1. Introduction

These Terms and Conditions govern subscriptions purchased from Roots for Churches Ltd ('Roots', 'we', 'us' or 'our'). By purchasing or renewing a subscription, or by using Roots subscription services, you agree to these Terms and Conditions.

These terms apply to all print, digital and combined subscription packages offered by Roots. References to digital, print, individual and group subscriptions should be read according to the subscription package purchased or renewed at the time of order.

2. Use of the Roots Website and Services

Roots provides access to website content, online resources, downloadable materials and account-based services as part of its subscription offer. Access to these services is temporary, subscription-based and subject to availability.

Roots may update, change, suspend, withdraw or discontinue parts of its website, online services or digital resources where necessary, including for maintenance, improvement, security, operational or content reasons. Roots will use reasonable efforts to avoid unnecessary disruption to subscribed services.

3. Subscription Products

3.1 Digital-only Subscriptions

A digital subscription includes access to the digital module or modules purchased. The available digital modules are Worship Together and Children & Youth.

• Access to Roots online resources.
• Access to the Roots website and subscriber-only content.
• Access via authorised website login credentials.
• Downloadable resources available within the relevant subscription package.
• Access to seasonal and supplementary digital materials where included.

Digital access is granted only to the authorised user or users covered by the relevant subscription. For an individual subscription, this means the named subscriber only. For a group subscription, access is limited to the group members allocated to that subscription by the Subscription Administrator, in accordance with the number and type of digital modules purchased. The Subscription Administrator may manage the subscription without being allocated digital access unless a digital module is assigned to them. Access remains subject to the licence restrictions in these Terms.

Duration: 

subscriptions run for 12 months. You may renew up to 30 days before the end of your subscription period.

3.2 Digital & Print Subscriptions

Subscribers may add print to their digital subscription. Print is an add-on to the digital subscription and is not available as a standalone subscription.

• To add Worship Together in Print, a subscriber must also have a Worship Together Digital module.
• To add Children & Youth in print, a subscriber must also have a Children & Youth digital module.

A Subscriber adding Print to their subscription will receive:

Six printed editions of the selected Roots publications according to this publishing schedule:

• Early January delivery of Mar/Apr issue – orders to be placed by mid December  
• Early March delivery of May/Jun issue – orders to be placed by mid February
• Early May delivery of July/Aug issue – orders to be placed by mid April
• Early July delivery of Sept/Oct issue – orders to be placed by mid June
• Early September delivery of Nov/Dec issue – orders to be placed by mid August
• Early November delivery of Jan/Feb issue – orders to be placed by mid October

For single-user subscriptions, delivery is to the subscriber's single nominated address.

For group subscriptions, deliveries to additional addresses incur extra delivery charges, as outlined on the Roots website.

Roots may at its discretion add accompanying inserts or printed promotional materials supplied as part of the Print subscription package (e.g. an Annual Year Planner).

Roots will make every effort to maintain the publishing schedule above, but print delivery schedules may be subject to operational or logistical delays or amendments that are outside Roots’ control.

3.3 Group Subscriptions

Each group subscription will have a nominated Subscription Administrator.

The Subscription Administrator does not need to have a Digital module allocated to them; their role can be purely administrative.

In administering the subscription, the Subscription Administrator consents to their email address being visible to group members.

4. Subscription Term

Subscriptions are available on annual billing cycles, where offered.

The subscription term begins on the date payment is successfully processed and continues until cancelled in accordance with these Terms.

5. Pricing and Payment

5.1 Subscription Fees

Subscription prices are those published by Roots at the time of purchase or renewal.

All prices include VAT where applicable unless otherwise stated.

Subscriptions may be paid for using the payment options made available by Roots at the time of purchase or renewal. These may include credit or debit card payment, cheque or bank transfer.

Where payment is made by card, subscribers must provide valid payment details and authorise Roots or its payment processor to collect the relevant subscription fee.

Where payment is made by cheque or bank transfer, the subscription will only be activated or renewed once payment has been received and processed by Roots.

