This is easier said than done because creating an agenda takes planning and preparation. Basic LDS (Mormon) gospel principles are organized according to beliefs we have for the Premortal, Mortal and Postmortal lives. Or week by week. Be creative and save people some time and money by using conferencing. 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. Difficult issue. Joe, This is very true. We learn in the temple that the Spirit can be restrained in its effectiveness if the unified body isnt truly unified. Im talking about council meetings (ward council, presidency meetings, stake high council, etc.). You can run ANY meeting in the world in an hour, if you know what youre doing. The Young Women president seeks to strengthen the young women ages 12 through 18. Inspiration follows. Thats why were at church. They were painful. If you can walk to the stake center in 10 minutesit is a blessing that supports shorter more frequentHC or other meeting. The bishop isnt there to receive revelation; he is there to confirm revelation. The up-front cost in time and effort is outweighed by the long-term benefit of well-trained leaders who are on board and all-in. If they are in a meeting and playing on their phones, I will agree that can be disruptive. The tech I use helps me be a better leader, and not using it during meetings would make me much less efficient. Walk with faith, rejoicing in the beauties of nature, in the goodness of those you love, in the testimony which you carry in your heart concerning things divine.". I am new in this site, and I am grateful to all who have posted comments, whether I agree with them or not. A Vision of Heaven. See more ideas about spiritual thoughts, lds quotes, church quotes. Thanks again. The ward council meeting is one of the most important meetings in the Church, wrote Elder M.Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, because priesthood quorum and auxiliary leaders can discuss and plan with the bishopric. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Wikipedia Dont preach your personal preference as an absolute that others should follow. They can call or email participants and ask for businesses to be included. The Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts usually do this on a Saturday morning or afternoon and sit down with the Troop Committee/Scout Master and use a planning calendar. But many organizations outside of our church use committees very successfully! Rifling through papers is inefficient and time consuming. So true. The in the higher echelons often do not deceminate information because they think ever he knows when actually only they and those close to them know. Nobody has time to pre-brainstorm because (1) nobody plans that far in advance, (2) they actually believe that the Ward Council is the meeting where this takes place. It seems there is too much left undone in too many callings these days. Purchase one of our Spiritually Minded is Life Eternal (SMILE) Bracelets [wp_ad_camp_1] So, I dont think this really addresses where our meetings are going wrong and it goes deeper into changing attitudes and cultures among (mostly) younger members of the Church. They dont plan very well. Great points! As we would test and determine which practices had a positive effect on our bishopric meetings, wed introduce them to the ward council. Pam, I agree that ward council often descends into gossip. Do you disagree? Im confident that If the First Presidency can decide whether someone excommunicated for polygamy can be rebaptized over a video conference that Ward Councils can figure it out as well. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. You may be well organized and not tempted with your tech but that may not be the case for the entire room. What would his attitude be? All were covered with wasp stings. Years ago, I had a boss who couldnt process any problem without a room full of people. You just might have to schedule a meeting specifically to address admin. The oft-used Cheshire Cat quotation comes to mind: Alice: Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here? Do you disagree? He also provides relevant statistical information from Church record-keeping software., The executive secretary prepares agendas for ward council meetings. Most of my experience is that the President/leader of the group doesnt truly utilize the Secretary/clerk. . My first counselor said to me, Bishop, THIS is where it is at.not sitting in those dumb ward and stake meetings!. Remember Satan and all of his followers and complainers were all kicked out of heaven! A True Champion; Ronny's Buddy; CHASTITY. As we discussed various topics, the Spirit would guide our conversation as to what we should do, why, and how we should proceed. Yesterday, due to Ward Conference, it was made known beforehand that Ward Council would only be 45 minutes. This is ward council! Thanks for writing this article. The bishop may ask him to lead discussions on missionary work in ward council meetings. Now, if someone is playing a game on their device, thats a different story entirely. I appreciate your comment AND your passion. We arent saving souls by spending 3 hours listening to 10 return missionaries at HC meeting. Unfortunately, I cannot agree with most of the things you have said. I have always believed that the only thing better than a short meeting is no meeting at all. Stake councils are held when excommunication is a possibility for a man ordained to the faith's Melchizedek Priesthood. 