Eliminating the 3 hour block

[mnn727]

So, last year we started having a Teachers Council on the 3rd Sundays in 2nd and 3rd hour -- in my Ward, it really hasn't done anything and many members started leaving Church Early that Sunday.

Starting in January on 1st Sundays, we're doing a similar council in 3rd hour for Priesthood, Relief Society.

I guess the Church is eliminating the 3 hour block - one council meeting at a time.

- - - - 

My question is this: Is anyone's Ward actually getting measurable results out of these "council meetings"?

[bluebell]

Our teachers council is very well attended both hours, so maybe it’s just your area. 😉

[Scott Lloyd]

24 minutes ago, mnn727 said:

So, last year we started having a Teachers Council on the 3rd Sundays in 2nd and 3rd hour -- in my Ward, it really hasn't done anything and many members started leaving Church Early that Sunday.

Starting in January on 1st Sundays, we're doing a similar council in 3rd hour for Priesthood, Relief Society.

I guess the Church is eliminating the 3 hour block - one council meeting at a time.

- - - - 

My question is this: Is anyone's Ward actually getting measurable results out of these "council meetings"?

You've somehow gotten a garbled version of the truth.

Come January, all adults in the Church will have a council meeting on the first Sunday, in Relief Society for the women and in the Melchizedek Priesthood quorum or group meetings for the men.

This is not intended to replace the teacher council meeting.

See this Q-andA story I very recently wrote for the Church News.

Here's an excerpt:
 

Quote

 

How did this new curriculum come about?

Elder Hallstrom: It’s another step in the rollout of an overall integrated curriculum for the members of the Church. It started with Come, Follow Me — for Youth in 2013. The next step was the production of Teaching in the Savior’s Way, which is a guidebook that’s elevating all teaching in the Church, not just in Sunday School, not just in Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society.

A component of Teaching in the Savior’s Way is the teacher council meetings supervised by the ward Sunday School presidency but involving teachers from all organizations.

So now, we have Come, Follow Me — for Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society, sometimes called the third-hour curriculum.

Will you briefly review the week-by-week elements of the third-hour curriculum?

Elder Hallstrom: The first Sunday in the month is perhaps the most significant change, because that is going to be a council meeting involving the entire quorum, group or ward Relief Society.

On the second and third Sundays of the month, the curriculum, which in the past has been the Teachings of Presidents of the Church manuals, now will be drawn from talks from the most recent general conference.

On the fourth Sunday, it will be a single topic selected by the First Presidency and the Twelve for a six-month period.

The fifth Sunday will be as it is now, with a topic chosen by the bishopric for instruction to the combined Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society.

 

I'm saddened that you are not seeing any value in the teacher council meetings, but you need to be aware that they are not going away.

And contrary to your fake-news thread title, the three-hour block is not being eliminated.

 

Edited December 27, 2017 by Scott Lloyd

[mnn727]

Scott: I got nothing garbled, nowhere did I say the Teachers council was going away or being replaced, and no where (other than partially in jest) did I say the Church was eliminating the 3 hour block.

My information was taken from your article on the Churches website - I understand what the Church wants to do, but its failing miserably in my little corner of Zion.

I did ask the question (which you may have missed) if anyone's Ward was getting any measurable results from the "council meetings" because its not happening here.

 

Edited December 27, 2017 by mnn727

[ksfisher]

13 minutes ago, mnn727 said:

Scott: I got nothing garbled, nowhere did I say the Teachers council was going away or being replaced, and no where (other than partially in jest) did I say the Church was eliminating the 3 hour block.

My information was taken from your article on the Churches website - I understand what the Church wants to do, but its failing miserably in my little corner of Zion.

I did ask the question (which you may have missed) if anyone's Ward was getting any measurable results from the "council meetings" because its not happening here.

 

I think the second line in your post is what's confusing things:

"Starting in January on 1st Sundays, we're doing a similar council in 3rd hour for Priesthood, Relief Society."

The first Sunday council meeting is not really like the teachers council meeting.   I'm imagining it being similar to the current first Sunday presidency lesson only much more interactive. 

Edited December 27, 2017 by ksfisher

[Duncan]

I did teacher's council for a year,  I think like most meetings they have benefit in the short run, what the attendees remember a year later who knows but since I got released the new person hasn't done them so who knows what it happening now but not my monkey not my circus

[Scott Lloyd]

8 minutes ago, mnn727 said:

Scott: I got nothing garbled, nowhere did I say the Teachers council was going away or being replaced, and no where (other than partially in jest) did I say the Church was eliminating the 3 hour block.

 

Your thread title is "Elminating the three-hour block." It's hard to view that as anything other than either an assertion that the three-hour block is being eliminated or that this will be a thread in which its elimination is being advocated.

