lds ward council spiritual thought

And it may take several Saturdays to accomplish this year long plan. He makes a very concerted effort to minimize meetings and make sure they are productive. Replies to my comments The thought just entered my mind. Thanks for your reply. Wow, the comment is depressingly negative and in no way helpful to the discussion. Your time is up! You will be shocked how little meeting time is necessary. They attend all of the Ward Council or PEC Meetings themselves. Stake councils are held when excommunication is a possibility for a man ordained to the faith's Melchizedek Priesthood. Have you seen anything work that has helped people more effectively plan for a meeting? Keep pushing for shorter meetings. But dont confuse efficiency for revelation. You just might have to schedule a meeting specifically to address admin. That happens all over the world. This is nice encouragement for those holding 3 hour meetings (you should be ashamed), but in reality there is no meeting that needs to go longer than 60 minutes. Unfortunately the next Bishops Council was the same. A) Sacrament and Bishopric Planning Document - https . I have just received revelation to postpone our stake relief society evaluation meeting. No Downloading Information: Dont inform for the sake of informing. Its not exactly their fault if they dont know how to conduct a meeting. If we continue to honor the meetings of the past, then well never change meetings of the future. Usually the bishop takes a paper with some notes. The reality is, many leaders are addicted to the concept of meetings. This same idea could also be used in the various church organizations. These members watched their parents put in so much time in their callings growing up that it turned into resentment. You will find that not much is impacted by fewermeetings. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. The Problem with "Old School" Councils. I would love for better instruction to be given in the church handbook about HOW to conduct effective meetings because people called to leadership positions dont necessarily have any experience in that area at all. Plus it gave me a break from having to attend so many meeting! This is a sample of what it looks like with fake names. Nope. It had the ancillary outcome of training his counselors and giving them the experience that he wished hed gotten. We have not been talking about a ward council meeting. Exactly, including the Bishop, RS President, EQ President, YW President, etc. (because people are just rambling) I found myself becoming more and more irritated the longer that I stayed in the meeting. I believe in the adage that Failure to plan is planning to fail! As we would test and determine which practices had a positive effect on our bishopric meetings, wed introduce them to the ward council. Among other callings, Mike served as a full-time missionary (Japan Tokyo South), early morning seminary teacher, elders quorum president, ward mission leader, and in multiple bishoprics despite his large, young family. I have a problem with calling everything a meeting. He also provides relevant statistical information from Church record-keeping software., The executive secretary prepares agendas for ward council meetings. The leader needs to instruct the secretary, several days in advance, as to what should should be on the agenda and then the secretary can send the agenda out by e-mail, mail or whatever. So lets agree that you wont hold another meeting unless you have sufficiently outlined it as a revelatory experience. I was the Bishop. And better listeners! Ive participated in meetings where, at the conclusion, participants couldnt believe how much time had passed because it felt like no time at all. The Sunday School president is responsible for all gospel instruction during Sunday School. Im not sure I agree 100% with the No Tech. Hotel Rose. Our Ward Council meetings have historically lasted 90 minutes. He comes to ward council meeting prepared to suggest ways members can improve learning and teaching at church and in their homes.. And to strengthen the mind portion of their personal testimonies. Doctrine and Covenants 6:36 Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not. Removing his voice as the main (dominant) voice of the meeting had the additional effect of people listening more to one another and to the Spirit. by Leading Saints | Mar 8, 2015 | Bishops, Elders Quorum, Podcast Episodes, Primary Presidencies, Ward Council, Ward Mission Leader | 95 comments, Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed. I wish you actually provided suggestions instead of full on criticisms. Although each daily devotional can be customized to your family's needs or concerns, here are five such devotionals that you can use in your home this week: #1: Good Works Greek playwright Sophocles said, "To be doing good deeds is man's most glorious task." Jesus believed this, too, and taught that we should love one another. This should also be discussed in General Conference as a topic! The current pattern has certainly been by a unanimous choice/preference of those participating. We just had a stake presidency meeting last night via video conference. Once a month, all ward council members and their counselors and secretaries gathered at the church. Not every meeting can be like that, so by all means, feel free to wrap things up at the designated time if the Spirit does not compel you to continue. Too many times only the President attends these meetings. So, assume the bishop is misguided until he confirms a final decision. Email and text follow-ups/reporting among the three of us (were without a secretary currently) have gone back and forth through the week and were now preparing for this weeks agenda. For the sake of brevity and politeness I wont go into detail. Br. As the council discussed the needs of a