The Table Project Blog

Feature Improvement: Unlimited Quicknote length

Mon, 13 May 2013 15:55:00 -0500

Now your quicknotes are not limited to 140 characters! Ok, so it isn't truly "unlimited" but if you need to type more than 65,000 characters, you may have different problems than our software.

We originally did this so that we could support SMS but after hearing from many of you that this limitation was impacting communication efforts, we have decided to remove it and redesign quicknotes to support longer messages.

Those getting quicknotes via SMS will now just have a preview of the quicknote with a link attached to see the whole message in the browser. We hope this improvement will help foster even more community in your church. Quicknote away!

Feature Improvement: Map

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 15:02:00 -0500

Recently, we added map clustering to our people and groups directory. This improvement makes the map load faster and is easier on the eyes. We hope you like it!

April's Table 101

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 11:00:00 -0500

If you're curious about the Table join us for next week's Table 101 webinar. We'll give a tour of the Table, talk about best practices for launching the Table and take questions at the end. It's a great opportunity to learn more about the Table and see if it's a fit for your church.

We offer the Table 101 on the first Wednesday of every month. The next Table 101 is Wednesday, April 3rd at 3 p.m. CDT.

(If you can't make it for the live webinar, check out the archived Table 101 webinar from a previous session.)

New Feature: Classifieds App

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 09:47:00 -0600

One of the interesting rules of software development is that no matter what you make, you will be suprised by what your users do with it. After a couple years of rolling the Table out to churches, and seeing how users interact with it, one of our surprises was just how much Church communities wanted their own place for classified ads.

This wasn't high on the feature list when we started this. It may not even be on your top 5 list if we ask you what the Table needs. However, the data shows an amazing amount of activity around classifieds today and we haven't even had the feature. Churches have tried to use the Discussion board or the Serve app to support this need in their communities, but it isn't obvious to the user and (quite frankly) it pollutes those apps with content that doesn't belong there.

Trust us... we hear you. More mobile features are on the way, reply-to-email and many other features are in the hopper but today we are happy to release the Classifieds App. Your community now has a place to find babysitters, roommates, homes to rent, cars for sale, and fellow carpoolers.

We really shouldn't be all that surprised right? Just as the Serve app helps us share our goods, the Classifieds app within a church community is special because it is a trusted, local community. Trust goes a long way when you are talking about someone watching your kids, living with you or renting your home.

The Classifieds app makes it easy to browse, search and post goods and services to the Table. Here is what it looks like. Enjoy!

Detail View - View item details right inline while you browse and with one click contact the poster.

Posting view - Quick posting process makes it easy and fun to sell your stuff.

List view - Live search allows you to find things quickly and "infinite scroll" on the list of items makes browsing painless.

What's New integration - New items are displayed in your What's New feed to keep everyone updated.

The Table turns 2!

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 11:13:00 -0600

We are busy eating cake but we just wanted you to know.

For your amusement, here are a few quotes recorded in the Table offices over the past two years. I won't provide context, because they are better that way.

Head Geek Josh: "I'm not saying you should have done anything different. I am just having my own private freak-out party over here". (On Launch day when we jumped to 400 churches in about 24 hours)

Architect Matt: "I'm not a big 'fun' guy. I mean... fun is enjoyable to me... But I'm not the guy that says, 'Hey, let's go out on paddleboats and something fun will happen."

VP of Listening Jason: On the phone with a customer who said someone had concerns about how casual our copywriting was. "Some people are going to be concerned that we don't sound formal or corporate enough. And our take on that is, whatever."

Developer Andy: "I'm pretty quiet."
Anonymous Girl: "You'd be a good husband. I'm bringing you home today."

Developer Josh: "I just said it in an email, isn't email good enough for you humans?" (in regards to needing to do a follow up call with someone after sending email)

Project Manager Caleb: "Quick round of Russian Nerf Roullette before you jet? (Crickets)....Coward."

Developer Josh: Roombas need a "Mumble Mode"

VP of Listening Jason: Agreed, and a "Grumble Mode"

Mumble Mode: is slightly OCD and talks softly about what it is currently doing: "Must clean, must clean, avoid the stairs, ooo that's a dirty spot, get that twice, getting low on battery, back to base, back to base"

Grumble Mode: is angrier, but passive-aggressive about it: "These people... so dirty, why can't they clean this up themselves.. aahhhrmrmmmmrmrmrmghhhrhggg... stupid dirty floor, oh that is so gross..." It is important that some of the speech in Grumble Mode is unintelligible.

