nuclearfuels Posted March 3 Share Posted March 3 Our ward lost 17 families during the summer before covid. I'd like to have our boundaries updated since we never repalced those 17 and maybe recieved 5 families, over time. Also our wards boundaries were changed about 6 years ago since our Primary had 100 kids and we had two elder's quorums. In our stake, some other wards/branches combine thier auxiliaries. When our ward tried that in the past though, we were rejected by the other ward, probably becuase we're like the ward people attend when they have no other option. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/36-creating-changing-and-naming-new-units?lang=eng Minimum Requirements to Create a Ward U.S. and Canada All other countries Number of members (active and less active) 300 150 Number of active, full-tithe-paying Melchizedek Priesthood holders capable of serving in leadership positions 1 for every 20 members (active and less active). There must be a minimum of 20. 1 for every 20 members (active and less active). There must be a minimum of 15. Link to comment
bluebell Posted March 3 Share Posted March 3 Your title made me laugh out loud. But I'm not exactly sure what you are trying to sabotage? 2 Link to comment
mfbukowski Posted March 3 Share Posted March 3 Uh, tell ya what. Help our ward first, work for 7 years, and then I'll be happy ta give y'all a hand! 4 Link to comment
LoudmouthMormon Posted March 3 Share Posted March 3 Don’t leave us hanging, at least share what acts of sabotage you are asking us to commit… 3 Link to comment
Kenngo1969 Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 Perhaps he wants us to come up with ideas to facilitate the dissolution of the ward so that it can be absorbed into other units? (Just guessing. Honestly, I have no idea ...) 1 Link to comment
bsjkki Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 Sounds like my ward. Lost tons of families over covid. We usually have a high turnover but people are not moving in. Primary was 84 and now about 40. Increasing home costs could be a factor. Having huge problems staffing primary. We once combined wards for youth activities. It didn’t go well. 2 Link to comment
Chum Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 On 3/3/2022 at 1:08 PM, bluebell said: Your title made me laugh out loud. But I'm not exactly sure what you are trying to sabotage? Agree. It's a solid title. I'm a bit fuzzy on the rest of it but I'm sure I applaud something in there. 2 Link to comment
bsjkki Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 5 hours ago, Kenngo1969 said: Perhaps he wants us to come up with ideas to facilitate the dissolution of the ward so that it can be absorbed into other units? (Just guessing. Honestly, I have no idea ...) I would love that to happen to my ward. It has struggled since it’s creation. 2 Link to comment
Rain Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 You're in that ward in our stake right? The one that is tiny and struggling so instead of redoing boundaries and evening out the huge ward and the tiny ward they had a stake fast for increased members in the tiny ward. 2 Link to comment
bsjkki Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 12 minutes ago, Rain said: You're in that ward in our stake right? The one that is tiny and struggling so instead of redoing boundaries and evening out the huge ward and the tiny ward they had a stake fast for increased members in the tiny ward. 🤦♀️ We had the stake come in and blame us for our size struggles and tell us heroic tales of massive missionary work and if we only had faith we would grow. This was about 8 years ago. It is not the 1800’s. Talk about setting unrealistic goals. After the dismal failure of the combining youth with another ward, they adjusted our boundaries and things got much better. But, since covid, we are on a steady decline downward again. Some wards in our stake are massive. Neighborhoods go through phases. 2 Link to comment
The Nehor Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 I think our Stake Presidency thinks that each ward split gives them bonus points for exaltation. It is the only reason I can think of that they keep creating more wards. I put in my guess when the latest split will lead to leadership sniffing around our ward for people to put in their leadership. Link to comment
Rain Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 (edited) 9 hours ago, bsjkki said: 🤦♀️ We had the stake come in and blame us for our size struggles and tell us heroic tales of massive missionary work and if we only had faith we would grow. This was about 8 years ago. It is not the 1800’s. Talkhi about setting unrealistic goals. After the dismal failure of the combining youth with another ward, they adjusted our boundaries and things got much better. But, since covid, we are on a steady decline downward again. Some wards in our stake are massive. Neighborhoods go through phases. Here's the big problem of trying to grow a ward through missionary work. If the ward is already struggling who is going to do all the increased missionary discussions? Who is being the friend? Who is spending extra time helping the new members? Don't get me wrong. All these things ARE GOOD things and it's ok if that is how a ward decides to do it. It's just when a ward is already overwhelmed it doesn't make sense for the stake to fast and pray for the ward to get new members who require more attention, especially since it won't be the other stake members, for the most part, taking on the extra work. It's like praying for your struggling, chronically ill sister who has 2 kids to get pregnant with another child to help her as her disease progresses. Edited March 5 by Rain 2 Link to comment
