Your Guide to SlackAugust 22, 2019

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With more and more teams being built in our church, it is becoming important to ensure that there is clear communication between everyone on our staff. This is where Slack comes in. It is an awesome collaboration tool that enables us to do almost anything in one place.

Slack facilitates clear and open communication, promoting agile and effective development. It also allows Generation Church to grow to any size and keep us focused on productive collaboration. This is possible by using:

1. A single workspace for the whole organization.2. Channels for project, topic, and department-centered discussions.3. Audio and video calls.4. File sharing and search.5. Apps and integrations.

Slack is at it’s greatest strength when it uses apps and integrations. It’s like an operating system with hundreds of apps to streamline work processes and save our precious time (i.e., Asana, Google, and even appear.io).

With Slack, we are able to reduce internal email, increase transparency, and get everyone on the same page. Slack is compatible with various platforms, and it has seamless synchronization to ensure you don’t miss anything. This is going to be good!

Why We Use Slack

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GETTING STARTED

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The Slack Workspace

A Slack workspace is a space that brings together all the channels and chats of our organization, where all communication, file sharing, andconference calls take place.

The Generation Church workspace is a closed space for GC staff.

If you don’t know the workspace URL, Slack can help you find the Generation Church workspace based on your @generation.church email address.

For reference, our workspace URL is: genchurchaz.slack.com

Image Source: Slack Technologies Inc., Official website.

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The Slack Workspace

Download Slack

To join the Generation Church Slack workspace, you need an email invitation or you can create an account on the workspace by yourself. There are two ways to do this:

1. Receive and accept an email invitation from a member of the workspace and sign up by clicking the link contained in the email invitation.

2. Join the workspace using your @generation.church email address. Slack is tied to our main domain, which means that any new person in our organization can join on their own. You can do it here: https://slack.com/get-started

Slack is available on different platforms as a native app. It can also be used as a website, which can be very convenient. However, the app comes with more settings and is faster than the web-based version. We highly encourage you to download the Slack app across all your available devices.

On your device, go to your App Store and search ‘Slack’. From there, download the app, open it, and sign in with your @generation.church email address.

Image Source: Slack Technologies Inc., Official website.

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The Slack Workspace

Slack Guest Access Slack Guest Access is one of the great features in Slack. It’s convenient when inviting a high-level volunteer or a freelancer to the team.

Guests have limited access to the entire workspace or to one channel If you invited a guest, they can only join via the invitation link in order to gain access to the Generation Church workspace.

Guests are divided into two types: Single-Channel Guests (have access to one channel) and Multi-Channel Guests (have access to multiple channels at once).

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The Slack Workspace

Actions In Slack Slack comes with so many useful features. These are some basic actions and commands for communicating in channels and in direct messages. Details on how to use Slack to send messages and communicate in channels are described in the Slack Help Center.

The popular Slack commands are @channel (notifies all members of a channel), @here (notifies only the active members of a channel) and @username (notifies the person mentioned). Below is how it all works.

For more advanced actions, please visit the Slack Help Center.

YOUR ACTION RESULT

You post a message in a public channel. All members of that channel will see it and it will be archived for future members to see as well.

You post a message in a private channel. Only members of that channel will see it.

You post a message in a direct message (DM). Only that person will see it.

You post a message to a user group. Only members of the group will see it.

You mention someone in a public channel with the @ symbol, but that person isn’t in that channel.

That person will NOT recieve a notification, but Slackbot will ask if you’d like to invite that person.

You mention someone in a private channel with the @ symbol, but that person isn’t in that channel.

That person will NOT recieve a notification, but Slackbot will ask if you’d like to invite that person.

You mention someone in a DM or user group with the @ symbol.

That person will NOT recieve a notification, and you will NOT be able to invite them to the DM or group.

You ‘pin’ a message in a channel. Every memeber of that channel will see it.

You ‘star’ a message or a channel. Only you can see it.

You post a message with a hashtag and the name of a public channel (i.e. #general or #admin).

The name of that channel will be highlighted in blue and, when clicked, you can join that channel.

You send a message with a hashtag and the name of a private channel (i.e. #privatechannel).

The name of that channel will NOT be highlighted blue and you will NOT be able to join the channel.

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CREATING YOUR PROFILE

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Your Slack Profile

Slack offers a number of simple settings that enable you to explore Generation Church’s staff members to provide information about who does what. You can create your virtual business card on Slack and even set your availability work schedule.

Setting Up Your Slack Profile You can set the following parameters in your Slack profile settings:

• Name• Display Name• Position• Personal contacts• Time zone• Photo• Status• Availability

Step 1Step 2

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Your Slack Profile

PRO-TIP: Whether you’re OOO on vacation or out on maternity leave, you can signal this to your co-workers by adjusting your last name on Slack (i.e. Jane Smith OOO where Jane is the first name and Smith OOO is the last name).

Step 3

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Your Slack Profile

Choosing Your Display Name

The display name is the name that your workspace members will use to mention you in channels. You can change your display name in your Profile settings as follows:

• Click on your name in the top left corner of your screen• Select Profile & account• Click Edit Profile• Change the display name and click Save Changes

Please use your REAL FIRST NAME as your display name instead of a nickname (i.e. @LaserCat or @MrBigTime) so you don’t confuse your team.

