New Converts .

[bmy-]

Originally Posted by mlbrowninwa

bmy- I know you were just being honest. I am really looking forward to my baptism. I have been in the customer service business for longer than I can remember, so one thing i know is people, lol. No church is perfect and i do not believe this one will be either. It is the only one that I have really felt was the right one though. Thank you for the suggestion of the song. I was at a loss on that one, so maybe we'll go with that. And yes, I too hope the water is clear of cockroaches!!

My missionary was like "Don't look down" and i'm like "I already did, let's do this quick"

[xoomer]

Originally Posted by mlbrowninwa

Well as someone getting ready to join the church, this makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. "What they really thought?" However as someone who has been forced to change churches because of moving i don't think that its just this church that has this problem.

Several of the churches I tried here in Vancouver, WA before deciding to join the LDS church were very open and friendly when you first showed up. They'll take you around introduce you to a couple people and then you're on your own. For the most part my experience so far at the LDS church has been much different(and maybe i'm lucky with the people I have in my ward). They have gone out of their way to make me feel welcome. However if the new member is allowed to drop off the map so to speak after joining, this could be a problem. But this is partly up to the new member as well, to seek out activities in the church. They very well may be running around talking and asking each other where my wife and daughter are, why is he here alone. But i am a firm believer that there is no way you will ever make everybody happy. That goes at church too. As far as I'm concerned, let them talk and they are welcome to their own opinions.

But with all that said, i am looking forward to not being one of those people that fall from the church. It took Heavenly Father nearly 20 years of gently showing me the way. I'm staying now that I'm here. If you ask me, being a convert has alot of perks. We have been on the "outside" and now realize what we need to do. I think it gives you a very different perspective than someone who has been a lifelong member.

I had some fun at the Hazel Dell ward before I joined,, I went with some friends......

[anatess]

I have to admit I didn't read all the posts on this thread, but I just want to quickly state my 2 cents before heading off to bed.

I'm a convert of 7 years... in our ward, all of the newly baptized members are still active - not counting those that moved out of ward boundaries (dunno how they are now) - except one. The one lady that is not active was the only black person in our ward at that time. She was the only person in her family who is LDS, her husband is a staunch baptist. I think that has a lot to do with it.

Now, I may be wrong in this count, but this is my impression in our ward.

Anyway, I do feel that the ward family is the main thing that impacts retention. I love my ward. It is one of the most diverse wards that I've known (close to a naval base, so we have a lot of come-and-go members) and we have become experts at fellowship. I was given a calling to teach RS 2 weeks after I got baptized. There was no excuse for me to skip on church as it takes me the entire month to prepare for my monthly 45-minute lesson! My home teacher was the awesomest. He loves basketball and my husband and I are both big basketball fans so I get to be invited to their weekly basketball scrimmage at church (no, I don't play - I just watch while my husband plays). The scrimmage is on Wednesdays which is the day when the YW/YM are meeting at church, so I get to hang out with their parents as well who are driving them to church. And my visiting teachers, I tell ya - they are cool as well! We usually go out for ice-cream (my favorite) or sing some karaoke (also my favorite) after a short "how are you on the gospel" thing. Both my VTs at the time were single women who are party-all-the-time types. I love it because that is so ME as well. Then there's ward activities almost every month that's always fun to go to. Then there's all these RS clubs - book club, cooking club, scrapbook club, exercise club, coupon club, choir... it is difficult to decide which ones to go to since they're all cool but of course, I don't have time for all of them... man, recently, they even have a facebook club where we get to be friends with everybody from the 7-year-olds to the 70-year-olds in the ward who are in facebook who make little comments like, "I just got done burping my baby and she puked all over me." which is a cute insight to some of our friends' everyday challenges...

Okay, so the past 2 years I got called as ward activity person. I was very worried about this calling. But, the past 2 years, I found out how easy this calling is. I just come up with the idea and everybody pitches in without much prodding. And every activity I have, we always have a huge showing. I heard from new ward members that this is not always the case in ward activities. So, yeah, I think our ward may have something special going on...

Anyway, I think all that has something to do with why we've been good in retaining new converts.

P.S. We have republicans, democrats, pro-life, pro-choice, married at 19, single at 46, divorced, stay-at-home moms, successful enterpreneur and career women, one-bedroom apartments, 2-million dollar homes, 4 generation families, all kinds of stuff, in our ward. must be because of the naval-base-proximity aspect of it.

[Hemidakota]

I am waiting for the reference source.

[rameumptom]

David Stewart has done over a decade of research in missionary work and retention. Some of his data are rather ugly, but we as members need to review and consider it. He shows via the statistics the main inactivity factors.

I recommend a close reading of this research book. Section I tells about the data and problems we face. Definitely a worthwhile read.

Cumorah.com - International Resources for Latter-day Saints.

Check out his entire website, as well.

[xoomer]

As A new Member, I think the problem is gonna be for me at least tithing...


I realized that I'm gonna be giving the church 20% of my income which for me really hurts....

[mlbrowninwa]

Originally Posted by xoomer

As A new Member, I think the problem is gonna be for me at least tithing...


I realized that I'm gonna be giving the church 20% of my income which for me really hurts....

It's my understanding that it's 10%

[Islander]

Originally Posted by xoomer

As A new Member, I think the problem is gonna be for me at least tithing...


I realized that I'm gonna be giving the church 20% of my income which for me really hurts....

It is just 10%. I remember the check burning a hole in my pocket the first time. I subsequently read a talk from Pres. Hinckley on the subject of tithing and by gaining a greater understanding of the principle it made it much easier to obey and to live the principle.

[xoomer]

sorry typo...

[anatess]

Originally Posted by Islander

It is just 10%. I remember the check burning a hole in my pocket the first time. I subsequently read a talk from Pres. Hinckley on the subject of tithing and by gaining a greater understanding of the principle it made it much easier to obey and to live the principle.

It's one of those things where you just "do it". You won't really understand the blessings of tithing until you've practiced it. Or at least, that's my experience.

Okay, you know when you get your paycheck, it's really not the amount you agreed with your employer you are supposed to earn? Because, they take out Federal Taxes, State Taxes, SS, Medicare, Healthcare, 401K, whatever else comes out of it. You don't "feel" any of those. You just accept it as such. And it's just fine with you. Even if they raise your taxes, it might still be fine with you coz you still don't really "feel" it.

Tithing is the same. You just accept it as such and you get used to it. If it helps you better, ask your HR department to deduct your tithing straight out of your paycheck so you don't "feel" it either. It is a tax-deductible expense, so it will make your Net slightly higher than if you would write the tithing check after you receive your paycheck. Make sense?

Hope this helps.