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Help » FAQs
FAQs
Howdy!
We're the Table Project and we're here to help.
FAQs
Below are some questions we hear pretty often. You can also find more in our customer support system, Get Satisfaction. And you can always contact us.
Big Picture
How is the Table any different than Facebook?
Can I use the Table outside the U.S.?
I'm with an organization that's not a church. Can we use the Table?
How can I access your API?
Will the Table connect with other church management systems?
Getting Started: Members
Who should set up the Table for our church?
Why do you require an address and will it remain private?
Why do you require a date of birth and will it remain private?
Where can I find the privacy policy and terms of use?
Why should I add a profile photo?
Why should I add 'About Me' tags to my profile?
Setup
What's the difference between Admin, SuperAdmin and a Member?
How do I import items into the calendar?
How do I add my pastor's blog?
Can I link my church's website to the Table?
How do I connect with Fellowship One?
How do I send a quicknote to the entire church?
General Use
How do I change my email preferences?
Why should I add people as friends on the Table?
How do I send a quicknote to a group?
I’m the owner of a group—how do I remove myself from the group?
How come none of the apps are loading in Chrome?
How can I give feedback about the Table?
Mobile Apps
What mobile apps do you have available?
Can I sign up for the Table from the app?
Can I update my profile from the app?
Why isn't [ _____ feature] on the iPhone/Android app?
Will the iPhone app work on the iPad?
Are you planning other mobile apps?
About Us
Who's behind the Table Project?
How does the Table Project make money?
Will it always be free?
How can I help support the Table?
Big Picture
How is the Table any different than Facebook?
Good question. We get that a lot. The biggest thing to understand is that the Table is not a Christian version of Facebook. It's a private social network limited to your church. It's not simply a hangout for all your Christian friends from Facebook. The Table is meant to build on the community of your church. We're about conversation, intimacy and engagement. Our introduction video and manifesto should show you that we're quite a bit different from Facebook.
We could go on and on, but here's one blog post that addresses three main things that set us apart from Facebook:
1) The fact that The Table is designed for "us" instead of "me" is a fundamental shift from the traditional social media mindset.
2) The Table's atmosphere of privacy and intimacy causes different behaviors to arise that are not seen elsewhere online (see our blog post You Wouldn't Do That on Facebook).
3) The fact that The Table is designed specifically for the church directs what we create and helps us to define "success" differently.
Read more to understand each of these distinctions. We also have a series of blog posts about things you can't do on Facebook. We love Facebook and we're not trying to replace it. We're doing something different. Learn more about how your church can use Facebook and the Table together.
Can I use the Table outside the U.S.
Yes! But...
In 2012 we made the Table available internationally. Unfortunately, while it's available globally, it's not optimized for local use. It's only in English, it's not localized and since we're based in the United States and follow U.S. laws, we may not comply with local privacy or other laws. So you're using it as is and at your own risk.
In the future we do hope to offer a localized version of the Table that's multilingual and fully global (if you'd like to help with that effort, you can sign up here). But for now the best we can do is at least make the Table available. Also, since we are a nonprofit and make the Table available for free, donations are always appreciated.
I'm with an organization that's not a church. Can we use the Table?
Non-church organizations are welcome to use the Table as long as you, 1) agree with this general statement of faith, and 2) recognize that you're using it as is. Customization for your specific, non-church purposes will not be available on the free version of the Table (after all, our purpose is to serve the church).
Down the road we hope to release a customizable, paid version of the Table designed for non-church organizations. So you would have custom options available, but you'd need to pay for them. It's also possible that you'd need to re-start your community if you switched to a customizable, paid account. We don't know that for certain yet since we haven't mapped out the intricate details of that plan, but that's a possibility you should be aware of.
We're still working on our API access, but we can let you know when it's ready to go. Just fill out this form and we'll be in touch.
Will the Table connect with other church management systems?
We currently connect with Fellowship One and it rocks. Our hope is that many church management systems will recognize the value of the Table and want to join up. Currently we don't have a timeline for adding other systems, but you can always give your preferred church management system a gentle nudge and let them know you want to integrate with the Table.
