Bishops and Branch Presidents…
It is expected that all of you have visited with parents, youth and children about the new Children and Youth Initiative. I look forward to visiting with you in our upcoming Stewardship Interview for January about how it is unfolding for your ward or branch.
Do you have any questions that we can try to get answers for you? (Besides the new app the Church is producing, I really don’t think we’re going to get much more, if any, instructions from Church headquarters on the new program.)
We appreciate how each of you have been delegating more and more duties of the Work of Salvation (see chapter 5 of Handbook 2) to your Relief Society and Elders Quorum presidencies. Hopefully you’ve already seen a measurable difference in your work load and time demand.
As you turn from those other duties, attached is a 2-page document drafted by stake leaders with ideas on how a bishopric can use their time even more effectively to focus on strengthening the rising generation.
We will discuss these further in our SI this month. In the meantime, we hope you and your counselors will consider these ideas as you plan to give, as Elder Quentin L. Cook described, “laser-like focus on our youth.”
Gratefully,
President Lewis and the Stake Presidency
P.S. As a reminder, the attached checklist, sent to you a month ago, hopefully will continue to be a helpful guide on important actions to take in launching the new initiative in your ward or branch.
How Bishoprics Can Focus on Youth
As bishoprics delegate the responsibilities of the Work of Salvation to Relief Society and Elders Quorum presidencies, hopefully it will free them to focus their time and energy on the youth.
Below are some ways bishoprics and branch presidencies can become even more effective in strengthening the rising generation:
CONNECT WITH SEMINARY TEACHERS: Meet or communicate regularly with the Seminary instructors, who are teaching the youth in your ward, for their observations about the youth’s day-to-day gospel engagement.
MEET WITH PARENTS AND YOUTH: Schedule regular times to meet with the parents (and, if you desire, the youth at the same time) to review their children’s hopes, dreams and goals and discuss how the bishopric can be supportive of the family.
TRAIN ALL YOUTH PRESIDENCIES: Use the Aaronic Priesthood Quorum and Young Women Class Presidency Orientation form to personally and regularly conduct training sessions with each youth presidency.
YOUTH AS MINISTERS: Work closely with the Relief Society and Elders Quorum presidencies to ensure all youth, 14 years and older (or turning 14), are assigned as ministering companions. And help them have success in their assignment.
REGULAR YOUTH INTERVIEWS: Give high priority to conducting regular interviews with each young person, including occasional interviews with older Primary-age children. Focus on making sure all youth 12 years of age (or turning 12-years of age) and older hold and use a current limited-use temple recommend.
WARD YOUTH COUNCIL MEETINGS: Conduct regular Ward Youth Council meetings and schedule, plan, and review all monthly combined youth activities (Handbook 2, 8.13.1.3). Also emphasize leadership training by drawing from the presidency orientation form or the leadership lessons available at AaronicPriesthoodQuorums.ChurchofJesusChrist.org and at YoungWomen.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
INVOLVE ADULT LEADERS: Coordinate efforts to help youth and/or their family with the Relief Society and Elders Quorum presidents so they can provide additional support through the ministering brothers and sisters.
BE WITH THEM: Set up a schedule in advance (possibly up to a year) listing where each member of the bishopric is to go each Sunday to make sure a bishopric member is regularly visiting the Primary and Young Women classes...and to make sure there is double adult coverage in all children and youth classes and weekday activities.
QUORUM PRESIDENCY MEETINGS: Make sure presidency meetings happen regularly and that youth presidencies are trained in how to create and follow an agenda. See Handbook 2, 8.9.3 for agenda guidance.
FOLLOW THE SPIRIT: Seek guidance as to what the Lord wants you to do to strengthen and lift each of the children and youth in your ward.
PARENTAL EXPECTATIONS: Meet regularly with the parents of children and youth teaching them about their role in support of the Children and Youth Initiative and explaining the expectations of parents to prepare their children for the ordinances and milestones in a young person’s gospel journey (use 4-page “Letter to Parents” from the stake presidency).
STEWARDSHIP INTERVIEWS: Conduct regular interviews with Primary, Young Women and Aaronic Priesthood adult leaders to make sure they’re working closely with parents in helping the children and youth to create their plans and fulfill their goals.
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