Plea to bishops to attend Stake Missionary Training meeting on March 11, 2017

8 March 2017

Bishops and Branch Presidents,

Please accept my apology for the late request (see below) for you to attend our monthly Stake MissionaryTraining meeting this Saturday. It was an oversight on my part to delay this request.

I realize early Saturday morning is not ideal. I just don't know where else to put the meeting. All of our schedules are so maxed that it seemed to be the one day and time of the week with the least competition, hoping that most families’ Saturdays don't “begin” until some time after 8 am.

I am asking Brother Allen to move our “monthly” Stewardship Interviews to once every two months in order to free you up a little more and in hopes you’ll consider giving me one hour every quarter where all of us, as holders of the missionary keys in our respective units, can focus on how to move the missionary work forward in this part of the Lord’s vineyard.

So you’ll know why I even ask you to attend at all, here’s some additional background as to why I feel an urgency (not panic)…

• Three of our eight bishops and branch presidents were absent for the training at stake conference hence the feeling we need to focus again as key holders on what makes a difference in Member Missionary Work (the first element of the Work of Salvation - Handbook 2, chapter 5);

• Our stake had the fewest baptisms in 2016 of the 9 stakes in the Oregon Portland Mission. I’d like to dismiss it as, “well, we’re just on the wrong side of town,” but the highest baptizing stake with nearly 3X the number of baptisms was next door—the Milwaukie Stake. 

• Elder Costa’s training helped focus me and I’d like to pass along that focus while it’s “fresh”—hence the desire to have you attend our monthly missionary training meeting in March.

So if this is undue pressure on any of you, please forgive me. But I really feel a need to continue to bring together the full-time missionaries and the missionary key holders (you and me) in our stake to see if we can move the work forward with more effectiveness while we have a little “momentum” going into 2017.

Please make every effort to attend. If my invitation is simply too late and your Saturday morning was already planned, will you please ask one of your counselors to attend and let me know who we should expect?

Thank you,

President Lewis

Bishops and Branch Presidents,

Will you and your Ward Mission Leader please plan to attend our monthly Stake Missionary Training this Saturday morning, March 11, at 7:00 am (light breakfast). The meeting will begin promptly at 7:15 am and end at 8:15 am.

We don’t ask you to attend every month. This is one of those times we need you there.

If you are unable to attend, will you please notify me with an explanation and plan to send your 1st Counselor? 

Please extend a personal invitation/assignment to your Ward Mission Leader to attend.

Look forward to seeing your there,

President Lewis

Attendees:

Stake Presidency

Bishops / Branch Presidents

Ward Mission Leaders