Backroads Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 This morning I heard a rumor that if you are inactive, it is against church policy to send you a visiting and/or home teacher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FunkyTown Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 No. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefche Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 That is a rumor. You are still assigned HT/VT even if you are inactive. Even those who do not want contact at all have assigned HT/VT, but they are usually the EQP or RSP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estradling75 Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 If that was so then I am wasting alot of time going against church policy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Backroads Posted April 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 The situation at hand is a (yet another) co-worker has an inactive mother down south (who may be a victim of elderly abuse, situation already being handled). When Co-worker asked her mother if the Church had offered to help (at least a home teacher for support) the answer was the ward had told her they can't send her those because she's inactive. Co-worker suspects this refusal is due to the state of the home (no one wants to go near it) and the "inactive" thing is but a lie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefche Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 It's a lie or someone doesn't understand HT/VT program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estradling75 Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 It could be a result of a local priority... The work is great and the laborers are few... and in some cases very, very, few. When this happens priority have to be set on whom they feel can make the most difference with, be the most effective with.... Your co-worker's mother may not make that list. Yes I know this sucks, yes I know we should be doing better, but we can't make people do what they agreed to do, we can't make them do their duty. So some times hard choices have to be made. Of course this is all speculation since I can't know the local situation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annewandering Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 It could be a result of a local priority...The work is great and the laborers are few... and in some cases very, very, few.When this happens priority have to be set on whom they feel can make the most difference with, be the most effective with.... Your co-worker's mother may not make that list. Yes I know this sucks, yes I know we should be doing better, but we can't make people do what they agreed to do, we can't make them do their duty. So some times hard choices have to be made.Of course this is all speculation since I can't know the local situationIF they dont send out people to everyone then its better to send to the inactive. Frankly I dont believe it at all. It sounds like a dimwitted excuse to not do their visit teaching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefche Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 IF they dont send out people to everyone then its better to send to the inactive. Frankly I dont believe it at all. It sounds like a dimwitted excuse to not do their visit teaching.I think it's up to the local leadership. Your active people can get burned out really easily and may need extra support to buoy them up to continue to take on responsibilities that others refuse to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Backroads Posted April 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 Yeah, I know very little of the situation, too. Just what I stated here. If the possible elderly abuse situation is extreme (with the sanitary conditions of the house, that might be enough to overwhelm/frighten off even the most well-meaning individuals. I'm not sure if anything in the church handbook requires us to help every needy individual in the area (burn out!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annewandering Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 I think it's up to the local leadership. Your active people can get burned out really easily and may need extra support to buoy them up to continue to take on responsibilities that others refuse to do.Well maybe that's why we haven't had visiting teachers for a year now. We obviously don't need them. Fortunately the priesthood boys come by every week to give us the Sacrament. Apparently the Bishop and the Relief Society are on different pages here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Backroads Posted April 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 Well maybe that's why we haven't had visiting teachers for a year now. We obviously don't need them. Fortunately the priesthood boys come by every week to give us the Sacrament. Apparently the Bishop and the Relief Society are on different pages here.I wonder if there's a tier thing going on. Sacrament: most important. Visting/home teaching: somewhere lower? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estradling75 Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 IF they dont send out people to everyone then its better to send to the inactive. Frankly I dont believe it at all. It sounds like a dimwitted excuse to not do their visit teaching.Lets run some numbers then... Lets assume a typical ward 350ish families... an lets also assume that we have very, very few laborers (which was my assumption) so say 20 priesthood holders that can be counted to get out and do Home Teaching on a regular basis. That means you can 10 companionship each, and each companionship needs to see 35sih families in one month to get every one.That is simply not a good idea, its not sustainable. While other might have a different idea I think assigning six family to a companionship is really, really, pushing it, but lets do that. That is 60 families covered out of the 350ish in the ward. Of that 60 you do need to use some wisdom in where/whom they are assigned... Do you assign to just less active and risk your some of your actives falling away due to lack of care? Do you focus on just the active on hopes of maintaining what you have? Or do you mix it up. Support the actives that might be weaker/weakening and target the less active that you think might come back with a little care?It not easy, but calling it dimwitted excuse is a slap in the face to every priesthood leader and Relief Society President, who struggle to find answers when faced with these kind of numbers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefche Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 Well maybe that's why we haven't had visiting teachers for a year now. We obviously don't need them. Fortunately the priesthood boys come by every week to give us the Sacrament. Apparently the Bishop and the Relief Society are on different pages here.It could be that your VT just don't visit. It's not unheard of that people get assigned to VT who then fail to do their assignment. And the bishop is not in charge of assigning HT. That's left up to either the EQP or HPGL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Backroads Posted April 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 It not easy, but calling it dimwitted excuse is a slap in the face to every priesthood leader and Relief Society President, who struggle to find answers when faced with these kind of numbers.I do have to wonder whether it is better to say "it's against church policy" or to merely tell the truth and say "we just don't have the man/woman power". