only as needed for app functionality:
- Planning Center, for church data accessed through your Planning Center account permissions
- Apple iCloud and CloudKit, if you enable Prayer iCloud Sync
- Apple Contacts, if you choose to save or sync contacts
- Apple system apps and services, when you choose actions such as calling, texting, emailing, opening maps, or subscribing through the App Store
Ministry Margin does not share your church data with third-party advertising networks, data brokers, or analytics services.
Your Choices
You can:
- Choose whether to connect Planning Center
- Sign out of Planning Center in the app
- Choose which Planning Center People list to use
- Use prayer requests locally without iCloud Sync
- Turn Prayer iCloud Sync on or off
- Delete prayer requests in the app
- Choose whether to save or sync contacts to Apple Contacts
- Revoke Contacts access in Apple system settings
- Delete the app to remove its local app data from that device
Changes to This Policy
This policy may be updated as Ministry Margin apps change. If the apps add new data practices, this policy and the App Store privacy information will be updated to reflect those changes.
Contact
For privacy questions, contact:
jonny@ministrymargin.com