Ward Mission Leader?

[mfbukowski]

The key to being a good WML is the correlation meeting held outside ward council. That is where the missionaries report to the WML, and the WML takes that info to the ward council so that the council does not have to listen to a half hour report on every conversation the missionaries have had during the week.

The WML distills it down to the salient points.

The ward council has more concerns than missionary work.

This is none way the WML can be the bishops most important man, because he helps make time for the bishop to cover other goals which are just as important.

I know of a former counselor in a stake presidency who is now doing an amazing job as a WML.

Edited May 29, 2014 by mfbukowski

[mfbukowski]

Most importantly, they coordinate meals for the elders and sisters. Feeding the missionaries is serious work.

It is, but there is much, much more.

Actually our relief society makes sure the missionaries are fed.

[rpn]

The mission leader has no supervisory capacity over anyone other than the ward missionaries, if any are called.   No supervision over members doing their member missionary work.  No supervision over missionaries assigned to ward.

[amo]

mfbukowski : " The key to being a good WML is the correlation meeting held outside ward council. That is where the missionaries report to the WML, and the WML takes that info to the ward council so that the council does not have to listen to a half hour report on every conversation the missionaries have had during the week.

The WML distills it down to the salient points.

The ward council has more concerns than missionary work. "

 

 

Exactly what's not happening in our ward... So as to "better know the missionaries", ALL of them-8- come to our ward council mtngs and ALL of them get to "report" . Our WML sits & observes...

Edited May 31, 2014 by amo

[Duncan]

mfbukowski : " The key to being a good WML is the correlation meeting held outside ward council. That is where the missionaries report to the WML, and the WML takes that info to the ward council so that the council does not have to listen to a half hour report on every conversation the missionaries have had during the week.

The WML distills it down to the salient points.

The ward council has more concerns than missionary work. "

 

 

Exactly what's not happening in our ward... So as to "better know the missionaries", ALL of them-8- come to our ward council mtngs and ALL of them get to "report" . Our WML sits & observes...

 

 

see I am the WML in our ward and we have 6 missionaries. My take is why have me report in ward council what the missionaries report to me when they are capable and know more about people than I do. Plus the RS Pres. wants to know what sisters are visited but the YM Pres. wants the missionaries to take 5 minutes. but he almost never comes to the meetings due to other things so it's a balancing act. 

[amo]

Duncan : " see I am the WML in our ward and we have 6 missionaries. My take is why have me report in ward council what the missionaries report to me when they are capable and know more about people than I do. Plus the RS Pres. wants to know what sisters are visited but the YM Pres. wants the missionaries to take 5 minutes. but he almost never comes to the meetings due to other things so it's a balancing act.  "

 

So you don't hold correlation mtng then & the missionaries take up most of the time "reporting" in ward council mtngs. ?

[Duncan]

Duncan : " see I am the WML in our ward and we have 6 missionaries. My take is why have me report in ward council what the missionaries report to me when they are capable and know more about people than I do. Plus the RS Pres. wants to know what sisters are visited but the YM Pres. wants the missionaries to take 5 minutes. but he almost never comes to the meetings due to other things so it's a balancing act.  "

 

So you don't hold correlation mtng then & the missionaries take up most of the time "reporting" in ward council mtngs. ?

 

 

oh we do, we do! they mostly tell me how their week was, vent, complain, basically it's a free space for them to air their thoughts and honestly I love that meeting. It's a chance for them to air out and build each other up, because I know all too well having WML's who don't care about you or the work and it's sucks the will to live let me tellya. But on sundays it's who's coming to church, what member did something nutty again or converts' progress-but as I say I have t limit what they say or else we could be their all day

[Hamba Tuhan]

It was made very clear that the full-time missionaries are sent to wards and stakes to assist in the Work of Salvation being centered there.

It's quite a symbiotic relationship - but to suggest that ward members and leaders are there to help the missionaries is incorrect - ideally, the Missionaries are there to be available around the clock to teach, prepare, and baptize the people being found by the members of the wards and stakes.

