I learned in church today

[TexTechCoug]

I learned that someone, apparently, is building a giant clock in the Rocky Mountains that is supposed to run for 10,000 years. I'm still not clear what the speaker was getting at, but that is the one part of the talk I can recall, so it must have been important.

[Eddie]

Does your SP force the AP quorums to be driven around by their fathers to collect FOs? When something like that occurred in one of your old stakes, the then SP mobilized the entire AP. It wasn't good enough to have a single deacon knock at the door, he had to an AP companion which required most of the AP to participate. That was difficult, but another problem was getting enough adult drivers. We requested to do the fast offering routes after church at a more convenient time for members and drivers but that would have required a clerk and bishopric member to come back to the church to count it - and they didn't want to do that. So we had to disturb members while they were getting ready for church and with a shortage of drivers because many fathers were involved in church meetings before church while we attempted to collect fast offerings. When we explained the driver shortage problem, it was suggested that the AP could ride bikes, which was not practical. The end result was AP kids wondering why they had to do this because many members blew them off at the doorstep and said they were going to pay FO with tithing. Many just didn't answer the door. The Bishop's wife was one that often said she was going to pay FO with her tithing despite her husband instructing otherwise to all members from the pulpit. Fun times.

We use all of the AP and usually 5-6 Elders as well. We don't have very many YM. Too many small homes/apartments combined with elderly living in the larger homes. They can walk or drive - it isn't a huge area since we are in Utah, but many prefer driving to the general area and then walk the route. Luckily, our Bishop is totally fine with people deciding to pay with their tithing and the Stake President hasn't said anything different at this point. However, he is of the opinion that every family who doesn't say "don't come back" or doesn't say they will pay with their tithing should get a fast offering visit. Active, inactive, we'll even visit the non-member homes at least once when they move in.

Yeah, I live in the Mormon stronghold of NE Orem, so I've got to adjust my perspective. I remember living in other areas where the door to door was important.

I live in a Mormon stronghold, but there are still some inactive members here. Our Bishop likes to tell the young men that for some of these less active members their visit might be the only time they have the priesthood in their home the whole month, so it's important to visit them and see how they're doing. We'll have some people who won't let home teachers visit and won't even answer the door for the Bishopric or Elder's Quorum, but will answer the door for the AP, and will even donate.

[SCcoug]

I learned that someone, apparently, is building a giant clock in the Rocky Mountains that is supposed to run for 10,000 years. I'm still not clear what the speaker was getting at, but that is the one part of the talk I can recall, so it must have been important.

I thought it was in Texas.

[Dwight Schr-ute]

Why would you not pay with your tithing?

Because not enough members were paying FO with tithing. It was found that more FO were collected when AP knocked on members doors. For full disclosure, there were some members who rarely attended church meetings but would donate FO when the AP showed up to collect. One time, my son and his partner were invited inside a home. After about 5 minutes waiting, I grew concerned and turned off the car and knocked. Inside, the member was cleaning his guns which the deacons took great interest in. They lost track of time. The guy was very friendly and asked us to be sure and stop by next month. He admitted to missing a lot of church due to his passion for hunting.

We went through a similar emphasis about a year ago. The AP had been ringing doorbells on Fast Sunday long before that (after church) but were getting the same response (either no answer or told that they pay with tithing), so the bishop encouraged members to stop paying FOs with tithing because it's the AP's responsibility to collect FOs and if every pays with their tithing then we're taking away service opportunities for the AP. I'm not sure whether or not this message was coming down from the stake president, but it sure seemed pretty unnecessary.

[SandYFan]

We went through a similar emphasis about a year ago. The AP had been ringing doorbells on Fast Sunday long before that (after church) but were getting the same response (either no answer or told that they pay with tithing), so the bishop encouraged members to stop paying FOs with tithing because it's the AP's responsibility to collect FOs and if every pays with their tithing then we're taking away service opportunities for the AP. I'm not sure whether or not this message was coming down from the stake president, but it sure seemed pretty unnecessary.

I'm going to stop mowing my lawn and raking my leaves so as not to take away service opportunities from the AP.