Getting Started: Members
Who should set up the Table for our church?
It's tempting to dive right into the Table and get started. But what you need to remember is that you're not signing up as an individual, you're signing up as a community.
This is not Facebook or Flickr or most other social networking sites out there where you can sign up as an individual and go to town. You can't be a lone ranger. You need to get your church on board. Otherwise it's just going to be you sitting all alone at the Table. And no one likes to eat alone.
So before signing up, you should talk to your church's leadership about bringing the Table to your church (our roadmap can be helpful). We've found that churches who get their senior pastor and leadership on board have the most success. Instead of being the lone ranger, volunteer to be the Table champion—the person who will run the Table and introduce it to your church.
As you're pitching the Table to your church, remember that the Table isn't designed for your church staff or leadership—it's designed for the people in the pews. So while you should get leadership and staff support, it's not designed to be extra work for them. You can also mention that it's free (we like to say "price-less"). That always helps.
Once your church is on board, they should appoint someone to sign up your church and get started. That someone could be you, and you're well on your way to being a Table champion.
Why do you require an address and will it remain private?
The Table is all about local community. It's so cool to see what fellow church members live in your neighborhood. We can also serve up volunteer opportunities using this data—showing you church members who live nearby and need help.
But we take your privacy seriously. Your general location will be displayed on the church map, but not your exact address. You control where your exact address is shown and who can see it (with the exception of Admins and SuperAdmins—your church's administrative team needs to be able to see your address to verify who you are).
Why do you require a date of birth and will it remain private?
Your age and birthday are not displayed on the Table. The information is required to be compliant with the Coppa Act, but we also use it for teen settings and targeting purposes. There are a number of settings to ensure privacy for minors and we need your age for those to work. We also have a number of targeting features that allow churches to target specific age ranges—setting up groups for young adults or sending a message to women in their 40s.
But with all those features your exact birthday is never revealed. There may be apps developed in the future that take advantage of this information (Happy Birthday app!), but we'll never reveal your birthday without your permission.
Where can I find the privacy policy and terms of use?
Right here: Privacy Policy & Terms of Use.
Why should I add a profile photo?
Your profile photo is important. People want to connect with a face, not a generic icon. Adding a photo gives your profile a face. It helps people recognize you. It even helps people learn your name. Next time at church they'll be able to greet you by name instead of just nodding politely.
Remember that the Table is not Facebook. This is not the entire world learning your name and being able to recognize you. This is your church. So let's see your face! Not your dog or a cartoon or a generic icon.
It's always helpful to make your profile photo a close-up of your face. When you upload your image you have the option to crop the photo, so try to crop out other people so we can just see your smiling face. That way people know it's you and we don't have to squint at the tiny icon to figure out who you are.
You can watch this video or read this blog post to learn more about how to add a profile photo.
Why should I add 'About Me' tags to my profile?
The Table is all about developing community in your church, and that starts by getting to know other people. One of the ways you can do that is to share interests and skills. Then you can connect with other people who have common interests. Maybe you'll find a bunch of other knitters at your church or discover that you're not the only NASCAR fan.
Adding those tags helps other people get to know you better and connect with you. On Sunday morning those tags can be the difference between a conversation starter and standing around awkwardly.
Keep the tags simple and generic so they're more useful. You can watch this video to learn more about adding tags to your profile.
Setup
What's the difference between Admin, SuperAdmin and a Member?
SuperAdmin: Full administrative control of the Table.
Admin: Helps spread out admin tasks by approving new members, new content and sending out invites.
Member: No administrative control. These are the regular users.
How do I import items into the calendar?
Right now you can't import items into the calendar. Doh. We know that's a feature lots of people want, so we're working on it.
We have released a new app that lets you embed a Google Calendar within the Table. We're still working on full Google Calendar integration, but this little app is something we can offer right now.
How do I add my pastor's blog?
Go to "Add Apps." On the left side, under "Browse Apps," there's a link to "Add an RSS Feed." Click that link and you'll see a space to add the RSS feed of your pastor's blog and give it a title. It's as simple as that.
