Question about church attendance requirements

[thesaint258]

For you guys with a Church Handbook: my girlfriend and I want to start going to church with each other, but her bishop has a rule that you have to attend seventy percent of your meetings to be considered active. Is that the Church's rule, or just her bishop's? Could he withhold a temple recommend based on that rule?

[doctorcoug]

For you guys with a Church Handbook: my girlfriend and I want to start going to church with each other, but her bishop has a rule that you have to attend seventy percent of your meetings to be considered active. Is that the Church's rule, or just her bishop's? Could he withhold a temple recommend based on that rule?

I'd find another girl...that type of attendance demanding is surely met with demands for weekly FHE, scripture study, and tunnel singing.

[old_gregg]

how many steps does her bishop let members take on sundays?

[Non Sequitur]

Do most other Churches take attendance?

[Slim]

I don't have a church handbook of instruction but when my gf (now wife) and I were attending church together my bishop made me come to my wardrobe once a month.

[CardiacCoug]

For you guys with a Church Handbook: my girlfriend and I want to start going to church with each other, but her bishop has a rule that you have to attend seventy percent of your meetings to be considered active. Is that the Church's rule, or just her bishop's? Could he withhold a temple recommend based on that rule?

Probably a dumb question, but couldn't you both just go to her ward all the time? I guess your plan was to alternate wards huh?

By this definition, my Bishop would be considered inactive. Between conferences/vacations and being on-call as a physician he would probably be slightly under 70%.

I'm pretty sure attending once per month or more is a more formal definition of Church activity.

[thesaint258]

Do most other Churches take attendance?

I know my ward doesn't.

Probably a dumb question, but couldn't you both just go to her ward all the time? I guess your plan was to alternate wards huh?

By this definition, my Bishop would be considered inactive. Between conferences/vacations and being on-call as a physician he would probably be slightly under 70%.

I'm pretty sure attending once per month or more is a more formal definition of Church activity.

Yeah, the plan was to alternate wards, but her bishop's policy is killing that idea. Her bishop has never articulated the consequences for violating the policy, but she's worried that she might not be able to renew her temple recommend. We'll probably modify our plan because she doesn't want to make waves, but I don't think he can deny her a temple recommend based on his own idea of what "active" means.

[Green Monstah]

For you guys with a Church Handbook: my girlfriend and I want to start going to church with each other, but her bishop has a rule that you have to attend seventy percent of your meetings to be considered active. Is that the Church's rule, or just her bishop's? Could he withhold a temple recommend based on that rule?

I was asked to leave an Institute class at the Mesa Community College institute building b/c the teacher was bragging (I can't think of a better word) that he withheld the TR of a young man who was going to church at his fiancee's ward. They had to postpone their wedding, etc. He was so damn proud of himself, and, the words "You are the biggest idiot I've ever met" came out of my mouth. So, while I'm sure there are sane priesthood leaders in your area, I'd definitely check on that.

[falafel]

I don't have a church handbook of instruction but when my gf (now wife) and I were attending church together my bishop made me come to my wardrobe once a month.

Sounds sexual.

[old_gregg]

Sounds sexual.

it's not, they were making regular trips to narnia.

[Uncle Ted]

The only question I can recall about attendance when getting a TR is:

Do you strive to keep the covenants you have made, to attend your sacrament and other meetings, and to keep your life in harmony with the laws and commandments of the gospel?

So I guess a bishop could be a hardass and hold you from getting a TR if he thinks you are not attending enough. As for 70% I have never heard that figured kicked around. It sounds like a benchmark that your bishop came up with.

IMHO, with single adults bishops and SPs should be happy that young single adults are attending any ward/stake especially if they are in the dating/marriage mood than if they are attending their ward considering the inactivity rate, etc. of this demographic.

[thesaint258]

IMHO, with single adults bishops and SPs should be happy that young single adults are attending any ward/stake especially if they are in the dating/marriage mood than if they are attending their ward considering the inactivity rate, etc. of this demographic.

Apparently, that makes too much sense for some people.

[byu71]

The only question I can recall about attendance when getting a TR is:



So I guess a bishop could be a hardass and hold you from getting a TR if he thinks you are not attending enough. As for 70% I have never heard that figured kicked around. It sounds like a benchmark that your bishop came up with.

IMHO, with single adults bishops and SPs should be happy that young single adults are attending any ward/stake especially if they are in the dating/marriage mood than if they are attending their ward considering the inactivity rate, etc. of this demographic.

Following the BYU model, kids that age can not be expected to act properly on their own. There has to be a set of rules and serious consequences if those rules are broken.

Knowing how college kids are and especially in the 60's when the model was designed, not so sure it isn't a good model if you are in a position to enforce it.

[Uncle Ted]

Following the BYU model, kids that age can not be expected to act properly on their own. There has to be a set of rules and serious consequences if those rules are broken.

Knowing how college kids are and especially in the 60's when the model was designed, not so sure it isn't a good model if you are in a position to enforce it.

Yes, setting boundaries with kids is good.

I heard that our SP gets a report of home teachers that haven't been home teaching during the last quarter. Therefore, I do my home teaching (at least) once a quarter.

[Paperback Writer]

A tale of two Bishops

I was asked to leave an Institute class at the Mesa Community College institute building b/c the teacher was bragging (I can't think of a better word) that he withheld the TR of a young man who was going to church at his fiancee's ward. They had to postpone their wedding, etc. He was so damn proud of himself, and, the words "You are the biggest idiot I've ever met" came out of my mouth. So, while I'm sure there are sane priesthood leaders in your area, I'd definitely check on that.

My BYU Bishop coerced me to attend his ward every week during my engagement. My wife and I met while in a previous ward but we didn't start dating steadliy until I moved to be closer to campus. I was attending my new (assigned) ward about every other week but that wasn't good enough for this Bishop and he denied me a TR.

When I notified this Bishop that my offical records were still in my home ward back in Nebraska and that I would be getting my temple recommend from my home ward/stake he threatened not to sign my ecclesiastical endorsement for the following academic year so I wouldn't be able to register for classes. I thought about moving out of his ward and back into my old ward but, in the end, decided it was less hassle just to attend my assigned ward every week.

As a result, I ended up attending two blocks of meeting that semester since my (our) "old" Bishop wanted to see us every week. This Bishop had a good relationship with both of us; particularly my wife as he had been her Bishop for several years and had shepherded her from being totally inactive to being temple worthy.

Meanwhile, my assigned Bishop was quite proud that he forced me to attend his ward. In the end, he signed my TR and EE and I was able to keep our wedding date in the SLC temple and stay enrolled at BYU.