Executive Director Ken: “I understand it's hard to design in a fog. Like, are you building a car or are you building a zebra? They both have four points that touch the ground, but after that they're quite different.”

PM Caleb: "I'm safety certified now guys. You don't need to worry anymore."

Developer Andrew: "That's a weight of my shoulders."

VP of Listening Jason: "Did you get a badge?"

PM Caleb: "Nope. Just some healthy peace of mind and certificate made in Word."

Developer Andrew: "New Feature - your profile picture will automatically be Gary Coleman, Richard Simmons, Jane Fonda or Liza Minnelli until you change it."

Tester Erin: "Josh you should try working out to help your bad back."
Developer Josh: "Not likely."

What are we doing to celebrate?

We gave out an iPad last year...

This year....

That's right. Dancing baby.

Come on...we are a non-profit.

Thank you all for taking a moment to celebrate with us.

Over 1/2 million prayers said on the Table

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 11:00:00 -0600

When we say that the prayer life at your church will be transformed using the Table, we aren't kidding around. Since we launched the Table 22 months ago, over 585,000 prayers have been said on the platform.

More info on how the Table encourages organic prayer at your Church.

Pray - A short film about prayer on the Table. from The Table Project on Vimeo.

Round table - Prayer on the Table in 8 minutes from The Table Project on Vimeo.

How to Use the Prayer Wall from The Table Project on Vimeo.

RoundTable 35 - Prayer (full version) from The Table Project on Vimeo.

Substance: Prayer Story from The Table Project on Vimeo.

The Table 2012 year in review

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 11:50:00 -0600

It has been an amazing year here at the Table. We continue to be so honored to serve the Church and be part of God's movement in this world.

Of course we wrote tons of code and got to talk shop with a lot of amazing churches. But we also gave out cool swag in exchange for your amazing stories, showed up a bit in the press (Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, Outreach Magazine), ranted about a new model of ministry and got to sit in the director's chair to capture the power of a real-time prayer community. In our freetime we went all Sherlock in our data to find out that reading is Church members' favorite pastime and that Jeremiah 29:11 is their favorite bible verse. And in the midst of all that, also connected with amazing church consultants to build out our Carpenter program. 2012 was an amazing year and it's only the beginning!

2012 Highlights

We grew more in 2012 than ever before, serving over 3800 churches in over 40 countries. We owe you, our fans and customers, a huge thank you for this. With virtually no marketing, we continue to grow as word spreads about our mission and product. Cheers to you for being a partner in ministry with us.

Adding new churches everyday is one thing, but what we really get excited about is daily ministry engagement. In just over 20 months since launch, we have reached and surpassed 580,000 prayers on the platform! That is something to celebrate because it means our churches are more engaged with each other through prayer than ever. And it doesn't end with prayer. Thousands of people have also found volunteer opportunities that match their giftedness, shared their possessions, debated topics and found new friends at church. That sounds like the Acts 2 church if you ask me!

2012 was also one of our most productive years from a feature perspective. Here are some highlights:

Jan - Added new notification system
Feb - Push notification system for iOS devices
March - Table goes global - completes internationalization features
April - Calendar upgrade allows integration with Google calendar and iCal with subscribe feature
June - Discussion board released for iOS app
July - Daily and weekly email digest features
August - What's New app released, giving users a real-time feed of Table content
Sept - Table Pro is launched, delivering a premium Table account for greater customization

We are really looking forward to the 2013 development roadmap as well. Very cool projects are in the hopper, and we will be announcing them as they are released. Is there one feature you HAVE to see in 2013? Give us some feedback.

The stories we hear from all of you are what fuel us. It is truly a blessing to see how God uses the Church to move. Here is just a taste of the things we are hearing. Have a story? Submit it here, we would love to hear it.

