The Table Project

The Table is here! The Table is Westwood’s new online community. As it develops, it will increasingly be the place to find other Westwooders through a directory, find small groups, ministries, serving opportunities, growth tools and so much more. It's the place to learn of prayer requests within the body and post needs of your own. As well, the Table Project integrates with Facebook and Twitter and allows you to customize your own personal page with web content you want. Plus you can find great Westwood content like podcasts of messages, Joel Johnson's blog, photos and discussions. Don't miss out as The Table helps us to be the church together in between Sundays.
 
If you are a regular attender or member of Westwood, you are invited to join The Table.
 
 
Table Project Guidelines
 
Table Project Resources
 
 
Top Ten Things to Do on The Table
  1. Read Joel's latest blog.
  2. Under the people tab, find your friends that are on the Table and send them a friend request.
  3. Using the maps feature on the people tab, find people who live in your neighborhood and send them a quicknote to say "hi". Maybe organize a potluck to get to know each other better.
  4. Catch up on a Westwood message you've missed by going to podcasts on the Church Tab
  5. Find people with a similar interest, start a group and invite them into it.
  6. Go to the Prayer Wall on the Church tab and lift up some of the needs in prayer. Send notes of encouragement.
  7. Go to the Photo app on the Church Tab and look at the albums that people are contributing to. Start your own album and upload some of your favorite photos to share.
  8. Go to the Discussion App and get in on a discussion related to the Sunday message.
  9. Go to your "My Page" and shop the applications resource to customize it with your favorite blogs and apps.
  10. Go to the groups directory and look for groups and ministries that peak your interest (many more will be added in the days to come)

The Table is intended for deepening church community and is not intended for solicitation or commerical purposes.

All social media has some inherent risk. Please use appropriate caution when interacting on The Table.

 
The Table FAQ
 
Why should I participate in The Table?
In one location you will be able to connect with the people at Westwood, put names to faces, pray for needs of people, explore ministry and group opportunities as well as find a place to serve. It is also a handy place to listen to Westwood podcasts, read Joel's blog and access many other online resources. It allows us to "be the church" together in between Sundays.
 
How secure is The Table?
Every account is password protected and secured at every level by account-based permission checks. If the account attempting to access a piece of data doesn't have permission to see that data, the request is simply rejected. Furthermore, these requests are made over an HTTPS connection, protected by the same kind of strong encryption that banks use on their websites. The Table also has a professional-grade firewall in place, and has been "black box" audited by an online security testing tool called ZeroDayScan, and no vulnerabilities were found.
 
Why does the Table ask for personal information like my phone number and address and age?
Think of the Table as an online directory where we can find and connect with others at Westwood like we used to with printed directories, only better! Including your phone number gives people an option for communicating with you beyond quicknotes on the Table. Your address is used by the mapping software within the Table although your exact house location is not revealed. The Table asks for your age because federal law prohibits the sharing of email addresses for individuals under the age of 13. In addition The Table has some adult-teen interaction restrictions built into it. Remember, through the privacy settings on the profile page you can control who has access to your information. Make public as much or as little as you are comfortable with. Read the Table Privacy statement.
 
Why does the Table ask me for my cell phone carrier?
Very soon you can elect to have notifications and alerts from the Table sent to you via text messages. That's why the question on your cell phone carrier.
 
What if I'm not a fan of social media?
While social media fans can link to their Facebook and Twitter accounts through the Table and customize their personal page with their favorite blogs and internet feeds, you don't need to be experienced in social media to sign on to The Table. We invite everyone to at least check it out and explore how it can be used to help them connect deeper within Westwood and even help them grow spiritually. But if it's not for you, we encourage you to take advantage of the many other ways there are to connect at Westwood.
 
Why am I getting multiple invitations?
You may be connected to more than one group at Westwood or be on more than one email list. We want to make sure that everyone gets an invitation!
 
Is The Table a finished product?
No. This is a newly developed resource by a ministry group within the Twin Cities. New features are being added regularly (text messaging and the serve application will launch soon) and there may be a glitch or two yet to be ironed out, but The Table is already being used by a number of churches in the area and a few around the nation.
Serve App Guidelines
The Serve App is a great application that makes it easy to match skills and items with people in need or to serving opportunities in and outside of Westwood. Add the Serve App to your “My Page” tab and it will alert you to service opportunities that match you. Use the Serve App within any Table groups that you are a part of, and check out the Serve App under the Westwood church tab. “I want to serve but I don’t know where” is a thing of the past!

Some simple guidelines will help ensure that the Serve App is a positive experience for everyone who uses it:
It’s not about money
Please note that the Serve App is about giving, receiving and sharing, not buying or selling. Please only post items that you are willing to donate or share. Post items involving the exchange of money under the “Classified,” or “Housing/Renting” categories under the “Discussion Board” app. If you wish to share about an opportunity related to a cause or benefit that you are involved in, please post that under the “Benefit/Cause” category under the “Discussion Board” app.
Keep it appropriate
If you are posting a need and asking others to be a part of meeting it for you, please think through if it is a real need worthy of others’ time.

Ask first
If you are aware of a person or family’s need at Westwood, suggest they post it themselves on the Table. Don’t post on behalf of another person or family unless you have received their permission.
Make it timely Please keep postings current (within 90 days of a serving opportunity or need) and delete postings that have been fulfilled ahead of their built in expiration.

Use appropriate caution
All social media has some inherent risk. Please use the Serve App wisely and with a degree of caution. Westwood cannot be responsible or liable for interactions on the Table or their outcomes.
 
Where to post things:

Volunteer (not for pay) opportunities
Serve App/Volunteer Tab
Volunteer (not for pay) needs
Serve App/Volunteer Tab
Employment opportunities
Discussion Board/Job Discussion
Seeking employment
Discussion Board/Job Discussion
Seeking housing or a roommate
Discussion Board/Housing and Renting Discussion
Selling a house or renting a room
Discussion Board/Housing and Renting Discussion
Items to share
Serve App/Sharing Tab
Items to borrow
Serve App/Sharing Tab
Items to buy or sell
Discussion Board/Classified
Communicate a benefit or cause
Discussion Board/Benefit and Cause Discussion
 
Table Prayer Wall Guidelines
 
Please consider the following guidelines when posting a prayer request on the Prayer Wall:
  1. Speak for yourself.
  2. As you share personal information, please consider if it is suitable for public knowledge
  3. Respect the privacy of others.  When posting a request on behalf of another person:
    a. Ask permission from the person before posting when possible
    b. Maintain confidentiality.  Only include information the person is comfortable communicating publicly.
    c. Ask yourself, “How would I feel about others knowing the information included if I were the one being prayed for?”
  4. Remember, God knows our situations and our needs.  He can be trusted to provide for us (see Matthew 6:25-34).  The purpose of the Prayer Wall is not to broadcast the details of our situations but to invite others to join us in asking God to make known to us His presence and provision.
  5. Don’t use the Prayer Wall for solicitation purposes. Certainly ask for prayer for general needs but specific needs like finding daycare or someone to buy your car are best accomplished through the Needs Board or the Serve application on the Table when it is available.
  6. If you have an issue or disagreement with someone, don’t use a prayer request to vent your frustration or communicate the situation to others.
The Table Community and Westwood leadership reserve the right to remove prayer requests that don’t follow these guidelines. Very personal prayer requests may be removed and redirected to the Westwood Prayer Team.
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