Awesome Ward-Missionary Ideas

Tips for baptism preparation

2012-01-26T12:12:00.000-08:00

Part of the fellowshipping process is welcoming visitors and investigators from the very beginning of their experience with the Church. Then, when an investigator has a baptism date set, it should be like a green light for Ward-Missionaries to know that they need to really get moving to help that investigator prepare for activity in the Church!

We all know the symbolism of baptism and what it represents - the death/burial/resurrection of Christ, a new beginning, an outward sign that we are making a covenant, and more. Its also important to recognize that baptism also represents the transition from investigator to new member. And that is a transition that is best made with help from the Ward- Missionaries and other Ward members.

In our experience as Ward-Missionaries, we have seen a number of people fall away from the Church immediately after being baptized. If a person chooses not to participate in the Church or keep their baptismal covenants, that is a very sad thing. Since there is so much emphasis on the need for new-member fellowshipping, its easy to feel like we could have done something more to prevent it.

In some cases, there may have been more that we could have done to help the new convert become an active member. However, the truth is that sometimes the new member might not be willing to continue with their commitments, regardless of our efforts. In every case, we need to make sure that fellowshipping by Ward-Missionaries, Ward leaders, and other Ward members is taking place and that every thing possible is being done to help the new member make a successful transition. While the choice to remain active in the Church is ultimately their responsibility, we are responsible to do everything within our capacity to help them.

We have worked hard to try to make a smoother transition for our new-members by involving the Ward members (especially Ward-Missionaries), beginning with the pre-baptism stage. Of course, I am a strong advocate that we should increase our contact with new members immediately after baptism, and there are several posts on this site that discuss post-baptism fellowshipping and retention.

Here are some of the ideas we've come up with for pre-baptism fellowshipping....

SPECIFIC THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP A BAPTISM-CANDIDATE:

We try to become familiar with each investigator as much as possible, especially when they have a firm baptism date set

We really want to attend at least one pre-baptism teaching appointment with the full-time missionaries so we can explain that we will begin teaching them the new-member lessons after baptism, & set up an appointment for our first lesson if possible. In our experience, some full-time missionaries are more agreeable about this than others, so if we can’t visit them with the full-time missionaries we arrange our own pre-baptism visit

We encourage the full-time missionaries to include as many ward members in the baptism program as possible (this helps get more members to the baptism and makes a connection between the member and their ward family)

We can make sure that baptism candidate knows what to bring to the baptism (we have a handout that we give them). The full-time missionaries sometimes forget to tell people to wear white underwear, bring a towel, etc. We’ve had a lot of people forget to bring something, even if they’ve been told, so I try to have a spare towel, hairbrush, etc in the car just in case.

We can help put the word out about upcoming baptisms and encourage as many ward members to attend as possible (by phone, email, or announcements at church).

We give each baptism candidate a “Welcome to the Ward” packet (preferably several days before the baptism) and encourage them to invite their friends/family to attend*

We attend convert baptisms

We take photos of the convert in the lobby before the baptism (with the missionaries and without) and give them framed copies of their photo as a keepsake. We also make sure they have received a copy of their baptism program.

These simple steps have made a big difference in our ability to get to know our investigators (especially those who are preparing for baptism). Any contact we have with them lets them know that we care and that we are available to help them. Without a doubt, the more comfortable a new member feels with the Ward members, the easier the transition into Ward membership will be for them and the more likely they will be to stay active.

*If you'd like more information on "Welcome to the Ward Packets", please see the "Welcome Packets" section on the right side of this page.

Missionary/Member Etiquette RE-POST

2012-01-25T13:17:00.000-08:00

This is an post that I originally wrote about a year ago, but thought it might be helpful to repost...

I came across a blog post called, Ten Little Points of Missionary Etiquette on the 'Mormon Insights' blog...This is a list of suggestions of things that we as members can do (or not do) to avoid unknowingly putting the full-time missionaries in awkward situations. For example, most people know that missionaries are required to keep "arm's-length" distance from people of the opposite sex, but many members don't feel like that counts if they're much older (or married) or if the missionary is about to be transferred - especially if they've worked closely with the missionary. Really, the rule applies to everyone...this prevents Elders and Sisters from needing to make constant judgement calls about who its ok to hug and who its not.

So, if I were to try to hug one of our Ward's full-time missionary Elders (no matter how innocent my intentions) it would create an awkward and potentially embarrassing situation for the Elder, who would have to make the choice to reject my hug (potentially offending me) or to have to break the rule because he didn't want to be rude.

I served a full-time mission as a young adult and I can relate to almost all of the items pointed out in the Ten Little Points of Missionary Etiquette article... I actually (jokingly) kept a mental list of all the platonic "hugs" that I got from male investigators, new members, branch presidents, etc. I was very serious about keeping mission rules, but sometimes it was just really awkward to reject something innocent like that from a tearful and well-meaning person (especially an elderly married man) on the day you're getting transferred.

This list isn't meant to make anyone feel bad, especially since many members do some of these things without realizing that they are either #1- against mission rules, or #2- may make the missionary feel uncomfortable. Its just meant to be a list of suggestions of things that you may not have thought about that you can do to help the full-time Elders or Sisters you work with concentrate on their work and spend less time being distracted.

Here is the list that the blog "Mormon Insights" gives, along with my comments added in red font:

1. Don't pay a compliment to one missionary without also paying a compliment to his/her nearby companion. Sometimes one missionary is very charismatic or good-looking and tends to get more attention than his/her companion, so its good to be sensitive to this.

2. When missionaries are paying a visit to your home, try your best to keep the televisions, radios, and computers off. This is so distracting when you're trying to keep the mission rules to not watch TV/movies, etc at all during your missionary service. Imagine if you were trying to avoid sweets and you went to a friend's house who had 100 cupcakes sitting on the table.

3. If missionaries are available to be invited to dinner, keep the visit under an hour. Its hard to leave when members/investigators want you to stay, but missionaries are usually taught to keep visits under an hour and they may have another appointment to get to. Every minute you keep them from their work is a minute that they could be finding someone new to teach.

4. Don't ask missionaries about their girlfriends or boyfriends back home. I know you're curious, but for someone who is trying to concentrate on the work, having people constantly bring up boyfriends/girlfriends can be hard. Especially if that significant other has recently dumped you via letter or email (happens a lot!). Imagine having people constantly bring the subject up when you're just trying to forget it.

5. When conversing with a missionary, try to keep conversations centered on Church-related or service-related issues.

6. Always respect the companionships of missionaries. Do not ask a missionary how well he or she is getting along with the assigned companion. (The missionary leadership will handle that question). Also, if they aren't getting along as a companionship or the missionary really can't stand his/her companion, they probably won't say so anyhow, which puts them in the awkward position of having to pretend that everything is peachy when they'd rather not discuss it with you.

7. Do not ask missionaries how many baptisms they have had. The number of baptisms is not an index of success. This is really an okay thing to wonder about, since we may be curious about how the missionary work is going in our area and throughout the mission. However, there are better ways to find out than to ask "How many baptisms?", which puts the focus on numbers. Here are some other ways you can ask essentially the same thing: "Have you been finding success in the area? (or "How was the work going in your last area?") or "What have been some of your favorite experiences with investigators so far?"

8. Do not expect missionaries to stay in contact with you after they have left an area or even after they have finished their mission service. Some missions have rules about whether missionaries can stay in contact with members in their former areas during the remainder of their missions. It may seem silly, but missionaries do need to focus on serving the members/investigators in their new area, so even if contact is allowed its best to keep it limited.

9. Do not call upon missionaries in Sunday School to provide scriptural support for some obscure doctrine that has been raised in class. The authority of missionaries is in missionary work, not in settling doctrinal debates. Most of the time they know the basics (thats what they study and that's what they are sent to teach), so don't assume that they are doctrinal experts.

10. Do not ask a Sister or an Elder for their first name. The first name is Sister or Elder. Period. I discovered on my mission that a lot of members think its fun to call full-time missionaries by their first name, even if its just in the member's home. They may mean well, seeing themselves as a parent-figure and wanting the missionary to feel a little more normal, but remember that the full-time missionaries go by their title for a reason - it helps them (and us) remember that they are set apart for a sacred mission)

Ward Activity - "Talent (& No-Talent)" Show

2012-01-22T18:43:00.000-08:00

We have been asked by our Stake to plan a Ward activity to go along with our Ward's upcoming "Invitation Sunday" (for more information on Invitation Sunday, see the section on this topic on the right side).

Based on the needs of our Ward, we wanted to come up with an activity that met a specific criteria. We want to have an activity that is casual and fun, so non-members can come to our Church building and get to know our Ward members in a positive atmosphere. We also want it to be an activity that our Ward members would be excited to attend and truly feel comfortable inviting their non-member friends/relatives to (without fearing a surprise sermon or missionary 'ambush').

The idea that we decided on is to have a Ward "Talent (and No-Talent)" Show. I have adapted this idea from a post about a 'No-Talent Show' Ward activity that I read about on The Idea Door website, here. We changed it to a Talent AND No-Talent show for our Ward because we thought we could get more participants if we offered a choice of performing conventional or non-conventional talents.

Here is the planning sheet that we used to plan the activity - it gives a good explanation of what the activity is about....

________________________________________________

Ward Activity Planning Sheet

Activity: Ward “Talent (and No-Talent)” Show*

Plan: Ward members volunteer to perform a talent (a regular talent or non-conventional talents) during a Ward “Talent (and No-Talent)” Show (followed by refreshments)

Examples of talents: singing, dance, musical instruments, etc

Examples of non-conventional talents: nose-whistling, packing a suitcase in 30 seconds, spinning plates, or ripping a phone book in half, etc

Purpose: Provide a fun activity that ward-members will be able to invite non-member friends/relatives to attend

Benefits: A “Talent & No-Talent” show activity is a fun way to familiarize non-member visitors with ward members in a casual atmosphere. We should have participants from all age groups (primary, youth, & adults) performing talents or non-talents. Participants may feel more excited to invite non-member friends/relatives because they (or a relative) are performing. This is an activity that can be enjoyed by performers and audience of all ages.

Display tables: We can have several display tables in the cultural hall. Some of these will have displays of non-performance talent by Ward members (paintings, crafts, etc). There will also be display table(s) near the door with Church information & pamphlets about our basic beliefs, how to learn more, etc.

Refreshments: We will ask several people in the ward who are talented in cake-decorating to each bring 1-dozen decorated cupcakes.

Things that would need to be done to pull-off a “No-Talent Show”:

Recruiting the ‘talent/no-talent’ performers (sign-up sheets, email, phone calls)

Pre-screening acts to make sure they are Church-appropriate

Arranging for an emcee

Advertising (specifically that this is a great event to invite non-members to)

Arranging the program (order of acts)

Setting up chairs and microphone

Providing refreshments at the end of the talent show

Create display tables for non-performance crafts (scrapbooking, woodworking, art, etc)

Create display tables with info about attending church & our basic beliefs, how to learn more, etc

Clean-up

*The term “Talent (& No-Talent) Show” isn’t meant to be demeaning to anyone. We are encouraging all types of talents and don’t want to discourage people who aren’t traditional performers. There will be no judging, prizes, or labeling of who is a ‘talent’ or a ‘no-talent’

__________________________

We have also come up with a handout that will be passed out at Church on Sunday with information for Ward members. This is meant to get the word out about the “Talent (& No-Talent) Show”and to (hopefully) encourage Ward members to sign up to perform. Here is the text from the handout:

_______________________

(Name of Ward here) Ward

"Talent (& No-Talent)" Show

(Date and time here)

Do you have a talent to share? We’re looking for acts to perform in the Ward Talent (& No-Talent) Show. It doesn’t matter if you’re traditionally ‘talented’ or not…There won’t be any judging - this is just for fun!

We’re looking for Ward members of all ages to do:

Conventional talents (like singing, dancing, juggling, yo-yo tricks, etc)

Non-conventional talents (like nose-whistling, packing a suitcase in 30 seconds, spinning plates, or ripping a phone book in half, etc…)

Sign-up sheets will be passed in classes on Sundays. Not a performer? Please sign up anyhow- There will also be a display table for people who want to share their non-performance talents (like painting, woodworking, scrapbooking, sewing, etc).

Even if you don’t have a talent you’d like to share, please plan to come as an audience member and BRING A FRIEND! This activity is being organized by (insert names here), please contact us for more info (insert phone number here)

Christmas-time Activities & Church Attendance

2011-12-06T15:02:00.000-08:00

If your ward/Stake has upcoming Christmas-related events, make sure to advertise these activities especially to your new members and less-active members. In every ward I've been in, it has been very easy to get less-active (or inactive) members to come to an activity if its Christmas-related. I believe that this is because many people (even if they aren't actively attending Church) equate the holidays with Church attendance. Going to Church at Christmas-time may be something they grew up with, even if they didn't attend Church or Church-related activities any other time of the year.

At our Ward's most recent Christmas party, we saw many people who hadn't been to Church or a Church function in 6 months or more. And a several of them brought along their non-member relatives and friends. This is a great opportunity for us to reach out and fellowship these brothers and sisters, and their friends and relatives.

Be on the lookout, also, on Christmas Day (since it falls on Sunday this year), for those less-active or inactive members who may feel inspired to attend Church BECAUSE it is Christmas. What a special opportunity for them to feel the Spirit and remember why they joined the Church in the first place!

Christmas Cards = Gospel Sharing

2011-12-03T15:53:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! We came up with an idea to encourage our ward members to keep sharing the gospel this Christmas season. I am in contact with many of our ward members on facebook and through an email group, so I sent this email (below) out last week. It outlines our plan for using Joy to the World "Pass-Along Cards" in Christmas cards being sent to non-member friends or relatives:

"Ward members- This Christmas season, we have come up with an idea for inviting friends and relatives to learn more about our beliefs in a very easy way. Most of you are probably familiar with the Church’s “pass along cards” (small index-size cards with a picture on one side and Church info on the other side)...

Our idea is to offer the “Joy to the World” theme pass-along cards to any ward members who would like to include them in Christmas cards they will be sending to non-members (either local or in other areas). The card would easily fit inside any Christmas card. It has a picture of Mary and baby Jesus on the front, with the words, “Joy to the World”. On the back of the card, it says, “Bring the spirit of Christmas into your home with the story of the Saviour’s birth and His life, featuring music by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir” (there is a picture of the FREE “Joy to the World” DVD that is being offered, and the 800 number to call).

Please note, when people call for the DVD they are asked if they would like to learn more about the gospel, but meeting with the full-time missionaries is not required and they are trained to be very polite.

Including a “pass-along” card in with a Christmas card is a simple, easy way to offer a church-related gift and a non-aggressive opportunity for them to learn about our beliefs if they wish. You never know - there may be people on your Christmas card list who may jump at the chance for a free DVD and may be very interested in learning more about our beliefs!

I have ordered 200 “Joy to the World” pass-along cards and they will be available soon for anyone who would like to include them in some of their Christmas cards. We are providing the pass-along cards to our ward members at no charge. If you have any questions or are interested in having some of these pass-along cards to send out, please let me know (and how many you would like).

PS- The free “Joy to the World” DVDs are meant as a missionary tool for non-members, so church members are asked not to call for free DVDs. The “Joy to the World” DVD is available to purchase for $1.50 from Church Distribution if you would like to buy a copy of the movie for yourself"

Many Christmas cards that would be sent by our ward members would probably be to members in other areas/missions, but thats okay. Sharing the gospel is always a good thing, even if we don't directly see the results in our own ward. Also, even being presented with this idea gets ward members thinking - who are their non-member friends and relatives and would they be receptive to something like this?

To order pass-along cards, go to the online store at www.lds.org. They are $2.00 for a pack of 100 cards (there is no charge for shipping). Please note, it may be too late for you to order 'pass-along cards', as many people are sending out their cards in early December. Another option would be to check with your Bishopric to see if your ward has a stockpile of pass-along cards somewhere that you could have. Or, your ward's full-time missionaries might have some of these cards as well. If you do order pass-along cards and they arrive late in the month, you can always encourage members to give them to people personally (or include them in gift-baskets, etc).

I personally prefer the Joy to the World cards to the other pass-along cards that are available (because they are Christmas-themed), but you could probably use any variety of pass-along card if the Joy to the World cards aren't available to you.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Plan now for General Conference Reminders

2011-09-10T18:22:00.000-07:00

General Conference is coming up in a few weeks! If you've ever forgotten it was Conference Weekend, you know there is nothing worse than showing up for church on time at your regular Ward building and seeing an empty parking lot!

For long-time members, General Conference isn't anything unusual, but for investigators and recent converts, General Conference is a new concept. While we may all know where to go (and when) the first weekend of April and October (or at least how to look it up), new members may not have a clue.

Here are some ideas to help you make sure that everyone you're working with has the opportunity to watch General Conference (and NOT show up for Church at the regular place/time):

#1- Announce (and explain) General Conference in Gospel Essentials Sunday School class for at least 2 weeks prior to Conference. Even if you explain it once, not everyone may be paying attention and there may be some people missing from class the first time. Be sure to emphasize that there will not be any regular Church meetings on Conference Sunday - the Conference broadcasts will replace regular Church meetings on this Sunday.

#2- Provide a handout* (sample shown below) that has a basic explanation of General Conference and the dates/times/viewing options appropriate for your area. Hand these out in Sunday School and before/after Sacrament meeting during the 2 weeks before Conference, so you can catch as many people as possible. I usually make extras of these handouts and give them to our full-time missionaries so they have something to give to investigators who may be interested in attending.

#3- If you send out a new member newsletter, include the explanation of General Conference and the dates/times/viewing options for your area, etc. Again, be sure to emphasize that there will not be any regular Church meetings on Conference Sunday - the Conference broadcasts will replace the regular Church meetings on this Sunday. Yes, its repeating yourself, but this is often misunderstood by new members.

#4- Consider asking Ward leaders (if appropriate) to announce General Conference times/viewing options (in Relief Society, Priesthood, etc). Some Wards do this, others do not.

#5- Reminder phone calls (or emails) - as a last minute reminder, it doesn't hurt to give a quick call or email on Friday to remind investigators/new members that its Conference weekend.

#6- If possible, consider inviting some investigators or new members to your home to view Conference with your family (or to attend Conference with you at a Church building providing the broadcast)

You don't have to use all of these methods, of course, but I feel like the more reminders, the better. This may seem like overkill, but I'd rather repeat myself 4 times than have someone tell me later that they showed up for Church and nobody was there and/or they missed General Conference because they didn't know about it.

*My handouts usually look something like this (times and viewing options will vary by region, this is just shown for example):

General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
October 1st and 2nd

General Conference is held twice a year and is broadcast from Church Headquarters in Salt Lake City to members all over the world. Speakers will include the Prophet (President of the Church), members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and other Church Leaders. Since each of the 4 sessions of the Conference will feature different speakers and different topics, Church members watch all 4 sessions.

DATES/TIMES:
Saturday the 1st- morning session 9:00-11:00am
and afternoon session 1:00-3:00pm
AND
Sunday the 2nd- morning session 9:00-11:00am
and afternoon session 1:00-3:00pm

VIEWING OPTIONS:
AT HOME: If you get BYU-Channel or local access Channel __, you can view all 4 Conference broadcasts at home on your tv.

AT CHURCH: All 4 Conference broadcasts are shown on a large movie screen in the chapel at the Stake Center (located at _________). Sunday-clothing is appropriate if you attend in the chapel.

ONLINE: All 4 Conference broadcasts can be viewed at the Church's official website, www.lds.org

Please mark your calenders - there are no regular Church meetings this weekend - instead, everyone will be attending Conference broadcasts (either at home or at the Stake Center Building)

See you at Conference!

New member social success!

2011-09-10T18:18:00.000-07:00

(This post was created months ago, but never posted for some reason...)

We had a great 'dessert social' for some of our new members tonight. It was held at the Bishop's home and it went really well. We have about 17 adults who were baptized in the last few years, and of those 17 the Bishop selected 9 (plus their spouses & kids, if applicable) to invite to this social. We were somewhat limited on space because it was held in a home, which was the reason for the limit on attendees, but we hope to have more "socials" like this in the future. It was a great way for newer members to socialize (with each other, the Bishop, and the ward-missionaries) outside of Church.