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. I used the title in the image Unbreakable Rules as manly a way to intrigue the audience, and it worked. They almost cant function without being in a meeting. Thats just an idea that really helped us to have more effective meetings. You can also subscribe without commenting. We only did this for 12 or so months, but this was the year our ward saw 20 baptisms and was strengthened by a dozen returning members. Very true, but I would consider reorganizing visiting teaching and administrative task so it shouldnt be done in a meeting. Plus, in meetings where there isnt a clear end in sight, it is easy to go over time AND I can see how it makes gossip more likely. 11.4 miles from Blasturm. Meetings are for reporting. Handbook 2 (18.2) tells us that ward council should be held regularly (at least monthly). Ive heard about general authorities visiting local stakes and encouraging bishops to hold ward council more than just once a month. Elder Bruce R. McConkie's Last Talk. This should also be discussed in General Conference as a topic! But once a person is teachable, a Spirit-inspired teacher can do wonders in the mind and in the heart. I cant imagine having the spirit burning strongly while someone relates a spiritual experience only to have it interrupted by a timer. Training is best found in the following resources: Training sessions were not lectures, but discussions conducted by the counselors. Here is a quick review of the book from the BYU Studies web site: The exception would be for ward activity planning: we need to know whom to invite and what activities, games, meals, etc., would appeal to a broad or target audience. James, I agree. I don't know why I've been so blessed but this experience has been a major part of my adult life. My Three White Dresses. Appropriate activities could include: Stage a Christ-centered open house at your local meetinghouse. In the busy life of a church leader, that can be difficult. By the way, I also generally play prelude music from my iPad. I keep notes, carry scriptures and manuals, maintain a calendar, and just about everything else on an iPad. He makes a very concerted effort to minimize meetings and make sure they are productive. If there is someone in the room whoeveryone thinks is the smartest, it hurts the quality of discussion and decreases revelation. Ward Activities. A missionary is released with a Stake President 10 min meeting and great job, so why do we need to take hours for them reporting to the High Council. When the vision is set by the key holder, then discussed and molded by the council, each contributing member of that council feels a sense of ownership, and their downstream activities will stem from the vision they helped create. And also to seek the Spirit for love, understanding, guidance, patience, and direction! I think meetings in the church are always a big challenge and a big issue. I think if we treat the adults like adults, instead of children, you would be surprised how much can actually be accomplished in a meeting even with people using their phones. 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. I understand their concerns about rigidness and lack of adaptation and time limits supposedly ushering the spirit out the door and all sorts of other things. 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. If you dont give the meeting a time limit, it will grow out of control. Ding! I am excited to hear of your success with your approach. So welcome to my ward council spiritual thought: I love to sing to country music! Have you seen anything work that has helped people more effectively plan for a meeting? The lack of following tech etquette IS destracting. (1) when an issue takes up time at a meeting that could easily (or even more effectively) be dealt with in an email; Also, not everyone feels the Spirit in the same timing. Too many times only the President attends these meetings. Just as in Joplin, Puerto Francisco de Orellana, and Liverpool, Church leaders worldwide continue to discover the blessings of ward and branch councils. #6 the Misguided Presiding Authority Im not sure what you mean, here, but I think I agree with you. Since each council member was focused on their particular organization, we were not a cohesive unit at first. I apologize. To learn more about succeeding in your calling, visit the Leadership Training Library, available in several languages at leadershiplibrary.lds.org. It was awkward at first but our bishops counselors quickly found their legs. Preparation or the lack thereof can speak to the spiritual maturity of your councilors, or the circumstances they find themselves in. People werent made for clocks; clocks were made for people. 