Post tithing settlement thoughts...

[hostile]

Imagine this instead of having the entire bishopric sit on their ass in a small room for 20 hours over two or three Sundays during the Holidays!

Your whole bishopric sits through the entire tithing settlement? That is brutal. Anyone else see the counsellors hanging out for tithing settlement? Ours is just the bishop and a clerk.

[falafel]

This rivals Creeksters summon in awesomeness.

Boo-Yah!

[pellegrino]

Why is a temple recommend every two years, but tithing settlement every year?

WTH? how am I supposed to answer that question, especially after being slobbered on by some mediocre looking chick?

the answer is that recently they changed the requirements for the frequency of temple recommend renewal. don't you remember that they both used to be annual events?

[Eddie]

...Also, why do you have to declare you are a full tithe payer in December? Why can't the bishop do that on a rolling basis during the year and let families (his and his bishopric's, most importantly) have more time during the year...

If I could wave a magic wand, this is what I would do...

Get rid of "tithing settlement". (WTF are we "settling," anyway?")

The bishop, on a yearly basis meets with each family for 20 or 30 minutes in his office. This could be done so that every week, he meets with one or two families...

I wonder if the annual December meeting is a hold-over from the days when families contributed to the ward's annual budget. I could see, at that time, why it was necessary to meet with families before the beginning of the new year.

I do like the idea of 30 minute visits with families throughout the year. That way families get to spend more time with the Bishop and potentially have a more meaningful relationship - if that is what they're looking for. I also wonder if something like that couldn't help cut off some issues that lead to eating up a lot of the Bishops time later on.

[Sullyute]

I wonder if the annual December meeting is a hold-over from the days when families contributed to the ward's annual budget. I could see, at that time, why it was necessary to meet with families before the beginning of the new year.

I do like the idea of 30 minute visits with families throughout the year. That way families get to spend more time with the Bishop and potentially have a more meaningful relationship - if that is what they're looking for. I also wonder if something like that couldn't help cut off some issues that lead to eating up a lot of the Bishops time later on.

How much autonomy does a bishop have over these types of things? Could he arrange for something like this in his ward and just have a email tithing settlement at the end of the year? How much say does a SP have over the way a Bishop, following the spirit, lead his flock?

I would love to hear from our bishops if they think a little preventative medicine would actually help to diminish future visits. I wouldn't think that there would be very much correlation of the two as most people are not going to bring up issue in a family setting that they might individually.

[Portland Ute]

Your whole bishopric sits through the entire tithing settlement? That is brutal. Anyone else see the counsellors hanging out for tithing settlement? Ours is just the bishop and a clerk.

Well, the Bishop, the clerk and at least one counselor.

I asked about it. I guess, because we insist on taking money all evening, a counselor has to be there to take the money. The clerk can not. However, there need to be two Melk Priesthood holders present while putting together the deposit and making the deposit.

There were times when both counselors were there. I have no idea why.

It seems like the biggest waste of time ever. It could all be done much more efficiently with far less time away from families during the Holidays.

Almost all of what is done during tithing settlement could be done at a different time or as part of other functions.

[wuapinmon]

WTH? how am I supposed to answer that question, especially after being slobbered on by some mediocre looking chick?

the answer is that recently they changed the requirements for the frequency of temple recommend renewal. don't you remember that they both used to be annual events?

Yeah, I know that, I was just wondering why they didn't make both of them biennial. I figured you or SIEQ would come back with, "Well, it is a corporation and these are revenues."

[Moliere]

Well, the Bishop, the clerk and at least one counselor.

I asked about it. I guess, because we insist on taking money all evening, a counselor has to be there to take the money. The clerk can not. However, there need to be two Melk Priesthood holders present while putting together the deposit and making the deposit.

There were times when both counselors were there. I have no idea why.

It seems like the biggest waste of time ever. It could all be done much more efficiently with far less time away from families during the Holidays.

Almost all of what is done during tithing settlement could be done at a different time or as part of other functions.

When I was WFC the bishop would just hold onto the donations until Sunday and then we'd run them through the normal deposit process. We are also told many, many times that we don't have to be fully paid up at TS time, we only have to be committed to being a full tithe payer by the end of hte year to declare a "full" tithe. It's made the process simpler, although I agree that we should do away with the whole process or simplify it.

[hostile]

How much autonomy does a bishop have over these types of things? Could he arrange for something like this in his ward and just have a email tithing settlement at the end of the year? How much say does a SP have over the way a Bishop, following the spirit, lead his flock?

I would love to hear from our bishops if they think a little preventative medicine would actually help to diminish future visits. I wouldn't think that there would be very much correlation of the two as most people are not going to bring up issue in a family setting that they might individually.

A few weeks ago there was a letter issued by the First Presidency to be read over the pulpit at Sacrament meeting. It basically encouraged members to be faithful in paying tithes and to be generous in other donations. It also encouraged members to meet with the bishop for yearly tithing settlement. I think the way things are generally done, with a year-end declaration, comes from Church HQ.

[DrumNFeather]

When I was the finance clerk, I had several of my friends in the ward come up to me and either say "so, I pay quarterly, so if you see my check and it's really big or really small, don't sweat it." Others flat out told me what they made to take the guesswork out of it. I found this to be incredibly odd. I think one of the great misunderstandings about the finance clerk calling is that they are sitting there taking copious notes (if only mentally) of how much other people in the ward make.

For me, I took the checks/cash, entered them into the computer and got out of there as fast as I could so I could watch football. Sure, the finance clerk knows a little bit more, but he's not sitting in the ward on Sunday mentally identifying and judging who the full tithe payers are.

[mUUser]

When I was the finance clerk, I had several of my friends in the ward come up to me and either say "so, I pay quarterly, so if you see my check and it's really big or really small, don't sweat it." Others flat out told me what they made to take the guesswork out of it. I found this to be incredibly odd. I think one of the great misunderstandings about the finance clerk calling is that they are sitting there taking copious notes (if only mentally) of how much other people in the ward make.

For me, I took the checks/cash, entered them into the computer and got out of there as fast as I could so I could watch football. Sure, the finance clerk knows a little bit more, but he's not sitting in the ward on Sunday mentally identifying and judging who the full tithe payers are.

Im uncomfortable that ANYONE in my ward has access to my tithing donations record, bishop included. Next year I plan to send tithing directly to SLC but keep fast offerings local.

[pellegrino]

Im uncomfortable that ANYONE in my ward has access to my tithing donations record, bishop included. Next year I plan to send tithing directly to SLC but keep fast offerings local.

I have heard that they are going to start sending that info to the local units.

[TripletDaddy]

I have heard that they are going to start sending that info to the local units.

Where did you hear this? I pay directly to SLC so I'm interested in what they do with the information.

[Moliere]

I have heard that they are going to start sending that info to the local units.

I've also heard they are close to having the systems capability to accept actual direct donations (instead of bill-pay checks being cut). Now if they would only accept AMEX cards so I could get credits back in miles.

[pellegrino]

Where did you hear this? I pay directly to SLC so I'm interested in what they do with the information.

a dude on CB made the statement, I sent him a message asking about it and he said a counselor in his bishopric is some big wig in COB IT dept who said that a change was coming. That's all he knew.

I can't see why they would do this nor what good it would do. I do the same thing and all I have to say is that I will loudly complain if they do start sharing the info with local leaders.