Problems with how my ward collects fast offerings...

[YOhio]

Actually, that little vignette will be actthree comic relief in the movie of Y's life.

That's sacrilegious. Neither scriptures or modern revelation say anything about movies of our lives.

[kccougar]

We had opposite demographics but the same problem in our ward. Our ward is relatively small and is very well established, but we also have VERY few young men. Recognizing that collection of fast offerings was a burden on the young men, but not wanting the boys to miss out on the opportunity, as explained by IndyCoug above, our Bishop asked many of the very active members to contribute fast offerings with their tithing, and they were removed from the routes.

The deacons still have an assignment to fulfill, but it is manageable, and some of the less active members who have limited contact with the church still get a visit from the deacons (they also deliver our ward newsletter when they collect fast offerings).

[creekster]

That's sacrilegious. Neither scriptures or modern revelation say anything about movies of our lives.

I always fill in the gaps of my knowledge with ALbert Brooks movies.

[wuapinmon]

I think it's wasteful to drive around to collect fast offerings. Pay it with your tithing. How much fuel do we waste doing something that could be accomplished without any environmental cost. I'm being serious. If I had to drive around my car to houses in my ward, it'd cost me about 3-4 gallons of gas each time. I hated having to do it the one year I was still a youth after I joined the Church.

[creekster]

I think it's wasteful to drive around to collect fast offerings. Pay it with your tithing. How much fuel do we waste doing something that could be accomplished without any environmental cost. I'm being serious. If I had to drive around my car to houses in my ward, it'd cost me about 3-4 gallons of gas each time. I hated having to do it the one year I was still a youth after I joined the Church.

for us it is only about 4-6 miles tolta driving, so its nto too bad.

[il Padrino Ute]

The collection of fast-offerings is an archaic practice that is no longer needed. The only reason why it's done is simply as a means of giving deacons something to help them understand about what a pain in the ass it is to serve, but you do it anyway.

Agreed.

There are so few deacons in our ward that the teachers have been asked to help. My son misses the one year break he got from the collection of fast offerings.

[statman]

I have a calling with the young men in my ward.

As a little background, I live in one of the "expanding" areas of Utah in a subdivision that's about five years old, and isn't completely built out yet. That means the following things:

a. There is constant change. Aside from the steady stream of new move-ins - member and non-member - the ward recently split, and new homes and streets are being completed all the time. There's also a fair amount of move-outs. It's a real struggle to get to know people in the ward since nobody has been settled in very long.

b. The ward is extremely young. The bishop is in his mid-30s and one of his counselors is about a decade younger. The primary is massive. There are about half a dozen boys in the deacons quorum on an average week. There are roughly 2-3 active teachers, and virtually no active priests.

c. There is a slightly higher percentage of non-members in the neighborhood than is typical for the region as a whole.

Now, I have two real issues with how the bishop has directed the Aaronic priesthood to collect fast offerings.

First of all, because there are only six or seven boys that are available on a given fast Sunday, the boys are asked to bring their dads along and go out knocking with them. Aside from taking a parent out of the home for an extra hour once a month, that's not such a big deal to me. But, inevitably, one or more of the boys doesn't have an available Dad. In that case, they're paired up with a young mens leader. That means a leader and a boy on their own, often in a car. No, it's not the end of the world, but it does seem like a clear violation of church policy, and very unprudent in this day and age.

Second of all, the bishop has instructed the clerk to make a donation envelope for every lot in the subdivision, and for the YM to go to every single house in ward boundaries, whether they are members of record or not. The YM president said we're doing this because there might be members we "don't know about" yet or mistakes in records. I suppose that's possible, but really what has ended up happening is we're knocking on a lot of doors of non-members and asking them to donate to our church. As if all the other issues a non-member has to deal with in Mormon Central, USA weren't enough, they now have church representatives on their front doors once a month asking for money.

Am I the only one who thinks that's a little inappropriate, and could do more harm than good?

You don't live in Traverse Mountain in Lehi, do you?

That could be my ward (except we have no teachers and 2 or 3 active priests - two of them are my sons).

[statman]

Agreed.

There are so few deacons in our ward that the teachers have been asked to help. My son misses the one year break he got from the collection of fast offerings.

All the YM do it in our ward - plus an equal number of Melch Priesthood who drive them around. Tthe poor in the ward need the $$$. And they go out TWICE a month. If you didn't give a donation on Fast Sunday, they come back the next week and ask again...

[creekster]

All the YM do it in our ward - plus an equal number of Melch Priesthood who drive them around. Tthe poor in the ward need the $$$. And they go out TWICE a month. If you didn't give a donation on Fast Sunday, they come back the next week and ask again...

WHat? You mean your ward keeps a list of whoever didnt donate and then goes BACK?

[statman]

WHat? You mean your ward keeps a list of whoever didnt donate and then goes BACK?

Yup...

I think if you told them you didn't want to donate, or if they donated in their tithing envelope, they wouldn't come back. But I really don't know.

They;ll be back at my house this Sunday. My wife was at the pharmacy on Sunday and had the checkbook with her. I had to tell the YM at my door (my son) to come by next week...

[creekster]

Yup...

That would annoy me greatly. I don't think that list should be kept.

[statman]

That would annoy me greatly. I don't think that list should be kept.

Thge bishop is a good guy. He announced that he was going to do it, and sold it pretty well. There really are a lot of people in need right now. I don't really have a problem with it. The YM voice the most concern...

[Art Vandelay]

Interesting reading how things are done in different areas. I'm not big on bugging people who don't want to be bugged, but I do think there is value in service for the deacons. We have 12-14 deacons currently, so we send them out in pairs with a driver (we are a small ward, but not small enough to walk, probably an extra 2-3 miles on the odometer) to widows, or active families who we asked not to pay their FO with their tithing (yes I realize the counter-intuitiveness of this). Each route has 6 families, which they go visit on fast Sunday immediately after church (I have never heard of appointments or Saturday visits before, must be another Utah thing). One of the main reasons I did this is I will soon have a deacon and I think this is a good opportunity for him to perform and priesthood assignment.

[RC Vikings]

The collection of fast-offerings is an archaic practice that is no longer needed. The only reason why it's done is simply as a means of giving deacons something to help them understand about what a pain in the ass it is to serve, but you do it anyway.

That was pretty funny.

[DU Ute]

That was pretty funny.

Don't encourage him.