24 replies to this topic

[Buzzard]

The first ward we lived in was the "newly wed and the nearly dead".  400 people out for sacrament meeting, but not enough deacons to pass the sacrament.  Also the only ward I ever lived in that had two elders quorums. (More than 96 elders).
Been in poor wards, my sister was in a filthy rich ward that catered every party and sent their scouts to Hawaii for summer camp back when you could still do that sort of thing, I've been in very transitory wards and one where we were the first move in in years. Wards that were mainly converts and wards with hardly any.
Current ward is about 1/3 young couples just starting out, here a year or so then gone when they buy their first home or hubby graduates, about 1/3 folks like me, homeowners that stay for years but have no multi-generational ties to the community, and 1/3 descendants of pioneers living on the subdivided remmants of GG Grandpas old farm.  Economically middle class, no doctors or lawyers but lots of nurses and teachers and cops, except for one of those old pioneer familes who made good.  Their mansions line both sides of one of the streets on the edge of the ward.  Our current bishop is the son and grandson of fomer bishops of the same ward.  It sometimes makes for an interesting mix. Not a ton of converts, but the ones that are there are some of the most faithful in the ward.
So what is your ward/branch/group like, just out of purient curiosity.

Edited by Buzzard, 19 March 2012 - 12:30 PM.

[LeSellers]

Wide spectrum.

I'm one of the oldest active members of the ward. Our neighbor's mother is older by 20 years or so, but she's an outlier.

We have a lot of newly-weds and young families; several move ins; a few recent converts. Loads of dental students (they only stay for two to three years, then move to Cleveland). Relatively compact ward: two miles east to west, one north to south. (I've had home teaching assignments in other wards that were 40+ miles for one circuit). The stake center is ½ mile down the road for us. We have 13 wards in the stake, and a second stake center building in full use by three wards, even though there's no stake to fill it. We have a ward from another stake meeting with us in our building (makes stake conference Sundays interesting for them—they have to go to other wards that week).

We have a mix of incomes: a few fairly wealthy families, a lot of upper working class people, and some who need a lot of help getting through the month. Education runs the same (not identical, though) range. Our bishop is a college professor, and one of the people down the street did not graduate from high school (he's not among the poor, btw).

Small families, large families, single and part-member families; they're all in there.

Got a few snobs, some who are reclusive and a few who are overly gregarious. My Jacquie and I are in the middle of all these (except age and family size, obviously; we top out on those measures).

It was exactly the same in almost every ward we've ever lived in, in every state and country, and even in branches. Go figger.

"How are the people in this town?" asked the stranger. "How were they where you come from?" replied the man at the city gate.

"All were harsh. They gossiped and carried grudges forever. Most were lazy, and they never had a kind word for anyone outside their families. I'm glad to be gone from there."

"You'll find the same sort of people here."

The next day, another stranger approached the gate. "How are the people in this town?" he asked. "How were they where you come from?" he heard the reply.

"They were the most wonderful folk! Always ready to help, eager to share. Happy and hard-working."

"You'll find the same sort of people in this city, too," was the answer.

Lehi

Edited by LeSellers, 20 March 2012 - 10:23 AM.

[bluebell]

We're in a small transitory ward.  We have someone move in almost every week (often times there are more than one family of move-ins to read in during sacrament meeting).

Unfortunately, most of them are inactive so we never actually meet them.

[thesometimesaint]

We moved around a lot when we were first married. Have been the youngest/poorest couple in three Wards. middle aged and midddle income in three Wards, and oldest/near oldest in the one I'm in now, for the last 21 years.

[blackstrap]

My ward occupies 6 blocks,2X3. 300 members, good age mix.You would think I lived in Provo.Ha!

[Duncan]

a real mix. Our stake has that domino effect, with one person getting a new calling and then someone else is taken out of something to do that calling. We have brethren here who have served as bishops twice, a stake presidency member who is on his second time around in that-nice guy but he has been in leadership here since like 1928 and I get the vibe he just wants to be released and do something else. A ward here is looking for a new bishop and it's either people who have done it like a lot, don't pay tithing, or are younger and have no experience in bishoprics so it will be interesting who they will get!

if anyone wants to move here, I'll hook you up!

Edited by Duncan, 19 March 2012 - 05:44 PM.

[Messenger]

I live in a ward with 75% well off, well above middle income folks.  The other 25% are low income.  It makes it interesting.

Edited by Messenger, 20 March 2012 - 08:07 AM.

[Duncan]

Messenger, on 19 March 2012 - 06:56 PM, said:

I live in a wart with 75% well off, well above middle income folks.  The other 25% are low income.  It makes it interesting.

a wart? how tall are you?!

[Messenger]

Duncan, on 19 March 2012 - 07:03 PM, said:

a wart? how tall are you?!

Then there are about only 1% that are super critical or have what they think is a sense of humor.

[Garden Girl]

My ward is somewhat strange... like bluebell, we read new member names from the pulpit almost every Sunday but then never see them.  We probably have about 300 members, but our inactive list is probably half.  Being a resort town, we get lots of visitors... on major holidays like 7/4 or Mem. Day weekends we have to set up every folding chair we own and open up the dividers to the back of the cultural hall to accommodate the visitors. (We just built an expanded parking lot).  Thus we press into service the visiting deacons to pass the sacrament since we don't have enough ward deacons.
In our ward library we have many copies of scriptures that we check out to visitors every Sunday (a good percentage stay for the full block).