[Moliere]

We recently cut back on the routes and homes visited by the AP. The stake asked us to make sure the boys go in pairs, which prompted the bishop to cut the routes and homes by 2/3. He just asked every active member to pay with their thing so as not to over burden those that have the duty to collect. So now the deacons visit members that can't always make it or are totally inactive but who do pay fast offerings.

[creekster]

We went through a similar emphasis about a year ago. The AP had been ringing doorbells on Fast Sunday long before that (after church) but were getting the same response (either no answer or told that they pay with tithing), so the bishop encouraged members to stop paying FOs with tithing because it's the AP's responsibility to collect FOs and if every pays with their tithing then we're taking away service opportunities for the AP. I'm not sure whether or not this message was coming down from the stake president, but it sure seemed pretty unnecessary.

Our ward takes a different approach. Our bishop periodically asks members (over the pulpit and also in tithing settlement) if they would like to have the YM come to their doors to seek FO. The auxiliaries also identify some families who are inactive but are responsive to FO requests at their door. These are the only persons the YM visit. It is a total group of about 10-12 houses. Parents take turns driving two pairs of AP YM each fast Sunday. Not too hard. Not too much time. Some service. It seems to work well for us.

[Paperback Writer]

We went through a similar emphasis about a year ago. The AP had been ringing doorbells on Fast Sunday long before that (after church) but were getting the same response (either no answer or told that they pay with tithing), so the bishop encouraged members to stop paying FOs with tithing because it's the AP's responsibility to collect FOs and if every pays with their tithing then we're taking away service opportunities for the AP. I'm not sure whether or not this message was coming down from the stake president, but it sure seemed pretty unnecessary.

I wish Bishops would just ask members what would work best for them. Maybe as part of tithing settlement or something. I didn't mind driving YM around town to collect FO. That's part of how all of my sons learned to drive. A 15-16 year old would drive with me in the car and a younger brother in the back seat. There's not a lot of traffic on Sundays. But they would get discouraged because many members didn't want to be bothered by a knock on their door and the Bishop instructed AP to knock on every door even if a family stated they always paid FO with their tithing. Why not just ask members for their FO payment preference? That why the AP are only knocking on doors of families who have requested them to visit.

Edit: good to read that creekster's ward is on top of things. wish best practice stuff like this would get correlated.

[Dwight Schr-ute]

We recently cut back on the routes and homes visited by the AP. The stake asked us to make sure the boys go in pairs, which prompted the bishop to cut the routes and homes by 2/3. He just asked every active member to pay with their thing so as not to over burden those that have the duty to collect. So now the deacons visit members that can't always make it or are totally inactive but who do pay fast offerings.

Although creative, I just don't see how this would make a difference.

[Uncle Ted]

Although creative, I just don't see how this would make a difference.

I am not going to ask how that works.

[creekster]

I am not going to ask how that works.

Typos like Moliere's, and my reaction to them, make me realize that my wife is correct: I never really grew up.

[Dwight Schr-ute]

I am not going to ask how that works.

Come to Vegas. Lots of people do that here.

[Uncle Ted]

Come to Vegas. Lots of people do that here.

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas (I hope).

[Moliere]

Although creative, I just don't see how this would make a difference.

[RC Vikings]

I wish Bishops would just ask members what would work best for them. Maybe as part of tithing settlement or something. I didn't mind driving YM around town to collect FO. That's part of how all of my sons learned to drive. A 15-16 year old would drive with me in the car and a younger brother in the back seat. There's not a lot of traffic on Sundays. But they would get discouraged because many members didn't want to be bothered by a knock on their door and the Bishop instructed AP to knock on every door even if a family stated they always paid FO with their tithing. Why not just ask members for their FO payment preference? That why the AP are only knocking on doors of families who have requested them to visit.

Edit: good to read that creekster's ward is on top of things. wish best practice stuff like this would get correlated.

Just a questionnaire passed around the ward with two questions would really help

1. Do you need the deacons to come to your home to collect FO's.

2. Do you want Home Teachers.