Dear Sister Cahoon,
I am in a small branch who is being downsized due to families moving out. We have 5 elders and 40 families to be home taught so the Elder’s Quorum President teamed up the elders and their wives to do the home teaching of these families. The Relief Society Presidency have followed suit giving the same families that are home taught as visiting teaching assignments as well for the same husband and wife teams. So we have to give two messages a month to the same families. Now here is my question, would it be ok to give both lessons in the same visit, or should we have two separate appointments for the different messages? As you can probably tell, our active members in our branch are very busy with many callings and many appointments.
Dear Sister,
What a challenge for so few to attempt to meet the needs of so many!
My experience with home teaching and visiting teaching has been in an established ward. My ward uses HT/VT companionships to visit families that will accept a home teacher, but not a visiting teacher. We also find wives accompanying husbands to do home teaching when the Elder/High Priest is without a companion and is visiting a home without a priesthood holder. Due to necessity, your use of husband-wife companionships goes much farther.
Every family needs access to a priesthood holder, and home teaching is the means for providing that access. Similarly, every sister needs a visiting teacher to provide her the support and encouragement that a man cannot provide. It is no accident that man and woman were created to fulfill different roles, and it is no surprise that each has different needs. I love and appreciate my home teachers, but my visiting teachers meet a need in my life that my home teachers cannot. I am certain that many sisters throughout the church would agree that their visiting teachers are critically important to them. I recommend that when you make visits with your husband, your focus should be on the whole family you are visiting, and your husband should offer the home teaching message.
The question, then, is how to meet the need each sister has for a visiting teacher, since you’ve already met her need for home teachers. When a branch is as short-staffed as yours, asking that two visits a month be made to every sister is probably too burdensome. You must be careful that in addition to meeting your responsibility as a home teaching companion and visiting teacher, and fulfilling whatever calling you hold, that you have time for your family. Strong homes are the strength of the church, and it wouldn’t do for your family to become weakened by the demands of church service in your area. Seek the Spirit in your stewardship, and evaluate the needs of each sister carefully. Avoid making rationalizations that ease your burden but shortchange your sisters of the love and care they need. Some sisters may desperately need a second visit each month, and that need should be met. On the other hand, some of the sisters desperately need uninterrupted time at home with their families. The Spirit will guide you to determine the needs of each sister you are assigned.
As a general pattern, I suggest that every month, separate from your home teaching visit, you find the time to call each sister you are assigned to visit teach. Take time to talk with her and find out how she is doing. You might also offer to bring her to church meetings or activities, and visit while driving together. A note would be another option, if you cannot reach a sister by phone. Whether calling or writing, use this contact as the opportunity to share the visiting teaching message. If feasible, try to rotate through the sisters you visit teach so each receives a personal visiting teaching visit quarterly in addition to your monthly home teaching visits and your telephone calls/notes. It is important that each sister know you well so she will be comfortable confiding in you or seeking your help if necessary. It is also critical that you get to know each sister so you can be sensitive to individual needs.
I know that great blessings come to those who seek the Sprit and serve selflessly. Pray for the sisters you serve, and seek the inspiration that comes by the Sprit. My prayers go out to you in your endeavor to emulate the Savior in serving the sisters and families in your branch.
Sister Cahoon
Posted by John in Visiting Teaching, Ask Sister Cahoon