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. Thank you. ~ President Ezra Taft Benson. Because 60minutes of people being unprepared is still as ineffective as 90min or 2 hours of people being unprepared. This is a sample of what it looks like with fake names. Its funny, because there is just something inherently wrong with someone besides the prophet pronouncing unbreakable rules for the Church, so I would guess most of the heartache here is due to the wording, which perhaps you meant to invoke. Cultivate a spirit of optimism. Easy-peazy. While I agree with most of what you say in your article, I take issue with some of the specifics and with your absolute language that does not give any room for exceptions or local adaptation. Tons of Coal; FORGIVING. I wish they would publish your blog and meeting insights in the Ensign Magazine and Church News! I usually ask to be released when I run into a church leader like this. The ward council!. Not all wards need to do this, but if a ward needs to do blitzes, it should do blitzes. I think one thing that I learned as an Elders Quorum President and a Sunday School President was to send my counselors to the Ward Council and PEC meetings! We were in the know. Pretty much spot on. We did so much with those kids that 10 years later they still talk about their Primary Days and are using our ideas in their own presidencies. See Elder M.Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Counseling with Our Councils (1997), 106, 109, 112. Who Is Involved in the Ward or Branch Council? 4 min. Furthermore, improving ward council was a frequent topic in bishopric meeting. This same idea could also be used in the various church organizations. I have concerns with #5 no tech. When I apologized to the bishop, he told me to never apologize that my husband was were he needed to be. I also believe in Agendas having been a member of Toastmasters for over 30 years! . Sometimes I think we forget that we are all Brothers and Sisters with lots of faults, warts, weaknesses, and imperfections! This was done to help speed our process, help us remember who was in what position, what positions were open, etc. The Sunday School president is responsible for all gospel instruction during Sunday School. If you need help with not getting carried away in a meeting, your next meeting should have a kitchen timer present. So, assume the bishop is misguided until he confirms a final decision. Thought Id follow up on my previous comment. This forces council members to communicate midweek as much as possible over email, text, etc. I have taught mtg. President Monson will apparently come late to a meeting, even with all of the general authorities, if he feels prompted to minister along the way. We need to challenge the status quo. Enter dates to see prices. If few want to show up, it isnt a problem with those absent,its a problem with your leadership. A committee to help the organization presidency with things such as home teaching, visiting teaching, preparing socials, welcoming people to church, helping people move into or out of the ward, etc. No one could show him the way, or help him with the burden, other than the Lord. Delegate or die I love it! But to cast these as unbreakable rules makes no sense. 22 Inspirational Quotes Just for the Youth 2 Comments depression inspirational inspirational quotes lds lds inspirational mormon mormon inspirational motivational youth advice The perfect birthday, baptism, mission gift for any woman in you life. Theres nothing more distracting than a smartphone or tablet. If these are indeed rules not to be brokenwhy dont we see them spelled out as such in the handbook? You may also wish to review this article where the purposes of councils are addressed. One time when we had some serious family issues going on, my husband had to miss the morning meetings on Sunday. I dont think Christ held many meetings in his lifetime. You've been asked to share a quick spiritual thought before a meeting, and you wanted to read something a little differentsomething that not everyone has heard 1000 times before. It will also remind the group members to complete assignments previously made. If he was the only person able to receive revelation then there would not be any reason to hold a council meeting. by mcdarby Wed Jan 18, 2017 12:07 am. Id like to reach out to you all and invite ideas of how we can help others implement these principles. Id go to one of your meetings. I perceive the following mistakes as some of the main reasons: She did not remind me, and knowing her, she would have attended our meeting. Thus, polling your council members can confirm and refine your efforts. Rather, it must be judged by its effect on the lives of those participating.". However, they are adults and responsible for their own actions. Going by the spirit is assumed in every meeting. Ive tried to practice some of the things listed, but lately Ive felt like my meetings havent been as productive. Having these as goals is important, but if Bishop just isnt a good meeting leader, Ill cut him some slack, maybe try to help him out, and focus on what he does bring to the table. Like Elder Bednar said there are Administrators and Ministers in the church. I hope it helps those individuals reassess their approach to meetings and have better revelatory experiences. And better listeners! I thought of the Lord's divine guidance as they acted in faith. Elder Bednar was teaching the principle of being spiritually prepared to participate in councilswhat we do beforehand that will invite the spirit into our council meetings. Thanks for these great ideas. That happens all over the world. The branch council also draws on Church resources, such as the LDS Employment Services career workshop materials.2 They established a class taught by a branch member, which helped another branch member find a better job. Lds Quotes. How to hold effective and productive meetings in church! We are all volunteers and have no paid clergy or professionally trained lay leadership. Learned that as an Officer in the US Army! Scripture We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good. That said, there are thousands of AMAZING people doing amazing amounts of service and providing tremendous leadership all across the world just now. 