Ward Mission Correlation Meeting Agenda

2011-08-17T16:13:00.000-07:00

Our ward mission leader came up with this agenda for our weekly correlation meeting (attended by the ward mission leader, ward missionaries, and full-time missionaries). Its organization is based on the three-fold mission of the Church:

WARD MISSION CORRELATION AGENDA

DATE:____________

PERFECT THE SAINTS

New-convert progress-

Less-active member fellowshipping efforts-

PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL

New investigators-

Current investigator progress-

REDEEM THE DEAD

Upcoming new-member temple trips-

Genealogy outreach for new-members-

Next week’s Gospel Essentials Sunday School lesson- _____________________________

Should I keep calling?

2011-05-26T22:11:00.000-07:00

We have several new members (who haven't completed their new member lessons within their first year of membership) who hadn't been returning our calls for 2 or 3 months. I finally decided to stop calling these people for a while. This was partly because it wasn't getting anywhere, and partly because I suspected that if I kept calling them (when they clearly didn't want to talk to me) they would get increasing annoyed with me and/or the Church. I did continue to send them our monthly new member newsletter, I just stopped calling to try to set up appointments to visit them for a while.

Its now been several months since I stopped calling these particular people, so I felt like it was an appropriate time to take some sort of action. After prayerfully considering each person and their circumstances, I called some of the people. I had to leave voice messages, so I simply said that I wanted to speak with them about something and did not mention the new member lessons at all.

I was happy to get a return phone call today, and I sincerely apologized that I had not been in contact lately. I explained that there was a reason I had stopped calling (I explained that it was because I hadn't heard back from them in a long time, so I felt like maybe I was being a bother). I said that I didn't want them to think that I didn't care or that I'd forgotten them, because I care about them a lot. It was well received and went very well overall.

For those people who I didn't feel like I should call, I am going to send out a short letter. I got the idea from this from a sales article I happened to read recently. The article was about how to "make sales" even when people aren't returning your phone calls. The basic idea was to send a letter with a note that the person can return to you to let you know their intentions. Here is my version, which is specific to this circumstance:

Hello, just a quick note - If you're wondering why I haven't called you lately, to be honest, its because I'd been leaving voice messages for several weeks, but I wasn't getting any response. I started to worry that maybe I was being a pest. I didn't want to come across as pushy if you were too busy, or just not interested in meeting.

I didn't want you to think that I don't care or that I don't want to meet with you. Exactly the opposite, I care about you a lot and would be really happy to be able to teach you your remaining new member lessons.

I'm just not sure what the situation is if I don't hear from you, so I'm hesitant to keep calling. I've included a sheet that you can fill out and send back to me in a stamped envelope (also included). I know you're busy, so I was thinking that this might be an easy way for you to let me know whether or not you'd like to have the rest of your new member lessons at this time. If you'd rather just call or message me on facebook instead, thats fine, too. I hope you can get back to me- I just don't want to make you feel uncomfortable or annoyed if there is any reason you don't want me to call...

Sincerely,

(and here is the note I will include)

To help me understand if you would like me to continue to try to contact you at this time or not, please check the box that best fits your situation:

o I'm swamped right now! Try to call me again after a couple of weeks.

o Don't quit trying. I do want to meet with you, I'm just hard to get a hold of.

o I'm have family/personal issues that are preventing me from meeting with you at my home, but I would like to meet with you at a different home or at another place like a restaurant.

o Don't call me, I've got personal reasons why I can't meet with you right now, but I'll call you soon when I am able to meet.

o I'm not interested in having the rest of my new member lessons at this time, please don't contact me for a while.

Return this sheet to me in the envelope provided (or, if you prefer, you can just call me at ___-___-____)

Thanks so much,

You may notice that I left out more negative choices (such as "I hate you, never call me again," or "Take my name off your Church records"). I tried to keep it positive and encourage the best possible response. Even if a person chooses the "I'm not interested in having the rest of my new member lessons at this time, please don't contact me for a while" option, I've still tried to word it in a positive way and I've left it open so that I can still contact them again "in a while." Of course, they might write in their own option, or just not respond at all, but at this point I would rather know something than just keep wondering where they stand.

Teaching ward members to be member missionaries

2011-05-17T10:28:00.000-07:00

As outlined in the new handbook, one of the responsibilities of ward missionaries is to teach the members of the ward to do member missionary work. One way we do this is by example, but I've been feeling lately that example isn't enough. We need to teach and encourage them as well. We've been talking about how specifically to do that, and we've mostly come up with a lot of things we don't want to do or aren't able to do at this time.

Our full-time missionaries need people to teach, and all of our ward convert baptisms over the past 2 years have been the result of tracting or baptisms from part-member families. NO regular member referrals. We need to work on that, and I'm sure most wards have similar needs.

The handbook mentions visiting the home of members to encourage them, so I've been thinking a lot about how we can do that and what we would say when we got there.

Here is what I came up with last night. I haven't had our ward mission leader (my husband, currently at work) approve this yet, but this was the idea I had and some of you might find it helpful, even if we don't end up using it.

I want to add that many people find it useful to use the 'set a date' program, and that is definitely something that has been popular and used frequently for many years. I personally prefer to avoid that program, or at the very least using the term "set a date program" because I feel that when people hear that phrase they instantly start thinking up excuses why they can't or won't "set a date" to have someone prepared to be baptized. Personally, as soon as I hear the words "set a..." coming out of someone's mouth, I immediately think, "Oh no, here we go again". I realize that this is probably not the best attitude to have, but I have heard it so many times and I personally have never seen anything come of it over the years, as a member or a full-time missionary. I have always found being naturally gospel-sharing to be more effective than a program. Programs like this always seem to be forced and number-focused, and that feels very unnatural to me. That said, if I am asked by a leader to "set a date,:" I do, but it is definitely not my preferred method and it isn't what I prefer to teach others to do, if I have my choice. That is my personal opinion.
But I digress...

I would like to visit the homes of 10 ward members (prayerfully selected) before the end of the month and challenge them to do at least 1 minute of member missionary work during the following month. I've created a handout that explains what we are asking, and lists 5 simple ideas for things that they can do to help with new convert retention and missionary work. I've purposely selected 5 things that require very little time or effort and are fairly "non-scary" to most (some are 'easier' than others). I've also included the approximate time-commitment required, sort of tongue-in-cheek because people always say they "don't have time" to do missionary work. Here is the handout:

If every member of our ward spends just

1 minute on missionary work this month, it will go a long way toward helping

new converts stay active and finding new people for the full-time missionaries to teach!

Will YOU commit to help? Here are some great ideas of simple (& non-scary)

things you can do that require no more than

1 extra minute of your time...

__ As you do your visiting teaching/home teaching visits this month, make a special effort to befriend any less-active or new-convert members on your route. Extra time commitment required: 0 (you're already going to visit teach/home teach anyhow!)

__ Introduce yourself to at least one new visitor, investigator, or new convert at church (or at an activity) every week. Bonus awesomeness points for sitting with them! Extra time commitment required: 1 minute per week

__ Invite a new convert (and their family, if applicable) over for a family dinner or family home evening this month. Extra time commitment required: less than 1 minute to invite (you're already having dinner or FHE anyhow!)

__ Invite a non-member (friend or relative) to the next church activity that they would be interested in. Extra time commitment required: less than 1 minute to invite (you're already going to the activity anyhow!)

__ Invite a non-member (friend or relative) to your home for a special family home evening with the full-time missionaries. Explain that as part of your family night, the Elders will be teaching everyone a short gospel lesson (please give the full-time missionaries plenty of notice so that they can prepare and arrange their schedule). Extra time commitment required: less than 1 minute to invite (you're already having FHE anyhow!)

If you can commit to doing at least one of these simple actions this month, post this sheet where you will see it as a reminder!

If you need contact info for a new convert, or if we can help you in any way,

please give us a call-

(insert names and phone numbers of ward mission leader and/or ward-missionaries here)

You may have noticed that I didn't ask people to give away a Book of Mormon or a pass-along card, engage in a gospel conversation, invite a friend to Church, etc. These are the usual things that we would normally ask ward members to do, but they are also much more intimidating. I wanted to start by asking people to commit to do things that they would actually feel comfortable doing, and therefore more likely to actually DO. Once they start having their own positive missionary experiences, they will be more likely to want to do more in the future. You have to start somewhere!

Will I give someone a card?

2011-04-28T22:28:00.000-07:00

We had our full-time missionaries over for dinner tonight and before they left they handed each of us a pass-along-card and asked if we would look for an opportunity to give it to someone within the next week. We all agreed to do so, but I was thinking to myself, as I always do in this situation, 'I don't know anyone who I can give this to'...and I really don't. I don't work outside the home, I spend a lot of time with educating my kids and serving in my calling, and the neighbors aren't the friendly type.

The only people I've met lately were a couple of the parents from my 11 year old daughter's soccer team. Frankly, its a very competitive, undefeated team and my daughter has never played before, so I sort of get the 'stink-eye' from the other parents if she misses the ball during a game...not exactly fertile friendship ground!

Anyhow, I am going to have a positive attitude and carry the card around with me, anyhow. If there is someone that is prepared and seeking the truth, and the Lord will somehow put them in my path, I will be ready!

Musical numbers at convert baptism services

2011-04-28T14:06:00.000-07:00

For a long time there was a practice of having all of the full-time missionaries in our Stake do a musical number at each convert baptism service. What had started out as a musical number to help fill the time while people changed their clothes had gradually turned into a musical number that was part of the program (because the missionary doing the baptizing wanted to participate in the song and/or they wanted the new member to be able to hear the song, as well).

It was fine, but it did extend the length of the program quite a bit (often they performed a slow 4-verse hymn) and still left that long waiting period while the convert and person doing the baptizing were changing. Eventually this practice was changed altogether, because of a change in mission president, who asked that this practice of having all of the full-time missionaries perform together at baptisms discontinue. Policies may differ in your area, this is just how things are run currently in our area.

So, we haven't had any musical numbers at all recently, just because this was always something that was planned by the missionaries in the past and has been somewhat overlooked. The intermediate time while people are changing is usually filled by Elders from another ward standing up in the front and teaching a gospel principle or two. Since it can take a while for people to change, it is a long time for the Elders to try to stretch something out and people tend to start to fidget.

My husband (Ward mission leader) thought it would be nice to have a short musical number performed during that changing time, which would be followed by the Elders' remarks in whatever time is remaining. He got the 'ok' from our Bishop, and tasked me with gathering a list of names of people who might be interested in performing in the future.

I started with a message on facebook, "Attention musically talented people in the area: I'm trying to put together a list of people who might be able to do musical numbers for upcoming convert baptism services...solo, duet, whatever...vocal or musical instrument. This isn't for a specific date, just need a list of people who might be willing if we want a musical number in the future. We usually have a 1-2 weeks notice. If you would be able to help, let me know!"

I may follow up with personal messages to people that I know have performed in the past, and possibly a sign-up sheet at church, depending on how much of a response I get.

I suggested to my husband that to avoid potential disappointment, it might be good to specify ahead of time that the musical number will be performed during the waiting period, so that they understand that the new convert most likely won't be in the room to hear the musical number.

I thought I'd mention this on this blog because, as always, I'm interested in getting as many ward members to convert baptisms as possible, and it occurred to me that this is another great way to do that!

Ideas for Adult Converts

2011-04-27T06:32:00.000-07:00

I'm always on the lookout for new ideas for gifts, books, programs, clipart etc. for our converts. When I was at Deseret Book recently, I noticed a large amount of items for child baptisms, but not a lot specifically for adult baptisms. If you go to deseretbook.com and type 'baptism' in the search box, you'll see all sorts of scrapbooking supplies, picture books, embroidered towels, etc, but almost everything is specifically for children.

We have a lot of child-of-record baptisms in the church, but we're also a missionary church, so its kind of surprising to me that there isn't more available for adult convert baptisms. I'm sure its a supply and demand issue - people are just more likely to buy a gift for a child or grandchild being baptized and we may not put as much thought into preparing things (like programs) for convert baptisms. But that doesn't mean that there aren't things available that we can purchase or make that are adult specific, we just have to look a little harder or be a little more creative.

Here are some things that I've come up with that are appropriate for adult convert baptisms:

Programs: In the past we used just a plain paper program with a scripture printed on the front. I wanted to make the program a little more special, so we recently started ordering pre-printed programs from Deseret Book - they are @ $8.00 for 100 programs. I usually print about 20-25 for most of our baptisms, so one package lasts for 4 or 5 baptisms. They have several styles that feature pictures of Christ's baptism that are appropriate for adults. Here is the one we usually use - I like this one because it has the scripture I like to use to the front (if you click on the photo you will be taken to Deseret Book's page for ordering information)...

(For more info about printing programs, see post re: baptism program templates under 'baptism services' topic at right).

Clip-art: I mainly use clipart images on the handouts that I leave with newly baptized members after they've had a new-member lesson. For example, for one of the new-member lessons that talks about covenants, I like to include images of baptism and the sacrament. Most of the baptism clipart I've found is of baptisms for 8 year olds from 'the Friend' magazine. Here are two images of adult (or teen) baptisms that I found on sugardoodle.net :

Gifts: Any type of gift is totally optional, but I feel that any type of gift, no matter how humble, gives the convert a personal memento of the occasion and conveys the message that we care for them.

We normally give each convert a framed photo (of the convert(s) dressed in white, standing with the missionaries in the lobby before their baptism). I write a personal 'congratulations' message on the back of the frame, which includes the baptism date. For the past few baptisms I've been buying wooden frames similar to these (they come in several colors) that cost around $5.00. I find that frames like these work well with almost any decor style, but any type of frame will do.

Some other gift ideas that I've seen:

Baptism bracelet (for ladies). This is actually a child's bracelet, but can be purchased in different lengths at whiteelegance.com (click on the photo to link to their site). Or you could make something similar yourself if you're crafty.
Soap Craft - I've seen these with different words on them, but I think it would be great to have a baptism/repentance theme quote, words, or scripture as a long-lasting reminder of their baptism day. Sugardoodle.net has a great tutorial (here) for making soap bottles like these for less than $2.00 each, and you can put any words or image on them that you like...maybe something like, "Be Clean"?:

Temple Lines website sells patterns of various temples for making handkerchiefs or other crafts (click on photo)
And there are many websites with temple-related crafts that can be given as gifts to adult converts, such as these temple photo block kits from poppyseedprojects.com. I think temple-themed gifts are especially appropriate for adult converts, since they will immediately begin preparing to attend the temple when they are baptism.

Cupcake Wars

2011-04-20T22:24:00.000-07:00

This last Sunday it was my turn to teach the "Priesthood Organization" lesson in Gospel Essentials Sunday School class. I was a little apprehensive, because its one of the more difficult lessons for me to teach, as I don't feel I'm an expert on the topic. Also, its a little bit more difficult to keep a lesson like that interesting because it is mostly about which duties which go with which office. I wanted it to be informative and interesting, but I wasn't sure how to do that.

I don't normally like to 'bribe' students with treats, so thats not the norm for me, but I wanted to come up with a way to make the lesson more interesting and educational, and cupcakes were the answer for this particular lesson. I decided to give the lesson as given in the manual, but then divide the class into two groups for a trivia challenge -with mini cupcakes as a 'prize' for the winning team.

I announced this special in-class activity to class members that morning before church with a handout featuring a picture of a cupcake and a short explanation. We had a pretty good turnout....

First off, I always try to put students at ease by telling them that I won't call on them to answer a question unless they raise their hand. That usually brings the stress-level in the room down quite a bit!

I tried to get the teams to name themselves, but nobody on the first team volunteered a name, so I called them, 'Team Super-Righteous'. The second team called themselves 'The prophets'.
I had prepared a list of very simple questions from the lesson - all were questions that anyone in the class could answer, even if it was their first time at church because we had just covered the material (and I also made sure that everyone had a copy of the manual or another printed version of the lesson to refer to, if they wanted). There were even a few questions that simply involved me writing a word on the board and asking them to pronounce it correctly (like, 'Aaronic').

It turned out to be really fun... (Team Super-Righteous won by 2 points, if you're wondering)....and of course, both teams got cupcakes. The best part was that a couple of people who have never EVER answered a question in class before actually answered questions for the game! I was shocked!

Another great thing was a comment that another person (who hasn't been to class in a while) made - 'I'd forgotten how fun that class is!' which told me that the class is worthwhile, even without the occaisional cupcakes!

Attention-Getting Invite

2011-04-20T21:58:00.000-07:00

I was trying to think of an interesting invitation to a small new-member get-together that we're planning. We get many handouts and slips of paper at church, I figure that a lot of them get lost in the shuffle, so I thought that the activity might get more consideration if we made the invitations a little more interesting.

We decided to do a personal visit to the home of each family who is being invited to this particular get-together. I printed out invitations and then rolled them into small rolls - which I put inside helium balloons before I inflated and tied them. On the outside, we wrote, 'Special Message Inside' in permanent marker, so they would know they'd have to pop the balloon to read the invitation.

I suspected that some people wouldn't be at home, so I made sure that the balloons had long strings so that I could tie them to doorknobs. I also wrote 'from (our names)' in small letters on the bottom of the balloons, so that they would know who the balloon was from before they popped it, in case they were nervous about its origin. We went to 7 homes this afternoon and only had to tie balloons on 3 doorknobs, we got to briefly visit with someone at the other 4.

PS- If you do something like this, please be aware of anyone who may not want an inflated balloon in their home (because of rowdy dogs, small children, latex allergy) or who may have an aversion to loud noises for whatever reason. We have one new member who has a serious aversion to loud noises, so instead of a balloon, I left them this bouquet of paper flowers with an invitation inside:

Advice from a formerly less-active friend

2011-04-20T21:00:00.000-07:00

I have a good friend who joined the church when we were college roommates (a hundred years ago, give or take 80 years). She subsequently went through a long period of inactivity and eventually returned to the Church, just a few years ago.

I was chatting with her online the other day, and I did a little grumbling about some frustrating situations I'm struggling with as part of my calling. I was so stressed with worrying about some of the less-active new members in our ward that I didn't know what to do anymore. Her responses were very wise, and helped me get the correct perspective on some things that I'd been struggling with and worrying over for a long time.

Since her insights were so helpful to me, I thought I'd share them in case any of you might be having some of the same issues in your wards.

ISSUE #1- Taking things personally
I take things personally - when less-active members won't answer/return my calls, when people say they don't feel welcome at church after I've done everything I can to befriend them, etc. It makes me feel sad and I spend a lot of time wondering what I could have done better.

HER ADVICE - "I think taking things personally is equal to being sensitive...don't you? Being sensitive is actually a blessing and while I don't always react to those feelings in the best way, I am grateful for it because it brings with it an awareness of other's feelings, the ability to be more compassionate, and recognize the needs of others... I think those are really special gifts...and I think having those (gifts) is worth the hurt that happens every so often when I take something personally and have my feelings hurt"

ISSUE #2- Keeping Commitments?
I don't understand when people make baptismal covenants and then don't seem to have any intention of keeping them (such as never returning to church). I don't understand why they were baptized if its not an important commitment to them.

HER ADVICE - "You are right about commitment - living the gospel isn't "easy" if you don't really want it. And I think the hardest place to live is uncommitted, I know it was for me for years. But you can't bring their commitment to the table, so to speak. You can't be committed enough for them. I heard a quote the other day that said "Don't listen to the whine of those who want to live a mediocre life and want you to do the same so they don't feel guilty"

ISSUE #3- Why won't less-active new members accept my help/friendship?
I feel responsible for inactivity of new members, regardless of how much effort I have put in, because it is part of my responsibility to fellowship them. Many of these people claim they don't feel welcome, and I want to befriend & help them, but they keep rejecting me.

HER ADVICE: "Their whine about not being fellowshipped is an excuse not to live the gospel. You better believe when I was considering coming back to church I avoided ANYONE who had anything to do with it ... So I avoided calls, knocks at the door, etc, and it was hell. Because living uncommitted to what we know is true is hard work, but we want to pretend like it is easy. Converts become inactive because they choose to. I chose to make excuses because I was scared of living what I had learned.

ISSUE #4- If less-active new members won't come to church or let me visit them, how can I help them?

HER ADVICE: "My journey (back to activity) taught me many things and I came back... partly because of women in my life who didn't judge, but remained true and steady. Really what more can you do?"