Your Slack Profile Picture

Your Slack profile picture should be a minimum of 512x512px and a maximum of 1024x1024px to ensure it is high enough resolution to recoginize your picture.

• Click on your name in the top left corner of your screen• Select Profile & account• Click Edit Profile• Click Upload an Image to choose your picture• Adjust the crop for your photo (cut/edit)• Click Save Changes

You can use any image as your profile picture if you want to have some fun. However, for your daily work, it’s better to use real pictures for your teammates to easily identify you in channels and online meetings.

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Your Slack Profile

Setting Your Status

To set a status, you can choose one of the five suggested options or enter your own. In addition, you can add an emoji to it, which will show next to your display name in chat rooms.

• Click on your name in the top left corner of your screen• Select Set A Status• Click the smiley face icon to select an emoji, or select from one of the suggested

statuses.

You can also enter your own status, then click Clear After and select a time period after which the status will disappear.

Away status can be set by Slack automatically or you can set it manually. There is a chance you might want to set yourself Away so that you could avoid unnecessary distractions. To set your availability to Away:

• Click on your name in the top left corner of your screen• Click Set Yourself to Away

Setting Your Availability

The colored dot next to your display name indicates if you’re available in Slack. The possible modes are:

ACTIVE AWAY

CONNECTING DO NOT DISTURB

Image Source: Slack Technologies Inc., Official website.

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Your Slack Profile

How Slack Determines Your Availablility

Slack automatically determines your availability based on how consistently you’re interacting with the app on your device.

View A Teammate’s Availablility

You can find out whether your teammates are available or have a status set by looking them up in your workspace Directory.

You’re ACTIVE when: You’re AWAY when:

DESKTOPSlack is open and you’re

interacting with your computer

30 minutes of system inactivity

WEB BROWSER You’re interacting with Slack in your web browser

30 minutes of browser inactivity

MOBILE Slack is open You switch apps, close Slack, or lock your screen

DESKTOP / BROWSER

1. Click the More Items menu at the top right of your screen.

2. Select Directory.

A solid dot shows the member is active; an empty dot indicates they’re away. If they have a status set, you’ll see it here.

iOS

1. Swipe right to left to open the right sidebar.

2. Tap Directory.

A solid dot shows the member is active; an empty dot indicates they’re away. If they have a status set, you’ll see an emoji next to their name.

ANDROID

1. Tap the Overflow menu at the top right of your screen.

2. Tap Directory.

A solid dot shows the member is active; an empty dot indicates they’re away. If they have a status set, you’ll see an emoji next to their name.

... ...

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APPS

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Apps

Productivity with Slack Apps

Slack apps are like the apps in your smartphone. There is a built-in app store called App Directory where you can find and install a Slack app in your workspace. When adding apps to Slack, you can transfer all your work to Slack and stop juggling all those open windows on your computer screen. There are over 2,000 Slack apps that are publicly available are widely different. You have little fun apps ( Giphy, Lunch Train) , advanced project management apps (Asana, appear.in) and 3rd party integrations (Gmail, Google Calendar, Box) .

Using the Slack App Directory

You can explore apps right in Slack: click on (+) sign in the left corner of your screen near the Apps section. From there you’ll be able to search and browse apps without leaving Slack. If you want to learn more about an App, click on the listing of the app to view its information in your browser.

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Step 2

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Apps

How to Install An App

When you have found an app you would like to add to Slack, just click the Install button under the app’s icon in the App Directory. Then follow the instructions to install and launch the app.

Sometimes we may limit the list of apps available to members for installation. If the app you want is not listed in the approved list for your workspace, you may send a request to a Slack Admin to install it: click the Request button below the app’s icon and then click Submit Request.

If the app installation isn’t available directly from the Slack App store there will be Visit Site to Install button. Click it and then install the app from its website.

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Apps

AsanaProject managment

FlexbotHealthy habit reminders

Google CalendarSchedules & meetings

BoxFile management

GIPHYMemes & GIFs for your chats!

Apps for Generation Church

We have selected a few apps that will increase efficiency and take your workflow to the next level. These are systems and softwares that we use everyday at Generation Church and integrate seamlessly into Slack.

If you have any questions on installation, usage, or technical difficulties, please contact a Slack Admin.

If you’d like to requet an app be added to this list, please let us know! We’re always looking for ways to be more effective in our work and communication.

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COMMUNICATION

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Communication

Threads, Threads, THREADS!!!!!

Before we begin this section, get to know this icon:

Threads keep discussions in Slack organized. They let you ask questions, add context, or give feedback on a specific message, all without disrupting a conversation’s flow. A thread will remain connected to its original message, and only those that have contributed to it or who are following it will be notified of new replies.

This function of Slack is vital to our communication throughout Generation Church’s workspace. It will help keep information clutter-free, organized, and archived.

Why should we use threads?

• Clearly tie your feedback and thoughts to a specific message or file.• Organize conversations and preserve meaningful context.• Encourage open discussion without distracting others.

