Terms of Service

Last Updated: January 2025

Please read these terms carefully before using The FORGE Spiritual Academy services.

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of The FORGE Spiritual Academy ("we," "us," or "our") website, platform, and services located at theforgeacademy.global.

By accessing or using our services, you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to these Terms, please do not use our services.

About Our Service

The FORGE Spiritual Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing online spiritual education, ministry training, and discipleship resources. Our services include:

  • Online courses and educational content
  • Community forums and discussion groups
  • Mentorship and coaching programs
  • Pastoral care and spiritual guidance
  • Calendar integration for scheduling ministry appointments

User Accounts and Registration

Account Creation

  • You must be at least 18 years old to create an account
  • You must provide accurate, current, and complete information
  • You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials
  • You are responsible for all activities that occur under your account

Google Account Sign-In

You may sign in using your Google account. By doing so:

  • You authorize us to access certain Google account information as described in our Privacy Policy
  • You agree to Google's Terms of Service and our use of Google APIs in accordance with Google's policies
  • You can revoke our access to your Google data at any time through your Google Account settings

Google API Services

Our application uses Google Calendar API to help you schedule ministry appointments and sessions. By authorizing Google Calendar access:

  • You grant us read-only access to your Google Calendar events for scheduling purposes
  • We will only use your Google data as described in our Privacy Policy
  • We comply with Google API Services User Data Policy, including Limited Use requirements
  • You can revoke access at any time through Google Account Permissions

Our use of information received from Google APIs adheres to Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.

Subscription and Payment Terms

Membership Tiers

We offer four membership tiers with varying levels of access. By subscribing:

  • You agree to pay the subscription fees associated with your chosen tier
  • Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled
  • Payments are processed securely through Stripe
  • All fees are in U.S. Dollars (USD)

Cancellation and Refunds

  • You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account settings
  • Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period
  • No refunds are provided for partial subscription periods
  • Course purchases are non-refundable unless otherwise stated
  • We may offer discretionary refunds on a case-by-case basis

Financial Assistance

As a nonprofit, we offer financial assistance to those in need. Please contact us at support@theforgeacademy.global if you require assistance.

User Conduct and Prohibited Activities

You agree NOT to:

  • Use our services for any unlawful purpose or in violation of these Terms
  • Impersonate any person or entity, or falsely state or misrepresent your affiliation
  • Harass, abuse, threaten, or intimidate other users
  • Post or transmit any content that is offensive, inappropriate, or violates community standards
  • Distribute spam, malware, or engage in phishing activities
  • Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems or other users' accounts
  • Scrape, mine, or extract data from our platform using automated means
  • Share your account credentials with others
  • Use our services to promote competing educational platforms

Violation of these terms may result in account suspension or termination without refund.

Intellectual Property Rights

Our Content

All course materials, videos, worksheets, and content on our platform are protected by copyright and owned by The FORGE Spiritual Academy or our licensors. You may not:

  • Copy, reproduce, or distribute course materials without permission
  • Share your account access to allow others to view paid content
  • Record, screenshot, or redistribute video lessons
  • Use our content for commercial purposes

Personal Use License

Subscribers are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use course materials for personal spiritual growth and ministry training purposes only.

User-Generated Content

When you post content (forum posts, comments, testimonies, journals):

  • You retain ownership of your content
  • You grant us a non-exclusive license to use, display, and distribute your content on our platform
  • You represent that you own or have permission to post the content
  • We may remove content that violates these Terms or community standards

Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

Educational Purpose

Our services are for educational and spiritual development purposes. While we provide ministry training and pastoral resources, we do NOT provide professional mental health counseling, medical advice, or licensed therapy services.

No Warranties

Our services are provided "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. We do not guarantee that our services will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure.

Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, The FORGE Spiritual Academy shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of our services.

Third-Party Services

Our platform integrates with third-party services (Google Calendar, Stripe, etc.). We are not responsible for the availability, functionality, or policies of these third-party services.

Account Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account if:

  • You violate these Terms of Service
  • You engage in fraudulent or abusive behavior
  • Your payment method fails or is declined
  • We believe your account poses a security risk

You may delete your account at any time through your Settings page. Upon termination:

  • Your access to paid content will immediately cease
  • Your personal data will be deleted as described in our Privacy Policy
  • Community posts may remain visible unless you request deletion

Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time to reflect changes in our services or legal requirements. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated Terms on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of our services after such changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

Governing Law and Disputes

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the United States and the State of [Your State], without regard to conflict of law principles.

Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of our services shall be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, except as required by law.

Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us:

Email: info@theforgeacademy.global

By using our services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service.

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