I can't even tell you how much better I felt after our conversation... I was able to see what I can do for people who continually turn me away - don't judge, don't get offended, don't lose hope - remain steady and available for them. I don't need to drive myself crazy trying to figure out how to invent some new way to get through to people who aren't ready to come back yet. If I stay a true and faithful friend, I will be here when they are ready. Like I was for my college roommate. And thats not nothing, that's something. SOMETHING GREAT.

Ward-missionaries fellowshipping investigators & converts

2011-04-01T21:27:00.000-07:00

One of the most difficult parts of a conversion process is the successful transition from investigator to ward member. As a ward missionary, I have thought a lot about this process and how we can improve it. We have what I would consider a fair amount of convert baptisms in our ward - averaging about 1 baptism per month during the past 2 years that we have been ward missionaries. This is probably low compared to many areas, and undoubtabley lower than what is possible. However, as far as baptism 'numbers' go, it's the most successful ward I have ever been in, (including my time as a full-time missionary). Since we usually have the highest (or one of the highest number of) baptisms in our Stake, the first thing people want to know is, 'well, how many of them are still active?'. That is a fair question. I would really like to say that every one of our converts has stayed active. The truth is that while most of our converts are active in the church, some are lukewarm in their attendance, and several of the converts baptized last year haven't been back to church since the Sunday they were confirmed.

I have gone over each scenario in my mind again and again - where did it go wrong? (especially for those converts who have never returned?). I feel that these particular converts had a relationship with the missionaries who taught them, but never developed any relationship with the ward. When the missionaries moved on, so did the converts. As I have written about in the past, it is crucial for ward members (including ward missionaries) to get involved with investigators while they are still in the process of preparing to be baptized, so that we can help bridge that gap.

We try to be involved with teaching investigators whenever possible, but we have learned from experience that different full-time missionaries have varying levels of willingness to include us in their teaching appointments, so I feel like I have to pick my battles. The majority of missionaries that we've had in our area seem to prefer to visit their investigators without a member, or when they do take someone with them, they prefer to choose their own fellowshippers instead of using the ward-missionaries for teaching appointments. We always make ourselves available to go with them for teaching appointments, but we usually aren't included.

This has been of concern to me, because of several converts who have fallen away over the past 2 years. Even one lost convert is too many. Of those who have fallen away, there was something in common among them- there was no ward-missionary present at any of their pre-baptism teaching discussions. While we were eager to introduce ourselves when they attended church, there was no other contact between us as ward-missionaries and these particular investigators prior to their baptisms.

I now make sure that as soon as I hear that there is a baptism date set, I assert myself to ensure that I am able to be present for at least one pre-baptism appointment with the full-time missionaries. I feel that this is of vital importance because #1- I use the opportunity to explain that we (the ward-missionaries) will begin coming to their home to teach their new-member lessons during the months after their baptism (this familiarizes them with the idea, so its harder to dismiss when I call for an appointment). #2- Even if you don't teach the new-member lessons in your ward (in some wards this is handled by the full-time missionaries), you are still building an important social relationship with the investigator/convert that you just can't develop as well in the hallway at church. Being in a home setting is much more effective. #3- Every contact with the investigator/convert is important*. #4- If you have already been in the investigator's home, it is easier for you to drop by with a plate of cookies or call to remind them about an activity, because it has now become a social relationship instead of just a formal relationship from church.

*Always leave pre-baptism-investigators and converts something with your name and phone number on it, so they will remember your name after you're gone and can contact you if needed.

Even if you aren't able to attend a missionary discussion with your full-time missionaries, arrange some way to get to know your investigators and develop that relationship before their baptism. I've come to the conclusion that its our responsibility to get out and friendship the new members, and that I can't wait to be invited to participate - if I do, it may be too late.

I remember reading somewhere that member contact with new converts should DOUBLE following the baptism. I think this is the opposite of what we naturally would do - we normally think, "oh, I don't want to bother them"...and I'm not saying to harass your converts, just let them know that we care by showing an "increase of love".

I try to have some sort of contact with each pre-baptism-investigator EVERY FEW DAYS after their baptism date is set. It doesn't have to be anything major. Here are some ideas for how to do this:

message via email or facebook
by phone
a social visit to their home
a FHE at your home
at a church activity
talk to them at church on Sunday
give them a handout with some info about an activity or conference coming up
invite them to Sunday School
going with them to their baptism interview
going to one of their missionary discussions with the full-time missionaries
just dropping by with a loaf of bread
dropping off a 'welcome to the ward' new-member packet

FOLLOWING the baptism, I try to have contact with each new convert EVERY DAY for the next week or so, then tapering off as appropriate, but continuing with contact several times a week:

message via email or facebook
by phone to see how they are doing
a new-member newsletter delivered in person or by mail
a social visit to their home
a new-member lesson in their home
a FHE at your home
bringing them to a church activity
sitting with them at church on Sunday
just dropping by with a plate of goodies

Another idea that I've started using recently is that I take photos of the convert on the day of their baptism, then have prints made. I make extra copies for the convert and the full-time missionaries, which I give them. I also put one of the photos in a frame as a gift for the convert, and I write a personal message to them on the back. The couple that I did this for recently was really touched, and when I went to their home a few days later, I saw the framed photo proudly displayed in their living room, which made me really happy!

Since I have started using these ideas, I have been very comfortable with the level of friendship that we have been able to develop with our current baptism-candidates and recent converts.

Its hard for me to accept, but converts have their own freedom of choice and some will still choose to turn away from the church, no matter how well they are fellowshipped. However, I feel like if I have done everything I can to fellowship. love, and encourage them, I will have done my part.

General Conference Printables for Kids

2011-03-29T13:51:00.000-07:00

I really try to convey the message that Conference weekend is not a 'week off' of church - members of the Church are expected to watch the Conference broadcasts. Most long-time members don't need to be told that, but new members and investigators might not realize that it is important.

Here is an idea I had for encouraging investigators and new members with children to watch the General Conference Broadcasts this weekend...Why not print out some activities for them to do during Conference? Most of these activities (like Conference bingo) require them to watch the Conference, so I think this will make it more interesting for the kids and may help the parents be motivated to watch as well.

There are a lot of blogs and sites with printables for Conference, but I like the ones that the Church is providing on their website. You could just provide a link to those who would like to print their own, but printing them yourselves and then taking the pages to the family's home some time this week might be more effective. Hey, maybe invite them to watch Conference at your home (or with you at your meetinghouse) while you're at it!

CLICK HERE TO BE TAKEN TO THE OFFICIAL CHURCH WEBSITE PAGE FOR PRINTABLE GENERAL CONFERENCE ACTIVITIES

General conference reminders

2011-03-28T11:11:00.000-07:00

Here is the handout I made for our new members/investigators so that they will have the information of where/when to watch General Conference:
(times are Pacific, adjust for your area)

GENERAL CONFERENCE is APRIL 2nd & 3rd

'General Conference' is a series of church-wide meetings held in Salt Lake City and is broadcast to members throughout the world. CONFERENCE BROADCASTS REPLACE ALL OTHER

CHURCH MEETINGS DURING THIS WEEKEND

Viewing options:

On a large screen at (insert address of church location here)
On your computer at lds.org
On your TV (insert local access channel info here - or the BYU channel)

Broadcast times:

Saturday morning session 9-11am Saturday afternoon session 1-3pm

Sunday morning session 9-11am Sunday afternoon session 1-3pm

PLEASE NOTE - each of the 4 sessions is different (different speakers, different topics). All of the speakers are general authorities of the church (such as the Prophet/President of the Church, the Twelve Apostles) and other leaders. If you aren't able to watch all of the broadcast sessions, you can watch them later at lds.org

Stake Conference Reminders

2011-03-03T08:10:00.000-08:00

Stake Conference is coming up in our area and I make it a priority to make sure that all of our newer/returning members and investigators know about it - there is nothing worse than showing up for church and finding an empty parking lot!

While long-time members may know where to go (and when), this is probably a new concept for most of our newer members. Here are some ideas to help you make sure that everyone you're working with has the opportunity to attend Stake Conference and know what to expect when they get there.

Announce (and explain) Stake Conference in Gospel Essentials Sunday School class for at least 2 weeks prior to the Conference weekend. Even if you explain it once, not everyone may be paying attention and there may be some people missing from class the first time. Be sure to emphasize that there will not be any regular Church meetings on Conference Sunday - Stake Conference meetings replace regular Church meetings on this Sunday.
Provide a handout* (sample shown below) that has a basic explanation of Stake Conference and the dates/times they should attend. Hand these out in Sunday School and before/after Sacrament meeting during the 2 weeks before Conference, so you can catch as many people as possible. I usually make extras of these handouts and give them to our full-time missionaries so they have something to give to investigators who they want to invite.
Reminder phone calls (or emails) - as a last minute reminder, it doesn't hurt to give a quick call or email on Friday to remind investigators/new members that its Stake Conference weekend.

You don't have to use all of these methods, of course, but I feel like the more reminders, the better. This may seem like overkill, but I'd rather repeat myself 4 times than have someone tell me later that they showed up for Church and nobody was there and/or they missed Stake Conference because they didn't know about it.

*My handouts usually look something like this:

Stake Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, _________ Stake
March 12th - 13th

Stake Conference is held twice a year. This is a local conference of all of the members in our area (Stake). Speakers will include Stake leadership and a visiting General Authority. All Stake Conference meetings are held at the Stake Center (__address________________)

DATES/TIMES:
Saturday the 12th- evening session (adults only) 7:00pm-8:30pm
Sunday the 13th- general morning session (everyone) 10:00am-12:00pm

Stake Conference meetings take the place of all regular Sunday meetings during this weekend. Sunday dress clothes are appropriate for all Stake Conference meetings.

Did you have a comment?

2011-02-16T02:04:00.001-08:00

I am so thrilled that this humble little blog has received over 3,200 page views, and has 17 followers! A little while ago, I was pondering how strange it is that I have written over 50 posts, but have never received one comment from a follower or guest viewer. Hmmmmm....could it be that no one is ABLE to comment when I have comments blocked in the blog settings?!?!?

I sincerely apologize if you have wanted to comment in the past and haven't been able to do so - all of this time I didn't realize that comments were not being allowed. I have corrected the settings and comments are now allowed on all of my blog posts. I also welcome your suggestions on any blog post topics that you'd like to see, questions that you may have, and any ward-missionary/member-missionary ideas that you'd like to share. If you're on Facebook, you can also comment or ask questions on the "Awesome ward missionaries" fan page!

Full-time Missionary Etiquette for Members

2011-02-14T08:37:00.000-08:00

I came across a blog post called, Ten Little Points of Missionary Etiquette on the 'Mormon Insights' blog...This is a list of suggestions of things that we as members can do (or not do) to avoid unknowingly putting the full-time missionaries in awkward situations. For example, most people know that missionaries are required to keep "arm's-length" distance from people of the opposite sex, but many members don't feel like that counts if they're much older or if the missionary is about to be transferrd - especially if they've worked closely with the missionary. Really, the rules apply to everyone...this prevents Elders and Sisters from needing to make constant judgement calls about who its ok to hug and who its not.

So, if I were to try to hug one of our Ward's full-time missionary Elders (no matter how innocent my intentions) it would create an awkward and potentially embarrassing situation for the Elder, who would have to make the choice to reject my hug (potentially offending me) or to have to break the rule because he didn't want to be rude.

I served a full-time mission as a young adult and I can relate to almost all of the items pointed out in this article... I actually (jokingly) kept a mental list of all the platonic "hugs" that I got from male investigators, new members, branch presidents, etc. I was very serious about keeping mission rules, but sometimes it was just really awkward to reject something innocent like that from a tearful and well-meaning person on the day you're getting transferred.

This list isn't meant to make anyone feel bad, as many members do some of these things without realizing that they are either #1- against mission rules, or #2- may make the missionary feel uncomfortable. Its just meant to be a list of suggestions of things that you may not have thought about that you can do to help the full-time Elders or Sisters you work with concentrate on their work and spend less time being distracted.

Here is the list that the blog "Mormon Insights" gives, along with my comments added in red font:

1. Don't pay a compliment to one missionary without also paying a compliment to his/her nearby companion. Sometimes one missionary is very charismatic or good-looking and tends to get more attention than his/her companion, so its good to be sensitive to this.

2. When missionaries are paying a visit to your home, try your best to keep the televisions, radios, and computers off. This is so distracting when you're trying to keep the mission rules to not watch TV/movies, etc at all during your missionary service. Imagine if you were trying to avoid sweets and you went to a friend's house who had 100 cupcakes sitting on the table.

3. If missionaries are available to be invited to dinner, keep the visit under an hour. Its hard to leave when members/investigators want you to stay, but missionaries are usually taught to keep visits under an hour and they may have another appointment to get to. Every minute you keep them from their work is a minute that they could be finding someone new to teach.

4. Don't ask missionaries about their girlfriends or boyfriends back home. I know you're curious, but for someone who is trying to concentrate on the work, having people constantly bring up boyfriends/girlfriends can be hard. Especially if that significant other has recently dumped you via letter or email (happens a lot!). Imagine having people constantly bring the subject up when you're just trying to forget it.

5. When conversing with a missionary, try to keep conversations centered on Church-related or service-related issues.

6. Always respect the companionships of missionaries. Do not ask a missionary how well he or she is getting along with the assigned companion. (The missionary leadership will handle that question). Also, if they aren't getting along as a companionship or the missionary really can't stand his/her companion, they probably won't say so anyhow, which puts them in the awkward position of having to pretend that everything is peachy when they'd rather not discuss it with you.

7. Do not ask missionaries how many baptisms they have had. The number of baptisms is not an index of success. This is really an okay thing to wonder about, since we may be curious about how the missionary work is going in our area and throughout the mission. However, there are better ways to find out than to ask "How many baptisms?", which puts the focus on numbers. Here are some other ways you can ask essentially the same thing: "Have you been finding success in the area? (or "How was the work going in your last area?") or "What have been some of your favorite experiences with investigators so far?"

8. Do not expect missionaries to stay in contact with you after they have left an area or even after they have finished their mission service. Some missions have rules about whether missionaries can stay in contact with members in their former areas during the remainder of their missions. It may seem silly, but missionaries do need to focus on serving the members/investigators in their new area, so even if contact is allowed its best to keep it limited.

9. Do not call upon missionaries in Sunday School to provide scriptural support for some obscure doctrine that has been raised in class. The authority of missionaries is in missionary work, not in settling doctrinal debates. Most of the time they know the basics (thats what they study and that's what they are sent to teach), so don't assume that they are doctrinal experts.

10. Do not ask a Sister or an Elder for their first name. The first name is Sister or Elder. Period. I discovered on my mission that a lot of members think its fun to call full-time missionaries by their first name, even if its just in the member's home. They may mean well, seeing themselves as a parent-figure and wanting the missionary to feel a little more normal, but remember that the full-time missionaries go by their title for a reason - it helps them (and us) remember that they are set apart for a sacred mission)

Invitation Sunday - New Ideas

2011-02-14T00:10:00.001-08:00

Our Stake has "Invitation Sunday" (sometimes called "Missionary Sunday") once or twice a year, and the next one is coming up in March. This is meant to be a special opportunity for ward members to invite their nonmember friends/relatives to Church on a Sunday that is specially geared toward visitors. We provide invitations for ward members to give to their friends (see other posts in the "Invitation Sunday" category, at right, for invitation ideas). This is organized by the Stake and Bishopric. Normally we have Sacrament speakers (usually ward missionaries and full-time missionaries) who are assigned to give talks on gospel basics, and sometimes a special missionary presentation is planned for Sunday School as well.

Today in our ward mission correlation meeting we discussed some ways that we might be better able to help our members to invite their friends this year. If your ward has "Invitation Sundays" these are some suggestions that may help you. Even if you don't have a specific Sunday geared toward inviting non-members, its important to help encourage members to invite their friends whenever appropriate, and some of these ideas (or the principles behind them) could work any week of the year!

Here are some of the ideas we came up with:

Incorporate explaining how to invite friends/relatives to church into the new-member discussions (Newer members may not be sure how to approach their friends, and they are a great source of non-member friends/relatives...).

If you have new members who have already completed the new-member discussions, consider having the ward missionaries or full-time missionaries make a special visit to these members for a special lesson on how to invite friends/relatives to church.

Make sure to include the youth and primary children, provide invitations to them as well.

Advertise the "Invitation Sunday" well in advance of the planned event. Submit information for bulletins, newsletters, or programs that are appropriate in your Ward. You may also consider having it announced in Relief Society and Priesthood meetings, Primary, Young Womens meetings, and maybe even Sacrament meeting (if approved by your Bishop). Posters on display tables and/or bulletin boards may also be appropriate.

Now available through the LDS online store (on the official Church website, www.lds.org) are "I'm a Mormon" cards. These have a space for a personal message and/or a printed label sticker (for if you want to pre-print the address and date/meeting time). Look for this item in the Ward Mission section, in the "Whats New" section, or search for "I'm a Mormon" in the online store's search box. These come in a box of 500 (10 styles) for $10.00 (free shipping). See photo, below. For other ideas on invitations, see my other posts in the "Invitation Sunday" category, at right)

Struggling converts

2011-01-28T14:08:00.000-08:00

In this month's new-member newsletter, I included something meant specifically for recent converts who are struggling with their testimonies and have stopped attending church on a regular basis for one reason or another. Something that they have in common is that they aren't doing the things they need to in order to feel the Spirit and increase their testimony.

One of our Sacrament meeting speakers recently spoke on priorities, specifically how we can make excuses for why we don't have time for things of the God, but we always make time for what is really important to us. It was an excellent talk, but I was secretly wishing that more people who really needed to hear that message would have actually been at Church that day to hear it.

Out of my personal frustration with multiple situations like this, I wanted to do something to address it without being directly confrontational to specific individuals. I wanted to be bold, yet kind. My former Mission President, A. Keith Martin, always referred to it as "sweet boldness".

I basically just laid out what should be done if you feel like you're struggling. I hope that this will help at least one of our new members. Maybe it will help some of yours? Feel free to use the text for your own new-member newsletter if you like....

Are YOU struggling with your testimony?

At some point in our lives, we have all experienced a time when we've had limited understanding of the gospel. Sometimes people (even long-time members) may find themselves struggling with their faith and testimony. This can be especially difficult for those who are new to the Church. What can you do?

Remember the basics- Reading the scriptures, prayer, attending Church (including Sunday School and Relief Society/Elders Quorum). These are the things that the missionaries had you do before you were baptized...how did you feel then?

Counsel with the Bishop about your personal concerns- He is available to help you and private matters will be kept confidential.

Make time to let the Ward-missionaries teach you the "new-member lessons"- These lessons are meant to strengthen the knowledge and testimony of new members as they continue to learn.

Reaching out to the Less-Active - part 1

2011-01-18T22:17:00.000-08:00

"This is the first post in a series of posts that will be called, "Reaching out the Less-Active"...

Lately, I've been thinking about our brothers and sisters who have become what we call "less-active"...meaning that they don't attend Church meetings or participate in the Church regularly anymore. Many of these men and women were less-active (or totally inactive) long before I ever heard their name. Even more disheartening for me are those converts who I have seen go through the conversion process, but have now fallen away.

Why have these people fallen away? What could have been done differently to help prevent this from happening? What can we do to help these people return to enjoy the full blessings of the gospel?

In the parable of the sower found in Matthew 13:3-8, we learn that the type of ground that a seed lands in impacts the future productivity of the seed. A seed that lands on rocky ground, for example, soon begins to grow, but doesn't develop any deep roots. Without a secure root system, it doesn't have any stability or sufficient long-term nourishment...so, as soon as the sun comes out, the seed dries up and dies.

According to Jesus' explanation of this parable (Matthew 13:18-23), a seed that has fallen on "the stony ground" is like a convert who is very excited about the gospel. However, without a strong testimony and support system, the convert only continues on as an active Church member for a short time. These people (and the other types of "seeds" mentioned in the parable) become disinterested when the full-time missionaries are transferred, are drawn away by old habits or the ways of the world, become ashamed when persecuted, or are offended by some small thing, etc, etc. Basically, any of these issues can become a problem without a firm foundation.

There are many reasons why a person may no longer be an actively participating Church member. Reactivation of the "lost sheep" is the duty of every Ward member in a general sense, but as Ward-missionaries we may not have the specific responsibility to seek out and reactive every man and woman in our area. This usually falls under the jurisdiction of the Relief society and Priesthood quorums. However, reactivation is part of missionary work. One area that Ward-missionaries might especially focus on is the reactivation of recent converts who have fallen away, or who may not be progressing as they should.

