Terms of Service
Effective date: September 4, 2025
Welcome to The Outpouring Network. These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of our website outpouring.us and related services (the "Service"). By accessing or using our Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy.
Our Mission and Community Standards
The Outpouring Network exists to connect believers and unite Christian communities. We are committed to fostering a respectful, encouraging, and Christ-centered environment where believers can grow together in faith, share resources, and collaborate in Kingdom work.
Acceptance of Terms
By creating an account or using our Service, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree with these Terms, you may not use our Service.
Community Guidelines and Conduct Standards
As a Christian community platform, we maintain high standards for interaction and content. All users must:
Respectful Communication
- Treat all people with respect and dignity in all engagements, reflecting Christ's love in your interactions
- Use appropriate language – profanity of any kind will not be tolerated
- Avoid denigrating or unbecoming behavior that does not reflect Christian character
- Engage constructively in discussions, seeking understanding rather than argument
Faith and Religious Content
- No proselytizing on behalf of non-Christian religions – this platform is specifically for Christian community building
- Questioning Christian faith must be done respectfully and in an information-seeking manner, not with intent to bring reproach upon the faith
- Theological discussions are welcome when conducted with humility and a heart for learning
- Denominational differences should be approached with grace and recognition of our unity in Christ
Prohibited Content and Behavior
- Harassment, bullying, threats, or intimidation of any kind
- Content that is hateful, discriminatory, or promotes violence
- Spam, excessive self-promotion, or commercial solicitation without permission
- Impersonation of others or providing false information
- Sharing copyrighted material without proper authorization
- Content that is sexually explicit, inappropriate, or not suitable for all ages
- Attempts to hack, disrupt, or compromise the security of our Service
- Any illegal activities or content
User Accounts and Registration
To access many features of our Service, you must create an account. You agree to:
- Provide accurate and complete information during registration
- Maintain the security of your account credentials
- Notify us immediately of any unauthorized account access
- Be responsible for all activities that occur under your account
- Use only one account unless specifically authorized otherwise
Content and Intellectual Property
Your Content
By posting content, you retain ownership of your content. You grant The Outpouring Network a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, transferable, sublicensable license to host, store, reproduce, publish, display, perform, and distribute your content solely for operating, promoting, and improving the Service. You can delete your content at any time; this license will continue for a commercially reasonable period to allow technical caching, backups, and lawful archival.
You represent and warrant you have all rights necessary for the content you post and that it does not infringe others’ rights.
Training Courses and Materials
Training courses on our platform are publicly viewable and come with specific licensing terms as indicated on each course. License options include various Creative Commons licenses and All Rights Reserved options, as detailed in our licensing page.
Our Content
The Outpouring Network retains ownership of all proprietary platform features, design elements, and original content we create. Our trademarks, service marks, and logos may not be used without permission.
Privacy and Information Sharing
Public vs. Private Information:
- Forum posts, organization listings, events, and course content are publicly visible and should be considered public information
- Profile information (name, bio, contact details) is only visible to verified registered users
- Personal information will never be sold or shared with third parties without your consent
- For complete details, see our Privacy Policy
User Roles and Permissions
Our platform includes different user roles with varying permissions:
- Users: Basic access to view content and participate in forums
- Leaders: Can create and manage organizations, events, and training courses
- Moderators: Help maintain community standards and assist with content moderation
- Administrators: Full access to platform management and oversight
Moderation and Enforcement
We reserve the right to monitor, review, and remove content that violates these Terms or is otherwise objectionable. We may also suspend or terminate accounts that repeatedly violate our community standards. Our moderation decisions are final, though we welcome respectful appeals through our contact process.
Copyright & DMCA
We respect intellectual property rights and respond to notices of alleged infringement under the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”). If you believe content infringes your copyright, send a notice including: (1) your physical or electronic signature; (2) identification of the copyrighted work; (3) identification of the infringing material and its location; (4) your contact information; (5) a statement of good-faith belief; and (6) a statement under penalty of perjury that the information is accurate and you are authorized to act.
Designated Agent: DMCA Agent, The Outpouring Network, [postal address], [email].
We may remove allegedly infringing content and, in appropriate circumstances, terminate repeat infringers.
No Professional Advice
Content on the Service—including courses, discussions, and event materials—is provided for general informational and faith-based purposes only and does not constitute professional, legal, medical, counseling, or financial advice. Seek a qualified professional where appropriate.
Dispute Resolution
You and The Outpouring Network agree that any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service will be resolved by binding arbitration administered by a recognized arbitration provider, on an individual basis, and not in a class or representative action. The seat and venue will be Coweta County, Georgia, unless otherwise required by law.
You may opt out of arbitration within 30 days of accepting these Terms by contacting us. If you opt out, you agree to exclusive jurisdiction in the state and federal courts located in Georgia.
Service Availability
We strive to provide reliable access to our Service but cannot guarantee uninterrupted availability. We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any aspect of the Service with appropriate notice when possible.
Third-Party Services
Our Service may include links to third-party websites or integrate with third-party services. We are not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or terms of service of these third parties.
Some forms may be protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
General
Entire Agreement. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any referenced policies, constitute the entire agreement between you and us.
Severability. If any provision is held invalid, the remaining provisions remain in full force.
Assignment. You may not assign these Terms without our consent; we may assign them as part of a merger, acquisition, or asset transfer.
Survival. Provisions that by their nature should survive (including intellectual-property licenses, disclaimers, limitation of liability, indemnification, and dispute resolution) shall survive termination.
Disclaimers
Our Service is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of user-generated content. Users are responsible for verifying information and making their own decisions based on content found on our platform.
Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, The Outpouring Network shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits or revenues, whether incurred directly or indirectly, or any loss of data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses resulting from your use of the Service.
Indemnification
You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless The Outpouring Network and its affiliates from and against any claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs, or debt, and expenses (including attorney's fees) arising from your use of the Service or violation of these Terms.
Termination
Either party may terminate your account at any time. Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately. We may retain certain information as required by law or for legitimate business purposes.
Governing Law
These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Georgia, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles.
Changes to Terms
We may modify these Terms from time to time. We will notify users of material changes through our platform or via email. Your continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms.
Contact Information
If you have questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us. We are committed to addressing your concerns and maintaining a positive community experience for all users.
We are not liable for delays or failures caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including acts of God, internet or hosting failures, labor disputes, or governmental actions.