Well it is official; I am never attending my Ward again!

[The_Phoenix]

Yesterday was a sad day, my Stake President and close friend whom I served as counselor too in the Bishopric years ago said something that has caused me to never attend my Ward again; He dissolved it. I have been in this Ward for 27 years; this Ward has given birth to seven others over the last thirty two years, but is no more. Due to changing demographics and age (is that redundant?) our Ward has been shrinking over the last six or seven years. We virtually had no young men or women’s programs anymore, not even enough to pass the Sacrament without calling on Elders and High Priests. We knew a change was coming, but thought our boundaries would be increased. Instead three Wards are now two large ones.

Thankfully, I know many of the people I will now attend with because they used to be members of my Ward. A member of the Bishopric in my “new Ward” was once one of my students when he was a priest at 16, I feel old. In many cases parents and grandparents are now reunited in the same Ward. But as a result of the changes, I will no longer attend with friends I have had for almost three decades, there were many tears. Growing pains or in this case shrinking are a part of life, the constant in life is change. Also no one in our Ward has callings now, so I guess that makes us floaters for a time. Makes me nervous, I hate being given “busy work”. My son who is on a mission has never known any other Ward, today is his P-day so I will have something to tell him. My wife is not happy about the change, but we will endure.

How have such changes effected your lives over the years, need some encouragement.

[Guest mormonmusic]

I'd be thankful that your old ward had enought love and unity that there were tears when they split it up. In our Ward, I think half the people would be jumping for joy because there are so few committed friendships!!

[The_Phoenix]

I'd be thankful that your old ward had enought love and unity that there were tears when they split it up. In our Ward, I think half the people would be jumping for joy because there are so few committed friendships!!

Why is it a new Ward?

[pam]

My brothers ward had a ward boundaries change last night too. You don't live in Utah Co. do you? :)

[Blackmarch]

Yesterday was a sad day, my Stake President and close friend whom I served as counselor too in the Bishopric years ago said something that has caused me to never attend my Ward again; He dissolved it. I have been in this Ward for 27 years; this Ward has given birth to seven others over the last thirty two years, but is no more. Due to changing demographics and age (is that redundant?) our Ward has been shrinking over the last six or seven years. We virtually had no young men or women’s programs anymore, not even enough to pass the Sacrament without calling on Elders and High Priests. We knew a change was coming, but thought our boundaries would be increased. Instead three Wards are now two large ones.

Thankfully, I know many of the people I will now attend with because they used to be members of my Ward. A member of the Bishopric in my “new Ward” was once one of my students when he was a priest at 16, I feel old. In many cases parents and grandparents are now reunited in the same Ward. But as a result of the changes, I will no longer attend with friends I have had for almost three decades, there were many tears. Growing pains or in this case shrinking are a part of life, the constant in life is change. Also no one in our Ward has callings now, so I guess that makes us floaters for a time. Makes me nervous, I hate being given “busy work”. My son who is on a mission has never known any other Ward, today is his P-day so I will have something to tell him. My wife is not happy about the change, but we will endure.

How have such changes effected your lives over the years, need some encouragement.

every time it's a happy-sad event for me... some friends i won't be seeing at church, but on the other hand i get to make new friends and sometimes the changes re-include past friends that had been previously going to another ward because of previous boundary changes.

[Jennarator]

Do you live in IDaho? Our boundries changed last night, too!

[Guest]

they must have all moved to Texas... because the ward boundaries that my sister lived in got changed a year or so ago because they were busting at the seams - my sister lives 6 miles from the stake center but got moved to a different stake center 1 mile away. That's right - their membership ballooned so much that they split up the wards into 2 stakes!

[Backroads]

My co-worker just had her ward dissolved! She's pretty sad about it, so she's bugging another coworker who's a bishop to figure out her new boundaries for her.

[The_Phoenix]

My brothers ward had a ward boundaries change last night too. You don't live in Utah Co. do you? :)

No, I live in the Southeast.

[slamjet]

No, I live in the Southeast.

Well, that explains a lot about you. Them some strange folks down there

[The_Phoenix]

Well, that explains a lot about you. Them some strange folks down there

God's country.

[slamjet]

God's country.

gag!

[lizzy16]

Remember that it doesn't matter who your attending church with. Its good to be social but thats not the soul purpose of church. Going to church is for the spiritual reasons not social. The sacrament and gaining knowledge. Besides, think in a eternal perspective. You'll get to see these friends in the eternities too :)

[pam]

God's country.

If that is the case, why will the New Jerusalem be in Missouri?

[classylady]

22 years ago when my husband and I first moved into our smallish Utah town, there were about 6 or 7 wards. We now have around 39 wards. Our particular street that we live on seems to be the dividing line for the wards. One ward division, took our neighbors across the street. The next division, our side of the street was included. Next division, put our whole street back into the original ward. The next division after that we were put into the ward we were in prior to the last change--confusing? So, while we've been in the same house, we've been in the 4th, 17th, 3rd, 4th, and 3rd wards--in that order.