"We are bound together through prayer..." - Stonebridge Church

"We have struggled for many years in finding a consistent way to "disciple" our members throughout the week." - New Life Community Church

"The Serve App has exploded!" - Bethel Church

"Server delivered within hours." - Zion Lutheran Church

"Prayer within minutes." - Collin Creek Community Church

"Not feeling alone." - Park Community Church

"Putting a name to a face." - Suzanne Rios

"Connecting rural congregations." - Giddings First Assembly

Thank you again for helping make 2012 an amazing year at the Table Project.

We are bound together through our prayer...

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 10:54:00 -0600

10 ways to use the Table during the Christmas Season

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 13:49:00 -0600

Here is a list of 10 unique ways to use the Table during the Holiday season.

Share traditions

What does your family do special for Christmas or Advent?

1) Create a discussion category or photo album titled: Christmas Traditions.

2) Promote the conversation on Sunday and via the Broadcast message announcement bar.

Share Christmas card pics

You send them out to family and friends, why not let the church in on the goodness?

1) Create a Christmas Cards album on the Photo app.

2) Encourage your community to upload their images.

3) Highlight a few before sermon on Sunday.

3. Christmas Lights contest

Whether it's bright lights or great manger scenes, it is fun to see how everyone gets into the spirit.

1) Choose a prize: Maybe front row seats at your Christmas play or pastoral staff singing you carols.

2) Add a category on the photo app entitled Christmas Lights Contest.

3) Promote via Sunday service, announcement bar on the Table or via quicknote.

4) Tell people to vote by Commenting "My vote" in the comments of the picture.

4. Serving challenge

Many people are in need of help duing the holiday season, urge your community to be a light in the darkness.

1) Publically challenge the congregation to serve 1 person of the community during Christmas.

2) Encourage people to find a need in their neighborhood, community or region. Give some simple examples.

3) Take 3 minutes during a Sunday service to show people how to post a service opportunity. And fufull the ones listed.

5. Organize a community potluck

Breaking bread is a big part of the holidays. Do it as a church! There are many people that can't make it home and would love to enjoy a feast together.

1) Add the event to the Table calendar.

2) Post a serve opportunity with the things needed to pull it off - food, drinks, utencils, childcare etc.

3) Promote it through the announcement bar and on Sunday.

6. Organize a Giving tree

With 8 days left to complete your giving tree, use the Table to make sure all the items get assigned.

1) Collect specific gift needs from the families you are serving.

2) Create a Giving Tree account to facilitate the needs.

3) Post the specific needs on the Serve App.

4) Promote the giving tree via quicknote, announcement bar and on Sunday.

7. Suprise the Kids

Yes, it's a bummer that our wee ones can't join the Table. But this gives us the perfect opportunity to spring an awesome holiday suprise on them. Perhaps santa shows up during sunday school with all his reindeer in tow (picture your elder board in the costumes).

1) Send a quicknote to your elders group with the details.

2) Create a Calendar Event on the Table Calendar alerting the parents of your plot.

3) Make those kiddos laugh!

8. Offer up your favorite holiday recipe

It's time to fork over your secret ingredient to those Christmas cookies. Share your favorite recipes on the Serve app and give everyone a shot at the delights.

1) Create Discussion Topic titled "My Favorite X-Mas recipe."

2) Type your recipe into the text field or attach it in PDF form to the topic.

3) Encourage folks to post their feedback.

9. Campaign for your favorite charity

The Serve app is a great place to raise awareness about a particular charity. Make an organizations needs known via the Serve app. Give details on what they need and how someone can serve them. Be their voice!

1) Google the charity and get all the info you need (address, hours of operation, etc.). You could even call them and see if they have holiday-specific needs.

2) Create Serve Opportunity based on a need or multiple needs that charity has. Upload their logo as the photo.

3) Create tasks for everything the charity needs.

10. Invite an out-of-towner

Chances are someone who goes to your church has nowhere to go for holidays. Why chance it?

1) Create a Serve Item and title it something like "A Home for the Holidays."

2) In the description, make it clear that you wish to host anyone who doesn't have a place to go.

3) Upgrade to the 15 lb. turkey. :)

You Can't Do That on Facebook: Content Controls

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 16:05:00 -0600

People often point to Facebook and wonder why the church would even need the Table. Facebook is ideal for outreach, but it falls short at building community. That's what the Table is all about. We encourage churches to use Facebook and the Table together. But the fact is there are things you can't do on Facebook that the Table is designed to do.

