Home teaching Archives - Our Thoughts

My dream for home teaching

Kim Siever — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 22:52:40 +0000

My dream is to one day not have to assign home teachers in my quorum. Every quorum member would be so willing and proactive to help out the others out of love that it would be pointless to have to make assignments.

Visiting each other would be spontaneous. As would service and spiritual advice.

No stats would need to be collected. No phone calls made. No PPIs held. No reports printed for the bishop.

No one would have to stand up in elders quorum to arrange help for his moves. They would just have to announce the day and time and a tonne of people would show up. Even better, word would pass around spontaneously that a quorum member is moving and everyone would show up.

That’s what D&C 20:42 is all about.

Sigh.

How would you increase home teaching?

Kim Siever — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 01:23:56 +0000

If you were an elders quorum presidentâ€”or a high priest group leader for that matterâ€”what would you do to increase the amount of home teaching in your quorum or group? Why do you think those measures would increase home teaching?

Purpose of Home Teaching

Kim Siever

Have we lost the purpose of home teaching? Is home teaching supposed to be more than soclialising and reading a five-minute message? Is there any point in going at all if that is all it is? Is home teaching making a difference in church participation among the members? Are the home teachers seeing any benefit from going?

Home Teaching New Converts

Kim Siever

In this month’s Ensign, there is an article on creating effective elders quorums. In the article, there is a reference to an address given by L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. It was given in January 2003 worldwide leadership training meeting.

He spoke of small units in the Church. The counsel also fits when a home teaching base is small. Active home teachers should be assigned according to need, focusing first on new converts. Total coverage may not be achieved for some time. Elder Perry’s counsel was: “If, as priesthood leaders, you only help your members keep their covenants with the Lord, you have done measurably what you are expected to do.” (p. 33)

So if the Church gave training to ward leaders to make sure home teaching was focused first on new converts, and thereafter making assignments based on need, why do ward and stake leaders still make such unattainable goals as 100% home teaching?

It cannot be because they want to improve home teaching because such goals/programmes never (or at least rarely) result in any sustained improvement.

I can see the wisdom of the Church trying to change the focus of home teaching from quantity to quality. Something like this, if actually practised, can do a lot to change the perception of home teachers that home teaching is less about something that they have to do and more about being something that nourishes others.