Ward and Stake Business Conducted via Conference Call?

[Guest mormonmusic]

This has been tinkered with in the past, but was shelved a couple years ago. There was actually a full working prototype when the Church leadership decided they weren't ready to release it. Now that the Church is preparing certain features of MLS to be used via the internet, we may eventually see a return to this idea.

Yippee!!

The Church Handbook of Instructions doesn't recognize 'contacts' for priesthood leaders, so I wouldn't expect a change in Church reporting mechanisms. If you really want to be able to record 'contacts,' that is something you'll need to take up with the Quorum of the Twelve.

Yes, we've debated this, and I think we differ on this one. Next time I'm invited to speak at the Quorum of the Twelve Apostle's meeting, I'll raise this.

In an e-mail sent September 18, 2009, ward leaders were instructed specifically not to annotate membership records for the level of contact a member wished to have (or normally, not to have). The instruction was that we are to remember these members, perhaps through external lists, but that simply marking their level of contact in MLS and then ignoring them was contrary to the description in Moroni 6:4.

In allowing annotation of the level of contact each member wants is actually a way of NOT forgetting them. When I annotated church records, everyone who didn't want face to face contact with the Church got a monthly letter with an inspirational message. I had a custom report of all people who wanted letters only coded LET, and would then run mailing labels easily on the Church computer. Six months after my release, I still hear people mentioning about how much they appreciated the letters, and two people called me and asked why I stopped after I was released! Each month I would get 2-4 clean forwarding addresses from returned mail so the clerk could move them out to their proper Ward.

Keeping track of this in a parallel system in MLS was a hassle, and doing it on the system helped me tremendously.

Also, being able to create a custom code next to a members' name such as NR, visible only on certain custom reports for people who had access rights, to indicate people who had written Name Removal letters, was also valuable to RS, and the new HPGL. This was so they didn't annoy people who had written NR letters, but whose formal removal from Church records hadn't been processed yet.

And last of all, annotating their membership rec as OkToVisit provided me with a fast list of people I could assign a new home teacher to when they became available.

Too bad they are assuming that flagging their level of contact is an exercise in forgetting about them. Not true in my case.

If you're interested in software for sharing documents and notes during meetings, I highly recommend Google Wave.

Actually I'm raving about Dropbox (found easily through a google search) With this free internet app, everyone gets a folder on the desktop of their local machine. This folder has software running in the background which automatically shoots a document to everyone else registered with that folder/drop box every time the document is updated. So, this means no logging into a remote site -- you get the experience of local document handling with all the benefits of distributed/collaborative computing. It's wonderful.

Edited May 7, 2010 by mormonmusic

[MarginOfError]

Regarding the level of contact, it wouldn't be too difficult to make an external database (say in MS Access, or Open Office Base). You could import the membership file and then create a check box you could use to specify the level of contact.

One creative way I've heard of addressing the issue is to create a home teaching district for those who do not want any contact and a home teaching district for those who prefer only to receive mailings. Technically, none of these members would ever be reported as visited, but you could at least assign them to somebody and have the names gathered in one place.*

*I'm not advocating this as I'm a little unsure about whether this truly follows the instruction given, but it isn't something I'd pick a fight over either.

[Guest mormonmusic]

Regarding the level of contact, it wouldn't be too difficult to make an external database (say in MS Access, or Open Office Base). You could import the membership file and then create a check box you could use to specify the level of contact.

I'm actually pretty good at Access and Excel, but get tired of all the system work and duplication. You'd have to keep the two systems in synch, so I found that approach cumbersome. But I considered it. Just doing it on the system is better because I was also able to record my history with the member in general terms, not disclosing other than "visited by so and so date, said wanted a letter, etc". The next HPGL would know about all my contacts with the member. And the information was permanent across HPGL's for years hence.

One creative way I've heard of addressing the issue is to create a home teaching district for those who do not want any contact and a home teaching district for those who prefer only to receive mailings. Technically, none of these members would ever be reported as visited, but you could at least assign them to somebody and have the names gathered in one place.

Yes, this is very common. My system was better, I felt, because I could also track history, almost like a Customer Relationship Management System. I coukld append as many comment fields to the membership record as I needed.

The advantage of the annotation system was that everyone -- HPGL, EQ and RS could contribute comments and had access to the comments, and could see which auxiiliary had made contact with the family, what had happened etcetera. This prevents the situation where HPGL gets a name removal letter from the member, promising no contact after the letter is processed. Then, two weeks later the well-meaning RS comes to the door welcoming the person to the RS. Those kinds of integration disconnects really tick off people and antagonized the person and creates even more ill-will toward the Church. "I already wrote a letter so leave me alone!!" was a common angry statement at the door.

We had a good thing going there for a while when we were annotating innocuous information among ourselves on the system. The centralized database really kept us all informed and working togeter. And it saved time in meetings simply exchanging information.

Edited May 7, 2010 by mormonmusic

[NeuroTypical]

Why MOE! I'm surprised and edified to see someone so close to the action! I once applied for a project management job with the church's localization department - I still wish I had got that job.

Since you're so close to TPTB, could you please let them know that LM would also like to pay tithing online, and if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to be able to use a credit card!

LM

(Trying my best to get an apostle to use a swear word...)

[mrmarklin]

On Second thought all this is well and good in the wealthy industrial nations with a terrific infrastructure on the internet, but in third world and other emerging places where the Church is having so much success its a lot tougher. Because the people don't have the means in the home to do a lot of this stuff. A lot of countries still have internet "cafes" etc so people can still have access, but not have to purchase a computer. I'm sure it will be many decades before the Church will have full online reporting of almost any kind.

On the other hand, those of us fortunate enough to have these facilities should certainly use them.

[john doe]

Since you're so close to TPTB, could you please let them know that LM would also like to pay tithing online, and if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to be able to use a credit card!

I would go for a feature where I could use my bank's bill-pay system to pay tithing directly online from my checking account.

[MarginOfError]

Why MOE! I'm surprised and edified to see someone so close to the action! I once applied for a project management job with the church's localization department - I still wish I had got that job.

Since you're so close to TPTB, could you please let them know that LM would also like to pay tithing online, and if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to be able to use a credit card!

LM

(Trying my best to get an apostle to use a swear word...)

I'm not close at all. I just do a lot of reading at LDSTech.

But for paying your tithing online, look at this

https://tech.lds.org/wiki/index.php/Donations_to_Church_Headquarters#Donations_by_wire

[Guest mormonmusic]

I would go for a feature where I could use my bank's bill-pay system to pay tithing directly online from my checking account.

I'd like an LDS Mastercard. So I can rack up temporal and eternal reward and loyalty points for paying my tithing, fast offerings, and incidental purchases for the callings I've had, on the card.

The temporal rewards can be credited against my tithing, with the loss to the church made up in merchant usage fees.

The card would charge 50% interest penalties to discourage going into debt, and would have an automatic billing of $50 a month to be placed into a personal savings account that can only be used for food storage, missions, or the complete set of The Living Scriptures.

Eternal reward points include a bar chart showing how close I am to having done "all I can do", as well as the number of years I am away from achieving celestial glory.