Terms of Service
Last updated: March 19, 2026
1. Agreement to Terms
By accessing or using ShepherdOS ("the Service"), operated by Collins Worldwide Co ("we," "us," "our"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.
2. Description of Service
ShepherdOS is a cloud-based church management platform that provides tools for congregation management, financial tracking, communications, volunteer scheduling, worship planning, and other church operations. The Service is accessed primarily via SMS text messaging, with optional web dashboard and mobile application interfaces.
3. Accounts and Registration
To use the Service, a church or organization must register an account through our onboarding process. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities under your account. You must notify us immediately of any unauthorized use.
4. Acceptable Use
You agree to use the Service only for lawful purposes related to church or organizational management. You may not:
- Use the Service to send spam, unsolicited messages, or marketing to people who have not opted in
- Attempt to access data belonging to other organizations on the platform
- Reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract the source code of the Service
- Use the Service in any way that violates applicable laws or regulations
- Upload content that is harmful, threatening, abusive, or otherwise objectionable
5. Data Ownership
Your church's data belongs to your church. We do not claim ownership of any content, member information, financial records, or other data you store in ShepherdOS. You retain all rights to your data and may export it at any time.
6. Data Isolation
ShepherdOS operates as a multi-tenant platform with strict data isolation. Each organization's data is separated by unique identifiers and access controls. No organization can view, access, or modify another organization's data.
7. Messaging and SMS
ShepherdOS sends SMS, MMS, and email messages on behalf of your organization to your members and contacts. You are responsible for ensuring that all recipients have provided appropriate consent to receive messages. You must comply with all applicable messaging laws including the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and CAN-SPAM Act.
Opt-In and Consent: Members and visitors opt in to receive SMS messages through the following methods: (1) texting a keyword (such as SHEPHERD, VISIT, or a church-specific keyword) to the church's dedicated ShepherdOS phone number; (2) completing a paper or digital connection card that includes their phone number at a church service; (3) registering for a church event and providing their phone number; or (4) being added by an authorized church staff member with the individual's verbal or written consent.
Message Types: Messages sent through ShepherdOS include visitor welcome and follow-up, volunteer scheduling reminders, event notifications and registration confirmations, prayer request routing and pastoral care follow-ups, giving receipts and financial statements, birthday and milestone celebrations, service cancellation and emergency alerts, small group and ministry team coordination, and children's check-in notifications to parents.
Message Frequency: Message frequency varies based on church activity and member preferences. Typical members receive approximately 2 to 8 messages per month. Event-specific messages may be more frequent during active registration periods.
Opt-Out: Message recipients may opt out at any time by replying STOP to any message from their church's ShepherdOS number. A confirmation of unsubscription will be sent immediately. No further messages will be sent unless the recipient opts in again. Churches may not re-add opted-out individuals without obtaining new explicit consent.
Help: Recipients may reply HELP to any message to receive assistance or contact information for their church.
Message and Data Rates: ShepherdOS does not charge recipients for receiving SMS messages. However, standard message and data rates from the recipient's mobile carrier may apply.
Supported Carriers: Messages are delivered via all major US carriers including AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, US Cellular, and others.
Brand Identification: All messages sent through ShepherdOS identify the sending church or organization by name. ShepherdOS is operated by Collins Worldwide Co, Baltimore, Maryland.
8. Payment Terms
Subscription fees are billed monthly or annually as selected during registration. All fees are non-refundable except as required by law. We reserve the right to change pricing with 30 days' notice. A one-time setup fee may apply to cover phone number provisioning and carrier registration costs.
9. Third-Party Services
ShepherdOS integrates with third-party services including Twilio (SMS), Stripe (payments), Plaid (banking), Cloudflare (hosting), and others. Your use of these integrations is subject to the respective third-party terms of service.
10. Service Availability
We strive for high availability but do not guarantee uninterrupted access. We may perform maintenance that temporarily affects service availability. We will provide reasonable notice of planned maintenance when possible.
11. Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, Collins Worldwide Co shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the Service. Our total liability shall not exceed the amount you paid for the Service in the twelve months preceding the claim.
12. Termination
Either party may terminate this agreement at any time. Upon termination, you may export your data within 30 days. After 30 days, your data will be deleted from our systems. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms.
13. Changes to Terms
We may update these terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes via email or through the Service. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance of the new terms.
14. Contact
For questions about these terms, contact us at: Collins Worldwide Co, Baltimore, Maryland. Email: support@shepherdos.com