This morning, the Church announced adjustments to the Sunday meeting schedule. This schedule will include a 60 minute sacrament meeting, followed by a 10 minute transition to a second-hour class. This second hour class will last 50 minutes and consist of Sunday School on the first and third Sundays, and Priesthood/Relief Society/Young Men/Young Women classes on the second and fourth Sundays. Fifth Sunday meetings will be determined by the Bishop.
More information can found here.
18 comments:
Rumors justified.
Not sure that everyone has heard because it was announced via email, but ward mission leader is an optional calling now. The bishop may instead shift the responsibilities to the EQ and RS presidency. Also there is a new optional calling called ward family history and temple leader. The email came to Bishoprics, High council, Stake Presidency, EQ presidency, and RS presidency
The announcement is being sent by email, just got the letter, in it is a link to the Individuals and Families book online.
However, for whatever reason, when you click on the Individuals and Families link on the Come, Follow Me website, the book contents briefly show then it pushes you to one of the preface pages, 'Conversion is Our Goal'.
The rumors had a shorter time, for sacrament meeting, which was my concern with that being one the entire family goes to, and that also being the place to sustain to callings, do two certain priesthood ordinances occasionally besides the weekly sacrament, and miscellaneous other things besides the hymns and speakers. But this pattern should work out, although we only did the First Sunday council meeting for one year, there may be something afoot where that can be done still in another way at another place and time that we don't know yet.
We just got done organizing an EQ family history committee, so that person or maybe a different one, could be made the ward lead--the calling has been in LCR and LDS Tools for nearly 18 months now from some msttr presented at a training meeting during Rootstech in 2017 when the calling titles were changed. In my opinion though, a mission leader is still needed to coordinate and train ward missionaries and liaison between the ward and the full time missionaries. Especially when the missionaries have a person with a baptismal date set, so all can be ready on the ward side once that happens and the new member lessons are or have been taught after baptism.
Blogger post about the matter of ward mission leader. Has the text of the letter.
https://www.mormonlight.org/2018/10/06/breaking-news-if-youre-a-ward-mission-leader-your-calling-could-be-dissolved/?utm_source=ldsm&utm_medium=facebook
I like the idea of a ward family history and temple leader. Would they be invited to attend ward council? This is what in some ways some people sort of thought of the old high priest group leader as being. However the new calling could more effectively be implemented. I think in general a ward or branch mission leader will remain a needed calling, but I understand that different places have different needs. I am reminded of President Monson's story of when he was made regional supervisor of stake missionary work. He was asking one bishop in Wasatch County why he had no stake missionaries called in his ward. He explained the outreach being done by his ward to the one person not of our faith in their boundaries. President Monson felt embarrassed at assuming he knew eactly what was needed.
I think a 10 minute shorter sacramnet meeting will help children a lot, but is still long enough to get the full effect. The new primary schedule will also be a lot more effective. I have seen teachers who never used their whole time and would constantly revert to hangman. I also think the fewer prayers will help the ones that are offered be more effective.
I am also very glad that Sunday School remains. The loss of that I feared. I have to admit that I really liked Elder Bednar's talk connecting so many different changes in the Church. I am very excited that gospel principals class is being elimanated. I always felt it undermined fellowshipping to shunt potential converts off in a seperate class. In the same way mission prep, temple prep, family history and all other special
The new added emphasis on home instruction I think is very good. I can't wait for the new manuals. I am feeling I have been slacking in fully teaching my grandson of the gospel.
Another change is no more priesthood opening exercises.
Where did you see no more gospel principles classes? Also, will primary be still able to be split for wards that are too big for all of the kids to meet together in one group?
Yes, Primary will still be able to split. The schedule will be 25-5-20.
First of all, to everyone who kept insisting that the 2-hour Church idea was likely, clearly all of you knew something that I (among many others) did not. The instant this was announced by President Nelson and explained more fully by Elder Cook, I felt it was right. A few resources may be helpful to many of you with questions:
https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/church-announces-new-balance-between-gospel-instruction-home-church (Official Release from Newsroom)
https://www.lds.org/bc/content/ldsorg/general-conference/16435_000_First-Presidency-Letter.pdf?lang=eng (First Presidency Letter)
https://www.lds.org/bc/content/ldsorg/general-conference/16435_000_FAQ.pdf?lang=eng (Answers to FAQs, one of which covered optional courses, another of which covered the matter of a split schedule for the Primary children)
I hope these resources are helpful to all who read them. If any of you are signed up to receive communication from the Church, all of these materials were e-mailed out earlier today. Thanks.
Handbook 2 has been updated for the changes made in April and thru August.
