Guidelines for training ministers brothers, sisters and couples in our stake

18 April 2018

Bishops, Branch Presidents and Stake Leaders…

We are very enthused about the recent announcements by Church leaders that we are to take a new approach to ministering.

Please review the attached documents (a cover letter plus an “Effective Ministering” document with mini-lesson outlines) from the Stake Presidency explaining actions that Relief Society and elders quorum presidencies are to take immediately.

Our desire is to introduce promptly to all adult members the principles taught in the training videos outlined on the ministering.lds.org website with the hope that we can begin to create a culture of ministering in our stake and help all to understand this is a new direction—not the “old” home and visiting teaching just re-packaged.

Will you please forward this email to all leaders within your stewardship?

Also attached is the 4-page document shared earlier with additional clarifications on how our ministering efforts are to be structured in each ward and branch.

Thank you for giving this your immediate attention and moving forward the ministering efforts in our stake.

The Stake Presidency

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Following the guidance received earlier this month in that historic General Conference, we desire to create a culture in our stake of “Ministering in the Savior’s way.”

To help facilitate this, as we’ve been instructed to do, the presidencies of the new, combined elders quorums will be reorganized by end of this month (Sunday, April 15: Pioneer Branch, Estacada Ward; Sunday, April 22: Damascus, Powell Valley and Walters Hill Wards; Sunday, April 29: Sandy River and Tickle Creek Wards.)

We ask that all Relief Society and elders quorum presidencies move forward as quickly as possible with the implementation of the announced changes in the following two ways:

·   TEACH THE PRINCIPLES OF MINISTERING: Begin immediately to conduct a brief
(5-7 min.) discussion each Sunday in your third-hour class or quorum meeting around one of the doctrines, principles or key elements of ministering listed on the attached document. We recommend that at the beginning of each class that you read one of the scriptures or watch one of the designated training videos and then pose a question followed by a brief discussion including how to apply that principle to our personal ministering efforts.

This does not apply to your 4^th Sunday class since the entire time is to be used in discussing  “Ministering to Others” as outlined on comefollowme.lds.org.

·   BEGIN TO IDENTIFY NEEDS: The Relief Society and elders quorum presidencies are to meet soon to make recommendations of ministering companionships for approval by the bishop. We have been taught to individualize or customize our ministering to each household. One step you can take immediately is to have the current ministering sisters and brothers (formerly visiting and home teachers) counsel with the ACTIVE members they’re assigned to on how they want to be ministered to—a monthly or quarterly visit? a lesson? an occasional phone call? That way you can begin to identify the households with the most and least needs so that ministering assignments can be focused on those who merit the most attention, including new converts, less-active, elderly, singles, etc.

We appreciate so much your desire to follow the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve in establishing a “bold, new, holier way” approach to ministering in our stake. We testify that you have been called of the Lord for this day to help all of us minister more effectively in our stake.