Registration Opens November 14th. Which course will you choose?

Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how By Living Waters Ministry School, an initiative of Martin Luther University College developed in partnership with the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, collects, uses, discloses, stores, and protects personal information.

This Policy applies to individuals who access the By Living Waters Ministry School website, create an Account, register for Courses, or participate in educational activities and Services offered through the Website.

By Living Waters Ministry School is committed to handling personal information responsibly and in accordance with applicable Canadian and Ontario privacy legislation and Martin Luther University College’s institutional privacy policies.

1. Definitions and Interpretation

In this Privacy Policy, the following terms have the meanings set out below:

“Account” means an individual user account created to register for Courses, access learning materials, participate in educational activities, or use other features of the Website.

“Content” means any and all text, graphics, images, audio, video, documents, Course materials, educational resources, or other information made available through, displayed on, or otherwise provided in relation to the Website or any Course administered by BLW.

“Cookie” means a small text file stored on a user's device when visiting the Website. Cookies may be used to support Website functionality, maintain user sessions, remember preferences, and collect information about Website usage, as further described in the Cookies Policy.

“Course” or “Courses” means the non-credit educational offering, module, class, seminar, workshop, lecture, conference, presentation, or other educational activity  provided through By Living Waters Ministry School, including associated learning activities and materials, whether offered in person, online, by correspondence or by any other means.

“Personal Information” means information about an identifiable individual, including information provided during Account creation, Course registration, payment, participation in educational activities, or communications with By Living Waters Ministry School.

“Payment Information” means information required to process payments for Courses or other paid offerings through an authorized payment service provider.

“Services” means the Courses, educational resources, learning activities, and related services offered by By Living Waters Ministry School through the Website.

“User” or “Participant” means any individual who accesses the Website, creates an Account, registers for a Course, or participates in the Services.

“Website” means the By Living Waters Ministry School website located at https://bylivingwaters.learnworlds.com/, including its associated pages and learning platform.

“By Living Waters Ministry School” or “BLW” means the ministry school initiative of Martin Luther University College, developed in partnership with the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada.

“We”, “Us”, or “Our” means Martin Luther University College, operating By Living Waters Ministry School.

2. Personal Information Collected

By Living Waters Ministry School may collect the following categories of personal information, as necessary for Account creation, Course registration, participation in educational activities, and the administration of its Services:

2.1 Personal identification information, such as name and preferred name;

2.2 Contact information, such as email address, telephone number, and mailing address, where required;

2.3 Congregational or organizational affiliation, ministry role, professional background, and other information relevant to Course registration or participation;

2.4 Demographic information, such as age group, geographic location, and other voluntarily provided information used to understand participant needs and evaluate educational programming;

2.5 Course registration and participation information, including Courses selected, enrolment status, learning activities, assignments, and feedback provided through the Website;

2.6 Payment and transaction information, including payment status, amounts paid, and transaction records. Payment card information is processed through authorized third-party payment service providers;

2.7 Technical information, such as IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device information, and Website access logs, which may be collected automatically;

2.8 Website usage information, including pages visited, referring websites, navigation activity, and interactions with Website features;

2.9 Information submitted through surveys, evaluations, contact forms, discussion forums, or other communications with By Living Waters Ministry School; and

2.10 Cookie and similar tracking information, as described in the Cookies Policy.

By Living Waters Ministry School will seek to collect only the personal information as it, in its sole discretion, determines is reasonably necessary for the identified purposes or for a purpose reasonably connected to an identified purpose in section 3.4 and will distinguish between required and optional information wherever practicable.

3. Our Use of Personal Information

  • 3.1 By Living Waters Ministry School may store Personal Information in physical or electronic form, including through secure systems, third-party service providers, cloud-based systems, or other information management platforms.
  • 3.2 By Living Waters Ministry School retains personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including Course administration, educational activities, institutional recordkeeping, and compliance with applicable legal requirements. Retention periods will be determined in accordance with Martin Luther University College's institutional policies and applicable privacy legislation.
  • 3.3 By Living Waters Ministry School may, in its sole discretion, destroy, delete, anonymize or otherwise dispose of Personal Information when it determines such information is no longer required for the purposes for which it was collected or as otherwise required or permitted by applicable law. 
  • 3.4 Personal information may be shared with authorized service providers and institutional personnel where reasonably necessary to administer Courses, process registrations and payments, provide technical support, or deliver educational services. Information will not be sold or disclosed to third parties for unrelated purposes without appropriate consent, except where required or permitted by law.
  • 3.5 By Living Waters Ministry School takes reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures to protect personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, loss, or misuse. Personal information will be handled in accordance with applicable Canadian and Ontario privacy legislation and Martin Luther University College's institutional privacy and information security policies.
  • 3.6 Personal Information collected through the Website may be used for the following purposes or for purposes reasonably connected to the following:
  • 3.6.1 Maintaining participant records, administering Course registrations, tracking enrolment and participation, and fulfilling institutional reporting and recordkeeping requirements;
  • 3.6.2 Evaluating and improving Courses, educational resources, learning experiences, and the overall effectiveness of By Living Waters Ministry School;
  • 3.6.3 Communicating information about upcoming Courses, educational opportunities, events, and ministry school developments, where participants have provided consent or where otherwise permitted under applicable Canadian anti-spam legislation. Participants may unsubscribe from promotional communications at any time; and
  • 3.6.4 Conducting surveys, collecting participant feedback, and undertaking program evaluation to better understand the needs of congregations, ministry leaders, and participants. Participation in optional surveys will be voluntary. Any separate research activities will be subject to applicable institutional requirements and additional consent where required.