Threading vs. sharing messages. Threads work best when you want to keep your response connected to the original idea or file. Sharing a message is best used to rekindle past conversations or highlight specific messages from one channel to another.

Threads are sticky. When you share a message or a message containing a file, any threaded replies will be shared along with the item. This keeps the conversation about the original item ready and accessible.

Avoid hiding info in threads. A thread’s discussion won’t appear in a channel’s main view unless you share your reply with the channel. If other members would benefit from seeing your message, share it in channel rather than in a thread.

Threads are courteous. They help keep channels focused and prevent active discussions from becoming derailed. But, if you want others to see your reply in a thread, send it to the entire channel just like a regular message in Slack.

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Communication

Send Messages on Desktop

1. Type your message in the message field at the bottom of the screen.2. Press ENTER to send.

If you start writing a message and navigate away, you’ll see a pencil icon next to the channel name or direct message to remind you that you’ve started a draft.

You can quickly edit your last message by pressing the up arrow key in the empty message field.

Drafts

If you have any unfinished or unsent messages, you’ll see a list of the related channels or direct messages (DMs) under the Drafts heading at the top of your sidebar. As of now, drafts do not sync across all devices, so your drafts will only appear on the device you’re using to compose the message.

Send Messages on iOS + Android

1. Tap the message field at the bottom of the screen.2. Type your message.3. Tap SEND.

You can add to you message using the options below:

• Share a photo • Upload and attach a file • Choose a slash command • Mention a teammate

To edit a message, long press the message, then tap Edit Message.

If a message fails to send, you may see an exclamation mark next to a channel or direct message in the sidebar. To re-send your message, open the channel or DM, find the message, then click or tap the exclamation mark icon.

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Read Messages on Desktop

When you’re viewing a channel, its name will be highlighted in the channel list on the left.

If you see a bolded channel name in the list, that means there’s unread activity — click it to open the channel and view unread messages.

You’ll see a blue bar when you open a channel with unread activity: you’ll easily see the number of new messages since you last viewed the channel.

Unread Messages on Desktop

By default, Slack marks a channel as read as soon as you view it, but you can change the way your unread activity is managed from your preferences. Here’s how:

1. From your desktop, click your workspace name in the top left.2. Select Preferences from the menu.3. Click the Mark as Read tab.4. Under When I view a channel, select your preference.

You can choose from one of these options:

• Start where you left off (at the oldest unread message) and mark the channel as read

• Start at the newest message and mark the channel as read• Start at the newest message but leave the older messages unread

Communication

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Communication

Mark Messages as Unread on Desktop

If you need to come back to a channel later, you can mark messages as unread. Here’s how:

1. Hover over the oldest message you’d like to mark as unread.2. Click the • •• More actions icon.3. Click Mark unread.

The message you’ve selected and any others that are sent after it will be marked unread. You can also set an unread point by holding your alt key on your keyboard and selecting a message.

Read Messages on iOS + Android

In the Slack mobile app, your main view will be of the channel you’re currently in. Here’s how to navigate to other channels:

1. Swipe left to right to open the channel list.2. Tap the channel you’d like to view.

If a channel name is bolded, this means there’s unread activity. Channels with unread activity will appear at the top of the channel list.

Read Messages on iOS + Android

Slack will display a blue bar when a channel has more unread activity than can fit on your screen.

Tap the arrow on the left to jump to the oldest unread message, or mark the channel as read by tapping the X close icon at the right end of the bar

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Unread Messages on iOS + Android

If you need to come back to a channel later, you can mark messages as unread. Here’s how:

1. Long-press a message.2. Tap Mark Unread.

The message you’ve selected and any others sent after it will be marked as unread.

Pin Messages and Files

Important messages and their replies can be pinned to the details pane in any channel or direct message, including group messages, for easy reference.

How pinning works

• Pin a message to store it in a conversation’s details pane.• Pin files by pinning the original message the file was shared in.• Click the pin icon to view all pinned items in a channel or direct

message.

You can pin messages and files by pinning the original message posted in the channel or direct message:

1. Hover over the message or original file message you’d like to pin.2. Click the • •• More actions icon.3. Select Pin to #channel-name (or to this conversation).4. Click Yes, pin this message or file to confirm.

A message will appear in the channel or DM letting others know you’ve pinned an item. Your pinned item will be shown in the details pane, which you can open by clicking the pin icon.

Communication

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Communication

Slack Calls

With Slack Calls, you can make a voice or video call and connect with any member of the Generation Church workspace.

• Voice call Talk with your teammates in Slack.• Video call Talk or video conference in Slack.• Share your screen Present to others and allow them to draw on your

screen if you’d like.

This is a list for all things related to voice calls, video calls, and screen sharing.

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Slack Calls

You can also use keyboard shortcuts to control your call behavior:

Make sure you get to know Slack Calls and all of its features. We will be using it regulary to hold meetings, collaborate, and communicate as we drive the mission of Generation Church forward!

Communication

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For questions, help. or troubleshooting, please contact:

Tim Dwyertim@generation.church | 847-322-5806

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Jesse Baumgartnerjesse@generation.church | 612-281-8151

http://generation.church/slack-resources