Wyoming Ward

Home Teaching PPI

“Return & Report” Plan

2006

Current Home TeachingWe have 31 Home Teaching Companionships (HP+EQ). We have 43 Active MP Holders.

We currently have 278 total families in our ward. We have 113 of these families assigned to be home taught.

165 families (59%) are not assigned home teachers.

In the last 12 months we visited an average of 29 families each month. That is an average of 26% of ASSIGNED families.

An actual percentage of 10.4% of all families.

“The Charge”        Duties of the Elders, Priests, and Teachers included "watch[ing] over the church. . . visit[ing] the house of each member, exhorting them to pray vocally and in secret and attend to all family duties. . . [and to] be with and strengthen them."

Doctrine & Covenants 20:42, 47, 51, 53

“You have a responsibility, an inescapable responsibility to go out into the homes of the people and teach them the gospel…we do not do as well with our home teaching as we ought to. We could do a great deal better than we do.”

1995~ Gordon B. Hinckley

History of Home Teaching- 1        1850's

        "Block teachers" were set up. They were called thus due to their geographic nature, for you would visit the families on your block.

        1909

        Block Teachers were called "acting teachers."

        1912

        Acting Teachers were changed to "ward teachers".

        1963, Spring

        The term "home teachers" was introduced, which was different than ward teaching because a greater emphasis was now put on watching over the family rather than just making monthly visits.

History of Home Teaching -2

“Brethren, home teaching is not just another program. It is the priesthood way of watching over the Saints and accomplishing the mission of the Church. Home teaching is not just an assignment. It is a sacred calling.”

- President Ezra Taft Benson

                                                                        

Modern PDA methods to track your home teaching families.•Shiblon.com

•Ldsteach.com

HT Today?…Modern PDA’s

Home Teaching Gimmicks

Even Cheesy Movies…and Paper-Doll Cutouts

Home Teaching Home Teaching: Dressed to Serve

• Hat: above all, loves his families

• White Shirt: worthy priesthood holder

• Tie: ties all loose ends together

• Suit: suited to his calling

• Vest (under suit): vested interest in the work

• Heart (in suit pocket): shows his concern

• Buttons (on suit/sleeves): buttons down all problems

• Watch: is time sensitive

• Briefcase: carries the Lord's spirit

• Scriptures: teaches the gospel

• Shoes: steps forward

Review: •FACT: Every member needs a chance to come back to full and meaningful activity.

•FACT: Home Teaching is a “sacred calling.” It has been the plan since the 1850’s.

•FACT: We only have 31 companionships, but 278 Ward families.

•QUESTIONS: Can we do better? Are we effective?

•ANSWER: Yes, we must do better. Is there a tool that can help us be effective without spinning our wheels with mere statistical effort?

What’s the Problem?

Individual: • Lack of motivation

• Failure to plan

• Feeling it’s an obligation, not a joy

• May be outside of our comfort zone

• Hard to coordinate times that fit 3 parties (self, companion & family)

Leadership:• Tendency to not report

beyond the statistical level

• Not enough “team” effort from the Ward

• Not enough feed back to home teachers

• Method now leads to “reactive” not “proactive”

What can we do to be more effective?

• We need to invest the time to know our families so we can be proactive instead of reactive.

• Leaders need to be more involved and add direction when possible through better feedback and interviews.

• Need a better way to tangibly evaluate our progress and plan with the spirit in order to achieve specific goals with the families.

“There is much more to be achieved than statistical improvement. More importantly, we should be concerned with the spiritual dimension of our people and the enlargement of this dimension. There is a tendency in all of us to ask for better statistical performance. There is a tendency to impose quotas behind which usually lies imposition of pressure to achieve improved statistics. In the work of the Lord there is a more appropriate motivation than pressure. There is the motivation that comes of true conversion. When there throbs in the heart of an individual Latter-day Saint a great and vital testimony of the truth of this work, he will be found doing his duty in the Church. He will be found in his sacrament meetings. He will be found in his priesthood meetings. He will be found paying his honest tithes and offerings. He will be doing his home teaching. He will be found in attendance at the temple as frequently as his circumstances will permit. He will have within him a great desire to share the Gospel with others. He will be found strengthening and lifting his brethren and sisters. It is conversion that makes the difference.”

(G.B. Hinckley ~ Regional Representatives seminar, 6 Apr. 1984; emphasis added)

Is Inner Conversion Lacking?

We would like to propose a new program for our ward

Based on 3 Key Principles

Key #1

1~ “People truly commit only when they have a

meaningful vision and goal.”

• The “John Adams-1776” Model.• John Adams and the country's forefathers showed amazing courage

and selfless commitment in declaring independence, as in signing that famous document we know today as our Declaration of Independence, each man exposed himself to hanging for treason against Britain.

Key #2

2~ “If a person or system is struggling, don't ask less… ask more!”  (but ask the hard questions and try something that answers your questions.)

• The “Apollo 13 Duct Tape” model

Key #3

3~ “Where performance is measured, performance

improves.”• Apostles sent out in Christ’s day

gave him a report of their work.

Mark 6:30 • The Full-Time Mission Model

(Missionary to District Leader to Zone Leader to AP to President…back to Missionary.)

1~People truly commit only when they have a meaningful vision and goal.

2~If a person or system is struggling, don't ask less...ask more!

3~Where performance is measured, performance improves.

Wyoming WardMonthly Home

Teaching “Return & Report” Form

10 Minutes, Every Fast Sunday(Before We Dismiss for Class)

• Go Sit with your companion if available

• Complete/finalize your HT report for the previous month

• Ideally, you’ll complete it as you home teach and come prepared

• Turn it in to your Quorum leader before leaving for class

• Quorum Presidency reviews your report and prayerfully adds their observations.

• Quorum President discusses reports with the PEC & Bishop who add their comments. Bishop signs off on each one.

• Interviews with the HT as needed. Action plans are focused. Your report is returned to you the same month.

• The report is PART OF the Interview and does not replace it.

Which of these needs a PPI?

How Does This Help?1. It organizes our monthly HT reporting and gives more

emphasis on the important things with an inspired form.

2. It helps us unite and work as a team.• It gives timely, proactive input to and from the Ward leadership

in the form of action plans, quality PPIs, and follow-up.

• It focuses the entire Bishopric and Priesthood leaders on each families specific needs to help the Home Teachers.

3. Returned forms will serve as an aid in tracking our progress with our Home Teaching families.

• Leaders can better identify stale assignments, and move other families onto the track who might benefit more.

4. It motivates the Home Teachers to be prepared to report every month and helps us avoid procrastination.

An Allegory“Elder Sterling Sill referred to a farmer who was hauling produce to market in his wagon drawn by two horses. The horses were having a difficult time

and the grade seemed very steep. Finally the farmer asked a stranger, “How far is it to the top of this hill?” The stranger said, “You’re not on a

hill. Your rear wheels are off.”

Quote by Elder David B. HaightAssistant to the Council of the Twelve ~ Ensign Nov., 1975 p 59

It is NOT about the numbers

“There is much more to be achieved than statistical improvement. More importantly, we should be concerned

with the spiritual dimension of our people and the enlargement of this dimension.” President Hinckley