 

Precisely!

 

I was assigned to do the training for bishops and WMLs at our stake priesthood leadership training meeting last month, and this is precisely the point that I focussed on. If one carefully reviews the Church's training materials, it becomes clear that it is the WML's personal responsibility to populate the missionaries' planners with 'targeted, focussed' teaching appointments. I can't do that all by myself, however, so it then becomes my responsibility to help create and implement a ward mission plan (and to work directly with the ward council and with members) so that all of us together are doing this.

 

Consequently, in our ward we've chosen to be driven by a single metric: member-arranged lessons. Last week, our six fulltime missionaries taught 36 lessons, only six of which had been arranged by members, but that's a drastic improvement over nil, which is where we were half a year ago. (And we actually had seven the week before!) I think we're off to a good start this week as our Elders already had two such appointments yesterday, both arranged by me, and I'm working on having a third for them this weekend. It's a bit iffy right now, but another ward member has tried to arrange an appointment at his home for tonight as well. And this doesn't include what may be happening with our four Sisters. (I basically have two assistant WMLs, one male (and called) and one female (and de facto), and this stalwart sister predominantly handles coordination of visits for our Sister missionaries.)

 

We plan to launch our new ward mission plan the end of this month -- I still need to distil all our discussion on it in ward council meeting yesterday and send it out for final review -- and then I really expect our number of member-arranged visits to increase since the plan basically focusses on (1) ways members can create these appointments and (2) ways the ward council will train and support members in their efforts. We already have a core of ward members who are doing this every week, and we get them to share their experiences each week at the beginning of priesthood and Relief Society, and we hope to extend that pattern to Young Women.

 

Ward Mission Leaders are the Bishop's right-hand-men when it comes to delegation in the Wards to unify the Ward (and specifically the Ward Council) in working together to fulfilling the Work of Salvation in the Ward (Conversion, Retention, and Activation). For all intents and purposes, they are a Third Counselor. And yes, as part of this, the Full-Time Missionaries are viewed as an auxiliary attachment/assignment to the Ward.

 

Our recently released bishop (newly called as stake president) released me as his first counsellor in November specifically to serve as WML but then kept referring to me as his 'third counsellor, so yes. And yes, our missionaries are our auxilliaries as we embrace full responsibility for the work of salvation in our ward. And what a resource they are! I thank God every day that we have them. (And that their families let us have them!) They're amazing in their dedication and determination, and they're working miracles for us. Our soon-to-be area president (now counsellor) instructed us in our last training session that we are to involve the fulltime missionaries in every visit we make to less-active members, new members, part-member families, and non-members. Those who have caught the vision can't stop talking about how much more effective these visits become when accomplished by members and missionaries together.

 

It's a pretty substantial role...

 

Amen. I was told that my role as WML should include as much labour as my role in the bishopric did, and it easily has.

Edited June 2, 2014 by Hamba Tuhan

[mfbukowski]

mfbukowski : " The key to being a good WML is the correlation meeting held outside ward council. That is where the missionaries report to the WML, and the WML takes that info to the ward council so that the council does not have to listen to a half hour report on every conversation the missionaries have had during the week.

The WML distills it down to the salient points.

The ward council has more concerns than missionary work. "

 

 

Exactly what's not happening in our ward... So as to "better know the missionaries", ALL of them-8- come to our ward council mtngs and ALL of them get to "report" . Our WML sits & observes...

That is very common unfortunately.  Nothing else gets covered- no reactivation, no family history, no discussion of ppi's or home teaching, priesthood advancement etc.  All of those should be discussed there.

[mfbukowski]

oh we do, we do! they mostly tell me how their week was, vent, complain, basically it's a free space for them to air their thoughts and honestly I love that meeting. It's a chance for them to air out and build each other up, because I know all too well having WML's who don't care about you or the work and it's sucks the will to live let me tellya. But on sundays it's who's coming to church, what member did something nutty again or converts' progress-but as I say I have t limit what they say or else we could be their all day

But earlier you said they should report because they know what happened better than you do.  That sounds conflicting to me.  The correlation meeting is often a repeat of what happens Sundays.  You get to hear the same things twice- with a day or two of new information since the correlation meeting.