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefche Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 I do have to wonder whether it is better to say "it's against church policy" or to merely tell the truth and say "we just don't have the man/woman power".Perhaps mom is extrapolating some information that just wasn't said? I find it hard to believe that someone is asking for HT/VT and isn't even being assigned one but instead is told, you aren't good enough. Honestly, I can see the conversation going this way:Mom: I want HT/VT.Church member: You have them. I'm sorry they haven't been by.Mom: Why haven't they been by?Church member: I don't know. Maybe it's because you don't come regularly to church and they aren't sure if you are willing to have them visit. Some people don't take kindly to having strangers show up at the door and so members get a little nervous doing that.Mom to daughter: Church said I can't have HT/VT because I'm not active! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estradling75 Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 I do have to wonder whether it is better to say "it's against church policy" or to merely tell the truth and say "we just don't have the man/woman power".That does seem off to me which is why I suggested it might be a local policy. If a local leader decided to narrow focus on who they think they can help best that could be seen as don't visit less actives policy coming from the church... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Backroads Posted April 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 (edited) Perhaps mom is extrapolating some information that just wasn't said? I find it hard to believe that someone is asking for HT/VT and isn't even being assigned one but instead is told, you aren't good enough. Honestly, I can see the conversation going this way:Mom: I want HT/VT.Church member: You have them. I'm sorry they haven't been by.Mom: Why haven't they been by?Church member: I don't know. Maybe it's because you don't come regularly to church and they aren't sure if you are willing to have them visit. Some people don't take kindly to having strangers show up at the door and so members get a little nervous doing that.Mom to daughter: Church said I can't have HT/VT because I'm not active!I would suspect that would be a reasonable conversation. Heck, for all I've heard's worth, perhaps Mom never even asked. I always have to wonder if people ever just make up excuses. Edited April 2, 2012 by Backroads Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Backroads Posted April 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 That does seem off to me which is why I suggested it might be a local policy. If a local leader decided to narrow focus on who they think they can help best that could be seen as don't visit less actives policy coming from the church...And I have no problem with this. My one worry is that I maybe should have a problem with it. I guess in my lifetime I've seen too many people abuse the charity of the Church. If I had limited resources, I'd probably give them to those making an effort and being part of the community. I know that sounds horribly judgmental... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefche Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 And I have no problem with this. My one worry is that I maybe should have a problem with it. I guess in my lifetime I've seen too many people abuse the charity of the Church. If I had limited resources, I'd probably give them to those making an effort and being part of the community. I know that sounds horribly judgmental...I feel the need to warn you--let it go now and learn to let it go in the future.You may be called as a RSP in which you will get instructions from the bishop to help someone with their food order form the storehouse--and you feel they don't need it.What you need to remember is it is not your stewardship. You can let the bishop know of your thoughts, opinion, suspicions or even knowledge, but then it is HIS stewardship and your job is to then sustain the bishop with whatever he decides. Trust me, you have to let it go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeuroTypical Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 That means you can 10 companionship each, and each companionship needs to see 35sih families in one month to get every one.Hey - I think I used to live in that ward! Actually, my biggest load (outside of a presidency) was something like eight families. It was an effort to see who these people were, if they still lived there, and if they wanted to be visited/taught. The biggest load I've seen someone in a presidency consistently handle, was twenty-something. That list was also known as "the letter list".When I was Exec Secretary, the bishopric went out to contact all the "Do not contact" people. These are folks ticked off enough to yell at you for knocking on their door, but not ticked off enough to mail a letter somewhere, so they stay on the rolls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estradling75 Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 And I have no problem with this. My one worry is that I maybe should have a problem with it. I guess in my lifetime I've seen too many people abuse the charity of the Church. If I had limited resources, I'd probably give them to those making an effort and being part of the community. I know that sounds horribly judgmental...Personally I think Beefche has the more likely answer in this situation. I was merely speculating one why someone might think it was Church policy.As for turning people away, it does sound horrible, and we should avoid it. But when we reach the point were we give not because we have not (per King Benjamin's speech) or we can't care for our own, then it becomes a painful necessity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estradling75 Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 Hey - I think I used to live in that ward! Actually, my biggest load (outside of a presidency) was something like eight families. It was an effort to see who these people were, if they still lived there, and if they wanted to be visited/taught. The biggest load I've seen someone in a presidency consistently handle, was twenty-something. That list was also known as "the letter list".When I was Exec Secretary, the bishopric went out to contact all the "Do not contact" people. These are folks ticked off enough to yell at you for knocking on their door, but not ticked off enough to mail a letter somewhere, so they stay on the rolls.Oh yeah... you can go higher if you aren't expecting to get in the door, I was thinking along the lines of having a half way decent visit though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Backroads Posted April 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 When I was Exec Secretary, the bishopric went out to contact all the "Do not contact" people. These are folks ticked off enough to yell at you for knocking on their door, but not ticked off enough to mail a letter somewhere, so they stay on the rolls.I recall a few years ago trying to explain to a friend about mailing the letter to get off the lists. She was all up for ranting on Facebook about it, but admitted she couldn't be bothered to go about it officially. Sigh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annewandering Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 Perhaps mom is extrapolating some information that just wasn't said? I find it hard to believe that someone is asking for HT/VT and isn't even being assigned one but instead is told, you aren't good enough. Honestly, I can see the conversation going this way:Mom: I want HT/VT.Church member: You have them. I'm sorry they haven't been by.Mom: Why haven't they been by?Church member: I don't know. Maybe it's because you don't come regularly to church and they aren't sure if you are willing to have them visit. Some people don't take kindly to having strangers show up at the door and so members get a little nervous doing that.Mom to daughter: Church said I can't have HT/VT because I'm not active!That sounds very likely doesn't it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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