One of my favorite VT Conferences was this past year. We opened with the RS President bearing her testimony of VT, and relating two very short examples of things that had happened in our ward, without revealing to whom they happened.

Then we had a special musical number. We had a “reading” where two sisters read from their “journals” entries about their experiences as visiting teacher and visiting teach-ee. It is from the book by Anita Canfield “VT a Holy Calling” (I think that is the name of it). Anyway… Then the Bishop took five minutes and built up “the errand of angels” calling of Visiting Teachers. And praised those who took their calling to their hearts. They handed out our new lists with some changes, not a lot and then we had a salad bar. It was very nice. Not real elaborate but nice. We really felt the spirit and that is what makes it a success.

We have also had conferences where we separated into classes and learned 1) the basics 2) ideas of ways to reach them (some cute little handouts to help get in the door too) 3) Ways to give the lessons to both actives and less actives. Then made cute little cards that had our names and phone numbers on them to give out.

Penny

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Our conference was centered around “Being” a Visiting Teacher vs. “Doing” your visiting teaching.

Since it is the sisters who already do their visiting teaching that usually attend the conference, instead of increasing our percentage I wanted to focus on the quality of our visiting teaching.

The lesson focused on how we need to “bee sincere”, bee aware of needs, bee a friend, bee patient, bee-lieve that we can make a difference, bee-come an instrument of the Lord, bee an example, etc.

I wrote the following poem and printed it on the back of the program:

“It’s only mid-month, and you’re all done!”… or so others would say;
“You did your visits early, now they won’t get in your way.”

You know better, you have learned that visiting teaching done right
Isn’t a once-a-month calling, but an outpouring of love day or night.

Yes, a checkmark was already there, on your list next to her name,
But she got sick after that visit, and was so grateful that you came.

Instead of focusing on the “doing”, think instead of what you’ll “bee”
The visits will be reported, but more importantly,

You’ll “bee” a visiting teacher, the way the Lord intends;
And each and every sister will have a true and loving friend.

Anonymous

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When we entered the room, the first things that we noticed were five big clocks on the wall, like those in airports, showing various times around the world. On the front table and on top of the piano were antique clocks including many old mantel clocks and a porcelain clock. The flowers added to the effect.

Opening Song: “As Sisters In Zion”

Opening Prayer:

Short talk by R.S. President about time. She read many quotes and clichés about time; some funny, some profound. A quote from Ben Franklin “If thou love life do not squander time for time is the stuff that life is made of.” What do we do with our time? More quotes about time. Can’t buy it. Everyone in the world has the same amount of time.

A young mother was asked to tell of someone who helped them by giving their time. She had been out of her parents home for about three years and was preparing to get married. She needed to go back to her parents home to pack up the things that remained in her room. It was a hard time for her. She had to decide what to keep, what to throw away. Her mother spent that time with her to listen to her concerns about the changes happening her in life. She will always remember that time that her mother was there for her.

Others were asked to share their experiences with people who had shared the gift of time. There were a few who contributed. R.S. President quoted from Emma Smith about the beginning of R.S. “We are going to do some thing extraordinary……”

“Feelings of Forever” from Saturdays Warrior was sung as a solo. Very moving.

Another sister was asked to share her views on “The eternal benefits of spending time with people.” She said that she was known as the late (her name). She emphasized that there is no way to actually know the far reaching effect of time spent with others. She said that since she has recently spent time with her grandchildren it has really been emphasized in her life. There are eternal and well as the now benefits in Visiting Teaching. She has made a good friend of a less active sister who lives near her. She said that being her visiting teacher fills a need of her own because she can help this elderly woman whereas she was too far away from her own mother to give her this same kind of care.

There has been an on going award given out in this ward called the Rose Ellen Award for those who go above and beyond the call of duty as visiting teachers. This is not a percentage award, but for outstanding service. Rose Ellen was given a special award today for the many years that she has served as Visiting Teaching Coordinator. A short proclamation was read and she was given a cloth angel doll.

Each sister was given a small white lace-trimmed handkerchief with a little ribbon rose on it. Attached to the kerchief were slips of paper “Rose Ellen Award” August 30, 1998 and “Take a Little Bit of Time” to be: Thoughtful, Interested & Make memories for Eternity………

Closed with the statement, “Now we turn the “Time” over to you for your use wisely as a Visiting Teacher.” Then a solo “A Little bit of Time” I think that was the title. Closing prayer and then cheese cake was served to all there.

Sharon

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SOUP PLUS MORE

It started out with Dinner which of course was SOUP.

Then a song called “I Can’t Go Today” to the tune of Que Sera Sera.

