Community FAQ

Below you will find a list of the most frequently asked questions (faq) about this website. Don't see your question answered? Ask it here.


What is this website all about?

This church called St. Matthew is not a building. It's not even an organization. St. Matthew is a group of people that gather in community, seeking to follow Jesus with their entire lives. In this fast-paced life that we live, it's impossible for us to get together and "be the church" every day of the week. So, we needed a new place to connect.

This website is all about the St. Matthew community (ie. congregation) connecting with each other each and every day of the week. The goal here is to share life. We can share thoughts, photos, and information in ways that can support each other and build the St. Matthew community stronger every day.

So, register for a user account on the site today, and start sharing life with your St. Matthew friends.


You mean I should add things to the website myself?

That's right! Functioning as a community isn't just about taking...it's about giving. So, don't just read other people's postings or look at their photos...share your own life! Once you're logged in you can add all kinds of content to this website...things like photos, events, and we encourage you to also start an online community group.

Without your participation, this community isn't complete. So, get a user account and dive in! Also, you should note, you can't add any content to the site unless you're logged in with your username/password from registration...so make sure you're logged in before trying to add content.


How can I learn how to use this website?

We've set it up so creating a user account and adding content to the site is extremely easy...no advanced computer skills necessary. Need detailed information and a step-by-step walk through of getting involved? Visit the instructions page!


What are community groups?

The Online Community Groups are a very important and central part of this web community. These groups are sections of the website that are centered around certain community interests. These groups could be official St. Matthew ministries. They could be ChristCare small groups. They also can be a loose association of people gathered around a common interest (ie. "Interest Groups").

To be a part of the St. Matthew community means that you're involved with the community one way or another...you're part of ministries, you're part of a small group, or you're someone with a passion which interacts with the rest of the community. We highly encourage you to check out the existing groups and find groups that you're involved with. Once you find a group that you're connected with, you can "subscribe" to that group (and any others...multiple group subscriptions are highly encouraged!)

When you're subscribed to a group, you're then allowed to add group-specific content to that group...Photos, events, or general group announcements are all things that can be added to any group you're a part of. Simply visit the group page and click the buttons on the sidebar to add content. Don't be shy! When you're subscribed to groups you also get e-mail notifications when new content is added to that group so you can always stay up on the latest group information.

Finally, if you don't see a group you're involved with listed in our groups directory we highly encourage you to create the group yourself! then invite others to join your group with the 'invite' button you see in each group.


What if I'm confused?

It's ok. Take a deep breath. If something isn't working as you expected it to it may be a 'bug' (a nice way of saying it's broken). If you think you've encountered a bug, you can visit the bug report page and see existing site bugs or fill out a bug report. We can only fix things if you report them...so don't be afraid to fill one out.

Maybe you suspect it's not a bug, and you're just confused about how something should work...that's ok too. Just contact us (choose 'tech support' for the contact type) and ask your question. We'll happily give you a hand.


Can the site do this? Can the site do that?

Once you start using the site, you're bound to get excited about it! It opens up your mind to the possibility of what can be done on a community website. However, let's start simple, and grow slowly, shall we?

A really fast way to kill a site like this is to offer too much functionality too fast. It confuses new users and can create for a disorganized site. So, we're going to be very careful about how much functionality we add and how quickly we do it. I can assure you, the site will grow and evolve over time, but we want to be methodical and organized, making sure we're carrying every user along with us so we don't confuse anyone along the way...