Roots reserves the right to withhold, suspend or delay access to digital resources or delivery of print materials where payment has not been received.

5.2 Payment Methods

Credit or debit card 
Card payments are processed securely by Roots or its authorised payment processor. For online subscriptions, card payments may be used for recurring subscription payments where automatic renewal applies.

Cheque

To pay by cheque, please request an invoice.  

Cheque payments should be made payable to Roots for Churches Ltd and sent with sufficient information to identify the subscriber and the subscription being renewed. Subscriptions paid by cheque are not automatically renewed.

Bank transfer

To pay by bank transfer, please request an invoice.

Bank transfer payments should include the subscriber name, organisation name and renewal reference so that payment can be matched to the correct subscription. Subscriptions paid by bank transfer are not automatically renewed.

5.3 Automatic Renewal

Unless cancelled before the renewal date, subscriptions taken out or renewed online by card may automatically renew for the same subscription period.

By purchasing or renewing a subscription online and providing card details, you authorise Roots or its payment processor to take recurring payments using your chosen payment method.

Subscriptions paid by cheque or bank transfer will normally require manual renewal unless Roots confirms that a different arrangement applies.

5.4 Failed or Late Payments

If payment cannot be collected, or if payment is not received by the renewal date, Roots may contact the subscriber to request updated payment details or alternative payment.

Roots may suspend access to digital resources and/or print delivery until payment has been received.

5.5 Price Changes

Roots reserves the right to amend subscription pricing. Any price change will be communicated before the next renewal date and will apply only to future billing periods.

6. Cancellation

6.1 Subscriber Cancellation

Your subscription is for a year. You may cancel your subscription at any time, but your annual payment will not be refunded.

If you cancel within fourteen (14) days of the start of your subscription (or any subsequent renewal), we will refund any payments received from you, using the same method of payment that you used to purchase your subscription. Please see clause 7.6 for further information about cancellations within the cooling-off period

To cancel online: log in, go to My account, choose Your subscription, and select Manage payment details.  You’ll then be able to select Cancel.

Alternatively you can contact our Customer Service team on 020 3887 8916 or subscriptions@rootsforchurches.com.  

Cancellation will prevent future renewal charges but will not normally terminate access immediately.

6.2 Notice Period

To avoid renewal, cancellation instructions should be received before the next scheduled billing date.

6.3 Access Following Cancellation

Where cancellation occurs during an active subscription period:

• Digital access will continue until the end of the paid subscription term.
• Print deliveries already scheduled may still be fulfilled.

No further charges will be made after the current term ends.

7. Refund Policy

7.1 General Refunds

Subscription payments are generally non-refundable once a billing period has started.

Where a refund is due, Roots will process it using the original payment method unless otherwise agreed, and within a reasonable period after confirming eligibility.

7.2 Print Products

Refunds will not normally be provided for print editions already dispatched.

7.3 Digital Content

Once digital content has been accessed, downloaded or used, refunds may be restricted except where required by law.

7.4 Exceptional Circumstances

Roots may, at its discretion, provide a full or partial refund where service delivery has not been provided as described.

7.5 7-day Free Trial

Roots offers a 7-day free trial as part of every new subscription. Digital access will be provided for the trial period. Unless cancelled before the end of the free trial, the subscription will continue as a paid subscription and the relevant subscription fee will be charged using the payment method provided.

If you do not wish to continue after the free trial, you must cancel before the trial period ends. Cancellation during the free trial will prevent the subscription from becoming chargeable, unless otherwise stated at sign-up.

7.6 Cooling-off Period

If you purchase a subscription online or by phone as a consumer, by UK law you have a statutory 14-day cooling-off period. This will run from the day after the subscription contract is entered into, and incorporates the 7-day trial period.

To exercise this right, you must tell Roots clearly that you wish to cancel within the cooling-off period. You may do this:

• by cancelling online during the 7-day trial period – in which case no payment will be taken and the subscription will be cancelled.
• Or, if payment has already been taken but you are still within your 14-day cooling-off period – by emailing subscriptions@rootsforchurches.com, stating clearly that you are cancelling within your cooling-off period and requesting a refund.

