Dear Sister Cahoon,
I am the visiting teaching coordinator in our ward. We have a lot of inactive sisters in our ward, and most companionships have six or seven sisters to visit with at least half of them being inactive. Many sisters complain about their assignments. Since the Relief Society President makes all the decisions about VT companionships and routes, I really have no say in who visits whom. There is NO companionship that doesn’t have a few inactive sisters or that doesn’t have the sisters spread out over a wide area. What do I say to these sisters who complain about their routes?
Andrea
Visiting teaching is a gift to busy women living in a busy world. Choosing wisely between myriad demands on our time is challenging! Visiting teaching, administered under direction of the prophet and other priesthood leaders, should obviously be a top priority. Visiting teaching develops celestial qualities of love and service in the visiting teacher as it provides essential watch care and spiritual strength to each individual sister.
Our faith in the Savior and the covenants we have made unites us as sisters. Our baptismal covenant is outlined in Mosiah 18:8-10. Every sister is our responsibility, regardless of her location or activity level. Would the Savior abandon someone because she lived far away or was uninterested? We all know the Savior for reaching out to those who were poor in spirit and lifting them up. This responsibility falls to the visiting teacher watching her assigned sisters.
I attended auxiliary training from a member of the Relief Society General Board a couple of weeks ago. We discussed visiting teaching, and she emphasized that teaching principles and doctrine is more effective than teaching ‘rules.’ In other words, the letter of the law is important, but it is the spirit of the law that touches hearts and encourages positive change. We need to help sisters value those they are assigned to visit teach, and to desire to strengthen them and keep them within (or bring them back into) the fold. Consider the following ideas that were discussed.
Distributing Assignments. When a sister is handed a list of sisters to visit, she likely feels her responsibility is one more task to check off a to-do list. What if the Relief Society President handed a sister her list, explaining the prayer, inspiration, and reasons that prompted the assignments? Would visiting teaching seem more important to the sister receiving the assignment?
Interviews/Training. The root purpose of visiting teaching is to provide spiritual strength and temporal watch care for the individual. The church has grown, but the visiting teaching program continues to stretch and expand to accommodate every individual. Visiting teachers are one powerful barrier preventing the active sister from slipping into inactivity. Interviews promote accountability. Sisters need to understand their stewardship is a privilege – and a grave responsibility. They need to know that the Relief Society President is genuinely concerned about each sister and is available to help with challenges. Provide practical training and show constant concern.
Utilize Supervisors. The Relief Society President can prayerfully provide questions for supervisors to ask each sister when collecting reports. Reporting should be about each individual sister rather than the collective assignment, and should include a simple update about the life of each sister.
Communication. Communication between visiting teachers and home teachers assigned to the same sister can be very helpful, particularly with sisters who are difficult to contact. Often, the information one person has will help another reach out more successfully. Only when we know the sisters can we love them and bring them to Christ.
Sisters are more successful and committed visiting teachers when they understand their purpose, know assignments come through divine inspiration, and are accountable for their stewardship. Express your love of visiting teaching and your testimony of its importance. Encourage sisters to evaluate their priorities and determine what they can change to accommodate the sacrifice visiting teaching requires. Offer help and support with challenges. Encourage sisters who complain to ‘try it for three months’ before seeking a change in assignment. Pray fervently, and teach patiently. Changes come slowly, one sister at a time, but they do come.
Posted by John in Visiting Teaching, Ask Sister Cahoon