Like content control.

Social networks are built on content. People sharing stuff, posting comments, photos and more. But sometimes that content isn't appropriate. People can be troublesome that way. And it means churches need to be especially careful with social networks.

Content Control on the Table
The Table gives churches two major tools to control content:

Flagging: Any user can flag content as inappropriate and it's immediately removed, pending approval by a church admin. This means offensive content comes down instantly, protecting your church community. But there's also a human layer to check and make sure that content actually needed to be removed.

Approval: Alternately, churches can require that all content be approved prior to posting. We don't recommend this option as it discourages active community, but it is available for churches that are especially concerned about policing content.

Content Control on Facebook
Facebook doesn't give you as much control when it comes to content. If your church has a page on Facebook, you can turn posting on or off and you can also moderate posts. There's also a profanity and blacklist filter to moderate posts as well. That all sounds pretty good.

But Facebook pages are kind of tricky. As an admin, you can mark a post or a comment as spam and remove it, but it's still visible to the person who posted it and their friends! It seems that Facebook doesn't even give you total control of your own page.

Here's another example of your loss of control, straight from Facebook: "Page admins won't see posts about their Page that people haven't shared publicly even though people visiting the Page might see them if they're part of the audience the post was shared with." So if someone makes a negative comment about your church, your might never see it, but that person's friends will see it when they visit your page? Whoa. Not cool.

Your users can also mark content as spam and hide it, but it doesn't do much good. It gets hidden for that individual user on that specific visit. Everybody else can still see it. And that user will see it the next time they visit. Page admins aren't even notified that someone thinks content on their page is offensive.

In general, it seems that Facebook wants to leave content policing up to the user. If you don't like something, you can remove it or block it—but that won't have any effect on what everybody else sees.

That's all kind of disappointing considering that Facebook is worldwide. You expect global content would need a little more policing and a little more control. But Facebook seems to take a hands-off approach. That's not very reassuring for churches who want to protect their members from spam and abuse.

A little less confusion would also help. Sorting all these rules and scenarios out to even understand them enough to write this post took a while. Hope your pastor has time for that.

You Can Do That on the Table
The bottomline is you can't really control content on your Facebook page while still allowing interaction. But the Table puts you in control in a simple, straightforward manner.

December's Table 101

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 14:18:00 -0600

Table newbies, join us for this month's Table 101 webinar. We'll give a tour of the Table, talk about best practices for launching the Table and take questions at the end. It's a great opportunity to learn more about the Table and see if it's a fit for your church.

We offer the Table 101 on the first Wednesday of every month. The next Table 101 is Wednesday, December 5sth at 3 p.m. CDT.

(If you can't make it for the live webinar, check out the archived Table 101 webinar from May.)

Will You Give Big?

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 17:13:00 -0600

You probably already knew this but the Table Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. That means whatever money we make from this platform gets poured right back into making the Table better.

Today is Give To The Max Day, an event to help schools and non-profits based in MN generate some much-needed donations. You know where this is going, right? Before you roll your eyes, hear me out!

We have been giving the Table away to churches for almost 2 years now. We have a team so small that people have laughed at us. Yes, we run lean but we pour everything we have into transforming the Church we love dearly. We've seen relationships blossom, generosity boom, and communities change for the better. We know that our Creator has special plans for this ministry and we feel up-to-our-ears blessed to be a part of those plans.

So, do you want to be part of it too? GIVE NOW. Or keep reading...

Not quite convinced that we're worth some of your hard earned cash, eh? Here's 2 more reason.

1) In the past 2 years we've release the Serve App, the What's New App, Email Digest, Table Pro, and much more. We've released the Table internationally and are now in over 60 different countries. We also built iOS and Android apps. Every dollar we get goes into cool new features that further this ministry.

2) We integrate your feedback (that's what that green tab is for!) into every decision we make. Whether or not you choose to support us finiancially you can always support us with your ideas and help us continue to tailor our decisions to meet your needs.

Still not convinced you should give us a few sheckles?

Ugh. Fine. I wanted to avoid this but you've left me no choice. Time to pull out the big guns! Here's a cute picture of my kitten.