And if RSS means nothing to you, there's a link on that page to explain what RSS is in plain English. It's basically an easy way to share updated content (like putting your pastor's blog on your Table).
Can I link my church's website to the Table?
Yes! We strongly encourage you to point your website visitors to your Table sign-up page. Many churches do this with a "Connect" or "Community" button along with some kind of banner promoting it. Here are some examples of how churches have linked to the Table and you can also download Table banners.
How do I connect with Fellowship One?
You can integrate the Table with the Fellowship One church management software. Read more about the features available in our Fellowship One integration.
To actually connect to Fellowship One as a SuperAdmin, you can go to the "Manage" section, click on the "Account" tab and then the "Services" sub tab to find the integration directions.
You'll need to follow these directions very carefully. Note the "STOP!" and link to the F1 Integration Guide. Click that link and follow those directions. Fellowship One is a powerful system, so integrating with the Table is complicated. But follow those directions and you'll be set. Let us know if you have problems.
How do I send a quicknote to the entire church?
SuperAdmins can send a quicknote to the entire church by typing "Entire Church" into the To: field of a quicknote. Slick, huh? SuperAdmins can also send quicknotes to select groups in the "Manage" section on the Dashboard, including the entire church, church staff, other SuperAdmins and Admins, and group owners.
General Use
How do I change my email preferences?
You'll find all the settings for email alerts in your profile. Click on "Howdy [Your Name]" at the top of the Table to access your profile. Under your profile picture, click on "Edit Profile," then go to "Notifications & Email." Use the dropdown to choose what type of content you're setting email alerts for (Prayer Wall, Discussion Board, Photo App, Serve App, Profile, Groups and, for those with access, Admin).
These settings control email alerts as well as notifications (which only appear on the Table under "Messages"). Click on the appropriate icon for email alerts or notifications next to each type of content to turn the setting on or off (green is on, gray is off).
Email alerts: 
Notifications: 
Click "Save" when you're done. You'll get a message confirming that your changes were saved.
Under "Personal Information" in "Edit Profile" you can also change your preferences for receiving quicknotes. You can receive quicknotes via email, text message or only on the Table.
Check out our blog post on email preferences for more details about these options.
Why should I add people as friends on the Table?
Right now friending has two main purposes on the Table:
1. Privacy Settings: You can determine who in your church can view some of your personal information (contact info, networks, interests/skills, etc.) by choosing ‘Everyone,' ‘Friends,' or only ‘Admins'. You might decide everyone in church can see your home phone number, but you only want your friends to see your cell phone.
2. Notifications & Email Alerts: You can set notifications and email alerts based on your friends. So instead of receiving an email alert whenever anyone in your church posts something (or shutting them off completely), you could receive an email alert only when a friend posts something. Especially in larger churches with lots of things being posted, this might be a good way to cut down on the volume of email alerts while still being engaged.
In the future, there will likely be more functionality that utilizes friends, but for now that's how they're being used on the Table.
How do I send a quicknote to a group?
In the "To:" field of a quicknote, simply start typing the name of the group that you want to send a message to. The group's name will come up and you can click on it, just like choosing a person to send a message.
Write your message and click send. The message will be sent to everyone who is a member of that group. Done.
I'm the owner of a group—how do I remove myself from the group?
Every group needs an owner, so before you can remove yourself from a group, you need to assign a new owner. Once there's a second owner, then you can just quit the group.
First let's assign someone else as the new owner of the group. Go to the group in question, click on the "Admin" tab and go to "Member List." Just find the new owner and use the "Role" dropdown to assign them as the owner.
Now your group has a new owner, so you're free to leave the group. Click on the red circle on the left side of your group page.
How come none of the apps are loading in Chrome?
If you're using the Chrome browser you need to be sure that you're allowing third party cookies (at least for the Table). If you're not, you'll get all kinds of errors. Check that out in the settings and enable third party cookies. Then you should be humming.
How can I give feedback about the Table?
First off, thank you! We love feedback.
Here's how to do it: While you're in the Table you can click on the green 'Feedback' tab on the right side of the Table. This will access our customer support system, Get Satisfaction. You can share questions, ideas or problems. You can also search to see if someone else has already had that issue and if we've already addressed it.
