Young Single Adult wards come in all shapes and sizes. Membership can ebb and flow and members are at varying stages in life. All of these factors mean that YSA wards can dramatically change at any minute. Many bishops are at a loss for ways to concisely and effectively organize such a volatile ward. However, by following the model provided on this site a successful ward organizational meeting can take place in under an hour and set the foundations for a strong and thriving ward.
Effective ward organizational meetings do the following:
These five steps will guide you through preparing for, executing, and following through with a successful ward organizational meeting. This model suggests that you determine a period of time, appropriate for your ward, as a “calling cycle.” It is recommended that a ward organizational meeting take place at the beginning of each calling cycle. Calling cycles help prevent burnout, ensure that new members receive callings quickly, and allow more ward members hold leadership positions.
To reduce the burden on the bishop, we suggest a ward clerk make those calls using the following dialogue:
Hello (prior bishop name). My name is ___________. I am the ward clerk of the ___________ ward. (Name of new ward member) has recently moved into our ward. Our Bishop asked me to call you to see if you would need to speak with him regarding any worthiness issue prior to him extending (Name of new ward member) a calling.
If the answer is “no”, a calling can be extended. If the answer is “yes”, the ward clerk notifies the bishop and he personally calls the prior bishop.
The ward clerk and executive secretaries should create a list of all ward members eligible for a calling and then distribute the list to the ward leadership prior to the ward organizational meeting.
“Quorum and group leaders may organize committees to help with missionary work, spiritual and temporal welfare, and temple and family history work. These committees can increase the effectiveness of the quorum or group. They also can provide opportunities for members to participate meaningfully.” Book 2, Page 167
“Members who are called to most Church positions should be set apart before they begin serving (see D&C 42:11). Quorum and group leaders set apart secretaries, instructors, and committee chairmen.” Book 2, Page 173