(DISCLAIMER: The car was parked.)

Do it for Ira?

GIVE BIG!

Upper Room in Minneapolis Does it Right

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 11:40:00 -0600

We've seen some amazing launches happening this fall. We couldn't be more proud of our new churches and the creativity they are pouring into their launches. One church here in Minneapolis really blew us away.

Upper Room is a vibrant community (they prefer this title to church) that has made waves in the Twin Cities in recent years. Worship at Upper Room is always hard hitting and ground shaking. Their services find that difficult balance between modern and intense yet still genuine and relatable. The result is an experience that leaves you amped up on the Spirit and ready to take on the week. Plus, they have a handle (pun intended) on how to leverage new technologies for the benefit of their community. Simply stated, they rock.

For 10 months they have been planning their launch of the Table. Launch Sunday coincided with the beginning of a new sermon series focused on innovation in their community. The title of the first installation was "Rethinking Community." Enter, the Table.

Computers lined the santuary with helpful Table team members wearing Table logo t-shirts . They also invited me, Caleb, to be a part of the fesitivities! (More on that in a later blog). But, the crown jewel on this impecably planned launch weekend was Pastor Joe's pithy words about the Table. You cannot understate the value of having a pastor that really "gets like" like Joe. Listen to what he had to say...

If you can not see this chirbit, listen to it here http://chirb.it/pMHGAn

"Life on life." I love that. Hats off to Keith (@KeithKlingen), Nathan (@nathannerland) and the rest of the Upper Room Community (@urminneapolis) launch team. Thanks for letting us be a part of your amazing launch weekend!

To listen to the full sermon, click here.

Case Study: Giddings First Assembly of God

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 15:46:00 -0500

Giddings First Assembly of God in Giddings, Texas, is a rural congregation with an average weekly attendance of around 130. They launched the Table in the spring of 2011. The congregation is led by Senior Pastor Pat Herlitz. His son, Luc Hertliz, was instrumental in launching the Table. Luc is an associate pastor and focuses on creative arts and media.

How did you prepare for the launch?

Pat: My son had launched his first Table while on staff at a church plant is the Detroit area. That launch did not take off quite as well as his second attempt here. He learned from his early mistakes. One of the first things he did was require the pastors to get on first and he worked with us for weeks before we launched it to the congregation.

Luc: The problem in Detroit was that I moved four days after the Table went live. Your system was new and I ended up moving to Texas. Because I didn't have a chance to get much "buy-in" it never really took off. It's a pretty tech-forward church, but without leadership pushing it forward, it just collapsed. Here in Texas, I took a more hands-on approach. All staff are required to be a part of the Table. We keep it very active.

What did you learn from that experience?

Luc: Leadership buy-in is imperative.

What kinds of things did you do to encourage people to check out the Table?

Pat: When we were ready to launch we made use of the posters (24 x 36" in the foyer) and we used the promo video in our video announcements.

Luc: I demoed it after service in the foyer. Plus our church shut down its Facebook prayer wall and moved it to the Table.

What specific steps really seemed to help with the launch?

Luc: Seeing the leaders and staff involved, clear demonstration of the value of the service and a demonstration of its ease of use.

How has it been going at First Assembly?

Luc: Our Prayer Wall is exploding.

Pat: I see Prayer Wall posts daily. The Serve App has not quite caught on, but the prayer app is invaluable.

Do you have some stories you can share?

Luc: My personal story is about when my dad had a tragic accident and had to be airlifted to an Austin hospital. While I followed the ambulance to our local hospital (before he was helicoptered) I put an urgent prayer request on the Table. Instant notification came to me minutes later with incoming prayers.

Are there ways that the Table uniquely helps a rural congregation?

Pat: Since going to the hospital requires a 40-60 minute drive, the Table is invaluable in terms of feeling connected to our brothers and sisters who are hospitalized.

Often there's a stereotype that rural populations aren't as tech savvy or plugged in. How has your rural community adapted to a digital space?

Pat: While rural defines us, we are not technophobes. It is safe to say the vast majority of people over 18 who attend regularly participate in our Table to some degree. Giddings is as smart phone connected percentage wise as Austin. When I walk through my Wal-Mart; I see as many bluetooth ear pieces per capita as I see when I am in Austin.