To do so, its important that we understand why people fall away (or fail to progress), what we can do help them come back, and what we can do to prevent the same thing from happening to others in the future. In upcoming posts, I will cover some of these other topics. Today I want to provide some information about WHY...

I have selected some quotes that directly apply to this topic: ("Feed My Sheep" - Elder Ben B. Banks)

"We ask ourselves, 'Why is it that some who were once warm in the faith have grown cold in the faith?' ...We must succeed in our efforts to strengthen those who have grown cold in their faith. To begin this endeavor, it would be well for us to know the feelings and reasons why they do not attend meetings and participate in the fellowship of the Saints.

Most active members believe that less-active members behave differently because they don't believe the Church's doctrine. A study by the Church's Research Information Division does not support this assumption. It shows that almost all less-active members interviewed believe that God exists, that Jesus is the Christ, that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that the Church is true.

As part of another study, a group of active members who previously had been less active were asked why they did not attend church previously. The most common reasons given were:

Feelings of unworthiness.
Personal or family problems.
Parents or spouse were less active.
Teenage rebelliousness or laziness.
Conflicts with work schedules.
Church too far away, lacked transportation.

Understanding the true reasons why people become inactive should be the first step in helping them return - AND in helping to prevent the same thing from happening to others in the future.

Full-time Missionary "Friends"?

2011-01-17T13:34:00.000-08:00

What is our relationship, as Ward-missionaries (or any other Ward member), to the full-time missionaries? Are they here to serve us, or is our role to serve them? Should we like a parent to them? A friend? A buddy?

As a full-time missionary, I felt that my role was to serve the Ward/area, primarily through proselyting (teaching) efforts, but also by helping encourage member-missionary work. If you think about it, the full-time missionaries assist the Ward's growth by helping to bring new members into the Ward family. It is then the Ward's responsibility to nurture the new member (and seek out and reactivate those who have fallen away). After all, the full-time missionaries always move on to another area and eventually go home, but the leadership and other Ward members are constant.

That said, I wanted to comment on a common problem that I've seen over the years- the gray-area of the missionary "buddy". As a full-time missionary, there is no argument that its nice to have members of the Ward where you are serving who are friendly and helpful. We have found that we have a better working-relationship with the full-time missionaries serving in our area if we are friendly and try to go out of our way to be helpful to them. After all, they are sacrificing to serve and are far from home/family. However, sometimes members (and even non-members) go too far with trying to be "friends". I sincerely believe that there is a line that should not be crossed. It kind of reminds me of parents who want to be the "cool mom" or the "fun dad" instead of providing structure and discipline. Full-time missionaries are warned against this, but Ward missionaries and other members need to be aware of the situation as well.

For example, during my own mission, when I was meeting a member family for the first time in a new area, the wife immediately told me that they were a "surrogate family to the missionaries" and that we were "welcome to hang out any time of the day or night" and to "make long-distance phone calls home to friends/family" from their phone whenever we wanted. "Don't worry," she said, "I won't tell on you*" Oh boy. I was very serious about the purpose of my mission and keeping the mission rules, so I was pretty shocked by what she said. Mostly because I could tell from how she worded her "offer" that there must have been plenty of full-time missionaries who had taken her up on it in the past.

Many times, these "buddies" are non-members (such as "perpetual investigators" who just like the missionaries' company). They may not be aware of (or totally understand) the mission rules and Church standards. Or maybe they know about them and don't care.

Unfortunately, there also seems to be one of these families/individuals who are members in many Wards as well. These people usually mean well, but may not be aware of how some of these things can actually be detrimental to the full-time missionaries. The main problem is the temptation. I can imagine that many missionaries who are sincerely trying to keep mission rules could be easily tempted by something like a bonus phone call home if they are having a hard day. Things like that are just temptation that servants of the Lord don't need.

Even if you don't totally understand or agree with the mission rules yourself, understand that the missionary has promised to keep those rules and breaking them compromise his/her integrity and the influence of the Holy ghost that they rely on to do their work. Since you're reading this blog, I'm sure you're interested in helping the missionaries and missionary work, so I'm sure I'm preaching the choir. However, as a Ward missionary (or other Church member) you may recognize this problem in your own Ward.

Our role isn't to be an "informant" with the mission-president on our speed-dial (in case we see the Elders walking in to their apartment at 9:01pm or something silly like that!), but we can be watchful and aware of serious situations that might need attention by the Ward mission leader, Bishop, or Mission President...depending on the situation (I suggest using the "chain of command" if you feel there is a situation that is serious - let your W.M.L. know and let him take it to leadership if that is appropriate).

Here are some of these things that I feel are appropriate or inappropriate, based on my personal experiences. Most of these things are usually meant to be helpful, but may do more harm than good:

APPROPRIATE: Signing up to have the missionaries over for dinner once or twice a month, if appropriate in your Ward.

INAPPROPRIATE (PROBABLY): Signing up to have the missionaries over for a meal every week or several times a week**

APPROPRIATE: Giving the missionaries a ride somewhere (if there is another adult of the same gender as the missionaries in the car)***

INAPPROPRIATE: Driving around with the missionaries for fun, running non-urgent errands with them on a non-"preparation day," giving rides very frequently (such as every day) when they should be walking/biking****

APPROPRIATE: Offering to let the missionaries use email or call family from your home on occasions approved by the Mission President.

INAPPROPRIATE: Offering to let the missionaries use email or call family from your home on occasions NOT approved by the Mission President.

APPROPRIATE: Providing extra groceries & household supplies to the missionaries, if appropriate to your financial situation.

INAPPROPRIATE: Offering to assist the missionaries in breaking mission rules (inappropriate phone calls, taking them out of area without permission, letting them watch TV/movies at your home, etc), no matter what your intentions.

APPROPRIATE: Offering to go to discussions or allowing the missionaries to have investigators discussions in your home (if there are an appropriate number of priesthood holders present)*****

INAPPROPRIATE: Assisting the missionaries in "hanging out" with members of the opposite gender, whether in your home or any other.

My main point is that its good to be friendly and helpful, but a true friend to the missionaries will help them with their work and not distract them from it. There are MANY positive ways that we can help, so lets concentrate on those!

*By the way, this is just one of my pet-peeves. If full-time missionaries keep the mission rules its because they choose to, not because someone forces them to.

**In some areas (such as those with small membership), multiple meals with the same family during the week/month could be appropriate. In general, providing meals is a responsibility that is meant to be shared across the Ward membership so that #1- any one family doesn't have an unfair financial responsibility for feeding them (even if it is well-intentioned) and #2- they don't become unnecessarily attached to a particular family that they may use as a crutch (instead of being out meeting new people or visiting other members). Check with your Relief Society President or Ward Mission leader for specifics for your Ward or branch.

***Many members are not aware of this, but full-missionaries are not to ride in a car with anyone (member or non-member) unless there is another adult of the missionaries' same gender in the car as well. This means that a single or married woman may not give any male full-time missionaries a ride unless there is another adult male (such as her husband) in the car (no matter how many other women or children are also in the car!). There isn't a double standard- the same thing applies to full-time sister missionaries (they are not to ride in a car with a man -whether single or married- unless there is another adult woman (wife, etc) in the car. Even age doesn't matter- thats right, its inappropriate for two male missionaries to get a ride to Church from their neighbor who is a 96 year old widow. This may seem silly in many cases, and means an inconvenience to the full-time missionaries in many situations, but please remember that the mission rules are there to protect the missionaries from situations that could arise. It would be awkward for male missionaries to say, "Sorry Sister-so-and-so, I know we were driven home by Sister-such-and-such yesterday, but we can't ride with YOU because YOU are younger and more attractive" So basically its a blanket policy to keep the rules clear and the same for everyone.

PS- My husband is the WML and he confirmed this with the local mission office - this is a Church-wide mission rule, not a rule just specific to our area/mission.

****I'm NOT talking about having a standing arrangement to drive the missionaries to Church every week. I'm talking about the "buddy" who the missionaries enjoy hanging out with and call every time they want a ride anywhere. The danger here would be with the tendency to avoid work and/or to rely too heavily on

one particular person instead of involving multiple Ward members in the work.

*****See "***" above - almost exactly the same rules apply to having the full-time missionaries in your home (or when they make visits to the homes of other members/investigators). To visit a single woman (or a married woman whose husband is not home), male full-time missionaries are to have an adult male priesthood holder with them. The only difference here is that they are to bring a priesthood holder (WML, male Ward missionary, or any other adult male priesthood holder) with them when visiting a woman. Full-time sister missionaries are not to enter the home of a man (single or married) when the wife is not present unless there is an adult male priesthood holder as well. So, basically the main difference between this and the car rule is that if they need to bring someone with them to visit a woman or man, it needs to be an adult priesthood holder.

New-member Temple Trip

2011-01-06T22:15:00.001-08:00

Statistics have shown that the chances of a new member staying active in the Church is greatly increased if they participate in baptism for the dead in the first year of membership - especially within 3 months of their baptism.

My husband has been asked to plan several temple trips especially for our newer members to do baptisms for the dead. Many of our new members have questions about going to the temple, and we try to answer them as we make our new member lesson visits, but I've also included some information about the trip (and how to prepare to attend) in this month's "new member newsletter":

SPECIAL NEW-MEMBER TEMPLE TRIP!

WHAT IS IT?

This is a special trip to the __________ Temple to participate in baptisms on behalf of people who have died without the opportunity to be baptized by the proper priesthood authority (called "baptisms for the dead"). Temples are holy buildings that are specially built for sacred ordinances like baptisms for the dead. Doing baptisms for the dead is just like when you were baptized yourself, except that these baptisms take place inside a special area in the Temple.

WHEN IS IT?

(Date and time here)

You can expect to be at the Temple for around 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

WHO CAN GO?

Recently baptized members are invited to attend with us and participate in baptisms for the dead. This trip is specifically for adults who are new members of the Church, especially those who haven't been able to participate in temple baptisms yet. This is a great chance for you to experience the Temple as a new member. Ward leaders and Ward-Missionaries will also be attending, and will be there to help you & answer questions.

WHERE IS IT?

(Temple location here)

We will be arranging carpool for those who are interested.

WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO PREPARE?

The Lord's Temples are the holiest places on Earth. The Temple is a sacred place- in order to keep it pure and holy, the Lord has set certain requirements to enter. One of the first requirements is that you need to have been baptized. Each person who plans to enter the temple will also need a "temple-recommend" card from the Bishop. To get this "temple-recommend", you will have a private meeting with the Bishop. He will help you make the necessary preparations to prepare to attend the temple, either now or in the future. This will include an interview similar to the one you had before you were baptized. You will be asked questions about whether you have kept your baptismal covenants (including keeping the commandments) since your baptism. You don't have to be perfect to attend the temple (otherwise none of us would ever be able to go!), so please don't let past mistakes keep you from preparing to attend the temple. If you have concerns, the Bishop is able to counsel and help you. Call (Name & phone number of Ward Executive Secretary here) to schedule an appointment with the Bishop.

WHY SHOULD I GO?

It is a special opportunity to do service for others. We are promised blessings for attending the Temple and for the service that we provide there. There is a special feeling of peace when you are at the Temple. Going to the Temple to do baptisms for the dead is a good way to help you experience and appreciate the sacredness of the Temple as you prepare for your endowment and sealing ordinances in the Temple (after you have been a member for at least one year).

A FEW MORE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE TEMPLE TRIP...

CLOTHING: There is a higher standard of dress for going to the Temple than when we attend Church on Sunday. When going to the Temple, appropriate clothing is always a suit & tie for men and a dress (or skirt) for women. Casual clothing (such as athletic clothing, jeans, etc) or clothing that is revealing (such as skirts above the knee or low-cut shirts) are never appropriate for the Temple. Dressing modestly and "dressing up" shows that we are setting aside the casual things of the outside world and shows our respect for the Lord when we enter His holy Temple. We don't need to wear expensive clothing, but we are asked to wear the best we have and to arrive neatly dressed/groomed. If you have any questions about what clothing is appropriate for entering the Temple, or if you need help with having appropriate clothes to wear to the Temple, please let a Ward-Missionary or the Relief Society President know. White baptism clothing and towels are provided for baptisms at the Temple, you don't need to bring them with you.

CHILDREN: There is no childcare available at the Temple and children (including babies) will not be able to come inside with you. This means that you will need to make your own arrangements for childcare if you plan to attend.

Baptism Preparation Handout

2011-01-06T21:47:00.000-08:00

I've put together a handout to give to investigators who are preparing for baptism. It covers some of the information they will need to know (what to bring, what to wear, etc). The full-time missionaries will usually explain these things to the investigator as they get close to their baptism date, but not always. I try to personally speak to each person who is scheduled to be baptized to make sure that they know what they need to bring, etc, but we've had a definite shortage of towels / hairbands / brushes / and/or dry underclothing at some recent baptisms, so I figured it couldn't hurt to have another reminder - a handout that they can keep and (hopefully) refer to prior to the big day.

I have also include some other information about the baptism that I thought might be helpful for the investigator to be aware of ahead of time. For example, I included an explanation about when photographs are/aren't appropriate. During a recent baptism in our Ward, a friend of the woman being baptized began taking pictures on her cell phone during the ordinance. Everyone sitting around her was shocked, but nobody seemed to know what to do. Finally, a missionary had to go over to her to ask her to stop. The friend had no way to know that photographs are not appropriate during the baptism - its just something that we are used to and tend to forget that they may not have the same practice in another Church. It was a somewhat awkward situation that could have been avoided with just a little more preparation.

Here is the text from the handout I made - feel free to adapt/use it for any upcoming convert baptisms in your Ward:

PREPARING FOR YOUR BAPTISM DAY

Congratulations on your upcoming baptism! We are so excited to help welcome you as a new member of our Ward family! Here is some important info to help you prepare for your special day:

LOCATION:

Baptism services are held at _____________________________. Feel free to invite family and friends - everyone is welcome.

CLOTHES:

Sunday dress clothing is appropriate for baptism services, however, visitors are always welcome, whether they are wearing "Sunday" clothing or not. Right before your baptism service starts, you will change into a white jumpsuit (these are provided at the church, you don't need to bring white clothing to wear). The jumpsuits aren't see-through, but it is recommended that you wear white or light-colored underwear because dark colors/prints are sometimes slightly visible when the white fabric gets wet.

HAIR:

You will need to be totally under the water for you baptism to be complete, so if you have hair that is long enough to be put in a ponytail, please either have you hair braided or in a ponytail (girls/women who don't have their hair in a braid or ponytail sometimes need to be re-immersed several times because their hair comes up out of the water).

WHAT TO BRING:

You'll want to bring several things for your convenience after your baptism is over:

A change of underwear (because your under-clothing will be wet after your baptism)
A towel
A brush/comb
A plastic sack for your wet clothes

PHOTOS:

Since it considered a sacred ordinance, photos are not permitted during the baptism service. Photos are normally taken with the full-time missionaries/family/friends in the hallway shortly before the baptism service starts and/or while refreshments are served after the baptism service is over. If you are inviting friends or family to your baptism, you may want to make them aware that photos during the baptism are not appropriate.

Time change!

2010-12-26T19:11:00.001-08:00

If you're in a Ward that shares a church building with another Ward and you'll be changing meeting times at the beginning of the year, don't forget to notify your recent converts and anyone who has recently returned to activity about the time change!

Even if the time change is announced at church, there may be those who have been out of town or sick who didn't get the message. And then there are also those who may just plain forget! Lets help our brothers and sisters avoid the inconvenience, confusion, and embarrassment of showing up at the wrong time next Sunday!

A phone call, email, personal visit, postcard, or newsletter that mentions the time change could be very helpful!

Convert baptism program template

2010-12-26T17:01:00.000-08:00

My husband was recently called to serve as Ward mission leader and next weekend will be the first convert baptisms since he was called. In our Ward, the full-time missionaries work with the convert to come up with suggestions for the baptismal program and the final program is planned by the Bishop. Then, the Ward mission leader (or his wife!) prints up the programs. Since this is his first time being responsible for printing the program, I searched online for a template that we could use to make the set-up easier. I could have made my own template to use, but I knew that would take me a while.

I wasn't able to find a convert baptism program template anywhere, but I did find a baptism program that was created for use at a child of record baptism, which is easily adapted by making a few changes (for example, I deleted the part about the 'Welcome from the Primary' and added a section for a presentation by the full-time missionaries that we normally have while the convert is changing clothes).

Here is the template I used:

Click here for BAPTISM PROGRAM TEMPLATE ON "MORMON SHARE" WEBSITE

New posts?

2010-12-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of new posts in the past few months, I've just had a new baby (#3!) and things have been kind of crazy! In other news, my husband has recently been called as Ward mission leader! We're having lots of fun!

Watch for new posts coming soon!

New Member Progress Tracking

2010-10-12T09:24:00.000-07:00

One of the official forms that the Church has to help with tracking new member progress is the "New and Returning Member Progress" form. "The bishop regularly reviews this form in ward council meetings to discuss the progress of each new or returning member. The ward council uses the form to plan specific ways to teach and strengthen new members from the time of their baptism and confirmation until they receive the temple endowment. The ward council also uses portions of this form in planning how to teach and strengthen returning members"
This form is explained further and is available on www.lds.org here

I thought it would be helpful to have something similar for Ward Missionaries to keep track of new convert progress. It has some of the same information as the official form, but I've excluded some of the information that isn't applicable for our purposes. I also added spaces for including additional information (such as what their calling is, which new member discussions have been taught, which additional principles have been explained by Ward Missionaries - family home evening, family prayer, accepting and serving in callings, etc.-, when member has received their Patriarchal blessing, etc.

There is also a place on the form I've made to put a photo of the new member (if appropriate and agreeable to the new member). I thought that this would be helpful because sometimes Ward members or newer full-time missionaries won't recognize the name of a new member being discussed and showing them a photo can help jog their memory. I try to be present at all convert baptisms and take a photo of the new member with the Elders before the service starts. I give the new member and the Elders copies of the photos and then I have one to use for our Ward Missionary records as well.

The form I made is just a word document. I'm still trying to figure out how to attach a word doc to this blog, so in the meantime here is here text:

NAME ____________________________
BAPTISM DATE__________

MEMBER SPOUSE? Y N N/A __________________
CHILDREN: ________________________________________
ADDRESS: ___________________________________
PHONE NUMBER:___________________________

HOME TEACHERS________________________________
VISITING TEACHERS_________________________________
CHURCH CALLING____________________________________

NEW MEMBER DISCUSSIONS 1 2 3 4 5

EXTRA TOPICS COVERED DURING NMD VISITS:
FAMILY/PERSONAL PRAYER_________________
PERSONAL SCRIPTURE STUDY_________________
FAMILY HOME EVENING_________________
HOME TEACHING AND VISITING TEACHING_________________
PRIESTHOOD BLESSINGS_________________
PATRIARCHAL BLESSINGS_________________
ACCEPTING AND SERVING IN CALLINGS_________________
CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS/AUXILLIARIES_________________
PREPARING TO ATTEND THE TEMPLE_________________
OTHER:____________________________________________________

RECIEVED AARONIC PRIESTHOOD______________
RECIEVED MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD______________
PATRIARCHAL BLESSING____________________
PARTICIPATED IN BAPTISMS FOR THE DEAD_________________
TEMPLE PREPARATION CLASS____________________
RECIEVED PERSONAL ENDOWMENTS _________________
SEALED TO FAMILY_______________________

This form is meant to make things easier for Ward Missionaries, especially those who are involved in teaching new member discussions. I can see at a glance what topics need to be covered and what the next "step" is for each individual.