[Duncan]

But earlier you said they should report because they know what happened better than you do.  That sounds conflicting to me.  The correlation meeting is often a repeat of what happens Sundays.  You get to hear the same things twice- with a day or two of new information since the correlation meeting.

 

So, we have ward corr. mtg so any concerns or assignments and updates and stuff I hear. On sunday they bring up who is coming, updates on converts, it seems dumb to me to have them there and me say what they just said a few days before so I have them report on what they reported to me. Basically it's a funnelling system, I hear most of it but what is said on sunday I have heard before but now the ward council is there. So I think either don't have the missionaries there or have them there and not me but because I like my mornings and I am a RM have then attend 

[mfbukowski]

So, we have ward corr. mtg so any concerns or assignments and updates and stuff I hear. On sunday they bring up who is coming, updates on converts, it seems dumb to me to have them there and me say what they just said a few days before so I have them report on what they reported to me. Basically it's a funnelling system, I hear most of it but what is said on sunday I have heard before but now the ward council is there. So I think either don't have the missionaries there or have them there and not me but because I like my mornings and I am a RM have then attend 

To me, that just shows it is a waste of time, and maybe you should try something different.  As Bishop I would attend the correlation meeting and then have the WML summarize it all for the Ward Council, and we had the missionaries there mostly to answer questions about details the WML didn't know about specific meetings or problems.  We had the correlation meeting on mutual night so I was there anyway, and so was half the ward leadership, so it wasn't an additional burden.

[Duncan]

To me, that just shows it is a waste of time, and maybe you should try something different.  As Bishop I would attend the correlation meeting and then have the WML summarize it all for the Ward Council, and we had the missionaries there mostly to answer questions about details the WML didn't know about specific meetings or problems.  We had the correlation meeting on mutual night so I was there anyway, and so was half the ward leadership, so it wasn't an additional burden.

 

 

well, in our ward our 2/3 of our bishopric seem to thrive on time wasting activities, bureaucracy and pointless topics for discussion! hahahahahahaha! for example ever have a discussion on what colour markers the library needs?

Edited June 2, 2014 by Duncan

[Calm]

well, in our ward our 2/3 of our bishopric seem to thrive on time wasting activities, bureaucracy and pointless topics for discussion! hahahahahahaha! for example ever have a discussion on what colour markers the library needs?

That is ridiculous...that is the librarian's job....CostCo has these massive sets of tons of colour, perfect!

[Duncan]

That is ridiculous...that is the librarian's job....CostCo has these massive sets of tons of colour, perfect!

 

 

see!! that's what I say and others, why don't we let the librarian decide and not us doing their calling

[Calm]

see!! that's what I say and others, why don't we let the librarian decide and not us doing their calling

Picking out cool stuff for the library was one of the more fun parts of the job. They are just mean if they are turning the librarian into nothing more than a delivery boy/girl.

[Duncan]

Picking out cool stuff for the library was one of the more fun parts of the job. They are just mean if they are turning the librarian into nothing more than a delivery boy/girl.

 

I hate to say it but the Bishop is a micromanager...and so it's his way and today. I got an email form him a bit saying that I am supposed to be going to his house for dinner on friday and we are having ward correlation afterwards, so I emailed him back and I told I appreciate the offer but I had other plans (which I do)-he's been to our meeting before and drinking a bucket of paint would be a more productive use of our time, but whatever!! hahahahaha!

[Rain]

Step one is for him to have a one on one with the bishop to share his concerns.

The plan is one portion of it, but he should not feel restricted by it. It's just words on a page and typically is not that important in practice as long as the goals are being met.

Every step of the implementation does not need to be in the plan.