We then did a skit called “Soup” The script is all written as a poem. It begins with singing new words to the tune “Called to Serve.”

We used two Visiting Teachers and 8 different sisters. Each brought out their own props. The VT would go into a home with soup and the women would tell of some problem and the VT would say “Oh here is some soup, we have to run, or keep on schedule. After a few scenarios they went back and re-visited the right way.

After the skit we had a short talk and ended with the song “In Need of His Love” by Lundberg and Perry.

Diane Waken

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At our last Visiting Teaching Workshop we went on the theme ‘but I will be thy servant’ found in Alma 17:25

After the opening exercises, we had the spiritual thought as Alma 17:25 read by the visiting teaching leader. Then the Relief Society President talked, doing a presentation on overhead projector showing the figures from the beginning of the year to present of Visiting Teaching to the total number of sisters in the ward. And going over what they would like to achieve in the way of Visiting Teaching (e.g. How they may contact all their sisters on their list during each three month period).

We then had the Young Women Presidency sing a musical item/hymn where they were then followed by our first counselor who taught a lesson on Ammon’s missionary experience with King Lamoni. As a returned missionary herself and giving us all a book of Mormon to read, we followed her right through Chapter 17 where she related Ammon’s missionary efforts to Visiting teaching.

We then had our Bishop speak, some of the points he mentioned were how we may better direct our efforts concerning our visiting teaching. The second counselor made a handout with lots of little things like a pin, cotton thread, glitter, etc each relating to motivate and encourage visiting teaching. Closing exercises, followed by finger food, punch and chicken soup (good too, it was a chili night).

Lena Gregory

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At our Visiting Teaching Conference, September 1999, we as a presidency decided to make a Visiting Teaching movie involving 15 or so sisters in our ward to be the actresses.

The movie was called “Sister Act III”. We put together short episodes of bad Visiting Teaching. Each little episode had a title such as “Gone with the Wind” which showed a Visiting Teacher on Rollerblades just skating by long enough to hand her sister a plant.

Another example was “The Rescuers” Visiting Teachers who fail to help a sister when her car runs out of gas. They brought her a casserole.

Another was called “9 to 5″. It was a Visiting Teacher who tried to sell Avon and Tupperware to her sisters instead of the message.

There were several of these little episodes (Home Alone, Mission Impossible, etc.). After all the bad examples of Visiting Teachers we filmed sisters bearing their testimonies and experiences about Visiting Teaching. We wrapped it up with a good spiritual feeling and yet it was fun. We had a super turn-out because we involved a lot of sisters.

If you would like details you may email me.

Belinda Terry

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After several years without having Visiting Teaching Conferences in our ward, we decided that it was important (critical!) to plan one every year.

The first year, we concentrated on workshops and had three: Visiting Teaching Basics, Visiting Teaching Problem Solving (troubleshooting issues that keep us from being effective Visiting Teachers, etc.) and Ideas for Teaching the Monthly Visiting Teaching Message. We held our conference at 8:00 a.m. (!) on a Saturday morning in early fall and we provided a yummy brunch which was actually eaten course by course in the workshop rooms (to make best use of time) and concluded with a keynote speaker in the RS room.

Our theme was “Visiting Teaching-Watering Spiritual Seeds” and each sister got a wooden cut-out of either a watering can or a potted daisy with a magnet for the fridge. They were painted real cute and the theme was printed on each magnet as a visual reminder of the importance of Visiting Teaching. We prepared a folder for every VT-even if they couldn’t be there-that had inspirational information about Visiting Teaching and all the handouts, etc. from the workshops and talk. We had a good turnout - about 85% of our Visiting Teachers.

The next year, we stuck with the early Saturday a.m. time and brunch format, but had a musical program (we bought the script “Only a Visiting Teacher” from the publisher). The play was about 50 minutes long, but quite touching, though it really tapped out our musical talent! There were many songs, some of which were solos and duets which were kind of scary and hard, but the storyline was wonderful and we all felt that it had been worth it to reach beyond our comfort level to put on this program.

After the performance, we got the comment we’d been looking for: “I got so much more out of this than if I had just been lectured to.” The stake Relief Society presidency was invited and they are still talking about it. Our gift to the Visiting Teachers was very cool, too! We got a (free) paint stir-stick and mounted a sheep cut-out on the top with 12 hearts Velcro-ed to the stick in a row underneath. The little hearts were each painted a different color and were printed with a month of the year. The sheep were printed with the message “Visiting Teaching Feeds His Sheep”. The idea is that the Visiting Teachers would put the month’s heart on the stick (which was drilled so you could hang it on the wall) as they completed that month’s Visiting Teaching.