General Conference Reminders for New Members

2010-09-08T21:08:00.000-07:00

Announce (and explain) General Conference in Gospel Essentials Sunday School class for at least 2 weeks prior to Conference. Even if you explain it once, not everyone may be paying attention and there may be some people missing from class the first time. Be sure to emphasize that there will not be any regular Church meetings on Conference Sunday - the Conference broadcasts will replace regular Church meetings on this Sunday.
Provide a handout* (sample shown below) that has a basic explanation of General Conference and the dates/times/viewing options appropriate for your area. Hand these out in Sunday School and before/after Sacrament meeting during the 2 weeks before Conference, so you can catch as many people as possible. I usually make extras of these handouts and give them to our full-time missionaries so they have something to give to investigators who may be interested in attending.
If you send out a new member newsletter, include the explanation of General Conference and the dates/times/viewing options for your area, etc. Again, be sure to emphasize that there will not be any regular Church meetings on Conference Sunday - the Conference broadcasts will replace the regular Church meetings on this Sunday. Yes, its repeating yourself, but this is often misunderstood by new members.
Consider asking Ward leaders (if appropriate) to announce General Conference times/viewing options (in Relief Society, Priesthood, etc). Some Wards do this, others do not.
Reminder phone calls (or emails) - as a last minute reminder, it doesn't hurt to give a quick call or email on Friday to remind investigators/new members that its Conference weekend.
If possible, consider inviting some investigators or new members to your home to view Conference with your family (or to attend Conference with you at a Church building providing the broadcast)

You don't have to use all of these methods, of course, but I feel like the more reminders, the better. This may seem like overkill, but I'd rather repeat myself 4 times than have someone tell me later that they showed up for Church and nobody was there and/or they missed General Conference because they didn't know about it.

*My handouts usually look something like this (times and viewing options will vary by region, this is just shown for example):

General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
October 2nd and 3rd

General Conference is held twice a year and is broadcast from Church Headquarters in Salt Lake City to members all over the world. Speakers will include the Prophet (President of the Church), members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and other Church Leaders. Since each of the 4 sessions of the Conference will feature different speakers and different topics, members normally watch all 4 sessions.

DATES/TIMES:
Saturday the 2nd- morning session 9:00-11:00am
and afternoon session 1:00-3:00pm
Sunday the 3rd- morning session 9:00-11:00am
and afternoon session 1:00-3:00pm

VIEWING OPTIONS:
AT HOME: If you get BYU-Channel or local access Channel __, you can view all 4 Conference broadcasts at home on your tv.
AT CHURCH: All 4 Conference broadcasts are shown on a large movie screen in the chapel at the Stake Center (located at _________). Sunday-clothing is appropriate if you attend in the chapel.
ONLINE: All 4 Conference broadcasts can be viewed at the Church's official website, www.lds.org

Please mark your calenders - there are no regular Church meetings this weekend - instead, everyone will be attending Conference broadcasts (either at home or at the Stake Center Building)

See you at Conference!

Using Preach My Gospel

2010-08-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

The September 2010 Ensign magazine has an article called, "Using Preach My Gospel to Teach New Members". Its the story of a particular new member and the couple assigned to teach her the new member lessons and their positive experience in using Preach My Gospel.

If you are involved with teaching the new member discussions/lessons, you've probably noticed that there isn't any specific instruction on how to do them, other than, "After baptism, new members are taught the first four lessons again, as well as “Laws and Ordinances (the 5th discussion/lesson). Ward leaders determine whether ward missionaries or full-time missionaries lead out in ensuring that these lessons are taught and how long full-time missionaries are involved" (Preach My Gospel, page 29)

In the "olden days" before Preach My Gospel (when I was a recent convert and later a full-time missionary), there was a separate set of discussions that further explained programs of the Church like visiting teaching/home teaching, accepting and serving in callings, family home evening, preparing to attend the temple, etc. and other things that new members need to know. Even though these things aren't discussed in as much detail in the regular set of lessons in Preach My Gospel that we use now, they are still important parts of teaching new members about membership in the Church, so we try to make sure that these sorts of things are explained well, either during new member discussions or Sunday School, etc.

Since the new members are at least somewhat familiar with the concepts taught in the first 4 discussions, we don't approach it as if they are hearing them for the first time. I like to use Preach My Gospel lessons as a jumping off point for each of the new member discussions we teach. The depth we go into depends on the situation and the specific new member. You can usually tell how much detail you need to go into by asking questions about the topic, like, "Why do you think baptism is so important?" or "What were your feelings when the Elders taught you about the Word of Wisdom?" Their answers can give you an idea of their level of understanding.

We try to go into more specific detail about how those principles apply to our lives as members of the Church. For example, the 3rd discussion is "The Gospel of Jesus Christ" (which covers faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the holy ghost, and enduring to the end), so we normally focus on how members of the Church make and keep covenants (like baptism) and that the Sacrament is very important because it helps us to repent and renew our covenants each week. These are probably things that they still remember from their original discussions, but it doesn't hurt to reinforce these concepts.

Last week we had a brand new member over for her first "new member discussion". We invited her and her children over for Family Home Evening, and also invited the full-time missionaries over (to help with the transition). The first discussion is about the Restoration, so our FHE lesson was about Joseph Smith's First Vision and why it is important to us today. We did the whole thing regular FHE style, with pictures and a song, treats, etc. Afterward, I gave the new member a FHE resource book and explained a little bit about more about the FHE
program (why we do it, different ways it can be done, etc).

I think it was really successful because we incorporated the doctrine, but also had the family in our home and also modeled a FHE for them at the same time. This format may not work for every situation, but we can find ways to make the new member discussions helpful and informative for any new member. Preach My Gospel gives us the freedom to do that!

Baptism Service Refreshments

2010-08-22T20:21:00.000-07:00

The Relief Society Presidency in our Ward does an excellent job of coordinating refreshments for convert baptisms - and they've had a LOT of refreshments to coordinate over the past few months, so they're really appreciated.

I think its great that the Presidency takes care of that aspect of the baptism service because that means right there we've got at least one (usually 2 or 3) representative of the R.S. Presidency there to show their support. Plus, if they have called 3 or 4 sisters from the Ward to contribute cookies, those sisters are likely to stay for the baptism as well. We've had some concerns about low baptism attendance in the past, but no more! We were packed full at our last few services and that is a great thing.

Besides, just about everybody likes treats, so having refreshments afterward makes a great opportunity for Ward members to visit with the new member (and any relatives or friends that they have invited).

I usually try to contribute something for the refreshment table also, though I'm not much of a baker....This weekend we had 5 convert baptisms at one baptism service, so in honor of the very special occaision I put in an extra effort and made temple-themed cupcake brownies (white-chocolate candy shaped like the Portland temple on a brownie in a white cupcake liner). I was a little worried that people might think it was tacky or inappropriate to put a temple on a brownie, but I got the idea from my friend Sue (who used these same kinds of candy molds to make treats for her 8 year old son's baptism) and I thought it was really cute, so I went ahead and did it. I figured it might also be a conversation starter if a visitor was curious about what the building was, too.

I guess they must have gone over well, because by the time my husband got over to the refreshment table to try one, they were already gone!

(Just FYI in case you're looking for a temple candy mold - I had difficulty finding them- I bought my temple candy molds from this website (click on the underlined words to go to the site). I'm not affiliated with that company or anything, its just the site I used for my personal purchase. Each mold makes 12 candies. I bought 2 molds so I could make 24 at once, but you could always just reuse one mold as many times as you want).

Ideas for Increasing New Member Fellowshipping

2010-08-17T09:39:00.000-07:00

"Among those converts who fall away, the attrition (loss) is steepest in the two months after baptism. When a convert is baptized, there is no time to lose. Fellowshipping efforts must begin well before baptism and must increase in intensity in the months following baptism" ("The Role of Members in Conversion" By Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign, March 2003)

Unfortunately, it seems as if the opposite thing is often happening with new members. We tend to think that the most important fellowshipping happens before baptism, and then sharply drops off afterward. While the new member will (hopefully) have visits from home teachers (and visiting teachers) once a month like the rest of us do, that just isn't enough contact for a brand new member.

Members often mistakenly think that the full-time missionaries will cover this need as they continue with their regular and frequent visits to the new convert. Individual missionaries eventually move on to new areas, and for those that stay in the area, its appropriate to eventually wean away from frequent visits to new members. In some cases, it can be a very swift transition that leaves the new member feeling confused and abandoned. I have heard too many people comment that they felt as if they were "dropped" after their baptism. I know that this is not intended by the ward members and full-time missionaries...Instead, we may just expect the new member to be totally integrated into our "culture" when they are baptized and that they should naturally adjust to the change.

This is the area where ward members (and specifically ward missionaries) need to do a MUCH better job. When I read Elder Oaks' advice that member fellowshipping should "increase in intensity" after baptism, it made me consider my own efforts. For example, if I personally have one or two contacts a week with an investigator before their baptism (by phone, at church, in person, or online, etc), I can consider how I might increase that effort after baptism. An extra phone call or visit would be all that it would take to double my contact with that person.

"Our experience has shown that members can have a powerful influence in this process (when they model) gospel living..." One idea that our family came up with that goes along with this principle is inviting new members to come to our home for a Family Home Evening. This combines the concept of fellowshipping with the modeling gospel living that Elder Oaks mentioned.

I first considered inviting investigators for FHE immediately after they had set a date for baptism, but when I remembered that "fellowshipping efforts must...increase in intensity in the months following baptism" I decided that it might be even better to have new members over for FHE the week following their baptism.

Since we have investigator several families in our Ward scheduled for baptism over the next week, I'll be contacting each of them this week (before any of the baptisms) and inviting them for FHE next week. Since some of these people have unusual work/school schedules (and our family has an unusual schedule as well), I've explained that we can have them over on a different weekday afternoon or evening (instead of Monday) if necessary. So, we may end up having 2 or 3 different FHEs in the same week, but you can't have too many FHEs, right?

I figure that if our family makes this a regular practice it will be an easy way for us to make a few extra contacts with each person (call or personal invite and then the actual FHE itself). Wouldn't it be great if we could also encourage other ward members to do the same? I think there are a lot of members who would like to help with new member fellowshipping, but just aren't sure what to do. Can you imagine what a great influence it would be for new members to go to 4 or 5 different members homes for FHE and other social visits during their first few months as new members?

Ward Missionaries at Back to School Sales!

2010-08-14T18:30:00.000-07:00

If you're interested in providing some low-cost distractions* for the children of investigators who may be caught under-prepared to entertain them during Sacrament meeting (and other Sunday Church meetings), back-to-school time is ideal... Most stores that sell school supplies have "loss leaders" (several ridiculously low priced items that they advertise to get your attention!). Crayons, colored pencils, and wire-bound lined paper are usually priced very low. All of these things are great for keeping young children busy - and hey, if you're going to buy them, you might as well buy them while they're very cheap! I stocked up on packs of crayons for 20 cents each, boxes of colored pencils for 89 cents, and wire-bound notebook paper for 15 cents each.

If you make "Welcome to the Ward" Packets**, plain-colored pee-chee style folders can be found for low-prices at this time of year also (I found them for 15 cents each - they are close to $1 each the rest of the year).

Don't wait too long to shop, though- retailers usually raise school supply prices back to normal the week or two before school actually starts...

*For more ideas, see the post from July entitled "Entertaining visiting children / Sacrament meeting" under the topic "Fellowshipping (at Church)" at the right side of the page.

**For information on "Welcome to the Ward Packets," see the "Welcome Packets" section at the right side of the page.

Explaining VISITS to New Members

2010-08-06T09:43:00.000-07:00

One of the adjustments that new members make is getting to know our "lingo" and understanding all of the terms that we use. While visiting a new member (of 2 months) the other day, I asked her if she knew who her home teachers are. She said that she did, but when I asked her specifically who they are, she told me the names of two women. This is a very common mistake, so I wasn't very surprised (many new members unknowingly use the terms 'home teaching' and 'visiting teaching' interchangeably). I explained the home and visiting teaching programs to her again (her home teachers are men, her visiting teachers are women, etc).

What did surprise me was that another new member (of about 8 months) who also happened to be there during the visit, looked very surprised and said, "OH! So that's why those men have been visiting us every month!" She went on to tell us how these "two nice men from Church" had called every month to schedule a visit and had always come and given a gospel message, but she and her husband didn't know why - they just thought the two men were being friendly! "I didn't know they were our home teachers!" I had to laugh, but it also made me think that our new members still need MORE information about whats going on. We may know what visiting and home teaching are, but that doesn't mean they totally understand it.

As Ward Missionaries we explain these concepts to the new members (during personal visits and occasionally during Gospel Essentials lessons). I also include a page in the "Welcome Packet" for new members that explains what home teaching and visiting teaching is and another page that explains what the New Member Discussions are. Now, the information is being provided, but it doesn't seem like its being made clear enough. So, I came up with a sort of "cheat sheet" that explains the 4 types of regular visits that they should be receiving (complete with pictures to help make the distinction easier!). See text below:

Now that I'm an official member of the Ward,
who will be contacting me to schedule
visits to my home? (and why?)

"Visiting Teachers"

Two women are assigned by the Relief Society to visit each woman in the Ward with a brief gospel message every month. If you are an adult woman, you will be contacted by your new Visiting Teachers soon.

"Home Teachers"

Two men are assigned by the Elders-Quorum (or High Priests Group) to visit each family with a brief gospel message every month. You will be contacted by your new Home Teachers soon.

"Full-time Missionaries"

The full-time Missionaries (the "Elders'') may continue to visit new members and give short gospel messages from time to time as their schedules permit

"Ward Missionaries"

The Ward Missionaries (INSERT NAMES HERE) will visit new members (once a month or so) and give a series of 5 brief lessons called the "New Member Discussions"* (INSERT REAL PHOTO(S) OF YOUR WARD MISSIONARIES OVER <-- HERE)

To conform to the blog format I had to make some changes to the document to show you here, but the basic idea is the same. Its just a brief one-page summary of each of the groups that will be contacting the new members for regular visits. I hope this will help take away some of the confusion.... I'm planning to make these available to future new members, as well as recent converts who might still be having difficulty making sense of all these programs!

*As I've mentioned before, the arrangement that we have in our Ward is that Ward Missionaries are responsible for teaching the New Member Discussions. In other Wards, you may have a different system (the Elders or Home Teachers may teach the New Member Discussions, or a combination of people might be responsible). Consult your Ward Mission Leader for more info.

Get to know new members - the game!

2010-08-05T22:17:00.000-07:00

Tonight we had a Relief Society BBQ/Picnic - and the Relief Society Presidency came up with a really cute idea for helping everyone get to know our newer members. They had 6 or 7 of the newest sisters fill out a questionnaire (either ahead of time, or at the activity) with interesting information about themselves (favorite food, first car, last movie they saw, etc).

After everyone had eaten, they asked each of the new sisters to sit in a row up front and as a member of the Presidency read off the trivia facts, everyone else (in the "audience") tried to guess which piece of information went with each person. It was a really good idea because it helped everyone get to know the names of the new members and we also learned a few things about them. All of this without the new members feeling too "on the spot" (because they didn't really have to "do" anything but sit there, so it was low-stress!)

This idea could be adapted to just about any casual Ward or auxilliary activity!

Welcome packet for convert child

2010-07-31T09:10:00.000-07:00

Today we have a convert baptism of a child (8 years old), so I adapted our usual "Welcome to the Ward" packet to be a little more kid-appropriate. The usual handouts and information are included (see the "Welcome Packet" section for more info), but I made a few changes/additions:

More coloring/activity pages (found here)
"My Gospel Standards" print-out (found on the Idea Door website, here)
Sacrament prayer card*
"My Baptism Covenants" print-out (found on the Idea Door website, here)
Several age-appropriate "Mormonad" poster cards
Picture of Christ with children

*I printed out the Sacrament prayers (printable version found at the Idea Door, here), and glued them onto colorful paper. Then I glued the two prayers back to back, to make a sort of two-sided bookmark. I also attached a little paper piece of bread and a water cup that I made out of scraps of scrapbooking paper to make it easier to tell which side is which. You can see the one I made on the left side of the picture of the inside of the folder (shown above).

Helping new members understand "callings"

2010-07-25T21:37:00.000-07:00

For many new members of the Church, the idea of holding a position or "calling" can be a very intimidating thing. The last thing that we want is to have new converts running for the door after the closing hymn so they can avoid a potential "Can I meet with you for a moment?" encounter with the Bishopric... What can Ward missionaries do to help our new members feel comfortable with accepting callings?

Something that we have done is bring up the subject of callings when we're visiting a new convert for one of the early new-member discussions*. This gives us a good opportunity to resolve any concerns that the new member may have. We give brief summary of what a calling is (this a term that we use frequently, but most non-members are unfamiliar with, so it doesn't hurt to explain), explain how callings are extended (and how we are sustained), and why we as members serve in the Church.

I've found there are four general concerns that new members have about accepting callings:

#1- I don't have the gospel knowledge/experience
This is a very common concern. New members are used to dealing with full-time missionaries that can usually answer virtually any question without breaking a sweat. And when they come to Church they see men and women speaking or giving lessons who have had years and years of speaking/teaching experience. How can someone who was just baptized last week be expected to have the gospel knowledge and ability of a missionary or a lifelong member? Well, of course they aren't expected to have those abilities, which is why a brand new convert isn't usually called to teach Gospel Doctrine. Bishoprics are very aware of the limitations that a convert will have as they are learning the basics. There are many callings that are appropriate for new members that don't require an extensive gospel education. Even a calling as a teacher isn't necessarily going to require a mastery of the scriptures... For example, some new converts that I've known have been called as Primary teachers. This provides an opportunity for the new member to learn through teaching, line upon line, and to a (hopefully) less-intimidating young audience.

#2- I don't know enough about the organization/calling
Even long-time members could feel a little panicked at being called to a position in an area/auxilliary that they aren't very familiar with, so this is easy to relate to. A new member may not realize that they will have training and leadership support for their calling. No matter what the calling, there is someone to offer support and answer questions. For example, if a new member were called to be a visiting teaching supervisor, they would receive instruction and support from the visiting teaching leader and the Relief Society President. It would be really helpful for new members to know that they will have this support and that there are also support materials (instruction manuals) and other resources that can help as well.

#3- I might be asked to do something I just can't do
It can help to explain that callings for all members (including new converts) are chosen carefully by our leaders who are guided through revelation (meaning that we may be asked to do something that stretches us and increases our talents/abilities, but we're generally not asked to do something beyond what we can handle). I've used the example that I can't play the piano at all, so I probably won't be asked to serve as the ward pianist - its just literally beyond what I am able to do. On the other hand, as we serve in positions we start to gain skills and become more familiar with how things run, which can give us that background (and confidence) we need to serve in future callings that may require a greater knowledge or skill. Most callings will "stretch" us beyond our comfort zone in some way. I don't believe in turning down callings because they are intimidating. However, I do feel that its appropriate to tell new members that if they are extended a calling that they feel uneasy about, it's okay to talk to the Bishopric member about our questions or concerns. My husband and I learned this the hard way when we were in a new Ward and called to a husband/wife team calling that required regular weeknight meetings. Not wanting to question the call (though we'd never spoken with the Bishopric before that night and they didn't know our circumstances), we accepted the callings (without voicing our concern that every single meeting conflicted with my husband's work schedule). A lot of complications could have been avoided if we would have expressed our scheduling conflict when the calls were extended. So, its important for new members to know that its okay to have questions or concerns - its better to resolve them before agreeing to the calling than to wait until the situation becomes frustrating or overwhelming. This will also give the Bishopric member an opportunity to reassure the new member and help resolve concerns about lack of experience, etc.

#4- I'm just too shy to teach
This concern is a little more difficult to resolve, since you can't really tell a person to just stop being shy... I find that many new members are afraid to be asked to teach because they have never been a fan of public speaking or they are just generally shy (and this may be made worse if they are also concerned about lack of experience/knowledge). Most new members won't be asked to teach right away, but some will. In this case, refer back to #1 , #2, & #3 - explaining how callings are administered and that they will receive support from leadership can really help put a shy new member at ease.

*In our Ward, the Ward missionaries present the new-member discussions to the new converts and we try to incorporate the visiting/home teachers when possible. Generally, the Ward Mission Leader determines how the new-member discussions are handled, so your Ward may have a different arrangement (for example, in some Wards the full-time missionaries teach the new-member discussions, in other Wards the full-time missionaries and Ward missionaries teach these discussions together). Consult your Ward Mission Leader.

The importance of Church activities for investigators

2010-07-23T15:54:00.000-07:00

We make an effort to make sure that our newer members attend Church activities as often as possible. Being a member of the Church is more than just attending meetings on the Sabbath - the gospel and the Kingdom of God on Earth (the Church) becomes part of our daily lives. For new members, attending social activities outside of Sunday services/classes is an important part of integrating into Church culture and feeling part of the Ward/Stake family.

