Ham Clam Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 How can we make our wards more "seeker friendly"? Link to comment
Buckeye Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 The meetinghouse map tool on lds.org is a good start. Link to comment
Calm Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 That one doesn't work unless you have an lds account. The one on mormon.org works without. Link to comment
Ham Clam Posted March 16, 2015 Author Share Posted March 16, 2015 That one doesn't work unless you have an lds account. The one on mormon.org works without.Had to learn that one the hard way.... but, really, when people walk into my ward they look ... confused. I am going to mention to my Bishop that we need door greeters again and were might try to "translate" words on the program (put the words "Women's Group" in parenthesis next to Relief Society and "Men's Group" next to Priesthood, ect). Link to comment
Ham Clam Posted March 16, 2015 Author Share Posted March 16, 2015 Is there anything against helping my ward put up a website? Link to comment
Calm Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Lds.org has a protected website for a ward newsletter and directory, but I am thinking you mean something like a Facebook page announcing activities?If so, there are some rules about what the name should be, can't remember off the top of my head though. Link to comment
Garden Girl Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Hello Ham Clam...Does your ward have a printed program/bulletin each week... our ward prints all the announcements of upcoming events in our bulletin... On the back page are the names, titles, and phone numbers of all the ward officers/leaders, i.e., bishopric, auxiliary leaders, missionaries, librarians, etc etc. We have door greeters... my home teacher's hobby as he walks daily on the beach is picking up agates... which he then polishes... they are beautiful... so every Sunday he stands at the chapel door with a basket, offering agates to all of our visitors while welcoming them... at the door on the other side is a person handing out programs and also welcoming. Many times, particularly holidays when our numbers grow from about 150 to about 350 - 400, we have to enlist the aid of visiting deacons for passing the sacrament. In RS we will enlist visitors to play piano or lead the music when needed. We welcome visitors to bear their testimonies on F&T mtg...The 3rd Sunday of the month is "Linger Longer" where we serve a buffet luncheon (prepared at home and hot foods brought in crock pots)... which is served in the cultural hall... ward members and visitors join together for an enjoyable "getting to know you."We continually hear from our visitors how "different" our ward is... and they return time and time again, even holding family reunions here on the coast, etc., and attending Church together. GG 2 Link to comment
Tacenda Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Wow GG! You do have quite the ward. Sure would be awesome, your ward sounds more like a non LDS Christian meeting, but substitute crock pot meals for coffee and pastries. Link to comment
Calm Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 The single wards nearby do the same linger longer. I can understand while with the rotation of the wards' time this makes it difficult, but even if only the last ward did it, it could be done every third year for a ward (in the buildings where there are three meeting). I wonder if for buildings where two wards meet, they could go at 9 and 1 and use the hour in the center for a dinner where the later ward sets it up and the earlier one cleans up. Link to comment
The Nehor Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 I dress in a clown outfit to make people feel more comfortable in my ward. 1 Link to comment
bluebell Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 The single wards nearby do the same linger longer.I can understand while with the rotation of the wards' time this makes it difficult, but even if only the last ward did it, it could be done every third year for a ward (in the buildings where there are three meeting).I wonder if for buildings where two wards meet, they could go at 9 and 1 and use the hour in the center for a dinner where the later ward sets it up and the earlier one cleans up.Most of the wards I've been a member of have done linger longer or munch and mingle type things when the timing allowed. It's a nice way to bond as a ward. 1 Link to comment
LOSTONE Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 I like the meeting house I have visited a few times and have gotten a good impression of the people there. I have a few good friends. However, I find that in general, the meeting house and ward is kind of limited on what is offer to help grow in the faith and community involvement. That I don’t like. I love to learn and grow, but I also love helping others out. This is a huge plus for me and not having a ward or meeting house that really seem to offer these things push me away and makes me seek elsewhere. Friendly the meeting house I have visited a few times before I would say yes, but improvements can be made to be more inviting and supportive to all. Something I just don’t see happening and that puts me in a mode of looking elsewhere. Link to comment
Ham Clam Posted March 16, 2015 Author Share Posted March 16, 2015 Lds.org has a protected website for a ward newsletter and directory, but I am thinking you mean something like a Facebook page announcing activities?If so, there are some rules about what the name should be, can't remember off the top of my head though.Our ward already has a FB group (closed), but I was thinking of more of a website-website (like what most churches have) for our ward (would have a calendar of events, ect). I think I've seen a few wards/stakes do it. It would be nice if I could put it together then hand it over (like a word press account). Link to comment
Calm Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 The helping others is done through the groups, men usually in Elder's Quorum and women through Relief Society. This may take place in a lot of wards outside of church as well. If you are not involved in the Priesthood meetings as much due to being a nonmember but still want to help, you might tell the leaders of the quorums or the Bishop that you would like to assist others and for them to let you know where you can help. Link to comment
Calm Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Our ward already has a FB group (closed), but I was thinking of more of a website-website (like what most churches have) for our ward (would have a calendar of events, ect). I think I've seen a few wards/stakes do it. It would be nice if I could put it together then hand it over (like a word press account).Do you want it public or private? Lds.org has that option, look under your account for your ward info. Link to comment