Our ward young women total 3 or 4 but then they bring their friends from school so we can generally have 6 or 8+ for YW.  Same with YM/Scouts.
Our ward is generally a few young families, with the majority of members being mid- to older couples (our "widow's row" is up to 6 now, including me).  Because of the fluid number of attendees each Sunday, our procedure is that at the end of Sac Mtg the teachers/librarians are excused to get their materials/classrooms ready as the congregation stays seated for one more hymn.
Some of our visitors come every summer and stay for various lengths of time, and others return throughout the year again and again.  People love our ward... and I do have to say, there seems to be a very special spirit of warmth and friendship that is very welcoming and commented on quite often by visitors.

I love our ward...

GG

Edited by Garden Girl, 20 March 2012 - 09:41 AM.

[The Nehor]

Ward break-downs huh?

Usually starts when the bishop falls asleep, then the knives come out. Eventually the gunplay starts. Police are called, warrants issued, and we hold a series of meetings to make sure it will never happen again. Standard I suppose.

[Duncan]

The Nehor, on 20 March 2012 - 05:52 PM, said:

Ward break-downs huh?

Usually starts when the bishop falls asleep, then the knives come out. Eventually the gunplay starts. Police are called, warrants issued, and we hold a series of meetings to make sure it will never happen again. Standard I suppose.

they read that First Pres. letter about not baptizing certain groups and during priesthood opening exercises this crazy guy in our ward went up to the pulpit and told us he had a warning about all this, church got real awkward real fast!

[calmoriah]

Duncan, on 20 March 2012 - 06:07 PM, said:

this crazy guy in our ward went up to the pulpit and told us he had a warning about all this....

As in revelation or email or warning he was going to get blocked for doing this?  There was an email sent out to all family history consultants and maybe familysearch users, I believe.

[Kenngo1969]

Messenger, on 20 March 2012 - 08:07 AM, said:

Then there are about only 1% that are super critical or have what they think is a sense of humor.

Easier said than done, sometimes, I know, and harder to do in cyberspace without visual cues, but you could always accept this in the spirit of humor in which it was intended (even if it isn't your usual brand of humor).  Or, if you're that serious about it, you could simply edit your post.

[Kenngo1969]

calmoriah, on 21 March 2012 - 03:11 AM, said:

As in revelation or email or warning he was going to get blocked for doing this?  There was an email sent out to all family history consultants and maybe familysearch users, I believe.

So that's how revelation comes nowadays, huh?

[Messenger]

Kenngo1969, on 21 March 2012 - 05:49 AM, said:

Easier said than done, sometimes, I know, and harder to do in cyberspace without visual cues, but you could always accept this in the spirit of humor in which it was intended (even if it isn't your usual brand of humor).  Or, if you're that serious about it, you could simply edit your post.

Oh I often treat humor with humor, and bad humor with bad humor, and bad taste with bad taste, You didn't see that?  Mirror, Mirror on the wall ..... .  Kenngo1969, that's MY sense of humor.  I've never been a fan of anybody that points out minor things and seems to overlook the main points of what a person is saying.  But, really, its not a big deal, just having fun with it.   By the way, I did edit it - just to keep the super critical people who cant get past spelling at bay, but in this forum, that's no gaurantee!  (again that's a joke).   Ken, this isn't my first rodeo.  

And, to keep on the subject, despite the huge financial rifts in our ward, I would say its good for all of us the deal with it.  Most of the lesser income folks have already gone through the economic changes with the economy, and I think we are going to see that slowly move up the income tree to others that aren't affected currently.  Having a mix is a good thing.


PS One spelling error inserted to throw the trolls off their tall horses.  50 points if you can find it like I know you can!

Edited by Messenger, 21 March 2012 - 06:56 AM.

[Grundelwalken]

Been in this ward nearly 30 years.  When we first got here there were a few young families and lots of old folks.  Most of our friends moved away and we were left alone with the oldies.  Now there are some young couples moving in but the old ones are still here.  After 30 yrs I'm still the youngest HP in the ward who attends priesthood.  MW

[Duncan]

calmoriah, on 21 March 2012 - 03:11 AM, said:

As in revelation or email or warning he was going to get blocked for doing this?  There was an email sent out to all family history consultants and maybe familysearch users, I believe.

he told me that he was working on this presentation to make before the Church so I told the Bishop just in case, but he just went up to the pulpit and started talking until he was hauled down

[Freedom]

Duncan, on 19 March 2012 - 07:03 PM, said:

a wart? how tall are you?!

[Freedom]

The Nehor, on 20 March 2012 - 05:52 PM, said:

Ward break-downs huh?

Usually starts when the bishop falls asleep, then the knives come out. Eventually the gunplay starts. Police are called, warrants issued, and we hold a series of meetings to make sure it will never happen again. Standard I suppose.

I was trying to come up with some clever response but you beat me to it.