Sometimes people think small churches already have community and don't need the Table. How is the Table helping you as a small church?

Pat: It really has been the Prayer Wall that has created the most connection. One woman started attending our church on special occasions about three years ago. We'd maybe see her six times a year. After she joined the Table and added a photo, she started posting regularly. Before I could encourage her to come to church more, she did. She's now coming to church twice a week.

What's New App is Live

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 11:13:00 -0500

The What's New App is live and ready for action! What is it you ask? Well, it's What's New! This application, which has been added to all areas of the platform by default, creates a whole new interface to interact with content on the Table. Instead of having to go looking for new content, the What's New App aggregates it all into one live stream.

View prayers, events, photos, service opportunities, shared items and discussions in one place. It doesn't just change the way you view content, but also how you interact with it. Intrigued? Watch the quick demo video and view some of the highlights below.

Video overview

What's New Video from The Table Project on Vimeo.

Highlights

RSVP to an event, pray for someone, volunteer to serve or keep a discussion rolling. All from one interface.

The "Post" dropdown allows you to quickly navigate to any posting screen within the Table. Just choose the type of content you want to post and away you go.

Comment on any piece of content right from the What's New App. Once you comment, the content gets bumped to the top, so the most popular content gets seen more often.

No need to refresh, the What's New App will notify you when there is new content to see. Just click the blue bar and boom...hello new stuff.

Afraid of getting important items lost in the stream? No worries. As an admin, you can promote content and it will automatically bump to the top every 4 hours. We know, we haven't sent you a super hero cape yet, but we still think you're special.

And in all its glory

We have struggled for many years in finding a consistent way to "disciple" our members throughout the week.

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 10:13:00 -0500

Do you have your own story about using the Table at your church? Post it here

Table Pro is here!

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 10:53:00 -0500

Watch the feature overview video or view feature highlights below.

Table Pro: Feature Overview and How-To from The Table Project on Vimeo.

Add a 1200x300 hero image to add visual branding to your Table platform
Coming soon - Customize CSS templates

Edit naming conventions to match your organization

Here are some examples:

Change Top level entity from "Church" to "Community"
Change Second level entity from "Campus" to "Satelite location"
Change Third level entity from "Group" to "Team"
Change User entity from "Me" to "Dashboard"

You are a unique organization and therefore have a wide-range of different types of groups, teams and sub-communities.

Now edit the group categories on the Table to better allign with your organiztion's structure.

Edit all the staff roles in your organization. You have uniqe positions and titles and we want the Table to reflect them.

Instead of using our subdomain, such as mychurch.tableproject.org use a URL of your choosing. A custom URL represents your brand better and makes remembering your Table community address a little easier.

The App directory is a collection of useful communication apps, blogs, podcasts and video streams. Now you have complete control of it.

Choose which apps are visable in the app directory, what categories they belong to and which ones are default for every page.

Not a fan of the "Christian Post" as a default app on the "Me" tab? No problem, now you can change it.

Table Pro FAQS

How do I get it?

Currently, you must first create a free Table account before you can upgrade to Pro. Once you have a Table Account, go to the "Manage" section and you will see a "Go Pro" button along the main navigation.

Why are you releasing a Pro version?

Over the last couple years, organizations outside of the church have been itching to utilize the Table software. Many non-profit organizations, ministry networks, schools, associations etc. are interested in connecting their constiuents, volunteers and employees on a social platform to encourage collaboration. Up until now, we have had to either say no, or put our focus on customizing one instance of the Table for their use. With Table Pro, these organizations can customize everything they need to without needing to interact with us. Table Pro will also be beneficial to churches that desire a greater level of flexibility than what the current free option offers.

Table Pro will also help fund further developent of all facets of the Table Project. As a non-profit organization, generating revenue is secondary to ministry impact. However, we still want to be good stewards of our resources and believe that offering a "subscription" based product will put us in an even better position to serve the church long-term.

Why isn't it free?

We still believe in the free model and will continue to focus on making the free verion of the Table better. With Table Pro, we recognized a win-win opportunity: build out functionality that would benefit a wider range of organizations and create a revenue channel to fuel continued growth. And we still made sure to price it so that churches could take advantage of the new features without a huge commitment.