You can also watch this video to learn more about giving feedback.
Mobile Apps
What mobile apps do you have available?
We currently have mobile apps available for the iPhone and Android (version 2.1 & up).
Can I sign up for the Table from the app?
Nope. You must have a Table login before you can use the iPhone or Android app. Register on the web and then you can log in on the app.
Can I update my profile from the app?
Yes and no. Yes, you can update your profile picture. Take a photo with your phone and add it to your profile on the go. But no, you can not update your profile information from the app.
Why isn't [ _____ feature] on the iPhone/Android app?
We just released version 1.1 of our iPhone app. It's pretty slick (at least we think so!), but it doesn't have all the bells and whistles just yet. We'll be adding calendar, discussion, photos and more to future versions.
Our Android app is a version 0.8 release and had to be trimmed back a bit due to costs. It's not quite as cool as the iPhone app, but it still allows for the most popular features of prayer and connection. We'll definitely be adding more features in future versions. One step at a time!
Will the iPhone app work on the iPad?
Our app isn't custom designed for the iPad, but it will still work. You have the option of viewing it at iPhone size or stretching it to fit your iPad. We do have plans to roll out an iPad-specific app in the future.
Are you planning other mobile apps?
Yes, we'll roll them out as we can. In addition to our iPhone and Android apps, we're planning a custom iPad app (though the iPhone app still works on the iPad) and possibly a mobile version of our site. We currently do not have plans for Windows 7 or Blackberry apps.
About Us
Who's behind the Table Project?
The Table Project is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our goal is to build a great product and give it away to the church. You can read more about our philosophy in our manifesto.
We're part of a family of ministries called Real Resources. That family has a history going back more than 40 years and includes well-known organizations such as YouthWorks and Youth Specialties. Real Resources fosters a growing family of ministries, enabling those ministries to equip churches. We share resources and office space with them in Minneapolis. They're pretty cool. To learn more about our family of ministries, visit www.realresources.com.
How does the Table Project make money?
Lots of people are understandably curious about our revenue strategy. Money doesn't grow on trees, even for a tech company.
We were initially launched as a nonprofit startup with an investment from Real Resources. Moving forward we hope to become self-sufficient through a number of revenue models:
- Transactional revenue from apps and ministry resources.
- Partner investment.
- Church and individual user donations (suggested and welcomed, but never required).
- Product re-licensing to non-ministry organizations.
- Investment by kingdom-oriented individuals who believe in the vision of the Table and want to put their resources where they can be a differentiating force in strengthening the church.
We will not be selling user data or turning to banner ads. The Table does currently have a right column of ad space, but we'll use that to promote tools, apps and resources within the Table. Some of these resources may be transactional opportunities, but will not link to sites outside of the Table.
The bottom line is that we're committed to our manifesto: The Table is a gift to the church. We don't want that gift to come with any obligations or strings attached. Because then it's no longer a gift.
Yes.
Being a free product for the church is our goal. If that ever changes then we've violated our manifesto and we hope you'll call us out on it.
We're confident that we can find the right partners and opportunities to make the Table Project self-sufficient for the long haul.
How can I help support the Table?
Wow. Thank you. We're always amazed at how much people appreciate the Table and want to support it. There are two simple ways you can support the Table:
1) You can make a tax deductible donation. You can donate online or SuperAdmins can make a donation in the "Dashboard" of the "Manage" section. There's a spot to donate in the Table Mission box. Yes, it's a little buried. But while we are thankful for the support, we don't want to be shoving a donation cup in your face. The church gets that enough.
2) You can make purchases at Amazon.com using our referral link and we'll get a small percentage of your purchase. As we roll out the Store tab this will be more conveniently integrated into the Table. But for now you can use these links to say, buy an iPad, and you'll be supporting the Table. Thanks.
Still Have Questions?
Sorry if you still have questions. We'll be adding more FAQs and help documents in the future. You can also check out our help guides, read our blog, watch help videos or access our customer support system, Get Satisfaction. And you can always contact us.