Last Modified: 03/15/2025
This document contains very important information regarding your rights and obligations, as well as conditions, limitations, and exclusions that might apply to you. Please read it carefully. By using this website, you affirm that you are of legal age to enter into this agreement, and you accept and are bound by these terms and conditions. You may not access or use this website if you (a) do not agree to these terms, (b) are not the older of (i) at least 18 years of age or (ii) legal age to form a binding contract, or (c) are prohibited from accessing or using this website or any of this website’s contents, goods or services by applicable law.
1 Acceptance of the Terms of Use
These terms of use are entered into by and between You and Friends of the Lutheran Church in Norway and Iceland dba Friends of the Lutheran Church in Norway (LCIN) (“FOLCIN”, “we”, “us”, or “our”), a not-for-profit corporation incorporated in the state of Illinois, United States, and is described as a public charity under sections 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. The following terms and conditions, together with any documents they expressly incorporate by reference (collectively, “Terms of Use”) govern your access to this including any content, functionality, and services (collectively “Services”) offered on or through the “[” website ([URL]), and includes your use of FOLCIN materials, programs and brand (collectively “Website”), whether as a guest or a registered user. Please read the Terms of Use carefully before you start to use the Website. By using the Website or by clicking to accept or agree to the Terms of Use when this option is made available to you, you accept and agree to be bound and abide by these Terms of Use and our Online Privacy Policy, found here and incorporated herein by reference. If you do not want to agree to these Terms of Use or the Privacy Policy, you must not access or use the Website.
2 Qualifications for Use
This Website is offered and available to users who are 18 years of age or older. The subject matter and materials of the Website are intended for individuals of sound mind, healthy psychological constitution, and good mental health. FOLCIN is committed to your well-being and the well-being of all its users. FOLCIN reserves the right to cancel, terminate, or otherwise refuse the use of the Website and any related services, when in FOLCIN’s sole discretion, FOLCINI determines that a user’s use of the Website or use or participation in FOLCIN’s services would potentially be psychologically, mentally, physically, or otherwise injurious to you or to other users. By using this Website, you represent and warrant that you are of legal age to form a binding contract with FOLCIN, meet all of the foregoing mental health eligibility qualifications, and agree to comply with FOLCIN’s determinations regarding your qualifications to use the Website and FOLCIN’s services. If you do not meet all of these qualifications, you must not access or use the Website.
3 Changes to the Terms of Use
We may revise and update these Terms of Use from time to time in our sole discretion. All changes are effective immediately when we post them and apply to all access to and use of the Website thereafter. However, any changes to the dispute resolution provisions set out in Section 18 herein will not apply to any disputes for which the parties have actual notice on or before the date the change is posted on the Website. Your continued use of the Website following the posting of revised Terms of Use means that you accept and agree to the changes. You are expected to check this page frequently, so you are aware of any changes, as they are binding on you.
4 Accessing the Website
We reserve the right to withdraw or amend this Website, and any service or material we provide on the Website, in our sole discretion without notice. We will not be liable if for any reason all or any part of the Website is unavailable at any time or for any period. From time to time, we may restrict access to some parts of the Website, or the entire Website, to users, including registered users. You are responsible for both making all arrangements necessary for you to have access to the Website and ensuring that all persons who access the Website through your internet connection are aware of these Terms of Use and comply with them. To access the Website or some of the resources it offers, you may be asked to provide certain information. It is a condition of your use of the Website that all the information you provide on the Website is correct, current, and complete. You agree that all information you provide is governed by our Online Privacy Policy available here, and you consent to all actions we take with respect to your information consistent with our Online Privacy Policy.
5 Company Intellectual Property Rights
The Website and its entire contents, features, and functionality are owned by FOLCIN, its licensors, or other providers of such material and are protected by the United States and international copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, and other intellectual property or proprietary rights laws. These Terms of Use permit you to use the Website for your personal, non-commercial use only. You must not access or use for any commercial purposes any part of the Website or any services or materials available through the Website. If you wish to make any use of material on the Website other than that set out in this section, please address your request to our email address as set forth in Section 25 herein. No right, title, or interest in or to the Website or any content on the Website is transferred to you, and all rights not expressly granted are reserved by FOLCIN. Any use of the Website not expressly permitted by these Terms of Use is a breach of these Terms of Use and may violate copyright, trademark, and other laws.
