What happens when a member stops coming?

[Generally_Me]

Originally Posted by mnn727

Find out who your home teacher is and invite them

I absolutly HATE cold calling someone, but once I get to know them, I do it. A definate charector flaw, but I find it very common.

Same here! I have a family I need to VT, I've never met before (they are inactive) and I don't have an address for them (not on ANY directory, believe me I've checked 'em all!)

Is there anyone here who doesn't have a problem calling someone they've never even seen before?

[pam]

I know I do especially when I don't know what kind of a reception I'll get on the other end.

[Moksha]

Originally Posted by pam

Each week, introduce yourself at Church to someone you don't know or talk to someone you don't normally talk to.

Sounds good. Wish there was more opportunity for this. I already shake hands and say hello to all the people sitting on the back row on our way to our usual seats. In the classes, I always shake hands with the people within my seating vicinity. Being the initiator of what friendliness there is seems reasonable. Don't know about the rest of you, but introductions further afield are much harder.

Something Wing nut said about a ward directory with pictures sounds wonderful. When I have mentioned only having the faces and names together for about 20% of the ward, everyone else has said it is about the same for them or less. This seems like a novel and wonderful idea to have pictures with names.

Ward Activities also sound wonderful, we have them on a very sparse basis. When we do, many of the families with children miss them due to not having a baby sitter. One guy I know on the web actually has a ward potluck dinner one a month. I have envied that.

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[anatess]

Originally Posted by Generally_Me

Same here! I have a family I need to VT, I've never met before (they are inactive) and I don't have an address for them (not on ANY directory, believe me I've checked 'em all!)

Is there anyone here who doesn't have a problem calling someone they've never even seen before?

I have no problem at all. I have 2 inactive members in my route right now. I just go to their door and knock (I tried calling, left a message, didn't get a call back). Most they can do is slam the door in my face. Fine by me. At least I gave it a shot. But both have been okay with me talking to them about life in general. Just regular hi, how are you stuff. They're not interested in talking about the "VT Message" at all but they don't care if I come back month after month. I just go anyway and just do crazy things like invite them both to the ice-cream place down the road to make it fun for me too. I really don't mind it. It gives me an excuse to get out of the house without the kids.

[bcguy]

That's possible. Could also mean, they are terminal, in the hospital..unable to talk.

Its not being pushy, it called "being concerned like a member of the familly"

I have not heard one beep in the many many weeks from anyone, other then the bishop. But this bishop, I know better then others why? I knew him as a regular member. He is non judgmental, he has a good sense of hummer, he is friendly. He never talks down to you and is considerate

One other person, he visited me..not as another member but more as a friend. Kinda funny though, why he never asked me "Where you been in eight weeks!"

Just called me from church and wanted to rant about his car. No, no one asked him to visit teach me, he just called..and came over

I should just get a list of the inactive, and call them and say hi and introduce my self. I am doing this on my own to call them. The church would not direct me.

read a story about a bishop or state president wanted to challenge the membership on how judgmental the ward members were. He had prosthetic makeup on with a ratty diry cloths on, and a wig with long hair. He went in, pretended to be a homeless person, and wanted to know more about the church. He was simply rejected by most of the membership. Then the following Sunday, spoke about his experience to the ward. He was pretty shocked.

That was a eye opening experience to read that story.

[beefche]

Originally Posted by Generally_Me

Same here! I have a family I need to VT, I've never met before (they are inactive) and I don't have an address for them (not on ANY directory, believe me I've checked 'em all!)

Is there anyone here who doesn't have a problem calling someone they've never even seen before?

I would feel weird calling them. I actually don't like talking on the phone much. But, if all I had was a phone number, I'd call. I'd do a reverse lookup in the whitepages first to get an address. I wouldn't have a problem just knocking on their door.

[RipplecutBuddha]

Heck, that's probably why missionaries still go tracting. After two years of getting doors slammed in your face multiple times a day, having it happen a few times a month ought to be a piece of cake.

For my part, I was inactive for about 8 years...nothing happened, I just never went to church. When I started going again (after a serious slap upside the head courtesy of Heavenly Father) the ward I attended was very welcoming and warm to me. After 6 months I was asked to be the Gospel Principles instructor.

In other words, I think it depends heavily upon the ward you live in. Some wards are very good about welcoming new people / inactive people returning to activity. Others, not so much.

It is important for the wards to welcome people and be friendly, but at the same time, we as individuals need to accept the accountability of going to church whether we are warmly recieved or not. If we get offended because the red carpet wasn't rolled out as we expected, who's really in the wrong, the ward for not being welcoming, or us for being offended?

[Moksha]

Originally Posted by bcguy

read a story about a bishop or state president wanted to challenge the membership on how judgmental the ward members were. He had prosthetic makeup on with a ratty diry cloths on, and a wig with long hair. He went in, pretended to be a homeless person, and wanted to know more about the church. He was simply rejected by most of the membership. Then the following Sunday, spoke about his experience to the ward. He was pretty shocked.

That was a eye opening experience to read that story.

Not only eye opening but tear producing as well. Jesus would be blunt and point to those who rejected the least among them as directly rejecting Him.

[bcguy]

I was going to add to this thread but its going off kilter. Probably start a new one

[Carl62]

Originally Posted by bcguy

read a story about a bishop or state president wanted to challenge the membership on how judgmental the ward members were. He had prosthetic makeup on with a ratty diry cloths on, and a wig with long hair. He went in, pretended to be a homeless person, and wanted to know more about the church. He was simply rejected by most of the membership. Then the following Sunday, spoke about his experience to the ward. He was pretty shocked.

That was a eye opening experience to read that story.

That actually doesn't surprise me in the least! While there are many great and Christ-like people in the church, there is also a good number of others who I've come across who have this puffed-up, self righteous, holier-than-thou attitude that I cannot stand! I believe there are people in this church who think that just because they hold a temple recommend that they are going to be given an automatic pass right into the Celestial kindom regardless of how they treated their fellow man. Some of those people are going to be in for a big surprise when it comes Judgement day for them. I can't remember what thread it was on or who said it, but I remember recently reading a quote that summed it up best - "There are people that have a testimony of the church, but don't have a testimony of the gospel". I couldn't agree more.