In a slightly different way, the same concepts apply to our non-member investigator friends. When they come to activities (like Ward parties, for example) they meet more Ward members (including Ward leaders) and can develop relationships with people they have already met.

In addition, they may be able to overcome any previous misconceptions that they've had about what Church members are like. When investigators only have contact with the missionaries outside of Church and then only see Church members when they're dressed up for Sunday meetings, they may wonder - Do members of our Church always dress up? Are women are expected to wear dresses all the time? Activities are a great way to show that we do wear jeans and we're generally pretty fun people!

Ward missionaries, Ward leaders, and other Ward members can encourage investigators to attend activities by #1- making sure they know about upcoming activities (when, where, etc) #2 offering a ride (if appropriate) #3- offering follow-up reminders (fliers or verbal reminders) in classes or personal phone calls.

July/August Newsletter Ideas

2010-07-12T13:35:00.000-07:00

Last month I did a post on sending out a "New Member News" newsletter specifically for new converts and investigators preparing for baptism. Basically, I try to include any information they might need to know for the upcoming month or so. For example, in March and September I include information about the upcoming General Conferences (what is Conference, where/when you can view it, what to expect, etc).

For July/August newsletters, I recommend the following topics:

Pioneers (brief history of the Pioneers - we have a lot lessons/talks/hymns about Pioneers during this time of year, so I try to explain why)
Pioneer Day (why we celebrate it and info about any related Ward/Stake activities)
Other Ward/Stake Activities (be sure to give all possible information about time, date, location, appropriate dress, anything they need to bring, etc)
Gospel Essentials (Sunday School) Lesson Schedule
Welcome to New Members &/or Info About Upcoming Baptisms
Ward Missionary/Ward Mission Leader Contact Information

Even if you don't go with a formal newsletter format, it is great to make this type of information available to all of your new members.... by handout, Sunday School announcements, phone calls, etc. Most activities will be announced in one way or another at Church, but it doesn't hurt to give a little extra effort to make sure that our new members have all of the information they need.

Fellowshipping New Converts - 13 Easy Ideas That Any Member Can Use!

2010-07-06T11:05:00.000-07:00

President Gordon B. Hinckley placed a heavy emphasis on convert retention for many years. He repeatedly taught that the involvement of ward members is vitally important to helping a converts remain active in the Church after baptism. Full-time missionaries come and go, but ward members (especially ward missionaries) are a constant that converts should be able to rely on for continuing encouragement, support, and friendship.

"I am hopeful that a great effort will go forward throughout the Church, throughout the world, to retain every convert who comes into the Church. This is serious business. There is no point in doing missionary work unless we hold on to the fruits of that effort. The two must be inseparable. You have people in your wards who can be friends to every convert. They can listen to them, guide them, answer their questions, and be there to help in all circumstances and in all conditions" (Gordon B. Hinckley, "Some Thoughts on Temples, Retention of Converts, and Missionar Service," Ensign, Nov 1997)

We know that we should be doing something to help our new converts remain active, but what exactly are we supposed to do?

Imagine learning that a long-time friend from your high school (who you haven't seen in many years) will soon be moving into your town. Think of the ways that you might offer to help and how you could help make your friend's family feel welcome. What would you do for your friend? Help them move into their new house? Bring them dinner or treats? Maybe you could show them around town - take them to the school their children will be attending, tell them which grocery stores are best, or help them find the nearest branch of the bank they will use? Would you be willing to introduce them to people in the neighborhood or maybe host a "welcome" BBQ for them? Even after the initial move-in, you would probably continue to check on them from time to time, to see how they were handling unpacking and offering additional help, if needed. None of these things would seem out of the ordinary for one friend to do for another.

The same principles can be applied when member missionaries help new converts make their transition into active membership in the ward.

Similar to the scenario of having a high school friend move into the area, we can help the new member get "settled" in their Church "home" by showing kindness, helping them learn the ropes, and introducing them to other members in the ward. Like any friend, we simply want to help them "get settled."

Here are 13 examples of low-stress ways that any member can help a convert feel welcome in the "Ward Family":

Attend convert baptisms and congratulate the new member(s)

Offer a ride to a Church activity

Ask them to help with planning a Church project or activity

Make sure that they know about upcoming ward/stake meetings & activities

Invite them over for dinner and/or Family Home Evening

Make sure they understand a unique term/concept that comes up in announcements or during a class (like "Girls Camp" or "Food Storage")

Learn the names of everyone in their family and greet them by name

If they miss Church, give them a call to see if everything is okay

Send them a birthday card

Contact the ward missionaries or full-time missionaries and ask if you can come with them when they have a "new member discussion"

Say hello to them at Church

Sit with them in class or at an activity

Take them a loaf of bread or cookies to say, "welcome to the ward"

Entertaining visiting children / Sacrament meeting

2010-07-03T01:57:00.000-07:00

It is always a good thing when investigators to bring their children to Church. However, many kids aren't used to sitting quietly for that long, especially without entertainment! I've found that most parents who just beginning to attend Church are usually unprepared to keep them in their seat for over an hour.

We can help make attending Church a pleasant experience for new families, but one thing that is never pleasant is having half the ward staring at you because your children are racing each other up and down the aisles. I've been caught under-prepared for this situation a few times. I always wish that I could help in some way, but there is only so much doodling a child can do on the back of one Sacrament program, then things start to get ugly again!

There are small things that any of us can do to help in a situation like this by coming to Church armed with a few extra items that are low-cost and easy to obtain (you may already have some of these around the house). The following ideas probably won't work with every age group (like infants or pre-teens), but should definitely help keep the 2-10 age crowd occupied for a little while without distracting too much from the spirit of the meeting.

Bring one (or more) of the following:

Coloring book (preferably gender-neutral, or a variety)
Pad of plain paper
Activity pages and/or coloring pages from the Friend magazine*
Crayons or colored pencils
Stickers

You don't need to haul in a ton of supplies in every week - I usually just keep a few coloring/activity pages and some crayons on hand in my bag or notebook. I also have an extra stash in my car (just in case it looks like I'm going to need it - I definitely won't have time to run home if a new investigator family shows up with five kids!). This is just a small thing, but it can make a big difference in making Sacrament meeting more peaceful for our investigator families.

*I prefer to use Church/gospel-related pages (like the one shown above) that support the purpose of Sacrament meeting (instead of something like a "Transformers" coloring book). You can print these pages at home for FREE from the Church website's Friend magazine printable "activity archive" section (click here to link to the page) or a non-official church site like ldscoloringpages.net - both have pages arranged by topic, so you can choose a variety of pictures and activities that you think would be appropriate. I usually choose general topics like "Service," "Family," or "Christ" instead of more in-depth subjects like "The Word of Wisdom" or "Joseph Smith receives the Priesthood" (which may be less familiar to a new family).

New Member News(letter)

2010-06-26T09:35:00.001-07:00

OK, so its not really a formal "newsletter", but last year I started sending out the Sunday School lesson schedule once a month (or so) to our Ward's recent converts. I wanted to make sure that they knew which lesson we were on, in case they missed a Sunday or wanted to study the topic before class). If they had missed a Sunday and I had leftover handouts from class, I would include one of those handouts as well. Eventually, I also started adding information about upcoming activities and things like that. I wondered if people would think it was strange that I was sending them random things, so I started calling it the "New Member News". Its really just a one-page printout with information that might be useful to new members*, but I thought calling it a newsletter seemed less "random". I also added a list of the Ward Missionaries (names and phone numbers) in case they have any questions.

Finally, if I have any space left on the page (which I usually do), I try to include a quote from the Ensign, or a short article that explains a term of "Latter-day Saint Lingo". This month I included a little article about Family Home Evening - what it is, how to do it, resources to help, etc. I figure that while I'm at it, the more information I can provide, the better.

Like I said, my initial intent was just to provide information about Sunday School lessons, but now I feel like its a valuable tool that allows me to make another "contact" with each person/family outside of Church.

*In addition to new converts, I also sometimes send the newsletter to investigators as well, depending on the circumstances.

Encouraging Sunday School Attendance

2010-06-19T09:08:00.001-07:00

As part of our callings, the Ward Missionaries in our Ward take turns teaching the Gospel Essentials Sunday School class. I always try to make sure that new members know that they need to attend the class for at least one year, and normally we have a pretty good attendance (we have 13+ new members and usually a handful of investigators). Lately (the last few months), I've noticed that quite a few people have gotten into the habit of coming to Sacrament meeting and then not staying for the rest of the meetings. I've been pondering how we can encourage people to stay for the 2nd two hours (especially Sunday School), and here are a few ideas I've come up with:

Send out an upcoming lesson schedule (I put this in the monthly new member newsletter), just to keep it on their minds during the week
Call on Saturdays and ask members (who should be attending the class) to give prayers or do some other sort of simple assignment
Greet new members at the door (before Sacrament) and give them a "Today in Sunday School" handout

I'm trying the "Today in Sunday School" handout for the first time this Sunday - I've just made a little printed handout that says, "Today's lesson in Gospel Essentials Sunday School class is 'The Sacrament' - Here are some of the topics we will cover: What are the 2 main purposes of the Sacrament? Does it matter which hand you use to take the Sacrament? What steps should I take to prepare before taking the Sacrament? Do young children take the Sacrament?"

The thinking behind this is that the handout will #1- remind the person about the class (making it less convenient to feel casual about "skipping out" early) #2- provide some interesting questions that might peak their interest about the topic (like if a person had never considered the significance of using their right hand or whether or not young children should take the Sacrament, they might be more inclined to attend out of curiousity).

Hopefully these ideas will help! If you have any tips to share, please let us know!

Dividing our time - Pie Chart Planning

2010-06-16T14:07:00.001-07:00

We had an excellent quarterly training meeting the other day and it got me thinking about how I balance my time in this calling. I know I spend a lot more time on it than many (including my husband), since I'm a stay-at-home mom and have more time for planning lessons and phone calls. It doesn't seem like much, but the little things add up. I was curious to see how my time is usually spent, to see if I should make adjustments. I made a (free) pie chart at Math Warehouse (click on the underlined words to be taken to the site) - it was really easy.

I figured out (approximately) how much time I spend on each aspect of Ward Missionary work (for example, since my husband has a strange work schedule, I usually only end up going to teach a discussion with the full-time missionaries only about once every other week, so I entered an average of 1/2 hour per week in that category).

Here's my break down:
Teaching New Member Discussions (2 hrs/wk)
Teaching with the F/T Missionaries (.5 hrs/wk)
Teaching/Preparing Gospel Essentials Class (2 hrs/wk)
Extra contact (calls, visits) with New Members / Less-Active / Investigators (2 hrs/wk)
Fellowshipping (activities outside of Church) (1 hr/wk)
Planning Meetings (1 hr/wk)

My husband's break down would look more like this:
Teaching New Member Discussions (1 hr/wk)
Teaching with the F/T Missionaries (.5 hr/wk)
Extra contact (calls, visits) with New Members/Less-Active / Investigators (1 hr/wk)
Fellowshipping (outside of Church) (2 hrs/wk)
Planning Meetings (1 hr/wk)

I think a pie chart could a helpful tool for a Ward Missionary (or in any calling) because it gives you a visual that shows where you are spending your time and how that relates to your goals.... If your goal is to focus on fellowshipping, but you spend 90% of your time in planning meetings, your might want to make an adjustment to your schedule!

"Welcome to the Church" Ensign Special Edition

2010-05-28T10:27:00.000-07:00

While searching the internet for other Ward Mission related websites, I was reading an older article on another site that mentioned the October 2006 issue of the Ensign, which was a special edition called "Welcome to the Church" that was specifically geared for new converts. I noticed that you could purchase copies of that issue on the Church Distribution site for a very reasonable price ($1.50), so I busily began calculating how many issues I'd want - lets see, one each for all of the converts over the past year or so (12+), plus I'll need some a lot more copies for upcoming baptisms, and then a whole bunch more for future converts... It started to add up quickly, and since I do these packets as sort of a personal project and don't use any Church budget, I started to reconsider...

After a little more digging, I found that you can download entire issues of the Ensign on the Church website, way back to 2001. Here is the location where you can find this: http://www.lds.org/gospellibrary/pdfmagazine/0,7
779,592-6-1,00.html (or click on the photo of the magazine below).

You can actually print out the entire issue if you want, but I read through and selected two articles that I thought would be most helpful to our new members, then I printed them out in color (black and white is okay, too, I just happened to have a new color cartridge so I went for it!). I selected "New Members, New Traditions" by Elder F. Melvin Hammond (which covers some of the basics of what is expected of members, like church AND class attendance, tithing, singing hymns, preparing to attend the temple, family prayer, family home evening, etc) and "What I Wish Every New Member Knew - and Every Longtime Member Remembered" by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (which covers topics like service, keeping covenants, fellowship, and leaving the past behind).

I will be including these articles in "Welcome" Packets from now on and also distributing them to recent converts if appropriate.

For more information on our "Welcome to the Ward" Packets for new converts and what is included, see the topic section labeled "WELCOME PACKET" on the right side of this page, above the picture of people shaking hands.

New Member Discussions & HT/VT

2010-05-27T08:58:00.000-07:00

The following is the text for a sheet we include in the "Welcome to the Ward" packet we give to new converts. There was some recent confusion among new members in our Ward about the difference between Home Teaching/Visiting Teaching and the New Member Discussions, so we thought it would be helpful to include all of this information for the new member's reference. Please feel free to use any of this text in your own "Welcome Packet"!:

"New-Member Discussions"

When you're first learning about the Church, the full-time missionaries (the Elders) present a series of lessons called "The Discussions". These "Discussions" cover the basic gospel beliefs that you need to know to prepare for baptism. Completing the series of "Discussions" is required for anyone who wants to be baptized and become a member of the Lord's Church.

After your baptism, "Ward missionaries" will begin visiting your family and teaching a series of presentations called the "New Member Discussions". Ward missionaries are local Ward members who have been asked to serve in a "calling" as Ward missionaries (they help the Elders find and teach people, teach the Gospel Essentials Sunday School class, and help new members to get to know people, etc)

The "New Member Discussions" are normally taught once a month or so. There are a series of these 5 presentations altogether. These discussions explain how we can apply gospel principles in our daily lives as members of the Church. We get into more detail about topics like serving in Church callings, how the Priesthood blesses our lives, ways to strengthen families, and preparing to attend the temple.

You will be contacted soon by (insert names of Ward missionaries here) (who are currently serving as Ward missionaries in our Ward) to set up an appointment for your first "New Member Discussion". If you have any questions, please let any of us know!

"Home Teaching and Visiting Teaching"

You will also be contacted by Home Teachers (and possibly Visiting Teachers) from the Ward who will arrange times to visit your home. The Home Teaching and Visiting Teaching programs are some ways that help us keep our baptismal covenant to "comfort those who stand in need of comfort" and "bear one another's burdens":

"Home Teaching": is a worldwide program of the Church. Men are organized (by the Elders Quorum) into pairs and assigned to visit several specific families on a monthly basis. Home Teachers give a short gospel-related message and get to know the family. If there is any need or urgent situation within the family, they can contact their Home Teachers for help. Every household is assigned a set of Home Teachers and generally every man serves as a Home Teacher. If you have been baptized and aren't sure who you family's Home Teachers are yet, you can contact the Elders Quorum President (insert name of EQ President here).

"Visiting Teaching": is a worldwide program of the Relief Society (the Church's womens organization). Its purpose is to help women serve one another, develop friendships, and to provide support to one another. Women are assigned (by the Relief Society) as pairs and assigned to visit several women in the Ward on a monthly basis. (Home teachers visit the entire family, Visiting Teachers are women visiting other women. A family with an adult woman will have both Home Teachers and Visiting Teachers, with two separate visits). Visiting Teachers share a short gospel message and get to know the women that they visit. If the woman being visited has a specific need, she can let her Visiting Teachers know. Every woman is assigned a set of Visiting Teachers and in general, every woman serves as a Visiting Teacher. If you're a woman whose been baptized and you're not sure who your Visiting Teachers are yet, you can contact the Relief Society President (insert name of RS President here).

For more information on our "Welcome to the Ward" Packets for new converts and what is included, see the topic section labeled "WELCOME PACKET" on the right side of this page, above the picture of people shaking hands.

Ward Website Instructions for Converts

2010-05-27T08:50:00.000-07:00

The following is the text for a page we attach to the Ward Directory print-out we include in the "Welcome to the Ward" packets for new converts. It describes how to register for the Ward Website, which gives the new member access to current Ward/Stake Directory, Ward/Stake calendar, etc. Feel free to use the text for your own "Welcome packets"!:

"We've printed you a copy of the current ward phone/address directory (attached) from the Ward's website. You may have already received a copy of the Stake's printed directory that is given out once a year, but the print version quickly out of date (as people move in or out of the Ward or change phone numbers, etc). The most current version of the directory is available online at the Ward's website...this directory is constantly updated as there are changes throughout the year.

How can you access the Ward's website & phone/address directory?
If you have internet, you can register for the Ward's official website at the Church's main website www.lds.org (under the tab "About the Church" you'll see a section called "Stake and Ward Websites"...clicking on this will take you to the log-in registration page). The Church maintains a seperate website for each Ward. You will be automatically registered for the Ward where you live.

To insure personal privacy, the phone/address directory is not accessible to the public, it is accessible only to official Ward members. Members are required to provide two pieces of identifying information to register (their Membership Record Number - also called MRN#- and their birth date). You may be able to find your MRN# on official Church documents (end-of-year tithing statement print-out, baptism certificate, etc). If you don't have it, you can ask the Ward Clerk to look it up in the computer for you (just ask anyone in the small office next to the Bishop's office on Sunday for help). Once you've registered, you can access the Ward's website (including the calendar of activities, directory, etc) any time. You can also print a new copy of the phone directory from the website anytime you want!"

For more information on our "Welcome to the Ward" Packets for new converts and what is included, see the topic section labeled "WELCOME PACKET" on the right side of this page, above the picture of people shaking hands.

Latter-day Saint "LINGO" glossary

2010-05-27T08:13:00.000-07:00

The following is the "Latter-day Saint Lingo" sheet that I include in our "Welcome to the Ward" packet for new converts. Every week at the end of Gospel Essentials class, I choose a term or phrase of "Latter-day Saint Lingo"- a term that we use in the Church that may be unfamiliar to new members and explain it for them. This list is a compilation of some of those terms. I've taken some of these definitions from the Church website and adapted them for class purposes, but many are my own. Please feel free to use this text, but please note that this is meant as a casual reference and is not an official statement of terms from the Church:

Latter-day Saint "LINGO" -a glossary of terms

A helpful guide to some of the phrases frequently used by members of the Church

Apostle: The Church today has apostles just as it did in the time of Jesus. Members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles serve in the calling for the rest of their life and are “special witnesses” of Jesus Christ to the world. When an apostle dies, a new apostle is called to take his place with the Twelve.

Articles of Faith: Thirteen statements (written by Joseph Smith) explaining some of the basic beliefs of the LDS Church.

Auxiliaries: Different organizational groups within a ward. Auxiliaries are: Primary, Young Women's, Young Men's/Aaronic Priesthood, Relief Society, Melchizedek Priesthood and Sunday school. This term isn't used very often, but you may hear an announcement about a leadership meeting for auxiliary leaders.

Bishop: Similar to what other Churches may call a Pastor or Minister, but Bishops are not paid for their work. The Bishop who presides over a ward, along with two counselors who assist him. Bishops are sometimes referred to as the "Father of the ward" because they look over and care for the congregation. Bishops continue to have their regular career and family duties in addition to their responsibilities as a Bishop. A Bishop normally serves for several years (usually about 5 years) and then a new Bishop is called as his replacement. Bishops are called by Bishop and their last name (instead of Brother) out of respect for their calling.

Branch: A branch is a congregation with fewer members than a regular ward. Usually branches are found in smaller communities with small populations. Once the congregation's attendance increases to the level of a ward, it is reorganized as a ward. Instead of a Bishop, a branch is presided over by a Branch President (very similar to a Bishop, but specifically for branches).

