Your trust, held gently
When you reach out to Light in the Storm in Sparta, Michigan, I hold your story and your information with quiet care and respect.
Privacy Policy
Effective October 18, 2026 Introduction Light in the Storm treats what you share with care, collects only what is needed to serve you, and never sells your information. Light in the Storm is a chaplaincy and biblical counseling ministry led by Chaplain Mark O'Reilly in Sparta, Michigan. This policy explains what information is gathered through lightinthestorm.co, through the booking and contact forms, and in the course of sessions held in person, by phone, or online. It also explains how that information is used and protected. Light in the Storm provides pastoral and biblical counseling, not licensed clinical therapy. It is not a healthcare provider, so federal health privacy law (HIPAA) does not generally apply. Even so, I hold your information to a high standard of confidentiality, as described below. Information I collect I collect only what you choose to give me, plus basic technical data any website receives. • Contact form: your name, email, phone number (optional), how you prefer to be reached, what brings you here, and your message. • Session request form: your name, email, phone, preferred contact method, what brings you here, and anything you choose to share before we talk. • Online booking: the details the booking tool asks for, such as your name, contact information, and the date and time you choose. • Phone calls, texts, and email: whatever you share when you reach out directly. • Sessions: brief notes I may keep to remember your situation and follow up with care. • Free-will offerings: if you give an offering, the record needed to receive it. I do not store card or bank numbers myself. • Technical data: like most websites, the site’s host may record your browser type, device, IP address, and pages visited. Please share only what you are comfortable sharing. You never have to put sensitive details in a web form; you can wait and tell me in person. How I use your information Your information is used only to care for you and run this ministry. • To respond to your message and schedule sessions • To send reminders and, for online sessions, your private meeting link • To remember what you’ve shared so I can walk with you well over time • To provide referrals to counselors, therapists, or other help, but only with your permission • To acknowledge free-will offerings • To keep the website working and secure I do not sell, rent, or trade your information. I do not add you to a mailing list or send promotional messages unless you ask to receive them. Stories shared on this site are used only with written permission, with names and identifying details removed. Confidentiality in sessions What you share with me in a session stays between us, except in the narrow situations listed in the next section. I do not discuss your conversations with family members, churches, employers, or anyone else without your permission. If you would like me to speak with someone on your behalf, such as a pastor, doctor, or family member, I will ask for your consent first. When couples or families meet together, I will talk with everyone at the start about how information shared in the room will be handled. Limits of confidentiality There are a few situations where I may need to share information to protect life or follow the law. When it is safe and possible, I will talk with you first. • Risk of serious harm to yourself: if I believe your life is in danger, I may contact emergency services or a crisis line. • Risk of serious harm to others: if you share a serious threat against an identifiable person, I may take steps to protect that person. • Abuse or neglect of a child or vulnerable adult: I will make reports required by Michigan law. • Legal requirements: if a court orders me to release information, or the law otherwise requires it. If you are in immediate danger or having thoughts of harming yourself, please call 911 or call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Services I rely on A few trusted outside services help run this website and ministry. Each has its own privacy policy, and each receives only what it needs to do its part. • Durable: hosts this website, its forms, and online booking • Proton Mail: encrypted email for chaplainmark.macc@protonmail.com • Phone carrier: calls and texts to 616-383-9028 • Video meeting service: online sessions, using a private link sent before we meet • Google Maps: the map of Sparta shown on the site • Facebook: link to Chaplain Mark’s Facebook page; only what you share if you visit or message there I do not give these services permission to use your information for their own marketing. Cookies and site statistics This website may use cookies, small files stored in your browser, to work properly and to show me general visitor counts. I do not use them to track you across other websites or to build an advertising profile of you. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings; the site will still work, though some features, like booking, may not. Keeping your information safe I keep your information only as long as it serves your care, and I protect it with reasonable safeguards. • Email is handled through Proton Mail, which encrypts messages. • Any session notes are kept private and secure, and are not shared with others. • When information is no longer needed, I delete or securely destroy it. No website, email, or phone service can be guaranteed 100% secure. If you’d rather not put something sensitive in writing, you’re always welcome to call or wait until we meet. Your choices You stay in control of your information. You may ask me to: • Tell you what information I have about you • Correct anything that is wrong • Delete your information, unless the law requires me to keep it • Stop contacting you • Withdraw permission you gave earlier, such as for a referral or a shared story Just call, text, or email me, and I will respond within a few days. Children and minors This website is meant for adults. I do not knowingly collect information online from children under 13. Care for anyone under 18 is arranged with a parent or guardian. If you believe a child has sent me information through this site, please contact me and I will delete it. Changes and contact If this policy changes, the updated version will be posted on this page with a new effective date. Questions or requests about your privacy are always welcome: Chaplain Mark O'Reilly, Light in the Storm Sparta, Michigan Phone: 616-383-9028 Email: chaplainmark.macc@protonmail.com
Questions about your information
Simple answers about what I collect and how I handle your information.
What happens with what you share?
I use your information only to respond to you and support you. Conversations stay private, except where safety or the law requires otherwise.
I keep your story between us
Your information stays in my care. I share it only with the services needed to support you.
What I keep private
Always
The details you share stay with me, held in confidence and used only for your care.
Confidential sessions
Never sold
Private records
Services I rely on
As needed
I use a few secure tools to schedule visits and share forms with you.
Secure scheduling
Encrypted email
Private online rooms
Your choices
Yours
You choose how I reach you and what you share, every step of the way.
Pick contact method
Share what you wish
Ask me anything
One simple promise, kept every time
Your information stays yours. I keep it safe, you stay in control, and children's details receive extra care. Never sold, no guesswork.
Reach out today
Questions about this policy or your information? Chaplain Mark is glad to help. Reach out by phone, email, or the form below.