Furthermore, your assertion "I guess the Church is eliminating the 3 hour block - one council meeting at a time" conveys the idea, factual or not, that you believe the Church is eliminating the three-hour block and that you somehow attribute this to the innovation of the new third-hour curriculum.

Quote

I did ask the question (which you may have missed) if anyone's Ward was getting any measurable results from the "council meetings" because its not happening here.

I didn't miss it. I didn't respond, because I don't know what you have in mind with the phrase "measurable results," and I'm not in a position to respond, because I currently don't have a teaching calling, nor do I attend the monthly teacher council meeting.

I do  have something of a sense of what is intended by this meeting (and council meetings in general in the Church). Thus, I would say that if it is failing in your "corner of Zion," perhaps some members of your ward need to work on practicing Zion principles -- including not skipping out on meetings at which one is expected to be in attendance.

 

[Robert F. Smith]

1 hour ago, mnn727 said:

So, last year we started having a Teachers Council on the 3rd Sundays in 2nd and 3rd hour -- in my Ward, it really hasn't done anything and many members started leaving Church Early that Sunday.

Starting in January on 1st Sundays, we're doing a similar council in 3rd hour for Priesthood, Relief Society.

I guess the Church is eliminating the 3 hour block - one council meeting at a time.

- - - - 

My question is this: Is anyone's Ward actually getting measurable results out of these "council meetings"?

The teachers' council is in addition to the other meetings, which are supposed to go on as scheduled.  There is no reason for anyone to leave.  Something is haywire in your ward.

[Amulek]

1 hour ago, mnn727 said:

My question is this: Is anyone's Ward actually getting measurable results out of these "council meetings"?

For the teacher council meetings, I think they tend to be like any other meeting in the church. If you aren't interested in attending them and think you won't get anything out of them, then - odds are - you're probably going to be right.

 

[Hamba Tuhan]

2 hours ago, mnn727 said:

My question is this: Is anyone's Ward actually getting measurable results out of these "council meetings"?

As ward mission leader (who teaches the Gospel Principles Sunday school class), I attend teacher council meeting each month in the third hour. I love these meetings. They are attended each month by our gospel doctrine teacher, our youth Sunday school teacher, our seminary teacher, and some of our primary teachers. Because we meet at the end of the block, we've got into the bad habit of running overtime -- something we did two Sundays ago by many minutes -- but we find it hard to end our discussions sometimes. I guess that's one way of 'measuring' our results? I agree with Scott and Robert: something is haywire in your ward.

[Meerkat]

11 hours ago, mnn727 said:

So, last year we started having a Teachers Council on the 3rd Sundays in 2nd and 3rd hour -- in my Ward, it really hasn't done anything and many members started leaving Church Early that Sunday.

Starting in January on 1st Sundays, we're doing a similar council in 3rd hour for Priesthood, Relief Society.

I guess the Church is eliminating the 3 hour block - one council meeting at a time.

- - - - 

My question is this: Is anyone's Ward actually getting measurable results out of these "council meetings"?

The short answer is a resounding YES!!!!! It takes a few meetings to get comfortable with it.  When it is working, the results are spectacular.  It won't happen if people choose not to attend.  I say it is one of the best meetings in the Church, and key to what we are trying to do for our families.  It isn't what you think.

The Teachers Council Meeting that some teachers are missing out on has a specific purpose.  It is part of a years long roll out that may have started with Elder Ballard's book "Counselling with Councils." Then the Missionaries learned how to teach principles rather than memorization through "Preach My Gospel." The next phase was the youth Sunday School Curriculum, "Come Unto Me."  Once proven as a superior way to connect with class members for discussion and learning, it was presented to the Sunday School as " Teaching in the Saviors Way," which includes a monthly teachers council meeting.  In 2018, the Church is bringing this style of discussion to all adults once per month.

This is NOT the old Teachers Development Program.  It is a truly inspired way to teach teachers, families, and ultimately all members of the Church (including our vulnerable youth) how to teach AND LEARN in the Saviors way.  That means connecting with our class members on a deep spiritual level, building Testimony.  Same goes for our neighbors and friends.  Most important, we learn how to connect with our family members this way.

Those who don't give this meetings chance are harming themselves.  We members of the Church are teaching all the time.  These are inspired skills the Lord has given us to learn how to more effectively bring the Spirit and testimonies into our homes and the lives of our family members and others.  Using these skills will help save our families and bring Christ into their lives.  Please encourage the Teachers Council Meeting in your ward.  Attend it for several months.  I promise you will see improvement in your teaching.  I wish I had these skills when my children were at home.

Please, give it several months.  It takes that long for everyone to get used to each other and see the wonderful synergy that happens when we participate.  You won't regret it.  It is not what you think.  It is far better.  In my opinion, it is another testimony that the Gospel is true and Christ is leading this Church.

Thanks for your time!

Meerkat

Edited December 28, 2017 by Meerkat