What happens when a member stops coming?

[Soul_Searcher]

I was goin to say service too. You really get to know members and whats going on in the ward-the heart and hub of the ward is in service.

[Mirium]

I've found the best way to meet people and interact is through my callings. I'm not much of a social person but through a variety of callings over the years I've got to mix and get to know people.

At times when we struggle we assume people are aware of the problem. Is there anyone in your ward to feel comfortable enough with to tell them how your feeling or a chat with the Bishop might help. If you are struggling with being able to attend church he should be able to help.

I'm not excusing your home teachers. They should have contacted you but maybe they are having problems of their own or maybe they just are not motivated, we cannot all be perfect at everything. I always find its best not to rely on us imperfect human beings but to trust in Heavenly Father.

[Misshalfway]

Relying on imperfect humans is always an imperfect proposition. But for some reason God tells us to bare one anothers burdens. All of this stuff, understanding and doing......its such a balancing act.

[LDSVALLEY]

Ward Clerk is responsible to train auxliary secretaries in keeping attendance and reporting attendance concerns to him when they come up. One of his roles is to investigate these concerns and bring them up in PEC or Bishopric meetings. Secretaries should investigate first to see if it is just a sickness, or work etc. The purpose of this is when leaders learn of someone not showing up they can make contact with having some back ground info. Often people will stop going to classes before they stop going to sacrament. having a time line can help figure out what is up.

Leaders can get bogged down with squeaky wheel issues and the quite ones get overlooked. Also leaders and members can be so concerned about offending someone that they don't ask the questions that show they care. What's up, why are you not coming, etc. Remember that leaders have no special training and most simply do the best they can.

Two years ago our Ward retention level was 25% because everyone focused on other issues. Now it is 80% and many less actives have come back to activity because we switched focus, took months to slowly train members to watch out for each other, to help teach leaders how to look out for those who don't come. Mostly that it was a shared responsibility not something put on any one auxiliary.

[Misshalfway]

Two years ago our Ward retention level was 25% because everyone focused on other issues. Now it is 80% and many less actives have come back to activity because we switched focus, took months to slowly train members to watch out for each other, to help teach leaders how to look out for those who don't come. Mostly that it was a shared responsibility not something put on any one auxiliary.

How exactly did you change focus? Was it the bishop talking directly to the people? Was it a program? And it only took two months to go from 25% to 80%? I knew delivering brownies was powerful....but wow! LOL Seriously, I really want to understand what happened here.

[Wingnut]

Originally Posted by Misshalfway

How exactly did you change focus? Was it the bishop talking directly to the people? Was it a program? And it only took two months to go from 25% to 80%? I knew delivering brownies was powerful....but wow! LOL Seriously, I really want to understand what happened here.

It was two years, not months. Those really would be some brownies, though!

Everyone who comments that their home and visiting teachers haven't visited -- it's possible that there aren' home or visiting teachers assigned. I know that even some inactives who are not designated Do Not Contact still don't get assigned home and visiting teachers. It's sad, but true. To have been coming to church for a year and still not have had a visit is extremely disappointing, though. That's a crucial time at which to involve home and visiting teachers.

[Misshalfway]

I was dropped as a child.

[ADoyle90815]

Since it's cold and flu season, maybe people are being considerate enough to stay home when they have any flu-like symptoms, and if it's happening several weeks in a row, that illness is probably making its way through the entire family.

[Wingnut]

Originally Posted by Misshalfway

I was dropped as a child.

And yet, that still doesn't explain the hairdo.

[OneEternalSonata]

I'm active and my assigned home teachers don't call or visit. Perfect Church, imperfect people. (They let me in!) =D