Priesthood/Relief Society: How did your first meeting under the new system go?

[Sunday21]

How did the first meeting for Priesthood/RS go? What did your group do? Did you make any decisions? Any homework? What will you do next week?

I am inviting @zil. @NeuroTypical, @Grunt @Jane_Doe, @pam

What we did: RS Ontario, Canada. We put the chairs in a circle. We went round the circle and asked ‘How can we increase the number of people attending RS?’ Before Xmas, we were down to 8 people. Many leave after Sacrament.

Suggestions: Get a mike for hearing impaired. Snacks, More activities, Put up a poster with everyone’s picture so that we can learn names.

Suggestion: Each person who teaches elects someone to teach following week; this would increase the number who teach. This idea was discarded as newbie teachers might opt not to turn up.

Homework for next week: Think of a less active person and invite them to an activity.

Not sure what we will do next week! We may receive an email with a talk to read.

So how about you?

[Grunt]

We round-tabled improving home teaching and setting a regularly scheduled day for service.  No homework.

I think it's going to take a bit to get a rhythm.  

[pam]

We didn't have any kind of lesson.  They dissolved my ward and did a bunch of boundary changes.  The ward I'm now in pretty much everyone is new.  So for the third hour, the Bishop just had us all meet in the chapel and introduce ourselves.

[Sunday21]

27 minutes ago, pam said:

We didn't have any kind of lesson.  They dissolved my ward and did a bunch of boundary changes.  The ward I'm now in pretty much everyone is new.  So for the third hour, the Bishop just had us all meet in the chapel and introduce ourselves.

Ahh yes! Sorry. I recall from your FB. Sorry to have troubled you! New faces, new schedule!

[zil]

We put the chairs in a circle and discussed the changes to VTing for 2018, how to get over worrying about what counts and focus instead on the needs of your assigned sisters.  Assignments were to read chapter 7 of Daughters in My Kingdom (which is about VTing), and visit your sisters during January to discuss the changes and how best to minister to them.

[Jane_Doe]

We've been doing it this way for a few weeks (because my RSP says "I'm slow and take a long time to learn new things, so we should start early").  It's been great!  Really gives everyone a chance at the floor, and I've really gotten to know rest of the sisters better- their strengthens, weaknesses, and love hearing their perspectives.  

[NeuroTypical]

I'm bummed out, I missed the first EQ session.  Was caught doing finance clerk stuff.  I peeked in and they were all in a circle looking serious and engaged.  I hope to make it this Sunday.

[zil]

NOTE: The "circle" and "council" parts of this change are only intended for the first Sunday, and the "circle" part is only a suggestion.  The other three weeks are still supposed to be lessons.  That said, those who preside can preside however they and those who hold keys agree on.

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

It was awkward. I think the sisters likes sitting in a circle, but a few of them couldn't stay on topic.  The RSP wanted to make some "rules", others suggested it's hard to make rules when we don't really understand what the discussions will be about  (i.e. general like pornogrpaphy, or specific like sister so and so needs help. I, personally never felt that question was answered. I'm leaning toward the first, but if so how is the first Sunday different except for sitting in a circle?  Awkward. That's the best way to say it.

Edited January 10, 2018 by LiterateParakeet

[zil]

IMO, there has been no shortage of resources on how to handle this change.  Some weren't the easiest to find by navigation, but searches seem to work pretty well:

I think these changes are a good thing.

[Ironhold]

For me at least, it barely happened. 

No one told me that my branch was changing schedule, so I ended up in an entirely different ward. It ended up being a hassle and a half just trying to figure out what happened. 

Hopefully, I'll have this together next Sunday. 

[classylady]

It went really well in our ward.  We talked about some specific needs of some our inactive and non members in our ward boundaries.  Also, talked on VT and meeting the sisters needs more than worrying about numbers.

[Jane_Doe]

On 1/10/2018 at 4:06 PM, Ironhold said:

For me at least, it barely happened. 

No one told me that my branch was changing schedule, so I ended up in an entirely different ward. It ended up being a hassle and a half just trying to figure out what happened. 

Hopefully, I'll have this together next Sunday. 

I did that once!  Showed up to church at the normal time, and didn't know anybody there.... except that this was in the middle of the year and my brain was malfunctioning on what the "normal" time was *blush*.  

[e-eye]

On 1/10/2018 at 4:06 PM, Ironhold said:

For me at least, it barely happened. 

No one told me that my branch was changing schedule, so I ended up in an entirely different ward. It ended up being a hassle and a half just trying to figure out what happened. 

Hopefully, I'll have this together next Sunday. 

HaHa - Those January 1st's will get you sometimes!

 

My wife is the Relief Society President and she said her meeting went well.  The circle they had was huge so they are trying to figure out how to handle that.  I have heard some of these meetings have gone well and others not.  I think some leaders being a little more old school have a hard time not teaching a lesson and just sitting back and allowing people to counsel.  I think the teacher's counsels was a good preparation on how to counsel in church as adults - if those went well, you probably had more success.  It will be a process though and new new learned culture for some.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Jane_Doe said:

I did that once!  Showed up to church at the normal time, and didn't know anybody there.... except that this was in the middle of the year and my brain was malfunctioning on what the "normal" time was *blush*.  

We once arrived at church late/early while we were on vacation.  We didn't know which ward we were wanting to go to.  We didn't know if we were late or early.

We discovered that Sunday was daylight savings day. 

NOOOOOOO!!!

[Jane_Doe]

1 hour ago, e-eye said:

The circle they had was huge so they are trying to figure out how to handle that. 

Our ward has found that it's better to do 2 or 3 circles inside each other rather than 1 giant circle.  Yes, that way not everyone is in the "front row" but you're also not shouting across the RS room.

[wenglund]

We discussed several ward members who are suffering from serious illnesses or disabilities and how we priesthood holders could help ease their suffering. Action plans were proposed and subsequently put into affect, and have already yielded some heartwarming results.

So, THUMBS UP!

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

[eVa]

i suggest instituting small groups.  The ward activities are great, but there are a lot people that get missed/lost in the cracks.

[Guest]

So are names mentioned as to who needs help? There are certain problems or issues my family has that I don't want floating around the ward. I don't want the whole ward knowing our problems and coming up with ideas to help us.

Edited January 13, 2018 by miav

[zil]

10 hours ago, miav said:

So are names mentioned as to who needs help? There are certain problems or issues my family has that I don't want floating around the ward. I don't want the whole ward knowing our problems and coming up with ideas to help us.

See the instructions in the linked articles.  Nothing confidential or personal should be discussed.  I suppose it's one thing for the elders quorum to discuss helping a family move.  It's something completely different to discuss a couple's marital problems (for example).  None of the example topics are like either of these (to my recollection).

Edited January 13, 2018 by zil