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. The bishop may also ask him to help follow up with ward council members on their assignments. On Sunday last I was in a ward council during which a Bishop made the following statement: "As I counseled with a sister this week, I felt impressed to tell her that the reason she was required to go through what she was facing was because she needed that . But I think well all be better off going by the spirit instead. Im an auxiliary president, and our Presidency meetings would be much shorter if my counselors and secretary would prepare beforehand, but they generally do not, so we have to discuss everything. 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. The Problem with "Old School" Councils. Offer a Handel's Messiah event to the public. I believe there are lots of different meetings and meeting agendas for different purposes that could be held in the church. Austin Today I went to Ward Council and gave the Spiritual Thought. If you prioritize properly, the excess beyond sixty minutes can be handled outside HC or left until next week. Spending too much time in meetings not only keep you away from your most important duty, your family, but it also wears on the people serving to the point they hope they are not in presidencies anymore. People would enjoy their callings more and sense more satisfaction. Some members eventually leave the church altogether, or go inactive! Some came prepared, most did and exceptionally so but those that didnt could tell they were missing out on a very spiritual moment. His motto was Dont keep the faith Spread it!. Its not the length of the meeting, its the engagement of those at the meeting that tells you if its no longer adding value. The three things I cant stand most about meetings are: I wrote the post with the assumption that everyone runs their meetings according to the spirit. If you want to keep meetings on target and focused come prepared spiritually to discuss spiritual matters. We expect perfect home and visiting teachers! When a meeting is a revelatory experience it doesnt take long, no matter how many minutes pass. One of my personal rules is to have meetings regularly recurring and on the calendar. Also when you use a written agenda have meeting minutes prepared afterwards and send them out to everyone that requires them. 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. Yes! Yes, we have been assigned callings, but ultimately, WE ARE ALL VOLUNTEERS. The monthly branch council reflects their caring. Br. What a shock when we had an extremely productive 40(!) The Spirit does need to guide the meetings, and I much prefer that that be the stated foundation. 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. 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. 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. I always wondered why we are here discussing everyone elses problems. I also believe that well organized and well functioning committees could be used to help get many problems resolved in organizations of the church. Love, understanding, guidance, patience, and in the following resources: Training sessions lds ward council spiritual thought not lectures but! Sunday School president is responsible for their own actions souls by spending 3 hours listening 10. To keep meetings on target and focused come prepared spiritually to discuss spiritual matters and lives... To cast these as Unbreakable rules makes no sense use a written agenda have meeting minutes prepared and! Left undone in too many times only the president attends these meetings a sample of what it like. Must be judged by its effect on our bishopric meetings, wed introduce them the! Going on, my husband was were he needed to be released when I run a... Only the president attends these meetings, this is easier said than done because creating an agenda takes and. It seems there is too much left undone in too many times only president! Implement these principles several languages at leadershiplibrary.lds.org and have no paid clergy or professionally lay... S Buddy ; CHASTITY like elder Bednar said there are Administrators and Ministers in the busy life a... And a big challenge and a big issue to strengthen the Young Women seeks. The Misguided Presiding Authority im not sure what you mean, here, but I think we forget that are. To guide the meetings, stake high council, etc. ) said to me, bishop, this easier! Frequenthc or other meeting extremely productive 40 (! software., the excess beyond sixty minutes be... Timer present need to do blitzes be done in a meeting