Brother & Sister: It is a custom to refer to adults as "Brother" or "Sister" in the church. Usually this is followed by the last name (Sister Jones) but you may also occasionally hear this with a first name instead (Sister Jane). Or sometimes you will hear simply "Brother" or "Sister" (say, if you don't know a person's name and you're trying to pass him in the doorway, you might say, "Excuse me, Brother..."). Using the terms Brother and Sister is not a requirement, and in most cases its fine to refer to people by their first name only*. Brother and Sister are used most often during Church meetings and classes, and other more formal occasions (like an interview with the Bishop). This is meant to remind us that we are all brothers and sisters in the gospel. (*exceptions would be men or women who are serving in leadership positions like the Bishop or Relief Society President, etc. Out of respect, we normally refer to these people by their title and last name at church, even if they are personal friends).

Calling: To have a calling means that one member of the Bishopric has asked you personally to take on an assignment or responsibility. The Bishopric prayerfully decides who will serve in each position that needs to be filled. The types of callings are varied, but in general involve teaching, leading, or supporting the ward in other ways. Serving in callings can help us develop skills and talents. All callings are voluntary and come with specific blessings. In general, most members of the ward serve in some type of calling - there is plenty to do! Callings are considered to be sacred opportunities to serve in God's kingdom on earth, help others, and develop our personal talents/skills.

Convert: Someone who was not raised as a church member, but later joined the church. Usually people are considered to be a "new convert" (or "new member") for the first year or so, and may be considered a "fairly recent convert" for several years after their baptism. (Sometimes you may hear people say that every person is a convert because even if you were raised in the church you still have to gain your own testimony and be "converted" at some point)

Covenant: A two-way binding contract between God and a person (or group). Those who keep their part of a covenant with God receive the fulfillment of promised blessings. A covenant is different than most regular contracts or agreements because it is eternal in nature, God always sets the terms of the covenant - we are invited to take part (or we may choose to decline) if we choose.

Deseret Industries (or D.I.): Church-operated non-profit thrift store (the closest one to Longview is in Portland). Most items are resold to the community in the thrift store, some donated items (clothing, etc) may also be used locally or internationally for humanitarian projects. Proceeds from sales go towards helping the needy. From time to time, a Deseret Industries truck is brought up to Longview and parked in one of the church parking lots to accept local donations. (Since many church members donate items to D.I., it is a good place to shop for church clothes, books by LDS authors, LDS-themed toys, etc.)

Elder: This title is used in several ways. Full-time volunteer missionaries (if they're men) are always called by the title Elder (along with their last name) during their entire mission (women missionaries are called by Sister and their last name). For missionaries, this is meant as a reminder (to themselves and others) that they are on a sacred mission at all times during their term of service. Elder is also used as a title for general authorities (unless they are a member of the First Presidency, then they are referred to as President). For example, a member of the quorum of the twelve apostles goes by the title Elder. Elder is also the name for a level of the priesthood (Elder is the priesthood office that most adult men hold, though they aren't called "Elder" as a title because of it). Sounds complicated, but you'll get the hang of it!

Endowment: An essential ordinance that is only performed in the temple. Each adult can be eligible to receive their personal temple endowment after they have been a church member for at least one year. As with other ordinances (like baptism), the endowment involves making covenants to follow God and keep his commandments. In return, we receive special blessings.

Ensign Magazine: (correct pronunciation is En-Sign). A monthly magazine published by the Church containing Church news, events, articles and policy announcements. General Conference talks are printed in the Ensign in the May and November issues each year. Subscriptions to the Ensign are available at a low cost (around $10 a year) because they are sold "at cost" (publishing costs, etc, not for a profit).

Family Home Evening: Church-wide program that promotes family togetherness and gospel teaching by setting aside one night a week (usually Monday) for a special family night at home. Most families have a program that includes a lesson, activity, treats, etc. Everyone is encouraged to participate in the program, no matter what their circumstances. Something as simple as personal scripture study or watching a movie with your spouse can be a "family home evening." Single people and couples with grown children sometimes meet together for potlucks or a group activity.

Fast and Testimony Meeting: A special church meeting held during Sacrament meeting on the first Sunday of each month (known as "Fast Sunday"). Members in the congregation can take the stand and share their positive feelings and gratitude for the gospel truths. Additional time for testimonies may be given at the end of 3rd hour classes. If you want to share (or "bear") your testimony, keep in mind that this is meant to be brief (1-2 minutes). Some members become accustomed to sharing long stories, personal family history, or using the opportunity to express love for ward members, but these things are generally discouraged because they take up time that could be used for testimony by other members. Essentially, a true testimony is brief and focus on stating a personal belief in gospel truths (such as Jesus Christ and the restoration of the Church). On Fast Sunday, most members fast (abstain from food and drink for two meals) and donate money that they would have spent on those meals to help the needy (this is called a "fast offering" and is included on the regular tithing slip).

Fireside: A special meeting, in addition to the usual Sunday meetings, usually held on Sunday evenings (sometimes in a chapel, sometimes in a home). There is usually a special speaker, followed by refreshments. Announcements about firesides will explain who is invited (youth, adults, etc). Sunday clothing is appropriate, regardless of location.

First Presidency: The directing authority for the Church on the earth, on behalf of Jesus Christ; comprised of the Prophet (the President of the Church) and his two Counselors. The prophet and his Counselors are usually referred to by the title "President" and either their full name or just their last name (ie President Monson, or President Thomas S. Monson)

Food Storage: A way of helping your family become self-reliant. This means storing extra food basics (canned food, etc), gardening/ growing food, and emergency preparation supplies. Everyone is encouraged to thoughtfully prepare for the unexpected (natural disasters, unemployment, storms, etc) as well as they are able. Having an emergency kit with supplies for 72-hours and enough of a food supply for at least 2 months is highly encouraged.

General Authorities: A term for any of the senior leaders of the Church, members of the governing bodies of the Church worldwide. These include the First Presidency (the Prophet and his two counselors), the Quorum of the Twelve (Apostles), and the Quorum of the Seventy. They are administrative authorities, called by the Prophet to preach the Gospel and direct Church affairs around the world.

General Conference: A twice-annual conference (April and October) broadcast from Salt Lake City. Members throughout the world watch via satellite, television, video, etc. These meetings are for official instruction, announcements and teachings given by the Prophet, General Authorities and other leaders. These conferences are held on the first full weekend of April and October, with 2 sessions on both Saturday and Sunday (all different talks, no repeats). General Conference replaces all other regular Sunday church meetings. Times and places that the broadcast can be viewed are announced at church.

Gospel: The general name given to the teachings of Jesus Christ. This includes the plan of salvation, the scriptures and teachings of the Church, enabling all to return to our Heavenly Father.

High Priest: One of the ordained offices of the Melchizedek Priesthood, the higher order of the priesthood, with administrative responsibilities in addition to spiritual ones.

Home Teacher: Two Priesthood holders assigned in pairs to specific families in the ward. Each set of Home Teachers are expected to share a monthly message (found in the Ensign Magazine) and generally assist, help strengthen and be-friend their assigned families. All families in the ward should have someone assigned to Home Teach them monthly.

Investigator: An investigator is a non-member who is meeting with the missionaries to learn more about the church.

Latter Days: The time in which we now live; the last period of time leading up to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Less-active/Inactive: A person who isn't regularly attending church or participating in the church programs for a length of time is considered to be "less-active". A person who is completely uninvolved with the church and does not attend church at all is considered "inactive". Sometimes these two terms are used interchangeably. The term "less-active" was suggested several years ago as a less harsh sounding and preferred term, since we don't always know the reason a person stops attending church and being referred to as "inactive" might be considered offensive to people who are not attending because of health reasons, etc. The concern for less-active (on completely inactive) members is based in the idea that active members and leaders should reach out to these members and help them return to full activity and the blessings involved with living the gospel.

Member: A member is a baptized member of the Church, whether they are actively involved with the church or not.

Mission: A period of volunteer service, usually ranging from six to 24 months (depending on the type of mission), when Church members devote themselves part-time or full-time to proselytizing, humanitarian assistance or other service. This is considered sacred service and is completely voluntary. There are many different types of missions available locally, nationwide, and worldwide for young single men/women and for retired single people and couples.

Mormon: Nickname for the church, in reference to the Book of Mormon. We prefer to be called Latter-day Saints (sometimes shortened to LDS), or members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mormon is also the name of ancient prophet, who organized the collection of ancient records contained in the Book of Mormon.

Mormon Standard Time: This is a (joke!) reference to members being consistently late for meetings and activities. Usually used to emphasize a prompt starting time, "12:30pm Sharp - Not Mormon Standard Time!"

Patriarchal Blessing: A special one-time blessing that is given to church members (usually teenage or adult) by a specially called Patriarch, who (through revelation) gives advice and counsel meant to help guide the member throughout the course of their life. This blessing is recorded (tape recorder) and the member is given a typed copy of their blessing to keep. Members who would like to receive their own Patriarchal Blessing should ask their Bishop for an appointment.

Preside: To watch over and be responsible for.

Priesthood: The authority to act in the name of God. Through priesthood responsibilities (such as performing ordinances like the Sacrament and baptism) boys and men learn to give Christ-like service to their families, community, and the church. Ordinances must be performed by one who has the authority to perform them in order for them to be binding the eyes of God. Being a priesthood holder is considered a sacred responsibility, priesthood holders receive no payment. It is only possible to use the priesthood to bless the lives of others. Priesthood holders are held to a high standard of personal integrity and are expected to lead by example. This is an important element in teaching boys and men to be righteous husbands and fathers.

Priesthood, Aaronic: The Aaronic Priesthood functions under the direction of the Melchizedek Priesthood and is of lesser power and authority than the priesthood of Melchizedek.

Priesthood, Melchizedek: Melchizedek Priesthood are the offices of elder, seventy, high priest, patriarch, apostle, and president…this priesthood must be present and functional whenever the kingdom of God is upon the earth in its fullness, since it is an essential part of the Lord's church.

Primary: An organization of the Church set up for children, held during the 2nd and 3rd hours of church. Nursery class is for ages 18 months - 3 years. Other Primary classes are for children ages 3-12.

Quorum: An organized group of Priesthood holders e.g. Aaronic Priesthood, Deacons, Teachers, Priests, Elders, High Priests.

Restoration: The period of time in which the entire Gospel was restored to the earth. This includes the authority to act in the name of Jesus Christ (the Priesthood's), the Book of Mormon and other truths were revealed to Joseph Smith and other witnesses.

Relief Society: The women's organization of the church. Originally organized as a service-organization, the Relief Society program now includes Sunday instruction, activities, education, service, leadership opportunities, visiting teaching, and much more. The Relief Society is made up of every adult woman in the church and is one of the oldest and largest women's organizations in the world, claiming more than 6 million members in over 170 countries.

Sealing: A Temple ordinance, which unites a family (past and present) in an eternal bond. Couples are sealed together forever as a part of the marriage ceremony, and any future children born to the couple following the sealing are considered to be "born under the covenant". Couples who are already married outside of the temple can go to the temple to be sealed together (with their children) as a family in the temple.

Stake: A collection of wards and branches to make up one section of a region. Named a "stake" as a metaphor of each area keeping the LDS Church working as a whole. The wooden pegs (stakes) that hold up a large tent. Each peg/stake that is firmly in the ground keeps the tent held up in place. A Stake President and his counselors preside over this group of wards and branches.

Standard Works: The four volumes of scripture officially accepted by the LDS Church. These are; King James Version of the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.

Talk: A speech given in Sacrament meeting. The Bishopric asks most ward members to speak (or "give a talk") in Sacrament Meeting from time to time. This gives everyone an opportunity to have practice speaking and allows Ward members to hear from a variety of speakers and learn from their unique perspective every week. A gospel topic is always given to the speaker and they have plenty of time to prepare.

Temple: A holy sanctuary built for the purpose of performing sacred ordinances and ceremonies such as marriages for eternity. Temples, of which there are more than 120 throughout the world, are not the same as chapels or meetinghouses that are used for Sunday worship. They are sacred, holy places and anyone who would like to enter the temple is required to meet high standards of personal righteousness and worthiness. Even though there are many temples, they are all usually referred to as "the temple".

Temple Recommend: Anyone who would like to go to the temple needs to have a temple recommend card. To get one, you complete an interview with your Bishop and then a second interview with a member of the Stake Presidency. Each interview involves questions regarding your personal testimony of the gospel, adherence to gospel principles and keeping of baptism covenants, activity in the church, etc. If it is determined that you are eligible to attend the temple, you will be given a signed temple recommend, which shows the temple staff that you are recommended for entrance to the temple. There are several types of recommends- a limited recommend is given for members who would like to do proxy baptisms at the temple (this type requires only one interview with the Bishop). This limited recommend is available for members (teen and adult) any time after their own baptism. A regular (full) temple recommend is for adults who have been members of the church for at least one year, and allows for entrance to the main sections of the temple (and the ordinances that are performed there, such as sealings and endowments).

Temporal: Physical or earthly

Testimony: A personal knowledge or feeling that the gospel teachings of the Church are true

Visiting Teachers: Two Relief Society sisters assigned in pairs to certain sisters in the ward. Each set of Visiting Teachers share a monthly message (found in the Ensign Magazine) and generally assist, help strengthen and be-friend their assigned sisters. All Relief Society sisters should have someone assigned to Visit Teach them monthly.

Young Men: Youth program for boys aged 12 to 18 (Aaronic Priesthood holders). Classes are divided by age; Deacons (ages 12 & 13), Teachers (ages 14 & 15, Priests (ages 16 & 17). The Aaronic Priesthood / Young Men work toward completing their Duty to God Award before progressing to an Elder and holding the Melchizedek Priesthood.

Young Women:Youth program for girls aged 12 to 18. Classes are divided by age; Beehive (ages 12 & 13), Mia Maid (ages 14 &15), Laurel (ages 16 &17). The Young Women work toward completing their Personal Progress Award before leaving to join the adult women in Relief Society at age 18yrs.

Welcome Packet - Updated Again!

2010-05-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

We've had several more convert baptisms in our Ward since I last posted about our "Welcome" packets! I've been thinking about how we, as Ward members, can help investigators make the transition from being taught by the Elders to being active Ward members. Anything we can do to build a relationship prior to baptism is a positive thing. It occurred to me last week that it would probably be more effective to give these "Welcome" packets out ahead of time, instead of waiting until the actual baptism. Besides giving the person/family additional information that will help them learn more about the Church, it also gives me an excuse to make another visit to the family (especially if I haven't been one of the members/Ward missionaries attending the discussions with the Elders).

I've recently updated our "Welcome to the Ward" Packets to include some new information. I remembered to take pictures before handing them out this time, so you can get a better idea of what we're doing:I'm using inexpensive (less than 30 cents each) solid-colored pee-chee-like folders that you can get at any store with a school/office supply aisle. We have two ladies being baptized this week, so I've used purple this time and I was a little more generous with the flowers/hearts than I would be for a folder I'd make specifically for a man, so consider this a "feminine" version! The "Welcome to the Ward" label is a printed on a label sticker (name-tag size) and I've added some embossed paper flowers that I made around the edges (though you could use stickers or a more decorative label).

This is what the packet looks like inside. I include a card with a handwritten personal welcome from the Ward Missionaries. I've flipped it over in the photo above so that the convert's name isn't showing, but you get the idea!

I make the cards, but I'm crafty and have time to do that, a store-bought card would be just as nice! I think a handwritten note is important so it seems personal, since most of the packet is just print-outs.

Another sticker-label, this one I put inside - I also added a punched-out heart for a more personal look."Upcoming Activites" (NEW!): This is something that we've added because its always good to make sure that new members have a good amount of information about activities (so they'll be more likely to attend!). I make sure to include extra information that sometimes isn't included in advertising posters or announcements (like who specifically is invited, whether it is casual or Sunday dress, etc). We've also included a section called "What does it cost?" because I've had several newer members ask me about the cost of attending Ward dinners, etc. lately. I realized that we long-time members just assume that everyone knows that there isn't a charge, but if you're coming from a church where they use activities as fundraisers, thats a big change! (Nobody wants to bring their family to a Spaghetti Feed and be surprised to find out that they're charging $10 a plate!). I explain a little about how each Ward & auxillary has an annual budget and that is where the funding for activities comes from. I also explain that there may be rare instances where there is an optional cost (such as craft classes with a cost for supplies at a Super-Saturday type activity), but that an optional cost like that is always advertised ahead of time. (Text of the "What will it cost" section will be included in the "Welcome Packet" section at right)

"Tips for Feeling At Home in Any Ward" (see text posted in the "Welcome Packet" section at right)
"LDS Lingo- A Glossary of Terms Frequently Used by Church Members" (text will be posted in the "Welcome Packet" section at the right)
"New Member Discussions/Home and Visiting Teaching" (NEW!): This was created in response
to some misunderstandings that some of our recent converts have had during the past year-

#1- We normally like to start the New Member Discussions fairly soon after baptism, but we had one family tell us that they didn't "need" the NMDs because they were still being visited by the
Elders occaisionally, and if they had any questions they would ask their member friend. I was shocked that they felt that the New Member Discussions were optional. I made sure that we personally visited them and all of the other new members ASAP after that, and let them know that the NMDs were part of their learning experience as new converts and that the Bishop wanted to make sure that they received all of the NMDs during the first year as part of their preparation to prepare to attend the temple. That cleared up the misunderstanding nicely, but now I know that it is something that we need to mention to all new members. In addition to having a Ward missionary personally contact the new member and explain the NMDs to them, I also explain in this sheet what Ward Missionaries are, what the NMDs are, and that one of us will be contacting them to schedule NMDs once a month or so (beginning after their baptism), so that it (hopefully!) won't come as a surprise!

#2- We had one new convert very confused about the difference between being a Ward Missionary and being a Visiting/Home Teacher. I had already explained it to her, but I think the terms we use are easily confused (I've heard many new converts refer to either Home Teachers or Visiting Teachers as "Home-Visiting Teachers" as if they were the same program) . This was probably made worse by the fact that I showed up for her first NMD with her Visiting Teachers. Not long after that, she was asked to be a Visiting Teacher herself and she paniced, mistakingly thinking that she would have to teach NMD's. I figured that it couldn't hurt to include a written explanation of what exactly Visiting Teaching and Home Teaching are, who will be contacting them for visits (a set of Home Teachers for each family and a set of Visiting Teachers for each adult woman), what those visits will be like, etc. (Text of this New Member Discussion/Home & Visiting Teaching document will be included in the "Welcome Packet" section at right)
Some of the handouts/pamphlets/documents that I include (all ordered free of charge from Church Distribution): Church magazine subscription info, Family Guidebook, Pure Religion (info about humanitarian aid), Family Proclamation, The Living Christ, Relief Society Declaration, etc...

NOT SHOWN: Current Ward directory (printed from the Ward Website) with attached instructions for registering for the Ward Website (text for instructions will be included in the "Welcome Packet" section at right)

NOT SHOWN: List of frequently used phone numbers (Ward and Stake leaders, the Temple, Deseret Industries, etc) and websites (www.lds.org, providentliving.org, familysearch.org)

NOT SHOWN: A copy of our most recent "New Member Newsletter" (there will be a separate post about our New Member Newsletter, coming soon!). I make sure that everybody gets a copy of the most recent newsletter as soon as there is a baptism date set, but I figure it doesn't hurt to include an extra copy...

ALSO NOT SHOWN: For families with young children, I try to include something fun, like coloring pages that I've printed out from the Primary section of the Church website and Articles of Faith cards with a picture of Jesus (these cards are available to purchase at a small cost from Church Distribution).

So, overall, the cost to us as Ward Missionaries is minimal - the folder, the cost of the ink/paper used in printing the documents, the cost of the labels, a card, etc. Decorations like stickers, etc are optional, of course. I think the opportunity to visit each new convert and provide them with information that they can read through in their free time is very valuable!

For more information on our "Welcome to the Ward" Packets for new converts and what is included, see the topic section labeled "WELCOME PACKET" on the right side of this page, above the picture of people shaking hands.

Invitation Sunday Pass-Along Cards

2009-09-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

Our Ward Mission Leader and the full-time missionaries asked me to help prepare 200 invitations to pass out this Sunday, in preparation for our "Invitation Sunday" next week.

Their idea is to print information on a larger sized (1" x 2 5/8") address label, then stick it to the blank area on the back of pass-along cards. The missionaries brought over 200 pass-along cards last night and I picked up a pack of 300 white stick-on address labels for about $4.50 at Walmart.

I printed this text on each label:

Please join us for Church services this
Sunday, featuring a special presentation
about the importance of families
Sunday, September 27th, 1:00pm
(I also included the address of our chapel here)

They turned out really nice. We're going to be handing them out after Sacrament meeting and in auxillaries this Sunday.

