Home Teachers Home Teaching Each Other?

[Jedi_Nephite]

My calling is First Counselor in the Elders Quorum in my ward. 

A few weeks ago, the EQP decided to update the home teaching lists, as a few families had moved out, and some new ones were moving in.

One change he wanted to make was to assign the elder who was my home teaching companion as the home teacher to my family, which is fine.  I have no problem with that.  However, he also assigned me to home teach this same elder and his family.  In other words, we would be home teaching each other.  Additionally, when the home teaching assignments were completed and handed out today, I noticed that the husband of one of the families that I have been assigned to home teach, has also been assigned to home teach my family.  So, that now makes two people who I will be home teaching, who will also be home teaching me.

Aside from the fact that this seems to be a bit awkward, it also strikes me as being a little unusual.  Then again, maybe it's not that unusual.

However, I've been in the Elders Quorum Presidency for several years now, and I have only seen this once, and that was with the same person who was my previous home teaching companion who is now my home teacher, only he was home teaching someone else who home taught him.

Regardless, it won't deter me from fulfilling my home teaching responsibilities, but is this more common than I am aware of?

Edited September 11, 2016 by Jedi_Nephite
Thread title was too wordy.

[zil]

The online software warns you when you create this kind of loop.  That tells me that it's not preferred (seems obvious to me that this should be avoided).  That it lets you do it tells me there are some scenarios where it will be necessary.  I wonder who put it into the software and whether they understood the error messages...

[NeedleinA]

To hopefully curtail rogue EQPs from doing whatever , routes should have been submitted to and approved by the bishop first. If so it takes two of them to be in on the conspiracy. 

Perhaps not ideal, but it happens. 

[mordorbund]

It sounds like an error in your case. Your home teaching companion is home teaching you, as is another brother that you home teach? So there's you, your home teaching companion, and his companion? But the third person isn't also your companion? So your companion has two separate routes? Sounds like that needs to be addressed if it isn't intentional.

[mirkwood]

8 hours ago, Jedi_Nephite said:

Aside from the fact that this seems to be a bit awkward, it also strikes me as being a little unusual.  Then again, maybe it's not that unusual.

 

Unusual yes.  I'm wondering why you think it is awkward?

[Blackmarch]

20 hours ago, Jedi_Nephite said:

My calling is First Counselor in the Elders Quorum in my ward. 

A few weeks ago, the EQP decided to update the home teaching lists, as a few families had moved out, and some new ones were moving in.

One change he wanted to make was to assign the elder who was my home teaching companion as the home teacher to my family, which is fine.  I have no problem with that.  However, he also assigned me to home teach this same elder and his family.  In other words, we would be home teaching each other.  Additionally, when the home teaching assignments were completed and handed out today, I noticed that the husband of one of the families that I have been assigned to home teach, has also been assigned to home teach my family.  So, that now makes two people who I will be home teaching, who will also be home teaching me.

Aside from the fact that this seems to be a bit awkward, it also strikes me as being a little unusual.  Then again, maybe it's not that unusual.

However, I've been in the Elders Quorum Presidency for several years now, and I have only seen this once, and that was with the same person who was my previous home teaching companion who is now my home teacher, only he was home teaching someone else who home taught him.

Regardless, it won't deter me from fulfilling my home teaching responsibilities, but is this more common than I am aware of?

nothing wrong with it, it would be more likely to happen in a branch or ward where the numbers of members are few. For bigger wards i'd probably bring it to the attention of the leadership and ask if it is correct, and leave it at that.

[Jedi_Nephite]

On 9/12/2016 at 3:01 AM, mirkwood said:

Unusual yes.  I'm wondering why you think it is awkward?

Awkward, in that home teaching is about showing members in the ward Christlike charity/service without the expectation of anything in return.*

Plus, that's a lot of contact with just one member.

*Yes, I realize that it is okay to ask those we home teach for help when we need it.  But my point is that when we are assigned to home teach members/families, we are doing so without expecting them to serve us in return.  As such, the mindset is different.

[Anddenex]

If two separate companionships are teaching the same family, yes that is a problem. I remember receiving the warning and when the warning was received I wouldn't be able to update/save the new companionship. This was a few years back though.

The idea of two families home teaching each other isn't uncommon, and when I have seen it done it usually is because the EQP knows they will home teach each other. Some people prefer home teaching friends.

If it concerns you, as you are in a calling with Stewardship in this regard, address the concern with the EQP.

[mirkwood]

9 hours ago, Jedi_Nephite said:

Awkward, in that home teaching is about showing members in the ward Christlike charity/service without the expectation of anything in return.*

Plus, that's a lot of contact with just one member.

*Yes, I realize that it is okay to ask those we home teach for help when we need it.  But my point is that when we are assigned to home teach members/families, we are doing so without expecting them to serve us in return.  As such, the mindset is different.

We go on vacations with our home teacher...well ex HT, he was made HPGL and now we are in separate quorums.  My point being we became close friends with our HT and his family...as it should be.  I find it odd that two contacts a month with a member of the ward would seem like a lot of contact to you.

[Jedi_Nephite]

23 hours ago, mirkwood said:

We go on vacations with our home teacher...well ex HT, he was made HPGL and now we are in separate quorums.  My point being we became close friends with our HT and his family...as it should be.  I find it odd that two contacts a month with a member of the ward would seem like a lot of contact to you.

1

 

 

It's a lot of contact because it creates a situation where two people are only serving each other, rather than having the opportunity to get to know and serve others in the ward.  Well, technically, they could get to know others in the ward and serve them, and when the opportunity arises they should, but home teaching is an excellent program that allows and encourages that.

While that is great that you became close friends with a former home teacher, the reality is that some members are more introverted than others, thus are not always comfortable having a one-on-one visit twice a month with the same person.