The ward boundary changes were particularly difficult for my children. My children seem to associate with the kids they go to church with, and it was very hard for them to no longer be in the same ward as their friends. For my husband and me, our social life seems to be with the ward. So, whenever a division was made, it's like an invisible wall goes up, and we never see our old friends/neighbors anymore--or at least very seldom. It seems like there are tears every time there's a division. We're a very close-knit neighborhood.

The division before last, our Stake President apologized to our street and promised we wouldn't be the dividing line anymore. He kept his promise. But, we now have a new Stake Presidency.

[mrmarklin]

Last September when we were out of town on vacation for a few weeks, we had a change in Bishopric. It came as a total surprise because I thought that the last bishop we had would have been the last also for this ward. We have no youth program, there's only one quorum I believe along with a few young women, and less than 100 attend sacrament meeting.

It's painful to see all the shuffling the current bishop has to do. We are really about the size of a branch. And a not very large one at that!

[slamjet]

Our Stake is sensitive to kids and schools so the ward boundaries follow really close to school boundaries.

But what was sad was when our Bishop had to get up in Sacrament Meeting and tell the membership that there was to be no more saying "you don't belong in this Ward" when a Ward combined with ours. I always welcomed them, but it seemed that there were those elderly who were born and raised in my ward who had a hard time with combining with a "rival" Ward. Disgusting. Now our Ward is one of the stronger Wards in my Stake. Our Temple assignments are always in the 140% mark, we are having families baptized, and our little-ish youth program is one to be admired.

[Backroads]

I remember last year when they got rid of college wards and told everyone to go to their geographic singles or family ward. So I did. I went to a ward for two weeks. I got a calling. Before I could even be set apart for that calling, the ward was dissolved.

[JudoMinja]

they must have all moved to Texas... because the ward boundaries that my sister lived in got changed a year or so ago because they were busting at the seams - my sister lives 6 miles from the stake center but got moved to a different stake center 1 mile away. That's right - their membership ballooned so much that they split up the wards into 2 stakes!

Where did this happen? I live in Texas, and my stake was split in two sometime last year.... However, I'm not so sure it's the same split because our stake center's are not that close to one another. They are in two completely separate cities. Guess Texas membership must be growing a lot.

As far as changes between Wards is concerned, I've been through many. Since my father was in the military, we moved around a lot and I've been to many different schools and churches. Once my dad retired, you would think the changes would have stopped. However, our ward was split about the same time he retired and we were in the new third ward.

Then I went away to college and got to be part of a single's ward for the first time. My unsuccessful relationship had me going to a new family ward in the area for a time, and then I was back home with my parents. Now, our stake has been split in two. I'm also now in my own place and the only thing I could afford was not in the same ward boundaries as my parents, so I'm now in the first ward.

Change can be hard at times, but it can also foster new friendships and blessings. This is, for example, the first time I've been given a calling that has nothing to do with music or primary.

[Guest]

Where did this happen? I live in Texas, and my stake was split in two sometime last year.... However, I'm not so sure it's the same split because our stake center's are not that close to one another. They are in two completely separate cities. Guess Texas membership must be growing a lot.

As far as changes between Wards is concerned, I've been through many. Since my father was in the military, we moved around a lot and I've been to many different schools and churches. Once my dad retired, you would think the changes would have stopped. However, our ward was split about the same time he retired and we were in the new third ward.

Then I went away to college and got to be part of a single's ward for the first time. My unsuccessful relationship had me going to a new family ward in the area for a time, and then I was back home with my parents. Now, our stake has been split in two. I'm also now in my own place and the only thing I could afford was not in the same ward boundaries as my parents, so I'm now in the first ward.

Change can be hard at times, but it can also foster new friendships and blessings. This is, for example, the first time I've been given a calling that has nothing to do with music or primary.

They're 2 different cities - or towns - or municapalities... i don't know what they're called - north of Houston... where you ride a car, then you sneeze and you're in a different town.

[pam]

They're 2 different cities - or towns - or municapalities... i don't know what they're called - north of Houston... where you ride a car, then you sneeze and you're in a different town.

In Texas do you ride a car the same way you ride a horse?

[carlimac]

In Texas do you ride a car the same way you ride a horse?

I hear they have cockroaches big enough to ride down there.

[Dravin]

In Texas do you ride a car the same way you ride a horse?

Texas style car riding:

You can tell he's not a real Texan though on account of wearing a helmet and the lack of spurs.

[slamjet]

This is what I had in mind

[Dravin]

Actually throw a saddle on that float/sign in the background...