Blog

Why the Table?

If you want a one-minute answer to why Substance Church in Minneapolis uses the Table, this is it. Peter Haas, pastor of Substance and Table board member, explains:

"We were looking for something that would enhance our small groups. We were looking for something that would enhance the community of Substance, not merely the metrics. ... We thought, what can we do to enhance church in between church services? When we heard about the Table, I thought, wow, this is the technology we need to fill the gap."

Watch Substance: Why the Table (1:00)

Watch the full webinar, How They Did It: Substance Church Case Study, for more on how Substance has utilized the Table.

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We Need Community

One of the major needs the church must meet today is community. Our society is fragmented and divided, people move away from their families and don't put down roots like they used to. Peter Haas, pastor of Substance Church in Minneapolis and Table board member, see this as a major role for the church:

"We have to learn how to be the family that people don't have anymore."

We can do that when our understanding of church shifts from a once a week service to happening 24/7. But in order to offer that broader sense of community, churches need social media like the Table.

Watch Substance: We Need Community (1:11)

Watch the full webinar, How They Did It: Substance Church Case Study, for more on how Substance has utilized the Table.

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Serve: Needs Met in 5 Minutes

One of the purposes of the Table at Substance Church in Minneapolis is to allow them to be the church outside of church services. Watch as Substance pastor and Table board member Peter Haas explains how that works with a real example of the congregation serving each other:

Watch Substance: Serve Story (2:02)

"That's the purpose: To be the church outside of church services," Peter says. "I don't know if it would work the same if we didn't have that tool in our church."

Watch the full webinar, How They Did It: Substance Church Case Study, for more on how Substance has utilized the Table.

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It's Ministry Not Just Technology

Peter Haas, pastor of Substance Church in Minneapolis and Table Project board member, says that the Table isn't just technology, it's ministry. It's a crucial tool to enhance your church's community:

"Church service experiences are going to become a devalued commodity. But you know what there's never going to be a substitute for? A shoulder to cry on. And really, that's what the Table is enhancing. It reinforces those relationships that are happening on Sunday morning."

Watch the video:

Watch Substance: Ministry Not Technology (1:14)

Watch the full webinar, How They Did It: Substance Church Case Study, for more on how Substance has utilized the Table.

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The Table Loves Small Groups

Substance Church in Minneapolis has seen 116% small group attendance in the past quarter. That means more people attended their small groups than attended their church service.

That's crazy. It's also awesome. It means people are connecting, growing and inviting new people to experience how God is moving.

And one thing that's helped Substance develop their small group ministry? The Table. Peter Haas, Substance pastor and Table Project board member, explains:

"It's technology like the Table that has enabled our small groups to thrive. People are able to find their tribe within our church much, much faster."

Watch the video:

Watch Substance: Small Groups (1:08)

Watch the full webinar, How They Did It: Substance Church Case Study, for more on how Substance has utilized the Table.

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Prayer Story: Happened All By Itself

The Table's Prayer Wall empowers your congregation to serve one another. Peter Haas, pastor of Substance Church in Minneapolis and Table Project board member, shares a story about how that works:

Watch Substance: Prayer Story (1:02)

As Peter says, "It's happening all by itself!"

Amen.

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Friends Matter

Churches go to great lengths to ensure that people enjoy and come back to church. We have charismatic leaders, contemporary music, great production values, intimate small groups, trained greeters, parking lot attendants and more. But none of it matters.

What does matter? Friendships with other Christians.

As Peter Haas, pastor of Substance Church in Minneapolis and Table Project board member, shared (PDF):

"One
 study 
found 
that 
98%
 of 
church 
satisfaction 
can 
be 
predicted
 simply 
by measuring 
how 
many 
intimate 
Christian 
friends 
our 
congregation 
members 
have 
at any 
given 
moment! 


Think 
about 
that 
for 
a 
second! ... more 
than 
tears
 cried
 in worship 
experiences ... 
more 
than 
'quantity 
of 
church 
services 
attended' ... 
more 
than the 
quality 
of 
the 
speaking ... 
more 
than 
the 
quality 
of 
the 
facility, 
the 
number 
one
 cause 
of 
church 
satisfaction 
was 
quantity 
of 
intimate 
Christian 
friends.
"

One way to encourage connection, community and friendship within your congregation is with the Table. People can be introduced through the directory and then get to know each other as they discuss, serve and pray together throughout the week.

Watch as Peter explains how the Table helps church members develop friendships:

Watch Substance: Church Friends (1:29)

Watch the full webinar, How They Did It: Substance Church Case Study, for more on how Substance has utilized the Table.

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How They Did It: Substance Church Case Study

Substance Church in Minneapolis was one of our early test churches and launched the Table back in 2010. This multisite church started seven years ago and currently offers seven services across four locations. Approximately 70% of the congregation is under 30 years old and half never attended any church before coming to Substance.

We sat down with senior pastor and Table project board member Peter Haas during our recent Round Table webinar to talk about what the Table brings to Substance. Much of the conversation covers the big picture vision for why to use the Table that a senior pastor has, as opposed to the specific, how-to details that a Table champion could offer (you can find that perspective in our webinar with Bethlehem Baptist).

Watch: Interview with Peter Haas (32:46)

Highlights from the video (click links to see short clips):

• Numbers: Over 1,500 members on the Table, 2,500 prayer requests (not including groups) prayed for 37,000 times.
• Why the Table?: As a church with a decentralized identity, Substance wanted something to enhance church in between the church services. More than metrics that church management software can offer, they wanted community.
• We Need Community: Today's generation is the most socially isolated generation in U.S. history. Typical sources of community (family, neighborhood, etc.) have fallen away and the church needs to fill the gap. Instead of focusing on church services, churches need to focus on building community. The Table is software that allows Substance to do that.
• The intimacy of a church has nothing to do with size. It's about what you value. Substance realized that as it grew bigger, it had to grow smaller. Substance needed a technology that encouraged connection outside of church.
• Friends Matter: The number one indicator of church satisfaction is friendships developed in the church. Even if people don't like a church service, they'll stick around for friends. The Table is a way to develop those friendships that keep people at church.
• The Table Loves Small Groups: Substance saw 116% small group attendance last quarter. That means more people attended their small groups than attended their church. "It's technology like the Table that's enabled our small groups to thrive."
• A senior pastor needs to constantly cast vision for the Table.
• It's Ministry, Not Just Technology: "It's not just software, it's a ministry." You need to treat the Table like launching a new ministry. It's going to take a lot of work and a lot of effort. It takes time for people to adapt to new technologies. But once people get it, once the momentum begins to build, amazing things can happen.
• Examples of prayer and service happening at Substance.

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