If he wants to arrange for pictures, have him get the bishops permission, and then speak in sacrament meeting explaining how it will work.

He need not feel restricted by the plan especially if he wants to exceed its goals.

The bishop will be delighted to have a creative self starter in that position- I would ignore the shortcomings of the plan and go full speed ahead.

And it is true that the WML can be more important than a bishopric counselor

When I was a bishop I had a general authority encourage me to release my best counselor and make him the WML because in that position he could grow the ward better than as a counselor.

 

He met with the bishop on Sunday (and took me).  He was quite nervous how it would go, but it couldn't have gone better.  The bishop let him know it was his calling he could change the plan anyway he wanted to.  DH told him he didn't really want to just dump it all, just make it workable since we know the members used the Spirit and their knowledge of the ward to create it.  So he will be using the plan as a basis and making it so goals are measurable and specific etc.  

 

He also talked about how the information is supposed to flow. Basically he has been given permission to do anything he feels he should do and just let the bishop know what is going on. It amazes me a little that the bishop has such trust in him.  Of course I have trust in him and I have seen others have trust in him, but to be trusted so fully when we are hardly known is quite different than I have experienced before. 

 

Most importantly, they coordinate meals for the elders and sisters. Feeding the missionaries is serious work.

 

Our RS does this. I would like it if the person in charge could also call some of the less active families in the ward for appointments as well, but as of now it just gets passed around at church (and links go out to ward members).

We plan to launch our new ward mission plan the end of this month -- I still need to distil all our discussion on it in ward council meeting yesterday and send it out for final review -- and then I really expect our number of member-arranged visits to increase since the plan basically focuses on (1) ways members can create these appointments and (2) ways the ward council will train and support members in their efforts. We already have a core of ward members who are doing this every week, and we get them to share their experiences each week at the beginning of priesthood and Relief Society, and we hope to extend that pattern to Young Women.

 

 

Would you mind messaging me with your plan?  I've read several samples online.  I know that not every plan will work with every ward, but I would like to see if there are not some ideas we could use in our plan.  

Edited June 3, 2014 by Rain

[Duncan]

He met with the bishop on Sunday (and took me).  He was quite nervous how it would go, but it couldn't have gone better.  The bishop let him know it was his calling he could change the plan anyway he wanted to.  DH told him he didn't really want to just dump it all, just make it workable since we know the members used the Spirit and their knowledge of the ward to create it.  So he will be using the plan as a basis and making it so goals are measurable and specific etc.  

 

He also talked about how the information is supposed to flow. Basically he has been given permission to do anything he feels he should do and just let the bishop know what is going on. It amazes me a little that the bishop has such trust in him.  Of course I have trust in him and I have seen others have trust in him, but to be trusted so fully when we are hardly known is quite different than I have experienced before. 

 

 

Our RS does this. I would like it if the person in charge could also call some of the less active families in the ward for appointments as well, but as of now it just gets passed around at church (and links go out to ward members).

 

Would you mind messaging me with your plan?  I've read several samples online.  I know that not every plan will work with every ward, but I would like to see if there are not some ideas we could use in our plan.  

 

 

apparently our stake's ward mission plans all got scrapped for this "Idaho Iniative" so I don't know why we bothered to do one but not my monkey not my circus

[mfbukowski]

He met with the bishop on Sunday (and took me).  He was quite nervous how it would go, but it couldn't have gone better.  The bishop let him know it was his calling he could change the plan anyway he wanted to.  DH told him he didn't really want to just dump it all, just make it workable since we know the members used the Spirit and their knowledge of the ward to create it.  So he will be using the plan as a basis and making it so goals are measurable and specific etc.  

 

He also talked about how the information is supposed to flow. Basically he has been given permission to do anything he feels he should do and just let the bishop know what is going on. It amazes me a little that the bishop has such trust in him.  Of course I have trust in him and I have seen others have trust in him, but to be trusted so fully when we are hardly known is quite different than I have experienced before. 