4. Third Party Web Sites and Services

  • 4.1 By Living Waters Ministry School uses third-party service providers to support the operation of the Website and the delivery of its Courses and educational services. These may include, but are not limited to, learning management platforms, payment processors, email and communications services, technical support providers, and website analytics services.
  • 4.2 Personal information may be shared with these service providers where reasonably necessary to perform services on behalf of By Living Waters Ministry School. Access to personal information will be limited to what is required for the relevant service and at all material times will be subject to applicable contractual arrangements, privacy requirements, institutional policies, and applicable laws.
  • 4.3 Third-party service providers may process or store personal information outside Ontario or Canada, depending on their systems and operating locations. Where applicable, personal information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is processed or stored.
  • 4.4 By Living Waters Ministry School will take reasonable steps to ensure that third-party service providers handle personal information appropriately and in accordance with applicable Canadian and Ontario privacy legislation.
  • 4.5 The Website may contain links to external websites or resources operated by third parties. By Living Waters Ministry School is not responsible for the privacy practices of independently operated websites. Participants are encouraged to review the privacy policies of those websites before providing personal information.

5. Changes in Institutional Administration or Responsibility

  • 5.1 By Living Waters Ministry School operates as an initiative of Martin Luther University College in partnership with the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. Changes to the administration, governance, or delivery of the ministry school may require the transfer of relevant participant information to another authorized institutional entity. Any such transfer will be limited to information reasonably necessary for the continued administration of Courses and educational services and will be carried out in accordance with applicable privacy legislation and institutional policies.
  • 5.2 Where a change in institutional responsibility materially affects how participants' personal information is collected, used, disclosed, or protected, By Living Waters Ministry School will provide appropriate notice and obtain consent where required by applicable law. Participants will be informed of any relevant options concerning their personal information, subject to applicable legal and institutional recordkeeping requirements.

6. Controlling Access to your Personal Information

  • 6.1 By Living Waters Ministry School respects participants' choices regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of their personal information. Where applicable, participants will be provided with options to manage their privacy preferences, including:
  • 6.1.1 Choosing whether to receive promotional communications about upcoming Courses, educational opportunities, events, and other ministry school developments. Participants may withdraw their consent to receive these communications at any time; and
  • 6.1.2 Providing or withdrawing consent for optional uses or disclosures of personal information to third parties, where consent is required by applicable law. This does not prevent the use or disclosure of information reasonably necessary to administer Course registrations, process payments, deliver educational services, or meet legal obligations, as described in this Privacy Policy.
  • 6.2 Participants may contact By Living Waters Ministry School at BLWMS@wlu.ca to inquire about their privacy preferences or request changes to their consent choices, subject to applicable legal and institutional requirements.

7. Your Right to Withhold Information

  • 7.1 Individuals may access publicly available areas of the By Living Waters Ministry School Website without creating an Account or providing personal information directly. However, certain information may be required to create an Account, register for Courses, process payments, or participate in educational activities. Participants may choose not to provide optional information, but withholding information necessary for these purposes may limit access to certain Services.
  • 7.2 Users may manage or restrict the use of Cookies through their browser settings and, where available, the Website's cookie preference controls. Disabling certain Cookies may affect the functionality of the Website, including Account access and Course participation. Further information is provided in the Cookies Policy.

8. Accessing and Correcting Your Personal Information

  • 8.1 Participants may access their LearnWorlds Account to review and update certain personal information, including their contact details and Account preferences. Participants are encouraged to keep their information accurate and up to date.
  • 8.2 Participants may request access to, or correction of, personal information held about them by By Living Waters Ministry School by contacting BLWMS@wlu.ca. Requests will be reviewed and addressed in accordance with applicable privacy legislation and Martin Luther University College's institutional policies. Where access or correction cannot be provided, participants will be informed of the reasons, subject to applicable legal requirements.
  • 8.3 Participants may also inquire about the withdrawal of consent or deletion of personal information, where permitted by law and applicable institutional recordkeeping requirements.

9. Security of Personal Information

  • 9.1 By Living Waters Ministry School recognizes the importance of protecting participants' personal information and takes reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures to safeguard information collected, stored, or processed through the Website and its associated Services.
  • 9.2 Access to personal information is limited to authorized personnel and service providers who require it for legitimate educational, administrative, or technical purposes, in accordance with applicable institutional policies.
  • 9.3 By Living Waters Ministry School uses third-party platforms and service providers, including LearnWorlds and authorized payment processors, to support Course delivery and registration. These providers maintain their own security measures and are responsible for protecting information processed through their systems in accordance with applicable agreements and legal requirements.
  • 9.4 Although reasonable precautions are taken to protect personal information, no online system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Participants are encouraged to protect their Account credentials and report suspected unauthorized access or privacy concerns to BLWMS@wlu.ca.

10. Changes to this Privacy Policy

10.1 By Living Waters Ministry School may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in its educational services, operational practices, institutional policies, or applicable legislation.

10.2 Any updates will be published on the Website, together with the date of the most recent revision. 

10.3 Where changes materially affect how personal information is collected, used, or disclosed, By Living Waters Ministry School will provide appropriate notice and obtain additional consent where required by applicable law.

10.4 Where changes do not materially affect how personal information is collected, used, or disclosed, continued use of the Website after the update constitutes a User’s acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy. 

10.5 Participants are encouraged to review this Privacy Policy periodically to remain informed about how their personal information is handled.

11. Contacting Us

If there are any questions regarding this privacy policy you may contact us at BLWMS@wlu.ca