The singles ward in our stake was dissolved on Sunday. The Stake Pres. called Brad and I to be the new Stake Young Single Adult Advisers. So, we will be doing FHE (Family Home Evening) every Monday evening ~ last night was our first, I really should have taken pictures. (I will in the near future) We had a short lesson and then played Jeopardy and had refreshments! One of the girls made the game, it was SO much fun!!!
Anyway, we will be doing FHE, a regional dance at our building every 4th Friday, break the fast every Fast Sunday (1st Sunday of the month), activities, firesides, temple, DI assignments, etc. We are also in charge of a regional beach party in the summer. Sounds like a lot of work, but TONS of fun! I am very excited!!!
We were given a list of YSA's in our stake and there are 606 on the list!!!! BUT, there were only 35 that had records in the Singles Ward! I am sure some of them have moved, are on missions, and are less active. I think our BIGGEST job is going to be getting them out! You would think this age group would want to play!!! I don't know what the problem is on attendance!!!
I am posting to share my excitement but I am also posting to ASK FOR ANY IDEAS ON FUN THINGS YOU HAVE DONE.... whether it is something you did when you were a YSA or some fun activity you did as a mutual activity or ward activity... I can copy really well, LOL... Any ideas on getting them out to participate... HELP!
(And, yes, I will still be teaching Institute. I have more come to Institute then come to FHE! I don't get it!)
16 comments:
How exciting! Congrats on your new calling! You will be so good in there :) ♥ Hugs!
What fun! I am sure you will have lots of great ideas.
CONGRATS! i heard on Sunday and was sooo happy that they asked you to do it! You are so much FUN!!! I was the FHE Chairperson for the Cottonwood Ward for the past 7 months, so i can tell you some of the things we did, and Jeff Ravsten gave me a list when i started that had everything they had done while i was away in DC the previous year, to help me out! i look forward to FHE! If you need any help with anything just let me know, i love to help out! =]
You will be fabulous in this calling. I'll let you know if I hear of anything f un.
You will be AWESOME at that! Sounds like you are already on the ball with things to do. My girl will be going to school in the fall and I would LOVE for her to be in your ward.
Oh my goodness! It's like you're the Bishop and bishop's wife of a non-ward now! Crazy, aside from interviews, it sounds like they still want the same thing a singles ward has, WOW! Such a busy calling but it does sound *really* fun!!! My favorite things from the single's branch days were talent nights, hikes, BBQ's with night time roasting marshmallows, sledding trips, and service projects. Good luck with that and can't wait to see future pictures!!!
Busy as a bee girl. Man. You are buzzing around doing all these fab things for the young people everywhere.
I will ask Eddie when he gets home. He might have some great suggestons. I never went to those things. If you were there, I would have though.
I have no doubt the Lord will use you and Brad to help these young people!!
Ill ask Josh what fun things they did and see if there is anything to pass on.
I head the good news! You two are perfect for them!!! I have a good place to go for ideas...I will send it over to you...good luck!
It is soooo exciting and different from the way we do it in Utah. Our single wards are going strong!!!! I loved serving there when Mr. B was in the bishopric. Sweet calling! We have a regional, stake and ward activity every month. We are on the activities com for the Reg. Last month we spent 1000.00 and rented a huge warehouse which housed just trampolines in Utah county. It was a blast. We have just over 200 attend the regional activities each month. This month we rented Soldiers Hollow site of the Olympics for a Tubing activity. The kids ride their tube up the lift and tube down. Sometimes 8 at a time on one tube. 850.00 to rent it for 2 hours. Then come in the lodge for hot chocolate, games and food.
The stake this weekend is Laser tag. everyone can bring their friends/dates or who ever. The more the merrier.
My husband is now the HC over the YSA's in the stake besides being the stake shepherding couple.
We have so many who do not attend single wards. Yet we still have about 600 in our stake also who go to home wards. We hold a stake Sunday School class each week at the stake center and want to implement an institute class once a week as well after our meeting two weeks ago with the GA. Some of the wards Shepherding couples do a FHE once a month at their homes on a ward basis. The wards have found if they commbine with other wards they have had more success.
On S and L updates on my blogroll you will see some pictures of our ward and another ward bowling and then last months regional trampoline activity..
Last July I posted some from our MULTI-Regional activity where we had 2000 kids come.
I do have some things I can send you in the mail. Please send your home address to c.annie77atmsn.com. My husband works for the church in your area and was just there in January.
We put together a folder and had the ward committees( Elders Q, RS ward missionaries go out with a YSA and contact each of the YSA's in their ward. We have their emails and cell phone numbers and mass text them the day of each activity as a reminder.
I have some stats about the YSA’s which are devastating. This is a busy and one of the best callings ever. Mr. B would say it sure beats being the bishop!!!
Ideas for activities.
Have fun and just LOVE them!
♥♥♥(Hugs:)
Beth *C*
Shaila,
You will be perfect...as soon as I read you post I thought that might be it. I almost said something...but didn't. What a wonderful opportunity for them and for you - you and Brad have so much love and insight to share. Good Luck!
I am 100% sure that as soon as all those singles in hiding find out YOU and BRAD are in charge they will show up! You guys will make it a blast!!!
Shaila,as the Mom of one of those 600+ young adults, I am so excited about this new calling for you and Brad. (Josh goes to the Nuevo Ward. He says when he closes his eyes during the prayers, he feels like he's back on the mission). The Cottonwood Ward has blessed the lives of my kids so much, and I've been so sad to see it end. This will be such a great way to reach out to these kids and bring them together. You guys are perfect for this!
I've heard that this age group is where a lot of members go inactive. On their own, off of missions.....it's just too easy to skip church. Or FHE. They know that Institute will be uplifting, but FHEs came be lame. (Nothing personal, just my experience!!) You'll be great. I'm sure the fact that you already have a relationship with the YSAs was a big part of the decision.
Sounds like you've got some great ideas. Be sure to enlist the YSAs in the planning, too. Plan some REALLY GREAT activities for the first little bit, get people really excited about the changes, then if you have some not-so-dynamic activites, people have already been attending, and they'll still want to come. (Is this making any sense?)
Good luck!!! You guys will do great!
Wow, that is a FUN calling I'm sure! And you will be awesome at it, gosh you're perfect for that! :) My favorite singles activities were always dances, game nights, bonfires, anything to do with camping or hiking, and once we did a Valentine's dinner/dance where the girls all made dinner, put it in a box, and the guys had to choose one without knowing which girl made which box. We ate dinner with that guy, and that had a dance afterward. It was super fun!
How fun! Sounds like a lot of time, but you will be blessed in so many ways. And you guys will be great. I can't believe there are so many ppl & only 35 show up. Wow.
I will think about some ideas & let you know..
I love Service things.
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