Ham Clam Posted March 16, 2015 Author Share Posted March 16, 2015 Hello Ham Clam...Does your ward have a printed program/bulletin each week... our ward prints all the announcements of upcoming events in our bulletin... On the back page are the names, titles, and phone numbers of all the ward officers/leaders, i.e., bishopric, auxiliary leaders, missionaries, librarians, etc etc. We have door greeters... my home teacher's hobby as he walks daily on the beach is picking up agates... which he then polishes... they are beautiful... so every Sunday he stands at the chapel door with a basket, offering agates to all of our visitors while welcoming them... at the door on the other side is a person handing out programs and also welcoming. Many times, particularly holidays when our numbers grow from about 150 to about 350 - 400, we have to enlist the aid of visiting deacons for passing the sacrament. In RS we will enlist visitors to play piano or lead the music when needed. We welcome visitors to bear their testimonies on F&T mtg...The 3rd Sunday of the month is "Linger Longer" where we serve a buffet luncheon (prepared at home and hot foods brought in crock pots)... which is served in the cultural hall... ward members and visitors join together for an enjoyable "getting to know you."We continually hear from our visitors how "different" our ward is... and they return time and time again, even holding family reunions here on the coast, etc., and attending Church together. GGOurs does have a bullet, and it does have the names, title, and phone numbers. I think what I would like for the bullet to do is also put in the other blocks and kind of the translate some of our titles of things.I'll mention to my Bishop about having a monthly linger-longer. I think that would do a world of good.Your ward sounds lovely. Link to comment
Ham Clam Posted March 16, 2015 Author Share Posted March 16, 2015 Do you want it public or private? Lds.org has that option, look under your account for your ward info.I want a website that is public that non-members as well as members can get to fast via google search.I need to check out what may already be up on lds.org. Link to comment
Ham Clam Posted March 16, 2015 Author Share Posted March 16, 2015 I like the meeting house I have visited a few times and have gotten a good impression of the people there. I have a few good friends. However, I find that in general, the meeting house and ward is kind of limited on what is offer to help grow in the faith and community involvement. That I don’t like. I love to learn and grow, but I also love helping others out. This is a huge plus for me and not having a ward or meeting house that really seem to offer these things push me away and makes me seek elsewhere. Friendly the meeting house I have visited a few times before I would say yes, but improvements can be made to be more inviting and supportive to all. Something I just don’t see happening and that puts me in a mode of looking elsewhere.Could you explain more by what you mean about limitations? And I agree that wards may become insular at times or don't just have straight out ministries built up at the local level. Link to comment
Calm Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 (edited) I want a website that is public that non-members as well as members can get to fast via google search.I need to check out what may already be up on lds.org.And check for confidentiality and copyright issues before making anything in public.This might help:https://www.lds.org/media-library/accessing-media-facebook Edited March 16, 2015 by calmoriah 1 Link to comment
LOSTONE Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Could you explain more by what you mean about limitations? And I agree that wards may become insular at times or don't just have straight out ministries built up at the local level. It just feels like when I want to learn more, there isn’t as many opportunities or people to help as I would like and thus, I am forced to bother my few Mormon friends again. The opportunity for educational support seems limited as well as those who are willing to help non-Mormons understand and learn. They are friendly, but to a point of greeting and not much more it seems. I am proactive in my faith daily and so I seek knowledge and opportunities that don’t seem to really be there in my local meeting house nor people carrying about this. Link to comment
Yirgacheffe Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 And check for confidentiality and copyright issues before making anything in public.This might help:https://www.lds.org/media-library/accessing-media-facebookI can go to the websites of just about any church I can picture in my driving about, it will tell me things like history of the local church, service times including explanations of children's church services, activities (bible studies, prayer "get togethers" social events and so forth) general beliefs, often there are pictures of past events, the pictures can be inviting/reassuring, smiling faces through the net. There are lists of services available such as child and elder daycare, home visits like well checks, food bank, clothing and employment help. When my kids were little and we were so very broke I looked at church websites a lot, through them we saw movies, had spaghetti dinners and pancake breakfasts, attended fun fairs and many other things, some of the more memorable were the Methodist church with their annual renaissance fair and the St. Joseph's table at almost any Catholic church. I'm quite sure that many of the kinds of things I listed are available through the LDS church but not a whit of it is visible on-line. From my looking on line I get absolutely no sense of what my local LDS church is like. Why is that? Link to comment
Ham Clam Posted March 17, 2015 Author Share Posted March 17, 2015 (edited) I can go to the websites of just about any church I can picture in my driving about, it will tell me things like history of the local church, service times including explanations of children's church services, activities (bible studies, prayer "get togethers" social events and so forth) general beliefs, often there are pictures of past events, the pictures can be inviting/reassuring, smiling faces through the net. There are lists of services available such as child and elder daycare, home visits like well checks, food bank, clothing and employment help. When my kids were little and we were so very broke I looked at church websites a lot, through them we saw movies, had spaghetti dinners and pancake breakfasts, attended fun fairs and many other things, some of the more memorable were the Methodist church with their annual renaissance fair and the St. Joseph's table at almost any Catholic church. I'm quite sure that many of the kinds of things I listed are available through the LDS church but not a whit of it is visible on-line. From my looking on line I get absolutely no sense of what my local LDS church is like. Why is that?I know, it's like we're not keeping up with the times. (Although, almost every ward/branch has some sort of facebook page/group.)It might have something to do with not having a professional clergy? Or that head sites haven't really encouraged it. Or that since we have sites like mormon.org that it isn't really on people's minds to make individual sites for their congregations. I don't really know the answer, but that does need to change.Our buildings also need to get marquees! People don't just know when we start!My stake has a Public Relations Committee so maybe talking to them would get so ideas through. Edited March 17, 2015 by Ham Clam Link to comment
Garden Girl Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Our buildings also need to get marquees! People don't just know when we start! Oh please, no... I love the simple beauty of our chapels without big signs on the lawn, etc. People can call and get the recording which gives the hours... we have beautiful lawns and trees... it looks like an LDS chapel. GG 1 Link to comment
Tacenda Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Ham Clam, I'm pretty sure in touristy places the church puts up times of service. Link to comment
Ham Clam Posted March 17, 2015 Author Share Posted March 17, 2015 Maybe your both right. Plus, most people look to the web anyways. Link to comment
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