The Shepherds Path

Privacy Policy

Effective October 17, 2026

The Shepherds Path is a Bible learning app for children, new believers and seasoned believers. We collect as little as we can, we never sell your information, and there are no ads and no tracking.

What we collect

• Your email address (or the private relay address Apple gives us if you use Sign in with Apple), to create your account and sign you in. An adult (a parent or guardian, for children) creates the account.
• Learner profiles you add to your account: a first name or nickname and the level you choose. We don't ask for a child's email, birthday, photo, location or any other personal information.
• Learning progress: lessons finished, XP, streaks, rewards and quiz scores, so you can continue on any device.
• Friends and cheers, if you use them: friend connections made with a friend code, and the preset cheers you send.
• Groups and chat, if you use them: the name of a church or family group you start or join, who is in it, and the messages (text up to 500 characters) and emoji reactions you post in that group's chat. Reports and blocks you make are also stored (see Groups, chat and reporting below).
• Your plan: whether your account has a subscription or belongs to a family plan, and which free lessons it has used.
• A record of lesson requests (time and account only), kept for one day to prevent misuse.

What stays on your device

Journal entries and "live it out" answers are saved only on your device and are never sent to us. Lessons you have opened are also stored on your device so they work offline.

What we don't do

• No advertising and no ad networks.
• No selling or renting of your information, ever.
• No third-party analytics or tracking across apps or websites.
• No public profiles. Friends and group members see only a learner's first name and last initial (or nickname), level, streak, XP and lessons finished. Never journals or email addresses.
• No direct messages. Chat exists only inside a group you have joined with the group's code.

Payments

Subscriptions are handled by Apple (App Store), Google (Google Play) or our card payment processor on the website. They process your payment; we never see or store your card number. We receive only whether your subscription is active and which plan it is.

Children

Children use The Shepherds Path through a learner profile on a parent's or guardian's account. We collect no personal information from children beyond the first name or nickname the parent enters and their learning progress. A parent PIN can be set so a child's profile cannot add or accept friends, or join a group, without the parent. Parents can view, change or delete their child's profile and progress at any time in the app, or by contacting us.

Groups, chat and reporting

A group's messages can be read by everyone currently in that group, and by no one else. Group leaders can delete any message and remove members. Anyone can report a message or block a member from the message menu; blocking hides that person's messages from you. We use an automated filter that refuses rude words, links, email addresses and phone numbers, and we review reports, aiming to respond within 24 hours. When a message is reported we keep a copy of it, with who sent it and why it was reported, for as long as needed to keep people safe, even if the message is later deleted. Children can read a group's chat, but can post only after a group leader turns chat on for them. Joining a group as a Kids learner needs the parent PIN when one is set.

Who helps us run the app

We use a small number of trusted service providers for hosting, our database, email delivery, voice narration and payment processing. They handle data only to provide those services to us, under their own security and privacy obligations, and may not use it for anything else.

Keeping and deleting your information

We keep your account information while your account exists. You can delete your account at any time in the app (Progress → Account → Delete my account). This permanently deletes your account, every learner on it, and all of their progress, friends, group memberships, chat messages and family-plan links. Deleting your account does not cancel an App Store or Google Play subscription; cancel that in your device's subscription settings.

Security

All connections use encryption (HTTPS). Each family's data is protected so that only that account can read it.

Changes

If we change this policy, we will update the date above and, for important changes, let you know in the app.

Contact

Questions or requests about your information: support@shepherdspath.net.

The Shepherds Path is operated by Justin Guinnip, Tennessee, USA.