Experimental wards

[SoonerCoug]

How cool is it that the Church has all these experimental stakes and wards where they try out new things and then analyze the data? I'm specifically thinking about the new YSA wards and how they produced data that fewer YSAs left the Church in the newly structured wards.

What kinds of things do you wish the Church would test (besides 2-hour church)?

[scottie]

Once-a-month services.

[Donuthole]

I thought this thread was titled "Experimental Words" in which case I was going to suggest gunction. It's unction, but not just everyday unction; it's unction with gumption.

[SoonerCoug]

The other thing that stands out to me about these experimental wards is that they are the greatest example of how the Church operates much more like a business than as a revelation-driven entity.

[Paperback Writer]

These are more “policy” experimentation rather than “ward” experimentation but effect two key aspects of a ward. The boundaries or who attends (like YSA wards) and who leads.
1 - Membership oversight of ward boundaries. A representative committee of lay members (male & female) to recommend ward boundaries when changes or ward spits are needed. That way an established subdivision doesn't get split into different wards just to pluck a Bishop; an elementary school with 18 LDS kids enrolled doesn’t get split between 3 wards; and a family with in-laws living on the opposite side of a street do not get assigned to different wards.
An an odd coincidence that this didn’t happen to any families of SP members (when it well could have) but impacted other families in the stake. Evidence that any exploratory committee was likely comprised of SP members and their wives.

2-Election of Bishops. Let a ward nominate a handful of (unlucky) men to be the new Bishop. And if they then accept the nomination, allow ward members to vote for a new Bishop. The voting could be done anonymously via the internet.
Unfortunately I’ve had some rather poor Bishops but many more good ones. The poor ones would never have been nominated by their ward let alone won an election. That the "good" Bishops were excellent was no surprise either to ward members.

Per the above suggestions, a reform that I would like to see in the LDS church is more input from the lay members. In the US we have a representative form of government where the population gets to vote on leaders and laws/issues or their elected representatives get to vote. But the LDS church is very much hierarchal, authoritarian, and at times nepotistic; as if they don’t trust the masses. It’s as if the oldest standing senator accedes to the presidency and then appoints all governors and the governors then appoint all mayors - no elections taking place.

[Sullyute]

What kinds of things do you wish the Church would test (besides 2-hour church)?

I would love to see them test stakes with less leadership, i.e. no stake sunday school presidency, no stake young men or young women presidencies. Do we really need these callings?

What about drive up windows on the bishops office, so that you don't have to get out of your car for tithing settlement?

Install racket ball courts instead of basketball courts or maybe install an indoor batting cage?

How about retrofitting all the chalk boards in my Church building with white boards?

How about retrofitting all of the classroom doors with windows?

How about getting better folding chairs so it is possible to sit longer than 5 minutes without getting a backache?

Those are just a few...

[Paperback Writer]

I would love to see them test stakes with less leadership, i.e. no stake sunday school presidency, no stake young men or young women presidencies. Do we really need these callings?

Excellent idea. It would allow more members to serve in their home wards where many are really needed.

What about drive up windows on the bishops office, so that you don't have to get out of your car for tithing settlement?

Is face-to-face even needed? Give members choices. Those that want to sign up for a face-to-face appointment with the Bishop so junior can tell him he paid a full tithe and get a proud nod by Mom and Dad can do so. Otherwise, an email reply to the tithing question should suffice.

Install racket ball courts instead of basketball courts or maybe install an indoor batting cage?

That's plain blasphemy! I haven't had time to check the facts but much of the declining activity in the chuch has to be due to padded carpet BB courts instead of wood. I do like the idea of racquetball courts and softball fields/batting cages (I participate in both sports) but not at the expense of wooden BB courts. Plus I fear only Utah will get them...just like how they get all the admirable LDS Architecture while the rest of the country languishes with abhorrent or vanilla building designs.

How about retrofitting all the chalk boards in my Church building with white boards?

A start but not far enough. More WiFi (without the firewall issues) is needed along with laptop projectors. This would add much to classroom instruction. For example, actually showing maps and pictures of "the road to Jericho" rather than having some teacher try to draw it on a chalkboard while another member tries to describe it to the rest of the class.

How about retrofitting all of the classroom doors with windows?

That's already happened in my stake. Along with a 2-deep-buddy system instructors. Lots of rumors there but I thought this was directed from SLC.

How about getting better folding chairs so it is possible to sit longer than 5 minutes without getting a backache?

Again, a good start. But how about larger chapels with more padded pews? Every meeting goes into the overflow areas. Doesn't that tell you something? But padded chairs is a must. Why is it that the RS room only gets them?!

[Pheidippides]

I did tithing settlement by text last year. It was awesome.

[RC Vikings]

Full time paid bishop and just eliminate a lot of the other positions. I think people would kick in 12% for this to happen.

[Paperback Writer]

Full time paid bishop and just eliminate a lot of the other positions. I think people would kick in 12% for this to happen.

Only if home teaching is eliminated.

[RC Vikings]

Only if home teaching is eliminated.

It's his job, of course home teaching would be eliminated.

[Sullyute]

Full time paid bishop and just eliminate a lot of the other positions. I think people would kick in 12% for this to happen.

Only if home teaching is eliminated.

It's his job, of course home teaching would be eliminated.

If I am going to get a visit from the bishop each month then I want my extra 2% back.

[Jim Swarthout]

1. End the requirement that couples in the US who get married civilly first must wait one year before getting sealed.

2. I don't like the idea of a paid bishop, but I would support paid instructors so that Sunday School classes were more like Institute classes.

3. Allow for the use of audio/visual devices during Sacrament meeting talks.

4. Do away with the practice of extending callings based on "revelation." Simply ask for volunteers from the pulpit (e.g. "We need a Primary teacher, those who are interested please see Sister so-and-so.")

5. Dismantle home teaching. Good idea, but terrible execution.

6. Greater focus to congregations providing meaningful service that benefits the community at large rather than just the insular LDS congregation. How rad would it be if every fourth Sunday was devoted providing meaningful community service instead of a 3-hour block?

7. Make humanitarian service missions available in addition to traditional proselyting missions. Some kids may not want to teach the discussions, but many may want to build wells.

Pipe dreams.

[Lost Student]

The other thing that stands out to me about these experimental wards is that they are the greatest example of how the Church operates much more like a business than as a revelation-driven entity.

What if the idea to have experimental wards came by revelation?

[pellegrino]

my experiment would be simple: remove the WoW question from the temple recommend interview.