Where you cancel within the applicable cooling-off period, Roots will refund the subscription payment in full, except where a deduction or limitation is permitted by law, including where digital content has already been accessed, downloaded or supplied with your consent.

If print magazines have already been issued, you will not be reimbursed for postage.

8. Consumer Rights

Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes any statutory rights available to consumers under applicable UK consumer protection legislation.

Where the statutory rights described below apply, they apply in addition to the refund policy in this section.

Where a subscription is purchased by an individual consumer:

Rights under the Consumer Contracts Regulations remain unaffected.

Digital content will be supplied with reasonable care and skill.

Subscribers retain any remedies available under applicable consumer law if digital content is faulty, unavailable or materially different from that described.

Where immediate digital access is provided following purchase, you acknowledge that your statutory cancellation rights may be affected once digital content delivery begins, to the extent permitted by law.

8. Account Security and Privacy

8.1 User Credentials

Subscribers are responsible for:

• Maintaining the confidentiality of login credentials.
• Restricting access to authorised users only.
• Promptly notifying Roots of suspected unauthorised access.

8.2 Account Sharing

Individual subscriptions are for the use of a single authorised user unless expressly stated otherwise.

Subscribers must not:

• Share login credentials with unauthorised individuals.
• Permit simultaneous access beyond the scope of the purchased subscription.
• Reproduce, distribute or publish subscriber-only content without permission.
• Roots reserves the right to suspend or terminate access where unauthorised sharing is identified.
• Roots processes personal data in accordance with its Privacy Policy and, where applicable, its Cookies Policy.

10. Intellectual Property and Permitted Use

All content provided through Roots, whether in print or digital format, remains the intellectual property of Roots or its licensors.

During an active subscription, subscribers may access and use Roots content for worship, teaching, planning and ministry activities within the scope of the subscription purchased.

Roots materials are provided for worship, teaching, planning and ministry support. Subscribers are responsible for deciding how to use those materials appropriately in their own setting and context.

Subscribers may use content for the purposes intended by their subscription, but may not:

• Resell, sublicense or commercially exploit Roots content.
• Reproduce, distribute, publish or make Roots content available outside the scope of the purchased subscription.
• Create commercial derivative works or substitute resources based on Roots content.
• Remove copyright, attribution or proprietary notices.
• Systematically copy, download, scrape, extract, data mine or otherwise reproduce Roots content.
• Upload, paste, import, submit or otherwise provide Roots content to any artificial intelligence tool, large language model, machine learning system, chatbot, knowledge base, vector database or automated content-processing system, except with Roots’ prior written permission.
• Use Roots content to train, fine-tune, test, develop or improve any artificial intelligence model, machine learning system or automated content-generation tool.
• Use artificial intelligence or automated tools to generate resources, summaries, adaptations or derivative materials that replace, compete with or substantially reproduce Roots content.
• Nothing in this clause prevents subscribers from using Roots content in good faith for worship, teaching, planning or ministry activities within the scope of their subscription.

11. Service Availability and Changes

Roots will use reasonable efforts to maintain uninterrupted digital access but does not guarantee that services will always be available.

Maintenance, upgrades and circumstances beyond our control may occasionally affect availability.

Roots may remove, replace or amend digital resources, seasonal materials or website features from time to time, including where materials become outdated, where improvements are made, or where operational or licensing requirements apply.

12. Limitation of Liability

Nothing in these Terms excludes liability that cannot legally be excluded.

Subject to this, Roots shall not be liable for indirect, incidental or consequential losses arising from the use of its subscription services.

13. Changes to these Terms

Roots may update these Terms from time to time.

The latest version will be published on the Roots website and will apply from the stated effective date.

14. Contact Information

For subscription enquiries, renewals or cancellations, please contact Roots using the contact details published on the official Roots website.  

15. Governing Law

These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.