I think its helpful to have something to give when you're inviting someone...it really makes it seem less awkward...

If you fail to plan...

2009-09-09T11:10:00.000-07:00

"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail"

That was a motto that the AP's and Zone leaders used a lot during my mission. It got a little redundant after a while, but the concept is very true and I still think of it often.

This is the first in a series of posts that will be adapted from an article called, "Planning to Belong" by Tana Johnson, Ensign, October 1994. This article is geared toward members who have moved to a new ward, but I think a lot of the same principles can apply to member missionary work.

This first idea relates to getting out there and meeting new people in the neighborhood, community, workplace, school/classes, etc.

Idea #1- Planning in advance to meet people and setting goals
Do "some advance preparation. Before (introducing yourself to)...neighbors, co-workers, (etc), think of two or three questions to ask or several topics of general interest to discuss. Have a short, interesting self-introduction in mind so that...you can give more than just your name. Advance preparation helps us overcome stage fright by making us feel more confident and at ease—and this helps others feel the same way.

Set some specific goals, such as introducing yourself to two or three new people a week or sitting in the (front row) rather than on the back row. (Family) home evening could be devoted to learning ways to get acquainted. Role playing specific situations helps both children and parents overcome their fears of meeting new people"

Garage sale - meet your neighbors!

2009-09-04T13:14:00.000-07:00

If you're like me, you don't really know your neighbors. I haven't ever been lucky enough to live in a neighborhood where there is a lot of spirit of community....people seem to keep to themselves and like it that way.

We usually have one or two garage sales in the summer (thanks to 2 kids who outgrow their clothes & shoes like crazy, so we always seem to have things around that we don't need/want anymore).

Last time we had a sale, the neighbor across the street came over and mentioned that he has some things to sell, also, so please let him know ahead of time, the next time we're going to have a sale, and he'll have one, too. I was kind of embarrassed that we hadn't thought to mention it to him on our own.

Anyhow, just a thought...if you're looking for an excuse to go over and talk to a neighbor, you might consider letting them know when you're planning on having a garage sale. You could even make little fliers and pass them out in your neighborhood!

New member packet: Tips for feeling at home in any ward

2009-08-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

The following is the text from a page titled "Tips for feeling at home in any Ward", included in our "Welcome to the Ward" packet for new converts. Feel free to use the text in your own "Welcome Packet":

"Most people don't particularly like being the "new kid" at school, work, or Church... it often takes time to start to really feel comfortable in a new situation. Whether you are a brand new member of the Church, or just new to your Ward, it can take a while to get to know people and feel like you "fit in." When you start getting to know people and become more comfortable, your Ward will really feel like a "Ward family." There are some things you can do to help make the transition quicker & easier! Here are 8 ideas to help you feel at home in no time!

#1- Introduce yourself: any people will notice a new face right away, but some may not. Other members may also be new, may have been out of town, etc, and simply may not realize that you are new. Introduce yourself! A simple, "I don't think we've met, my name is _____, I was baptized last week" is very easy!

#2- Volunteer: There is never a shortage of sign-ups, asking for volunteers to help clean up after an activity, bring a salad to a dinner, help someone move, substitute teach a children's class, etc. The more you participate, the more you'll start to feel a part of the Ward. You don't need to wait for an official invitation, either! Look around for opportunities to help someone out (open a door, pick up a baby's dropped toy, etc)

#3- Go to Activities: Church activities are a fun way to get to know people in a casual environment!

#4- Callings: Generally, every member receives a calling (service assignment). If you don't have one yet, you might consider mentioning to the Bishop that you're anxious to serve!

#5- Encouraging Visiting Teaching/Home Teaching: If you haven't received a home teaching visit or a visiting teaching visit in your home, consider asking the Elders Quorum Presidency if you have Home Teachers assigned to you yet (or the Relief Society President re: Visiting Teachers). Everyone gets busy from time to time, and some people are just shy, but you may be able to provide encouragement to your Home Teachers/Visiting Teachers if you would like them to visit. Introduce yourself to your Home Teacher(s)/Visiting Teacher(s) and say something like, "Hi, I just found out you're our new Home Teacher(s) and we're excited to have you visit us!"

#6- Serving as a Visiting Teacher/Home Teacher: Let the Relief Society President know that you're willing to serve as a Visiting Teacher (women) or the Elders Quorum President that you're willing to serve as a Home Teacher (men). Visiting Teaching and Home Teaching are programs that are meant to help us serve each other and develop friendships. Don't miss out on this opportunity to get to know some other families in the Ward!

#7- Watch for new(er) members: Its not unusual to have new people at Church (new move-ins, investigators, etc) every week. Find someone who is even newer than you and try to make them feel welcome by introducing yourself! You'll be helping someone else feel more comfortable and meeting someone new in the process!

#8- Moving?: If you know you're going to be moving into a new Ward, you can look up which Ward you'll be in by entering the street address onto the meetinghouse locator at www.lds.org. Meeting times and church locations/directions, and phone numbers are usually provided. You can also check with your Ward Clerk (usually in the office next to the Bishop's office after church), who can give you the same information. If possible, contact the Bishop or Relief Society President ahead of time, to let them know you're coming. If you know your new address, have the Ward Clerk begin the process of transferring your membership records to your new Ward ASAP (since the process can take several weeks)"

For more information on our "Welcome to the Ward" packet and what is included, look for the "Welcome Packet" topic at the right side of the page (listed under the picture of the shaking hands)

On the lookout

2009-08-28T06:41:00.000-07:00

We're always asking the full-time missionaries what we can do to help them. They almost always say, "Just be on the lookout for new people and say hello to them." We normally do this anyhow, but the fact that they always suggest the same thing makes me think that there is still room for improvement in this department.

Personally, I get a little busy with the kids (especially during Sacrament meeting, when I usually end up out in the hall), so I'm sure I don't do everything possible to make visitors feel welcome. I know that there are some Ward members who are already pretty good at being "on the lookout," but what if we all did just 25% better? How much more welcome would visitors/investigators feel?

Having personally experienced being new in a Ward many times, I'm fully aware of how awkward it can feel. And I'm a member, so a least I know the routine - must be much more foreign and intimidating for a newcomer. I try to remember back all those years ago to when I first attended church. I don't think I felt that awkward, because I was there with a friend and her family, but I do remember how friendly everyone was!

Garden gifts

2009-08-28T06:32:00.000-07:00

Just a suggestion for those who have vegetable gardens (you do have a garden, right? LOL):

Sharing a bumper crop of tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, etc is a great way to serve your neighbors! When I run down my mental list of people who I can pawn yellow squash onto, I think of my friends and family first, even though they may live across town. Surely there must be people in the neighborhood who would appreciate some extra green peppers! An especially good thing about sharing homegrown produce is that it doesn't require a reciprocal gift or a thank you card (its not like you're taking them something expensive/fancy so they'll feel like they have to get you something, too). Its just sharing.

If you don't garden, or if you haven't produced anything worthy of sharing this year, you might find opportunities to share in other ways (like when your aunt gives you 17 giant squash, or you pick 3 buckets of blackberries behind the elementary school)

What to expect at church (Youtube video)

2009-08-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

This is a short (3 minute) cartoon video that explains what to expect when you attend LDS Church services. It's very well done*. I can't imagine a lot of situations when it would best say to your friends, "Well, I could tell you what to expect at church, but here is a video to watch instead!," since you could easily explain all of this yourself, but its a good reminder of what kinds of things non-members might be unsure about. This may give you an idea how you can explain things to help them to feel more comfortable. (Or if appropriate for the situation, you could share the video itself! Maybe post it on your blog or something, so friends can click on it if they're curious but don't want to come out and ask you)

I don't know who made the video, I found it posted on a blog called "A View from the Font"

*My only correction to the content of the video is that the name of the visitor/investigator/new-member Sunday School class is "Gospel Essentials" (the regular Sunday School class for adults is "Gospel Doctrine" - this was mis-stated in the video. Not a huge deal, but the video suggests that you ask where the class is, so probably wouldn't want to have people asking for the wrong class)

Missionary Sunday

2009-08-27T09:45:00.000-07:00

Our Stake is having a "missionary Sunday" in about a month, the theme is "Families can be Together Forever"

This is a special Sunday that is designated especially for inviting friends/relatives to attend church. The talks, etc, will be geared towards beginners, so it will be the perfect opportunity for inviting people to attend.

I'm working on my in-person invitations, but I've also been thinking how to invite our non-responsive home/visiting teaching families (the ones who don't answer the door or return calls). Since its a special presentation, it seems a little less awkward to tell people about it, since it's more likely to come across as "We'd love to have you come to a special presentation" and less likely to come across as "How come you don't ever come to church?"

I put together a little handout that I'm sending out to our non-responsive home/visiting teaching families, and I think I will make copies available for people at church if there isn't something like it already planned. I scanned a copy of the handout I've made (above) to give you can idea of what it looks like, but the address was cut off, so if you decide to make something similar, be sure to include the Church name & address!

Baptism attendance by Ward members

2009-08-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

In the time that we've been serving as Ward Missionaries, we've attended all 3 convert baptisms (along with our children). I've noticed that the same few people attend, and that (aside from relatives) the people who are attending are generally there on assignment. There is always a representative from the Bishopric, Relief Society, Stake Presidency, etc., which is great (don't get me wrong!), but I'm sort of sad that more members don't come to support the new converts.

We've been trying to brainstorm some ideas for increasing member attendance at convert baptisms. The baptisms are already announced in Sacrament meeting, Relief Society, and Elders Quorum. I also send out reminder emails (to everyone whose email I have) in the ward. So I don't really think that its that the Ward members don't know about the baptisms. I've also mentioned this in ward mission correlation (that a member of the EQ and RS presidencies attend), but didn't have a real idea - of course, I recognize that sometimes people are just busy with other things. I just think its a missed opportunity for members to show support and friendship a new member AND a spiritual experience that would be beneficial for everyone in the family.

The only thing we've come up with so far is trying to encourage the full-time missionaries to include more members in the baptismal program. I've also considered making simple invitations to put on the RS display table the Sunday before a baptism (baptisms here are always on Saturday). Any suggestions?

Home / Visiting Teaching Newsletter

2009-08-26T14:06:00.000-07:00

My husband and I both have several families on our routes that don't allow visits (and/or just don't ever return calls or answer the door). I send my visiting teaching sisters (who don't want visits) a simple little newsletter that I make up every month with a message, upcoming activities, etc. I feel like a photocopy of the lesson from the Ensign isn't enough. I want them to feel included and know that I genuinely care.

Trying to be helpful, I offered to print out the monthly First Presidency lesson and mail it to the people on my husband's route who don't have visits. I didn't have any way to know whether or not the recipients would read them or throw them in the trash, but I started thinking- what if they do read them? What else would we say to them if we could? What might I include that could spark interest, so that they might actually read subsequent letters? So, patterning after my visiting teaching newsletter, I started making a home teaching newsletter. John and I discuss what to put in it (always including an appropriate portion of the home teaching message as part of the newsletter, instead of just printing off the whole thing) and I do the leg-work.

My number one rule is to always be positive. I try not to include anything unnecessarily condemning-sounding (no out-right calls to repentance, or anything like that). I try to be sensitive, thinking about how a long-time less-active/inactive member or a non-member spouse might react to what I have sent. I don't want to water-down doctrine, but at the same time, outright offending someone by mail isn't going to benefit anyone. I also try to include things that might be interesting to the particular person/family. Since there are different family/individual circumstances and ages in the different families that we serve, there are sometimes several different versions of the newsletter every month. For example, for an older couple I might include information about genealogy, but for a young family I might include information about an upcoming Primary activity.

This month's newsletter included a portion of the First Presidency message from the Ensign, a summary of an article (found on providentliving.org) about improving family finances, list of upcoming ward/stake activities, information about church (meeting times, location, etc), and information about using the family history library (hours, location, general info, mentioned that its free, etc) and using online resources for family history. I try to have a balance of spiritual message and other items that might be helpful to any person/family.

There is also always a note at the end from my husband, which always says something to the effect that he is their home teacher (in case they're wondering why they're getting this newsletter all of a sudden) and that he looks forward to getting to know them, etc. and also includes his phone number.

Trial of Faith

2009-08-26T12:01:00.001-07:00

This is more of a personal note, instead of an idea or suggestion. We had the full-time missionaries over for dinner a few days ago, and before we left they said something about being thankful for all we do. I told them that we feel like we should be doing so much more, but I've been frustrated with recent circumstances, which we then discussed. I feel like there is so much more we can do, but our efforts have all been thwarted and I had run out of ideas of what to do next.

One of the Elders said that it sounded like a trial of faith, kindly reminding me that we are often tested and then the blessings come after the trial of our faith.

That night, only a few hours after they left our home, I began to see the proof that he was right. Several extraordinary experiences happened that evening, and multiple opportunities presented themselves, leading to a chain of events over the next few days that resulted in opportunities beyond what I'd even hoped for.

Welcome wagon update

2009-08-26T10:35:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, I wanted to come up with a "welcome to the ward" packet specifically for new converts, as sort of a "welcome" gift from the ward missionaries and I've finally gotten around to doing it. We had a convert baptism last Saturday, so I was able to give away my first packet.

I got folders at Walmart for 15 cents. Inside, I included the following:

A personalized welcome note
Current ward list (printed from the ward website)
Frequently called numbers (created on a word document - Bishop, RS Pres, Temple, Cannery, etc)
"LDS Lingo" frequently used terms & definitions (created on a word document)*
"Common LDS Acronyms" bookmark (that I created on a word document)*
"Tips for feeling at home in any ward" (created on a word document)*
"The Articles of Faith"(available from church distribution)
"The Family- A Proclamation to the World"(available from church distribution)
"The Family Guidebook"(available from church distribution)
"Magazine Subscription pamphlet" (for Ensign, etc)(available from church distribution)
"Pure Religion pamphlet"(available from church distribution)
"Prepare Every Needful Thing" (food storage)(available from church distribution)
"Preparing to Enter the Holy Temple booklet" (available from church distribution)
"How Do I Start My Family History?" (available from church distribution)
(I will also normally include a copy of the YW Motto for women, since we recite the motto with the YW every week in Relief Society in our Ward, but this particular Sister already had a copy)
(You might want to include Gospel Essential manual and Relief Society/Elders Quorum manuals, if needed. In our Ward, investigators receive these items when they attend class)

All of the items that are listed as being from church distribution were ordered online and were free of charge (also free shipping). I personally ordered what I considered to be a conservative amount (10-20 of each item) for our purposes over the next year, since I don't want to run the risk that they might be wasted. Even though they are provided to members for free, they do come at a cost to the church (for printing, materials, shipping, etc), so being prudent with orders is very appropriate.

All of the *items above will be made available on this blog in the near future for use by other Ward Missionaries (or any leaders who want to do something similar in their ward).

If you have any suggestions for other items that could be included, please let me know. I've asked some of my new member & recently returned (formerly less-active) friends and they suggested some great ideas. One of them was a list of YW in the ward who are potential babysitters. We haven't had any converts with children yet, but I think I will contact the YW Presidency and see if we can put something together for when we do!

Casually "putting yourself out there"

2009-08-10T21:34:00.000-07:00

I believe that sharing the gospel should be natural. As natural as talking about your kids and as normal as recommending a good movie. I think the fear of coming across as pushy zealot is what prevents many members from saying anything to their friends. Nobody wants to be a target, and if you've ever been on the wrong end of a pyramid scheme pitch you know how uncomfortable it can be to try to get out of that kind of situation. We don't want to be the ones putting our friends and family in an awkward situation. Will they think of us differently afterward? Will we be able to look them in the eye again if they aren't interested? The very thought is unpleasant. How can we bring up the gospel in a natural way?

If the gospel is part of your everyday life, you will naturally talk about it. We have a relative who has repeatedly complained to other relatives that we "talk about church stuff too much". Knowing this, we have tried not to mention anything even remotely related to doctrine or beliefs in front of this person, since it seems to make him uncomfortable and we go out of our way to respect that. Even so, its almost impossible not to say things like, "Oh, thats our friend Pete, from church" or "We're going camping with our Ward this weekend". To our shock, the complaints continued, even after we were making a conscious effort not to say anything our beliefs. We stopped feeling guilty about it when we realized that completely cutting out all references to the church would be pretty much impossible and an unrealistic thing to expect. We wouldn't ask this relative to stop talking about sports or his job, because those things are part of his life. Pretending that we don't go to church, have friends at church, and attend church activities is ridiculous. The church is part of our lives, a big part. So, while we're still careful not to discuss doctrine in front of this person, out of courtesy, we're not ashamed to talk about our lives and the church that is such a big part of it. Thats just who we are.

I think its possible to put yourself out there without being obnoxious. Here are a few absolutely painless, casual ways to make yourself available for questions (and maybe even put yourself in a position to talk about gospel topics in a non-threatening way, if appropriate). Anyone can do these things, and none of these ideas will make you come across as a pushy fanatic!:

When you send Christmas cards and/or family newsletters, include an appropriate quote from a General Authority or a scripture)
Put a picture of the temple up in your home
Keep a copy of the Book of Mormon somewhere where friends can see it
Read the Book of Mormon in public places (on lunch break, on the bus, at the doctor's office)
Include the Church's website addresses (www.mormon.org or www.lds.org) on your facebook page or as part of your email signature (put something like, "Interested in learning about what Mormons believe?," then list the address or a link)
Wear your CTR ring or other church-themed items/clothing (BYU t-shirt, YW necklace, etc)
When someone asks what you did last weekend, mention that you went to church!
Give applicable Book of Mormon names to pets and animals (often starts a gospel conversation - people want to know where you came up with a name like Abish or The Brother of Jared!)

"I excuse not myself"

2009-07-12T22:15:00.000-07:00

Today for Gospel Essentials class I taught a lesson about the Word of Wisdom. We had a handful of new members, a few returning less-active members, a new investigator and her less-active husband (at church for the first time). This was the first time I've had any new investigators in the class since I started teaching, several months ago.

Many of the lessons are pretty innocuous (topics like "honesty", or "prayer" that aren't likely to upset anyone - the sort of thing you might learn about at any Christian church). Then there are the lessons that are about things particular to our church (temples, pre-mortal life, etc) that would be different concepts for investigators, but still nothing to get upset about. And then, there are the touchy subjects: Tithing, Chastity, and the Word of Wisdom.

These are the same topics that can be nerve-racking to bring up to some people when you are a missionary. Knowing that you're about to explain the law of chastity to an unmarried couple that lives together, or the word of wisdom to a heavy smoker, isn't an easy task. You don't know how they're going to take it. This can be even more awkward when a brand new investigator comes to church and is presented with important ideas that you haven't had a chance to teach them about yet.

It also reminded me of the my full-time missionary days, when I'd worry about what investigators would think about the lessons/talks at church (and hope that the members didn't say anything crazy or too "deep"). I try to consider that when I teach a lesson.

To keep myself from worrying and over-analyzing, I remind myself of two things:

#1- The first time I went to church, as an 18 year old, I went to a Young Women's class with my slightly younger member friend (we were the only two in the class that day) and was presented with a lesson on temple marriage. The poor sister teaching must have been mortified (as I'm sure my friend was) to have me there for that particular lesson when I hadn't even had the first missionary discussion. I remember feeling slightly suspicious about the whole concept of the temple, since it seemed to me that it wasn't fair that only certain people could have access to the possibility of eternal marriage (of course, later I learned that everyone will eventually have that option, whether during this life or after). However, I never could deny that it was true, even if I objected to the idea (or I thought I did, anyhow). We can't recognize the truth unless we hear it, so we can't be afraid to say it, even if we are nervous about how someone will react. Could that teacher have guessed that over the next several years I would be baptized, serve a mission, and marry in the temple?

#2- The Lord said, "What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same" (D&C 1:38). This scripture always reminds me that the Lord is the one who gives us the commandments, not man. He doesn't change his requirements because he's worried about someone getting offended or upset. He tells it like it is, and we have to, also. We can be sensitive to the feelings of others and do our best to present our message in a way that is easy to understand, but we can't water things down to fit the ways of the world. The honest in heart will hear the gospel message and accept it, whether it goes along with their current lifestyle, or not. "What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself" is a mantra that I say in my head when I start to get nervous, and that helps me. Its not my gospel, it is Christ's gospel.