Terms & Conditions

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using the website, services, and content of Shepherd's Monthly ("Magazine," "we," "us," or "our"), including subscribing to the digital or print magazine, you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions ("Terms"), our Privacy Policy, and all other operating rules, policies, and procedures that may be published by us from time to time on the Site. If you do not agree to all these Terms, you may not access or use the services.

2. Subscription, Billing, and Renewal

2.1 Subscription

Access to the Magazine’s full content requires a paid subscription. Subscription tiers, features, and pricing are detailed on the website and are subject to change upon notice.

2.2 Payment and Billing

You agree to provide current, complete, and accurate purchase and account information for all subscriptions. You authorize us (or our third-party payment processor) to charge your designated payment method for all applicable subscription fees and taxes.

2.3 Auto-Renewal

All subscriptions are set to automatically renew at the end of the subscription period (e.g., monthly, annually) at the then-current non-promotional rate unless you cancel your subscription before the end of the current term. We will notify you of any changes to the renewal rate prior to billing.

2.4 Cancellation and Refunds

You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account dashboard or by contacting customer service. Cancellation will take effect at the end of the current billing period, and you will retain access until that date. Subscription fees are generally non-refundable. Refunds, if any, will be issued solely at our discretion.

2.5 Price Changes

Shepherd's Monthly reserves the right to adjust pricing for the Magazine or any components thereof in any manner and at any time as determined in our sole and absolute discretion. Any price changes will take effect following notice to you.

3. Content Use, Intellectual Property, and Limited License

3.1 Ownership

All content published by Shepherd's Monthly, including articles, editorial text, graphics, videos, code, and design (collectively, the "Content"), is owned by Shepherd's Monthly or its licensors and is protected by copyright and intellectual property laws.

3.2 Limited License for Clergy (Fair Use)

As a professional clergy magazine, we grant subscribers a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the Content for the following non-commercial, ministerial, and educational purposes:

Sermon Preparation: Using concepts, quotes, and structural elements from articles in sermons, lessons, or teaching materials delivered privately or publicly, provided that proper attribution to Shepherd's Monthly and the author is used when quoting directly.
Study and Research: Using Content for personal or educational research within a ministry setting.

Prohibited Uses: You may not reproduce, distribute, republish, create derivative works from, sell, or commercially exploit the Content in any other way, including:

Posting full articles online (on websites, social media, or blogs).
Systematically sharing Content with non-subscribers.
Distributing Content within a church or group setting without purchasing a designated multi-user license.

3.3 Trademarks

"Shepherd's Monthly" and all associated logos are trademarks of Shepherd's Monthly. You may not use these trademarks without prior written permission.

4. User Conduct and Account Security

4.1 Account Responsibilities

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account login information and for all activities that occur under your account. You agree to notify us immediately of any unauthorized use or security breach.

4.2 Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to use the services to:

Violate any applicable laws or regulations.
Post or transmit any material that is defamatory, obscene, indecent, abusive, offensive, harassing, violent, hateful, or inflammatory.
Impersonate any person or entity, or falsely state or misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity.
Engage in any form of advertising or solicitation (unless specifically permitted by us).
Introduce viruses, Trojan horses, worms, or any other malicious or technologically harmful material.

5. User-Generated Content (UGC)

5.1 Submissions

If you submit any articles, comments, forum posts, or other content ("UGC") to the Site, you grant Shepherd's Monthly a worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, and fully sublicensable right to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, and display such UGC throughout the world in any media.

5.2 Warranties on UGC

By submitting UGC, you warrant that you own or otherwise control all of the rights to the UGC, that the content is accurate, and that the use of the UGC does not violate these Terms or infringe upon the rights of any third party.

6. Disclaimers and No Professional Advice

6.1 Content Disclaimers

The Content provided by Shepherd's Monthly is for informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional legal, financial, or psychological advice. Always seek the advice of qualified professionals in those respective fields.

6.2 No Warranties

The service and all content are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis, without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. We do not warrant that the service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure.

7. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, in no event shall Shepherd's Monthly, its affiliates, directors, employees, or agents be liable for any indirect, punitive, incidental, special, consequential, or exemplary damages, including, without limitation, damages for loss of profits, goodwill, data, or other intangible losses, that result from the use of, or inability to use, the service or content. Our total liability to you for any damages, losses, and causes of action shall not exceed the amount paid by you, if any, for accessing the services during the twelve (12) months preceding the claim.

8. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of North Carolina, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. You agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of the courts located within Wake County, North Carolina for the purpose of litigating all such claims or disputes.

9. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify or replace these Terms at any time. If a revision is material, we will provide at least 30 days' notice prior to any new terms taking effect. By continuing to access or use our Service after those revisions become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised terms.

10. Miscellaneous

10.1 Entire Agreement

These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and Shepherd's Monthly concerning the use of the service.

10.2 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.