Defining "inactive"

[Swimmer]

I have been thinking about this lately, and was wondering what makes someone inactive? Obviously, It has to be more than simply not attending church, but I believe many people use that as the biggest determining factor. How does the church define it? Does anyone know?

[Donuthole]

I believe if you attend your priesthood or R.S. meeting at least once a quarter, you are technically active.

[beelzebabette]

I believe if you attend your priesthood or R.S. meeting at least once a quarter, you are technically active.

Dang. I knew Sunday School didn't count, but I thought I had to go to sacrament meeting as well. 280 more minutes/year to waste in front of the television.

[beefytee]

I thought the church did away with the term inactive and goes with the term less-active.

[All-American]

I think that is basically how the church defines it. Once a quarter.

[TripletDaddy]

Dang. I knew Sunday School didn't count, but I thought I had to go to sacrament meeting as well. 280 more minutes/year to waste in front of the television.

See, there it is again.

What is this "Sunday School" that everyone keeps talking about?

[smokymountainrain]

I think that is basically how the church defines it. Once a quarter.

I question whether or not the church defines inactive at all. What I can say is that on the quarterly reports if a person attends church once during that quarter, they are counted on the report as "attending". I think this is what DH was referring to.

That said, if you were to go to a PEC meeting anywhere in the church and they were discussing a person who had only been to church four times during the year, I can guarantee they would be discussing an inactive member of the church. In other words, I believe the church defines what it means to be "attending", but leaves it up to us to decide who is "inactive".

[Indy Coug]

The criteria is so loose that it gave the false statistical appearance that we had a high rate of retention for the 150 converts added over a 2.5 year period, until our sacrament attendance finally leveled out at 70 instead of the 140 or so we had at the peak.

Even with the very loose standards and low attendance now it would appear that we have a decent activity rate, until you realize how many don't hold callings, never got ordained, etc etc etc which ultimately leaves the burden of ministering to 350 members to about 30 people.

[Pheidippides]

I believe if you attend your priesthood or R.S. meeting at least once a quarter, you are technically active.

Not quite. That makes it so you are counted in the stats for quarterly reporting purposes, but I do not think (personally) that is the same thing as being "active". I think "active" is an artificial concept that I have never seen (and I don't have it memorized) in the HOI. I think a sliding scale evaluation focused on the needs of the individual is much more important.

[Donuthole]

Not quite. That makes it so you are counted in the stats for quarterly reporting purposes, but I do not think (personally) that is the same thing as being "active". I think "active" is an artificial concept that I have never seen (and I don't have it memorized) in the HOI. I think a sliding scale evaluation focused on the needs of the individual is much more important.

Which is why I said "technically." I did not speak to the needs of technically active or less-active members.

[Pheidippides]

Which is why I said "technically." I did not speak to the needs of technically active or less-active members.

My point is that a technical definition of activity does not even exist.

[Donuthole]

My point is that a technical definition of activity does not even exist.

Stakes and wards measure activity. Leadership may not explicitly refer to it as activity, but quarterly attendance is used to determine attendance rates, which is then divided by total membership and turned into a number. While that number most generally is not representative of the ward/stake's "activity," it is reported and used as a barometer in comparison with other wards/stakes, the general purpose being to measure what percentage of a ward/stake is "active."

The church can call it what it wants, but that number is used to reference overall "activity" in a ward/stake.

[KillerDog]

I like to think the term is self explanatory and ignore any technical definition. If someone is not an active participant in the unit (holds no callings that require action) then they are inactive. I don't care how much a dude comes to church, if he doesn't carry some of the burden he is not active.

[wuapinmon]

Me, at BYU, when I was single.

[Swimmer]

I like to think the term is self explanatory and ignore any technical definition. If someone is not an active participant in the unit (holds no callings that require action) then they are inactive. I don't care how much a dude comes to church, if he doesn't carry some of the burden he is not active.

Thank you. I just wanted to make sure of my status, and now I know the truth:

SWIMMER = INACTIVE!