According to a letter sent October 5, 2018 tilted "Handbook 1 and Handbook 2 Updates"
Handbook 2: Administering the Church (2010) have now been updated on LDS.org and in the Gospel Library app to reflect the changes announced at the April 2018 general conference about “Ministering with Strengthened Melchizedek Priesthood Quorums and Relief Societies.”
Leaders should refer to the digital versions of the handbooks for these updates, because the printed copies will not be updated.
Although content has been updated throughout the handbooks, leaders will want to pay particular attention to the following sections of Handbook 2:
• Melchizedek Priesthood quorums: chapter 7
• Ministering: 7.4, 9.5
• Teachers and priests serving as ministering brothers: 8.4
• Mia Maids and Laurels serving as ministering sisters: 10.3.9
• Safety for youth with ministering assignments: 8.4, 10.3.9
The next update, obviously because of what happened, will change some things mainly in the Meetings in the Church and Chart of Callings section, both were also likely updated for the April changes already. The next things are going to include the fact that hymns will no longer be sung in Priesthood or RS.
As to priesthood, music there has been a bad joke for some time mainly because members are familiar with only about half the hymnbook we have or less.
The rumors had a number of scenarios for the change that has now happened, leaving many concerned about various important matters, but what was announced will workm but don't rule out refinements as needed.
12 new temples.
Mendoza, Argentina
Salvador, Brazil
Yuba City, California
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Praia, Cape Verde
Tshego, Guam
Puebla, Mexico
Auckland, New Zealand
Lagos, Nigeria
Davao, Philippines
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Washington County, Utah
Yuba City was a surprise. But all these were exciting announcements. Four of the 12 temples are the first in their country or territory.
I have to also admit Yuba City is a total surprise. I didn't expect a new temple in California, and would have guessed Bakersfield before Yuba City. Beyond that, I would have expected a temple north of Sacramento to be built further north. My mom went to high school in Marysville so this is really cool.
Davao also surprises me a little, since isn't that on Mindanao. Washington County Utah is a bit of a surprise, but not overly much. Auckland, Puebla and Lagos all were expected, San Juan not quiet as much, and Guan makes sense but is a little surprise. Cape Verde I expected to be firther in the future. Salvador I hoped for. Mendoza I didn't expect so soon, especially after Salta was announced. I hope Peru gets a 5th temple announced next year.
I believe it was in the explanation with the first presidency letter it said no Gospel princiapls, no other Sunday School classes except gospel doctrine. However it also says temple prep, mission prep, marriage prep, marriage and family etc can all be offered at other times under the direction of the bishop.
At least with relief society it says a hymn can be sung as part of the lesson. The directives do not say that for priesthood meeting, nor do they rule it out. Choirs are still allowed in sacarmanet meeting. One thing I have not seen a directive on is having an intermediate hymn. With 10 fewer minutes in the meeting that might be more optional, but I would be surprised if it was elimanated.
The ward I was in before I got married did a very good job with singing in priesthood meeting. I have been in other wards where it was less so. One big factor was meeting in a room with a piano or organ and having a member who could play it. The former was not always easy in buildings with multiple wards meeting at the same time. Also some priesthood opening exercises were done in gyms with poor acoustics which made hymn singing difficult.
So many people are focused on just having to go to church for 2 hours each week, but to me, an equally important result will be the impact on workload for callings. We now will need fewer teachers (is a team teacher for Gospel Doctrine still a good idea, do we need teachers for Relief Society and Elders Quorum (the presidency could easily step in and teach), fewer Sunday School classes to have teachers for, etc.). In addition, do we really need a Sunday School presidency to oversee 4 classes (Gospel Doctrine + 3 youth classes) that only meet twice a month? The Bishopric will now have to find one less speaker for Sacrament Meeting each week. No sharing time in Primary reduces the load on the Primary presidency.
I don't fully understand why the new Second Hour will only start with prayer for Primary but not for youth and adults, nor do I understand why beginning with a hymn is now discouraged. Second Hour classes will now actually be longer than ever before since Sunday School was at 40 minutes and the old Third Hour started with an opening exercises that is now discontinued. Seems we would have plenty of time for an opening prayer and hymn?
For me, the best part of this is a shorter Sacrament Meeting plus the reduced load on callings, making the lives of the Bishopric easier.
Great points. Sunday School Presidencies have a broad and meaningful calling related to gospel teaching and gospel scholarship that extends well beyond sunday school, but often this part of the calling seems to be neglected.
Not sure if there is anything to the pre-conference rumor, but would welcome reducing the number of callings in what are now the stake auxilliary presidencies. Maybe change the model to having a President and optional assistant and work closer with the High Council advisor and rely on the ward presidencies for much of the execution/ heavy lifting related to stakewide auxiliary activities.
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