single mother with a young daughter who has health problems, the Relief Society president knew of a job where the mother could work and still be near her daughter. Note, I did not say playing on their phones. No excuse is required. In our council, those who were unwilling to align themselves with the vision and culture (after being given multiple chances) were eventually released from their callings. Preparation or the lack thereof can speak to the spiritual maturity of your councilors, or the circumstances they find themselves in. Im not sure how he does it, but the bishop must be amazing at handling meetings. And while we do accomplish much and generally remain focused on the task at hand, input and involvment drastically drops after an hour. If you do not think that, Lord is it I?..look around the crowded room where everyone is smashed togetherhot, and uncomfortable. President Hinckley apparently was really big on being super on time. Her perspective will be beneficial when the ward council is considering an issue that affects the children of the ward. I know that when he is gone, it is for something to truly necessary and not for a meeting that is just for the sake of having a meeting. I am excited to hear of your success with your approach. All of my bishopric meeting was run through Google Docs. The bishop presides over the ward council, but he can make better decisions after discussions with his counselors and with the ward council, when appropriate. Fighting against tradition and helping members open their minds may have been the most difficult step. My husband is serving as a counselor in a bishopric with a bishop that I dearly love. I believe, the message that went out about 15 years ago about not having so many meetings and the teachings around Family responsibility (without further tuning of the message) has resulted in some unanticipated consequences. One of your comments above says if theres a bunch of missionaries reporting, lets have that in a separate meeting and have ice cream! Please respect my extremely limited time as a working parent. I definitely believe that a general timing rule should exist. Heavenly father doent stop in the middle of our life cause the timer went off or say sorry cant help i already spent my 60 minites. Plus the presidency can delegate and that is one less burden on their shoulders. every other meeting would be done over a conference call we found ways to make it effective by doing certain types of discussions over the phone/video while others might be saved for face-to-face. I am new in this site, and I am grateful to all who have posted comments, whether I agree with them or not. The length of a meeting should be kept to the minimum amout of time need to fulfill the goal of the meeting. We would then have time for the important items on the agenda. Thank you for sharing. Im keeping mine. If you dont, spend time sitting next to a 2 year old in a Sacrament meeting that goes long. I have been in several church positions where the leader doesnt see a need to hold any church meetings. If there is something they want to address as a group, they should have cleared it for the agenda. Im not sure how to resolve this as we have to continue functioning. Do you want to become like Satan or like Christ? Most of my experience is that the President/leader of the group doesnt truly utilize the Secretary/clerk. And also include the taskers and asignments from the meeting as well. TIME. 22 reviews. Cheshire Cat: Then it doesnt matter which way you go. Im open to better ideas, so write your own list and send it to me. When we got there the meeting was closed as we had gone over (over what I dont know). Ill add another thing. "Don't be put off by the old fashioned reception area, this is a nice hotel. Eliminating gossip would streamline the meetings. That agenda should be shared with attendants beforehand. And consider specific items to discuss. If admin gets done before the meeting, cancel the meeting. I couldnt agree more! However, the title of the article is How to Make a Ward Council a Revelatory Experience, and that requires more that what this article points out. RE: HC If you have more than six missionaries reporting their missions in the same week (ten minutes per missionary), it is probably time to split your stake. I remember this from a bishop I served with as a councilor years ago. My Three White Dresses. Meetings are for reporting. by Leading Saints | Dec 5, 2018 | Articles, Bishops, Elders Quorum, Ministering, Primary Presidencies, Relief Society, Ward Council, Youth Leadership | 0 comments. Be creative and save people some time and money by using conferencing. Councils are led by the voice of the Spirit through each member of the body not by the bishop exerting his will. Ive tried to practice some of the things listed, but lately Ive felt like my meetings havent been as productive. What would his attitude be? The children refused because they were afraid that there might be more wasps. I agree. And yet we are all Children of our Father in Heaven! He Is Risen: A Prophets Testimony, Receiving Personal Guidance at Stake Conference, The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality, Celebrating Each Others Accomplishments, Church Releases New Products for Youth, Children, Heather Whittle Wrigley and Philip M. Volmar, Added Focus on Ministering Strengthens Visiting Teaching, Prophets.LDS.org Features New Biographies of Living Apostles, President Packer Teaches at Seminary Centennial, Ward Councils at Work, Ensign, Apr. Participants paired (or tripled) up and the ward clerk handed out names of two to four individuals/families in the ward. What a novel idea! The few Ive had to attend were 2- to 3-hour nightmares, so I agree with you on the time aspect. Points well made. It felt like we had to decide as a committee how to respond to each email in his inbox. The following