We had even better attendance for this event, and I think we have shown by our efforts to put together a nice Visiting Teaching conference that Visiting Teaching is important in our ward and that we value all that our dedicated Visiting Teachers do for their sisters.

We are just putting together our Visiting Teaching conference for the third year - it is going to be great! I loved finding your ideas here - we’re all part of one big ward!

Jackie Mitchell

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One of my favorite Visiting Teaching Conference was this past year. We opened with the Relief Society President bearing her testimony of Visiting Teaching, and relating 2 very short examples of things that had happened in our ward, without revealing to whom they happened.

Then we had a special musical number. We had a “reading” where two sisters read from their “journals” entries about their experiences as visiting teacher and visiting teach-ee. It is from the book by Anita Canfield “Visiting Teaching a Holy Calling” (I think that is the name of it). Anyway… Then the Bishop took 5 minutes and built up “the errand of angels” calling of Visiting Teachers. And praised those who took their calling to their hearts. They handed out our new lists with some changes, not a lot and then we had a salad bar. It was very nice. Not real elaborate but nice. We really felt the spirit and that is what makes it a success.

We have also had conf. where we separated into classes and learned 1) the basics 2) ideas of ways to reach them (some cute little handouts to help get in the door too) 3) Ways to give the lessons to both actives and less actives. Then made cute little cards that had our names and phone numbers on them to give out.

Penny

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We did the neatest Visiting Teaching Conference last week. The name of the conference was: “Chicken Soup for the Visiting Teaching Soul” The Program was a skit about the Little Red Hen. The skit involved several sisters playing the Hen, the pig, dog, the cat, the goat etc. The Bishop was the Farmer who came in holding his scriptures and talking for a minute. It was so cute and different from what we have had in the past.

On the front of the Program which was run off in yellow paper… “Chicken Soup for the Visiting Teaching Soul” ( A Cute picture of a Hen inside a border) Under the picture the following scripture….) “Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.” “Behold, the Lore requireth the hear and a willing mind…” D&C 64:33-34.

Inside the Program read as follows:

Opening Song: Have I done any good
Skit: Little Red Hen’s New Call (Click here for the skit)

“Mmmm Good!” Have your Bishop talk
“Taking Stock” Ask Visiting Supervisor to talk
“Stretchin’ My wings” Ask someone to talk about coming back to activation and being a visiting teacher
“Keep Peckin’ and Scratchin” Ask someone to talk about the importance of VT and being in tune “Fried, Tired and Chickened Out”
Have someone talk about the challenges of VT and someone that is honest and down to earth that most people can relate too.

There was a musical Number: As Sisters in Zion (sung by 3 sisters)

There was a light luncheon: Chicken Soup (Used the chicken soup recipe in the Lion House Cook Book) Yummy bread sticks, (made from Rhodes) Cherry Cheesecake (also from the Lion House) Ice water with a lemon. Each sister took home a wooden spoon with a wood-cut -out chicken on top of the spoon. We had a person that cuts wood out cut them for us for a great cost, and then we painted them black with white dots and sanded them a couple of times to have that old look to them…They turned out sooooooooo cuuuuuuuute!!

For decorations We had wooden chickens that were also cut from wood and painted very cute and simply. There was one on each of the dinner tables. The ladies liked them so much that we ended up selling all of the chickens for $10 ea.

It was our darling Relief Society President that had the idea! She is wonderful! I hope it helps you in your calling and if you have any questions please let me know.

The Bennions

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I was called as the VT Coordinator in my singles’ branch a few months ago. Let me preface my remarks by saying that none of it would be possible without help from my six supervisors…I’ve found the more the merrier really is true and we can do more for our sisters because the burden doesn’t fall to one or two ladies.

For fast Sunday every month, I prepare a “visiting teaching packet” for each companionship in our branch. That packet is really just a manila envelope with a label on it, but it works just the same. In the packet we put two updated copies of the companionship’s route (one for each teacher), a copy of the VT message, a reporting sheet (4 to a page, most of our companionships only have 3 to 4 sisters to visit), a handout or treat for the teachers to take with them on their visits, and a “motivator” for the teachers. The “motivator” is usually a quote with a doo-dad or something simple. For example, in December teachers received candy cane with a note that said “The shepherd’s crook, used to bring lost lambs back to the fold.” I also usually put in a contents handout, to let the teachers know what’s inside and how they should use everything.

Since we’ve started this program. our visiting teaching numbers have gone up 10% every month! Plus, girls are always coming up to me at Church and letting me know how excited they are about VT. Last month we hit 94% and it seems that when the sisters are given the proper tools to make VTing easy, the sky’s the limit!

Good luck!

Alexandra

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