 

 

Our RS does this. I would like it if the person in charge could also call some of the less active families in the ward for appointments as well, but as of now it just gets passed around at church (and links go out to ward members).

 

Would you mind messaging me with your plan?  I've read several samples online.  I know that not every plan will work with every ward, but I would like to see if there are not some ideas we could use in our plan.

I am so glad it went well!

[Hamba Tuhan]

Our RS does this. I would like it if the person in charge could also call some of the less active families in the ward for appointments as well, but as of now it just gets passed around at church (and links go out to ward members).

 

We have a person called specifically to do this, and she contacts members directly. Our goal is to have 15 dinners/week for our three companionships, and we're specifically trying to get the less-active involved. Another focus is to encourage members to plan ahead and have someone over the same evening they have the missionaries round for tea. It could be someone they home-teach, a struggling Young Woman, a non-member friend, etc. When the appointment is set up, our meals coordinator makes this request, and then the missionaries follow up when they arrange the exact time by asking, 'Will you have anyone else there when we come?'

 

Last night the member who had the Elders round for tea invited his workmate. The workmate said he would try to make it if he wasn't too tired, which is why I wrote in my post above that it was 'iffy', but the Elders this afternoon told me that the non-member friend actually was there!

 

Would you mind messaging me with your plan?  I've read several samples online.  I know that not every plan will work with every ward, but I would like to see if there are not some ideas we could use in our plan.

 

I'd love to share when I've got it finalised. I'll do so by posting it in this thread for anyone interested.

Edited June 3, 2014 by Hamba Tuhan

[Hamba Tuhan]

Based on our discussions from two weeks ago, here is the ward mission plan I'll be presenting for final approval in ward council tomorrow morning:

 

 

B-------- Ward members embrace their responsibility to be actively engaged in the work of salvation. As members minister to others, they will not just bless the lives of those whom they serve; they will increase their own spiritual strength, fortify their testimonies, and become witnesses of God’s willingness to perform miracles.

 

The ward understands that truly effective work is a joint effort between local members and fulltime missionaries. Our efforts will therefore focus on members creating opportunities by reaching out to others (including less-active members, new converts, part-member families, and non-member friends), assisted in all cases by the missionaries.

 

Goals:

 

1) Each day ward members will pray for inspiration to know what they can do to reach out to other people, and they will follow that inspiration as it comes

 

2) Each month members will include the work of salvation in the ward in their regular fasts

 

3) Each quarter every member will strive to create a ministering opportunity for themselves and the missionaries in one or more of the following ways:

• Take a fulltime missionary along to a home- or visiting-teaching appointment
• Invite someone to a meal (including regular meal appointments for the missionaries)
• Invite someone to participate with you in a family home evening
• Take someone along to the Family History Centre
• Invite someone to a church activity (ward social, baptismal service, etc.)
• Offer yourself and the missionaries to provide service to someone
• Invite someone into your home for a visit
• Visit someone in that person’s home
• Invite someone to take the lessons with the fulltime missionaries
• Anything else you are inspired to do

4) The ward council will support members’ efforts in the following ways:

• Carefully plan all ward activities to be a positive experience for both member and non-member friends
• Regularly provide helpful reminders and opportunities to share experiences at church
• Identify and make suggestions
• Act as resources and provide regular training
• Use their own ministering experiences as opportunities to involve other ward members

[Hamba Tuhan]

By the way, our ward council unanimously supported the above ward mission plan, and we will be presenting it on 29 June to our combined priesthood, Relief Society, and Young Women. In addition, it was suggested that we begin reporting member-arranged visits in PH/RS/YW each Sunday, so we started that on this week. (The other number we already report each week is sacrament meeting attendance, at 210 this week -- a 16% increase over this month last year.) I'm happy to note that our missionaries had 10 (first time in double digits) member-arranged teaching appointments last week!

Edited June 16, 2014 by Hamba Tuhan

[Rain]

Thanks Hamba!