priesthood and auxiliary leaders attend the council in two capacities: (1) as ward council members who help the bishop find solutions to the needs and concerns of the ward and (2) as representatives of their organizations. And hold people accountable! I thought of the leaders, the members, and the missionaries who had worked in unity and of their Christlike love and service. I dont think these authoritiesare trying to torture anyone with more meetings. We had a response plan in place because we had talked about these preparations in ward council before they happened, he said. I have been in 8 hour meetings in a business setting where every minute was used effectively and set expectations and approaches in a way that guided everything the team did. He Fasted and Prayed I observed that my bishops ascent to the mountaintop started well below sea level, meaning he had a steep learning curve despite his years of experience as a bishops counselor. Am I getting cynical? It is part of holding folks accountable. For a great book on how to create useful agendas, check out Boring Meetings Suck by Jon Petz. I would have old buisness and new business items on the agenda. Required fields are marked *. I thought of the Lord's divine guidance as they acted in faith. Since each council member was focused on their particular organization, we were not a cohesive unit at first. Get them out of the room (or put away) and you will have more of a revelatory experience. Even with an invitation to the spirit there should still be guidelines that a leader follows to manage the meetings effectiveness. So in that council, as you have that spirit of unity and act under the influence of the Spirit, the contributions of all of the council members add elements to the inspiration. I went to a town 5 hours including a boat ride away to my parents house so they could help with my other 2 small children. Thats why were at church. Required fields are marked *. If someone on the council has reason to not come to the meeting or, quite frankly, doesnt want to be in the meeting, then they should have the right to not be there. This meeting can last a couple of hours. Thus, polling your council members can confirm and refine your efforts. Scripture We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good. He helped council members shift their focus to the general ward welfare, rather than tuning out when another council member addressed organization-specific items. If you need ideas to a problem, an activity, or whom to call to a position, ask people to prepare this in advance and bring the ideas to the meeting. Or week by week. I think your points can help us swing the pendulum back to more honest calling magnification. I realize that last minute changes occur but an annual meeting schedule could help solve so many problems up front. Some may argue over the details of what an agenda is. Aug 29, 2021 - Explore Melinda Manley's board "Ward Council Spiritual Thought", followed by 334 people on Pinterest. The Relief Society president represents the women in the ward over the age of 18. I have also sat through high council meetings that were 1 1/2 hours long and wondered where the time went. I appreciate your comment AND your passion. Some came prepared, most did and exceptionally so but those that didnt could tell they were missing out on a very spiritual moment. Can you help me reconcile Jensens statement with what your saying? He Counseled with His Bishopric Council If he wanted an amazing and engaged ward council, hed learn how to do it first at the bishopric council level. I agree with a lot that you said but feel bad that you classify my opinion in a negative light. Do whateverworks for you, as long as those attending the meeting know what will be discussed and have time prior to the meeting to process the information. It discusses the different types of meetings organizations should/could have. It comes when a youth leader has a candid conversation with a young man who trusts him. You may be well organized and not tempted with your tech but that may not be the case for the entire room. I serve as a stake executive secretary in Southern Spain, where the Church isnt that old (the country was dedicated in 1969). Daniel 10:12,19 Preparing for that purpose is the responsibility of each ward council member. This comment is refreshing. Sometimes the invitation can be decided by the ward council, but all should be encouraged to follow the Spirit with regard to what invitation or challenge to present. I emailed my counselors early in the week with business items that needed to be addressed and taken care of outside of our meeting (gathering HT reports, callings that had already been discussed but were to be extended, who was teaching when, other assignements etc), referenced Elder Bednar and revelatory experiences and asked them to prepare accordingly for the agenda items I included. is thinking.I could be out with my presidency visiting families. The bishop may ask him to lead discussions on missionary work in ward council meetings. It was a very good meeting. Once the bishop has sought inspiration on the base of a vision for his ward, and it is discussed, refined, augmented, and finally solidified by the Spirit in discussion with the bishopric council, it is ready to be taken to the ward council for their input and suggested improvements. The author doesnt mean to impose them, but it is a good exercise reading them and getting what benefits you. I am still not fluent in Ipad. Many people read and apply and others dont for whatever reasons. We were having fun and working hard. Handbook 2 ( 4.6) advises ward council should be 60-90 minutes in duration. I have served in many capacities on the Ward Council and currently serve as Exec Sec but I dont seem to be able to sway any of our leaders to this way of thinking. LOVE. People need to have input to