Bernard Gui Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 (edited) Visiting our old ward in Washington, we sadly found that the Church in the Puget Sound area is losing membership because of the large number of members leaving the state to move to more hospitable areas. 22 families from my sister-in-law’s ward over the past year, for example. One friend said over 1600 members have moved out of his area, most to Utah, Texas, and Arizona. Tacoma South Stake was dissolved and several wards dissolved or combined in our old neighborhood for this reason. Edited March 5 by Bernard Gui 2 Link to comment
Chum Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 12 hours ago, bsjkki said: 18 hours ago, Kenngo1969 said: Perhaps he wants us to come up with ideas to facilitate the dissolution of the ward so that it can be absorbed into other units? I would love that to happen to my ward. It has struggled since it’s creation. Our stake tried that with us but it never took root or caught fire or whatever was supposed to follow. Our stake divided the ward and the adjacent ward grew and prospered. Three times the stake grafted active sections back onto ours and each time that section became less active. A generation after the split, they recombined the two. I think the lesson is we can't graft in vision and passion - especially if those qualities are unsettling to the existing members. 2 Link to comment
rpn Posted March 6 Share Posted March 6 Having served in a tiny branch for three years, I can think of good reasons to celebrate wherever you are in size department. Yes it can be hard for the youth. But we've lived two years of home church and we know that the most important work we do is in our home. 2 Link to comment
nuclearfuels Posted March 6 Author Share Posted March 6 On 3/3/2022 at 1:08 PM, bluebell said: not exactly sure what you are trying to sabotage? Hoping to speed the decreasing size to the point where we get new boundaries or combine with an adjacent ward Link to comment
nuclearfuels Posted March 6 Author Share Posted March 6 On 3/3/2022 at 3:00 PM, LoudmouthMormon said: Don’t leave us hanging, at least share what acts of sabotage you are asking us to commit… Hoping to speed the decreasing size to the point where we get new boundaries or combine with an adjacent ward Link to comment
nuclearfuels Posted March 6 Author Share Posted March 6 On 3/4/2022 at 8:42 PM, Kenngo1969 said: Perhaps he wants us to come up with ideas to facilitate the dissolution of the ward so that it can be absorbed into other units? (Just guessing. Honestly, I have no idea ...) Bingo Hoping to speed the decreasing size to the point where we get new boundaries or combine with an adjacent ward Link to comment
nuclearfuels Posted March 6 Author Share Posted March 6 On 3/5/2022 at 1:53 AM, bsjkki said: I would love that to happen to my ward. Honestly - I feel more accepted and accepting in other wards in the stake My vibe attracts my tribe 1 Link to comment
nuclearfuels Posted March 6 Author Share Posted March 6 On 3/5/2022 at 12:14 PM, Bernard Gui said: 22 families from my sister-in-law’s ward over the past year, for example. One friend said over 1600 members have moved out of his area, most to Utah, Texas, and Arizona. Tacoma South Stake was dissolved and several wards dissolved or combined in our old neighborhood for this reason. EXODUS Link to comment
Chum Posted March 6 Share Posted March 6 On 3/5/2022 at 12:14 PM, Bernard Gui said: over 1600 members have moved out of his area, most to Utah, Texas, and Arizona. A primary driver of move-aways looks to be the skyrocketing cost of housing. People (who can) migrate and that further escalates the housing crisis at those destinations. We're in a really brutal cycle. On 3/5/2022 at 12:14 PM, Bernard Gui said: Tacoma South Stake was dissolved Man. That was a young stake. It feels like life overtook it before it could really establish itself. 2 Link to comment
strappinglad Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 I think that the aftermath of covid will have major effects on ward makeup and boundary lines. Link to comment
LoudmouthMormon Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 On 3/6/2022 at 10:25 AM, nuclearfuels said: Hoping to speed the decreasing size to the point where we get new boundaries or combine with an adjacent ward That one episode of The Simpsons gave two suggestions for good Christian folk who want to get rid of folks... 2 Link to comment
LoudmouthMormon Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 Seriously, though, my ward finally topped 200 attendance (in-person + virtual) for the first time in 2 years. Same week our governor said the words "endemic" and "live normal lives" Link to comment
nuclearfuels Posted March 10 Author Share Posted March 10 On 3/7/2022 at 12:29 PM, LoudmouthMormon said: That one episode of The Simpsons gave two suggestions for good Christian folk who want to get rid of folks... God has prepared a way for my own Exodus to another ward - one which I feel resonates much more w/ me and my soul and faith Come what may to the ward I am in but attend as a visitor - kind of like He walks amongs us but is not one of us, from LOST Link to comment
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