6 Trademarks
FOLCIN’s name, the terms and all related names, logos, product and service names, designs, and slogans are trademarks of FOLCIN or its affiliates or licensors. You must not use such marks without the prior written permission of FOLCIN. All other names, logos, product and service names, designs, and slogans on this Website are the trademarks of their respective owners.
7 Prohibited Uses
You may use the Website only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms of Use. You agree not to use the Website (1) in any way that violates any applicable federal, state, local, or international law or regulation; (2) for the purpose of exploiting, harming, or attempting to exploit or harm minors in any way by exposing them to inappropriate content, asking for personally identifiable information, or otherwise; (3) to send, knowingly receive, upload, download, use, or re-use any material, whether in audio, video, graphic, written, or any other medium, or to communicate verbally or visually in any way that does not comply with these Terms of Use, (4) to engage in any other conduct that restricts or inhibits anyone’s use or enjoyment of the Website, or which, as determined by us, may harm FOLCIN or users of the Website, or expose them to liability; or (5) to attempt to interfere with the proper working of the Website.
8 Monitoring and Enforcement
We have the right to take appropriate legal action, including without limitation, referral to law enforcement, for any illegal or unauthorized use of the Website, and to terminate or suspend your access to all or part of the Website for any or no reason, including without limitation, any violation of these Terms of Use. Without limiting the foregoing, we have the right to cooperate fully with any law enforcement authorities or court order requesting or directing us to disclose the identity or other information of anyone posting any materials on or through the Website. You waive and hold harmless the company and its affiliates, licensees, and service providers from any claims resulting from any action taken by any of the foregoing parties during, or taken as a consequence of, investigations by either such parties or law enforcement authorities. We have no liability or responsibility to anyone for performance or nonperformance of the activities described in this section.
9 Reliance on Information Posted
The information presented on or through the Website is made available solely for general information purposes. We do not warrant the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of this information. Any reliance you place on such information is strictly at your own risk. We disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on such materials by you or any other visitor to the Website, or by anyone who may be informed of any of its contents.
10 Changes to the Website
We may update the content on this Website from time to time, but its content is not necessarily complete or up-to-date. Any of the material on the Website may be out of date at any given time, and we are under no obligation to update such material.
11 Information About You and Your Visits to the Website
All information we collect on this Website is subject to our Online Privacy Policy, located here. By using the Website, you consent to all actions taken by us with respect to your information in compliance with the Online Privacy Policy.
12 Linking to the Website
You may link to our homepage, provided you do so in a way that is fair and legal and does not damage our reputation or take advantage of it, but you must not establish a link in such a way as to suggest any form of association, approval, or endorsement on our part without our express written consent. We reserve the right to withdraw linking permission without notice.
13 Geographic Restrictions
The owner of the Website is based in the United States of America. If you access the Website from outside the United States of America, you do so on your own initiative and are responsible for compliance with your national, regional, and local laws. We shall not be held liable for access of the Website that does not comply with applicable national, regional, and local laws.
14 Disclaimer of Warranties
Your use of the Website, its content, and any services or items obtained through the Website is at your own risk. The Website, its content, and any services or items obtained through the Website are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis, without any warranties of any kind, either express or implied. neither the company nor any person associated with the company makes any warranty or representation with respect to the completeness, security, reliability, quality, accuracy, or availability of the Website. Without limiting the foregoing, neither the company nor anyone associated with the company represents or warrants that the Website, its content, or any services or items obtained through the Website will be accurate, reliable, error-free, or uninterrupted, that defects will be corrected, that our Website or the server that makes it available are free of viruses or other harmful components, or that the Website or any services or items obtained through the Website will otherwise meet your needs or expectations. To the fullest extent provided by law, the company hereby disclaims all warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, statutory, or otherwise, including but not limited to any warranties of merchantability, non-infringement, and fitness for particular purpose. The foregoing does not affect any warranties that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law.