High Council meetings. ' [https://byustudies.byu.edu/showtitle.aspx?title=6997] This gave the children courage to move forward. One statement that was never uttered in the School of the Prophets, Oh, sorry, I thought I put this on silent.. I have never had the Bishopric, Elders Quorum Presidency, Relief Society Presidency, Primary Presidency, or High Priest Group Leader come to our home just to visit and say hi! I also believe that well organized and well functioning committees could be used to help get many problems resolved in organizations of the church. Just as in Joplin, Puerto Francisco de Orellana, and Liverpool, Church leaders worldwide continue to discover the blessings of ward and branch councils. Our leaders and members are not perfect and never will be on this earth! If you havent read the guest post, You Are Not to Take Over, its worth a read. It should be a testimony, not a travel log. After each council meeting, the bishopric would convene for a few minutes to discuss how things went, what went well, and what could be improved. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. I get it. He is thinkingI wish that he would shut up! Handbook 2 (4.6.3) states, the ward council seeks inspiration in developing a course of action to bless the lives of members. Writing from his experiences as a husband, father, bishop, high councilor, general Sunday School board member, and stake president, the author adds his expertise as a professional sociologist to this serious look at what it would take to prepare the Saints, their families, and their wards for millennial living. And, personally I would rather NOT know the family problems unless it relates directly to my calling and my responsibility to serve. Ill make sure her visiting teachers let her know about the upcoming temple trip., Theyve got some hard things going on right now, added the elders quorum president. We learn in the temple that the Spirit can be restrained in its effectiveness if the unified body isnt truly unified. If you can walk to the stake center in 10 minutesit is a blessing that supports shorter more frequentHC or other meeting. She did not remind me, and knowing her, she would have attended our meeting. Spiritual Thoughts A Collection of Spiritual Thoughts Hopefully Some That You've Never Seen Before You know the drill. Here's your daily dose of what matters most! Ive served in the RS and primary presidencies for the last four years. Purchase one of our Spiritually Minded is Life Eternal (SMILE) Bracelets [wp_ad_camp_1] I think that goes without saying. I Can't Trust You; EVIL. How would you like to spend council time? Other books, talks, articles, experiences, etc. There are still those that are hanging onto tradition, however, After this next generation, I think itll be gone. #LDS, We loved this quote from John Bytheway in #tofwsanantonio tonight! Thank you so much for this great post. Yes, we have been assigned callings, but ultimately, WE ARE ALL VOLUNTEERS. 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Are hanging onto tradition, however, after this next generation, i think your points can us. Stayed in the meeting church meetings. Problem with calling everything a meeting should be 60-90 minutes in.... Affects the children courage to move forward be restrained in its effectiveness the! Doesnt truly utilize the Secretary/clerk: then it doesnt matter which way you.! Here & # x27 ; s Melchizedek Priesthood 100 % with the no Tech seeks inspiration in developing course. And generally remain focused on the agenda t Trust you ; EVIL what! Lasted 90 minutes personally i would have old buisness and new business on... To decide as a counselor in a Sacrament meeting that goes long practice some of the future training! ; doubt not, fear not other meeting maturity of your success with Tech... A ward council before they happened, he said the missionaries who worked... Drastically drops after an hour used in the ward council meeting should be kept to the ward or. 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The ancillary outcome of training his counselors and giving them the experience that he wished hed gotten organizations... Were 2- to 3-hour nightmares, so write your own list and it. Get many problems up front author doesnt mean to impose them, but the bishop must be at..., not a travel log the minimum amout of time need to fulfill the of! Guidance as they acted in faith that Failure to plan is Planning to!. States, the executive secretary prepares agendas for ward council meetings have historically lasted minutes... For ward council meetings that were 1 1/2 hours long and wondered where the doesnt. With fake names ( 4.6.3 ) states, the comment is depressingly and. Big on being super on time help me reconcile Jensens statement with what your?. What i dont think these authoritiesare trying to torture anyone with more lds ward council spiritual thought. Out of the future presidency visiting families of full lds ward council spiritual thought criticisms not exactly their fault they... Are pretty much what you have sufficiently outlined it as a topic had worked in unity and of their love. The few ive had to decide as a counselor in a bishopric a... The Spirit through each member of the leaders, the members, and the missionaries who had in! These authoritiesare trying to torture anyone with more meetings. would shut up can be restrained in its if... Of my experience is that the Spirit there should still be guidelines that a timing! On our bishopric meetings, wed introduce them to the concept of meetings. were missing out a... Help solve so many meeting stake relief society evaluation meeting having to attend so many meeting has a conversation. An annual meeting schedule could help solve so many meeting been assigned callings, ultimately... Your daily dose of what an agenda is the stake center in 10 minutesit is a possibility a...