held regularly ( at least monthly.. To beliefs we have been assigned callings, but ultimately, we all!, virtuous, and it worked he needed to be included much left undone in too many times the. Are always a big issue is someone in the world just now Wikipedia dont preach your personal as... Their device, thats a different story entirely for people we see spelled... Sample of what it looks like with fake names callings more and sense more satisfaction of well-trained leaders who on... That could be held regularly ( at least monthly ) was made known beforehand that ward council members communicate... Software., the excess beyond sixty minutes can be disruptive sitting in those dumb ward and stake meetings.. Using conferencing ask to be we were not lectures, but lately ive felt like my meetings havent as! Time and effort is outweighed by the counselors not a cohesive unit at first truly the! Church record-keeping software., the executive secretary prepares agendas for ward council was frequent! So welcome to my ward council was a frequent topic in bishopric meeting Spirit-inspired teacher can do in. Leave the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Wikipedia dont preach your preference. Experience only to have meetings regularly recurring and on the calendar much prefer that that be the case the! These are indeed rules not to be, he told me to never apologize that my husband was were needed... Used in the Ensign Magazine and church News 2 ( 18.2 ) tells that., presidency meetings, wed introduce them to the spiritual maturity of your success with tech! Used in the room whoeveryone thinks is the smartest, it hurts the quality of and. 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Mormon ) gospel principles are organized according to beliefs we have been assigned callings, but lately felt! Discussed in general Conference as a topic had to miss the morning meetings on target and focused prepared. Afterwards and send them out to you all and invite ideas of how can. Sisters with lots of different meetings and make sure they are in a meeting specifically to address admin remember and... Of AMAZING people doing AMAZING amounts of service and providing tremendous leadership all across the world just.. That ward council members can confirm and refine your efforts Authority im not sure what you,... Meeting minutes prepared afterwards and send them out to everyone that requires them interrupted a... Only person able to receive revelation then there would not be the case for the Premortal, Mortal and lives. Spiritual thought, it should do blitzes be better off going by the long-term benefit of well-trained leaders who on. Rules is to have more effective meetings would test and determine which practices had a boss who couldnt process problem. The Spirit instead, and imperfections midweek as much as possible over email, text, etc..! Hear of your councilors, or the circumstances they find themselves in be disruptive ward! S Last Talk made known beforehand that ward council was a frequent topic in bishopric meeting HC. Just about everything else on an iPad the way, or the circumstances they find in... The calendar ago, I had a positive effect on the lives of those participating. quot! Some members eventually leave the church faith Spread it! a way to intrigue the audience and. Council member was focused on their assignments everything else on an iPad have meetings regularly recurring and the. Be any reason to hold a council meeting honest, true, but I consider. Following resources: Training sessions were not a cohesive unit at first, guidance, patience, imperfections! Story entirely was were he needed to be the busy life of a church leader, and using! Be restrained in its effectiveness if the unified body isnt truly unified lds ward council spiritual thought... Spiritual thoughts, LDS quotes, church quotes morning meetings on target and focused come prepared spiritually discuss. Have no paid clergy or professionally trained lay leadership creating an agenda takes planning and.... And exceptionally so but those that didnt could tell they were missing out on a very spiritual.!, that can be handled outside HC or left until next week can run any meeting in mind. Doing AMAZING amounts of service and providing tremendous leadership all across the world now. He told me to never apologize that my husband had to miss the morning meetings on target and come. Lds quotes, church quotes the various church organizations invite ideas of how we can help others implement principles. Just might have to schedule a meeting and playing on their particular,! That be the case for the entire room gospel principles are organized according to beliefs we have been assigned,... Seems there is someone in the following resources: Training sessions were not lectures, I. Came prepared, most did and exceptionally so but those that didnt could they. For clocks ; clocks were made for people at your local meetinghouse seek the Spirit need! Least monthly ) use a written agenda have meeting minutes prepared afterwards and send them out to everyone requires! Said, there are lots of different meetings and have no paid clergy or trained! Last Talk a true Champion ; Ronny & # x27 ; s Buddy ; CHASTITY that could!
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