Is the free version going to suck now?

The Table Project has always been commited to "gifting" our community software to churches and nothing has changed. We feel strongly about not polluting our free version with banner ads and such and continue to stick by that. We also are making the free version better than ever with recent updates such as the email digest, Discussion Board for iOS, calendar exporting, and future releases like the What's New app. We believe the addition of a paid version of the Table will only strengthen the free version in the future.

Will going "Pro" interfere with our F1 integration?

Upgrading to Table Pro will not interfere with any of your current integrations. It is a seemless process and your users will not even know it happened until they see the cool customization you have added.

If we upgrade, will we loose any data?

No. Your data isn't effected at all.

Do I have to sign a contract?

No. We hate contracts.

We are a large organization. After we pass 2500 users, is it really only $100/mo? What's the catch?

No catch. We want our pricing packages to be easy to understand. There are only two levels: $50 or $100. And it is based on real users, not the "size of your organization". We rather have many organizations at a relatively low price point than going after a few big fish. If you want to pay more...we are a 501-(c)(3), so you can always donate if you think it is too cheap.

September's Table 101

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 15:20:00 -0500

We offer the Table 101 on the first Wednesday of every month. The next Table 101 is Wednesday, September 5sth at 3 p.m. CDT.

(If you can't make it for the live webinar, check out the archived Table 101 webinar from May.)

Sneak peek at new features like Table Pro and the What's New app

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 13:10:00 -0500

Just in case you missed our Webinar highlighting our last couple releases and debuting the new features that are just around the corner. Check out the video to see all the details.

Here is a quick preview at some of the features discussed.

The What's New app will aggregate all new content into a visual stream that is updated in real-time. This will make the browsing experience on the Table much better as you can not only view all new content from one area but also intereact with it. Pray for people, post comments, commit to serve items and discuss a topic all from one application.

Table Pro is debuting in September and is a monthly subscription option for organizations ($50/mo under 2500 users and $100/mo for over 2500 users) that want extra customization. Add a large header image to increase brand awareness.

Adjust naming conventions to better fit your organization. This option now opens the Table up to organizations outside of the Church that are interested in connecting their constiuates, volunteers or employees.

Control what Apps show up in the app directory and adjust defaults for every page on the Table.

We will always host the Table for you but if you want to decide where people find it, add a custom URL that matches your brand.

Other features include editing staff roles and group categories.

Any church can upgrade to Table Pro and it will not effect your current data or integrations. Soon you will see a "Go Pro" button on your SuperAdmin dashboard. We make it easy to try out. There are no contracts, so cancel anytime. Enjoy!

You Can't Do That on Facebook: Serve

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 14:14:00 -0500

Like serving one another.

Serving & Sharing on the Table
The Table's Serve App allows you to post volunteer needs and items to give away or share. It's a way to help and encourage the church to serve one another. When you're posting needs, you can add specific tasks, invite people to get involved and more. When you're giving away or sharing stuff, you can post a picture, categorize what you have available and easily re-post something to loan out again. You can even see a record of how many people have been served or items shared.

It's designed for the church to serve each other. It encourages an attitude and culture of serving and sharing. That's pretty cool.

Serving & Sharing on Facebook
Not so much on Facebook. You can certainly post needs and give away or share things on Facebook, but not very well. You'd have to post those things as a status update, which means the system doesn't encourage you to serve or share, people aren't expecting it and there's no place to go to find a bunch of needs to serve.

You could certainly give away a random item or ask for help with something like moving, and you'll get a response. But there's no culture of serving. It's a one-time thing and it's not likely to happen again.

There are some marketplace apps on Facebook that allow for classified listings like Craigslist, and a few that offer Freecycle-like sharing, but they're pretty buried, not widely used and don't allow for posting volunteer needs.

Squash Apathy
The Table is designed to squash apathy. We're built that way. Facebook? Maybe it'll step on apathy once or twice by accident, but that's about it.

Of course that shouldn't be too surprising. Facebook is a worldwide social network that's designed for loose connections. It doesn't foster intimate community and that means it's not a good place for serving and sharing to take place. But the Table is designed for that intimate community. It makes serving and sharing natural, the way it should be in church.