Stake Auxiliary Training guidelines for Nov 8, 2016

25 October 2016

Stake Auxiliary Presidents (RS, YW, Primary, SS)...

Thank you for the preparations you are making for your one-hour break-out sessions at Stake Auxiliary Training meeting. 

We recognize this once-a-year training opportunity makes this a precious hour. We will do everything we can to make sure you have the full hour immediately following the 20-minute opening devotional in the chapel under the direction of the stake presidency.

In case we have not communicated to you already, we would appreciate you giving emphasis in your training to “Teaching in the Savior’s Way.” We encourage you, in your training, to model principles and practices taught in this Church-wide initiative available online and in the "Teaching in the Savior’s Way" booklet.

As additional resources:

• Feel free to contact Scott Emery, our Stake Sunday School President, who is our stake resource just as ward Sunday School presidencies serve as the resource for the ward council in helping to implement this initiative;

• Attend the live broadcast of the “Teaching in the Savior’s Way” training meeting at the stake center on Saturday, Nov 5, at 12:00 to 2:30 pm; be flexible and ready, if you feel prompted, to adjust your Stake Auxiliary Training break-out session plans based on what we receive in the broadcast just three days earlier;

• Remember you will be training leaders on how to help teachers so you may want to draw from the online instruction on the role of leaders in overseeing the implementation of “Teaching in the Savior’s Way” in each ward;

• If you want to use any of the training videos available online, please contact Russ Hokanson, of the Tickle Creek Ward and our Stake Technology Specialist, as soon as possible so he can help arrange for you to have the technology support you need.

We recognize you likely have other training matters you want to address with your ward counterparts. Please know we do not expect you to devote the entire time to the above topic, but we appreciate very much you giving it emphasis in your break-out session.

Finally, a couple of additional thoughts…

…While this is a “precious hour” of training, let’s remember that this one hour of training will not likely make a huge impact in and of itself. In the end, our greatest influence in helping ward leaders will be in our ongoing ward visits, stewardship interviews and one-on-one training. So please do not stress over making this the “perfect” training meeting.

…It is sometimes customary to provide refreshments after a training meeting like this. While it’s a nice way to encourage leaders to linger and visit, we discourage refreshments for several reasons: (1) it inappropriately models the very thing we ask teachers NOT to do—bring food to the classroom; (2) it burdens you and your leaders in having to prepare temporal food when we want your full effort to be on preparing a spiritual feast; and (3) it sometimes places auxiliaries in competition with each other to offer bigger and better after-meeting treats.

Thank you again for your stake service—for your deep and abiding love of the Lord that motivates us to give Him our very best effort in blessing His children. 

Please know we love you and are so honored to associate with you in this mighty and marvelous work.

President Lewis