20 March 2016
TO: All Bishoprics and the YSA Branch Presidency
RE: Helping the Spanish Group take the next step
Dear Brethren,
We are very
excited with the progress of the Spanish Group that meets each Sunday as part
of the Sandy River Ward. Truly the Lord has blessed this fledgling Group that has
its own sacrament meeting and Sunday School class since each Sunday at 9:00 a.m.
under the able leadership of Group Leader Carlos Ibarra.
We join with
Bishop Hokanson in embracing the doctrines that urge us forward in providing a
Spanish unit in our stake (see doctrines on the next page) with the goal of the
Spanish Group becoming an independent branch by the end of the 2016.
The Spanish Group now needs our help to take
the next step in its progression.
Since its
founding in January, the Group has been blessed by a strong “group council”
made up of very capable, bi-lingual leaders and two sets of Spanish-speaking
missionaries—one set in support of the Sandy River and Estacada Wards and one
set in support of all the other units.
What the Spanish Group now needs is for every
ward and branch in our stake to become more engaged in supporting this young
Group.
To this end, by April 10, we ask each
bishopric and the YSA branch presidency to…
·
Assign a member to serve as the Spanish Key Contact for your ward or
branch;
·
Assign all Spanish-speaking members of your
unit to serve as Spanish Member-Missionaries
in your ward or branch.
Those assigned
will not attend the Spanish Group, but serve as a conduit for the
Spanish-speaking (full-time and ward) missionaries to expand their reach to Spanish-speaking
members and investigators throughout our stake. The following two pages provide
guidelines and recommendations for fulfilling the above assignment.
Thank you for
accepting this assignment and helping to move forward the work in our stake.
Faithfully yours,
The Stake Presidency
Guidelines for Growing the Spanish Group
Doctrine
behind why we have a Spanish Group in our stake
·
D&C
90:11 - “…every man shall hear the fullness of the gospel in his own
tongue and in his own language…”
·
1 Nephi
21:22-23 - “I will soften the hearts of the Gentiles, that they shall be
like unto a father to them…”
·
2 Nephi
4:9 – “…thou shalt not utterly be destroyed; but in the end thy seed
shall be blessed.”
·
1 Nephi 21:22-23 – “…I
will lift up mind hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people;
and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried
upon their shoulders.”
·
2 Nephi
10:18 – “I will soften the hearts of the Gentiles, that they shall be
like unto a father to them…”
ACTION PLAN: How we can help fulfill these
prophecies
BISHOPRICS TO ASSIGN: Each bishopric or branch presidency is to
identify and…
(1) Assign a Spanish Key Contact in
your ward or branch; and
(2) Assign all
Spanish-speaking members of you ward or branch as Spanish Member-Missionaries.
ASSIGNMENT, NOT A CALLING: This is to be an assignment, not a calling.
They are not to be sustained or set apart, unless the bishopric chooses
to do so. All those assigned are to continue in their current callings. We add
a caution that if this assignment creates an undue burden on any individual or
family, bishoprics have the option of not issuing the assignment. However, we
ask that you give us an explanation of why they were not assigned.
DEADLINE: All assignments are to be issued by or under the direction of the
bishopric or branch presidency. The names of those assigned are to be submitted
to the stake presidency directly or
via Derek Conklin no later than April 10.
EXPECTATIONS: Below is a brief overview of what the Spanish Key Contact and the
Spanish Member-Missionaries are expected to do. All serve under the direction
of the Bishop, the priesthood key holder, via the Ward or Branch Mission Leader.
Expectations of those assigned
SPANISH KEY
CONTACT DUTIES:
·
Attend a Spanish Missionary Correlation Meeting
twice a month (a Thursday, 8pm meeting in
the Sandy River Ward Bishop’s office);
·
Regularly report either in person or via the
Ward Mission Leader to their own Ward Council on missionary progress among
Spanish-speaking members and investigators in the ward;
·
Help coordinate efforts of the Spanish
Member-Missionaries in their ward or branch.
SPANISH
MEMBER-MISSIONARIES DUTIES:
·
Regularly receive Spanish-speaking missionaries
into their home for training;
·
Create a Family Mission Plan on how to reach
out to Spanish-speaking friends;
·
Help share pass-along cards on Spanish Group
meetings.
Who to assign in your ward or branch
Below are those
we’re aware of in each ward or branch who speak Spanish. All should be assigned
to serve as Spanish Member-Missionaries in your unit. An asterisk is placed by the name(s) we recommend you consider for
the Spanish Key Contact, but the choice is yours.
NOTE: The Spanish
Key Contact may be either male or female. It may be helpful that the Spanish
Key Contact is already in a ward leadership position or serving as a ward
missionary.
Names in parenthesis are persons with significant Church callings
that already require a heavy commitment level. Please use caution or
flexibility in making assignments to these individuals due their current
leadership load.
Please advise if
there are any other Spanish-speaking members in your ward not listed below.
Damascus