15 Limitation on Liability
To the fullest extent provided by law, in no event will the collective liability of the company and its subsidiaries and affiliates, and their licensors, service providers, employees, agents, officers, and directors, to any party (regardless of the form of action, whether in contract, tort, or otherwise) exceed the amount you have paid to the company for the applicable content or product or service in the last twelve months out of which liability arose. The limitation of liability set out above does not apply to liability resulting from our gross negligence or willful misconduct. The foregoing does not affect any liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law.
16 Indemnification
You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless FOLCIN, its affiliates, licensors, and service providers, and its and their respective officers, directors, employees, contractors, agents, licensors, suppliers, successors, and assigns from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, judgments, awards, losses, costs, expenses, or fees (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or relating to your violation of these Terms of Use or your use of the Website, including but not limited to any use of the Website other than as expressly authorized in these Terms of Use, or your use of any information obtained from the Website.
17 Governing Law and Jurisdiction
All matters relating to the Website and these Terms of Use, and any dispute or claim arising therefrom or related thereto (in each case, including non-contractual disputes or claims), shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Illinois without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of Illinois or any other jurisdiction). Any legal suit, action, or proceeding arising out of, or related to, these Terms of Use or the Website shall be instituted exclusively in the federal courts of the United States or the courts of the State of Illinois in each case located in the City of Chicago and County of Cook although we retain the right to bring any suit, action, or proceeding against you for breach of these Terms of Use in your country of residence or any other relevant country.
18 Arbitration
At FOLCIN’s sole discretion, it may require you to submit any disputes arising from these Terms of Use or your use of the Website, including disputes arising from or concerning their interpretation, violation, invalidity, non-performance, or termination, to final and binding arbitration under the Rules of Arbitration of the American Arbitration Association applying Illinois law.
19 Limitation on Time to File Claims
Any cause of action or claim you may have arising out of or relating to these terms of use or the Website must be commenced within one (1) year after the cause of action accrues; otherwise, such cause of action or claim is permanently barred.
20 Force Majeure
We shall not be liable or responsible to you, nor be deemed to have defaulted or breached this agreement, for any failure or delay in fulfilling or performing any term of this agreement when and to the extent such failure or delay is caused by or results from acts or circumstances beyond our reasonable control including, without limitation, acts of God, flood, fire, earthquake, explosion, governmental actions, regulations, or prohibitions, materials or telecommunication breakdown or power outage.
21 Waiver and Severability
No waiver by FOLCIN of any term or condition set out in these Terms of Use shall be deemed a further or continuing waiver of such term or condition or a waiver of any other term or condition, and any failure of FOLCIN to assert a right or provision under these Terms of Use shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. If any provision of these Terms of Use is held by a court or other tribunal of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable for any reason, such provision shall be eliminated or limited to the minimum extent such that the remaining provisions of the Terms of Use will continue in full force and effect.
22 No Third-Party Beneficiaries
This agreement is for the sole benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns and nothing herein, express or implied, is intended to or shall confer upon any other person or entity any legal or equitable right, benefit, or remedy of any nature whatsoever under or by reason of these Terms.
23 Entire Agreement
The Terms of Use, our Online Privacy Policy, and our Cookie Policy constitute the sole and entire agreement between you and FOLCIN regarding the Website and supersede all prior and contemporaneous understandings, agreements, representations, and warranties, both written and oral, regarding the Website.
24 No Assignment
You will not assign any of your rights or delegate any of your obligations under these Terms without our prior written consent. Any purported assignment or delegation in violation of this Section 24 is null and void. No assignment or delegation relieves you of any of your obligations under these Terms of Use.
25 Your Comments and Concerns
This website is operated by Friends of the Lutheran Church in Norway, which may be contacted at 53 W. Jackson Blvd., Suite 1734, Chicago, IL 60604. All notices of copyright infringement claims should be sent to FOLCIN at the above address. All other feedback, comments, requests for technical support, and other communications relating to the Website should be directed to: [email protected]
- Update or correct your personal information
- Request that we delete your information
Please email [email protected] with any questions or requests.