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Was in a meeting with our Bishop on Sunday. He wants me to take an assignment. not calling, with the new Teaching like the Savior (or similar) program that is meant to improve teaching in Wards. Right up my alley really, as I complain about it a lot to myself. I find it borrrrrrring at church all the time. When he asked me to take on the responsiblity, I replied “With no disrespect meant to the people who teach in our church, I’ve long been dissatisfied with the overall quality of teaching, and the overall experience on Sunday. It is so incredibly boring. We do lecture-discussion, lecture-discussion most of the time, and I’m sure there are many people who come to church once, and then never come back again because the experience is not fulfilling”. He looked neutral when I said that, although I sensed he was internally pleased that I agreed there was a need for what he was asking me to do…
Later, I commented that I’m surprised that we don’t view the Sunday experience like any organization or even business would — if you have a restaurant that does not provide a good experience, then of course, people will not return. I think good teaching and good experiences on Sunday would do a lot to energize all kinds of metrics and objectives you are probably trying to pursue right now. I stopped short saying “just because it’s true doesn’t mean we can mediocre”. But I thought that — so often we focus on the students’ shortcomings in NOT finding joy in what are repetitive, boring experiences.
Was I too candid?
No, but it might have sounded condescending and critical of volunteers who teach without formal training. I have experienced lots of mediocre and even bad teaching in the Church, but, unlike the significant amount of mediocre and bad teaching I have seen in businesses and schools (including Harvard), the church teachers I have had were, almost without exception, doing the best they could do and we’re doing it out of sense of responsibility, faith, and/or love – as opposed to so many others who were doing it out of a sense of responsibility and a quite hefty paycheck.
Frankly, as your friend, if you don’t accept this assignment and do your best to help address a real issue in the Church that bothers you . . . you are contributing to the problem and, in a real sense, will be criticizing yourself every time you complain about it iin the future.
I think you said what most people think. (Or maybe I don’t think like most people? 
I don’t know your bishop, but he is apparently a good reader of personality or inspired in asking you to do this (which I think is really supposed to the SS president’s job*). I wouldn’t sweat unless he calls you next week and says, “On second thought Brother Dawning, we’d like someone else to do this.”
*In my experience SSP has been a low level calling given to people so they have a job and so the calling is filled. I have literally never had a great leader as SSP, and in the 25+ years I have been in my own ward it’s always people on the margin who have held the calling. We actually discussed this in the stake – this calling is a significant bump up in the responsibility of the SSP and wards need to take a good look at who is there and call the same caliber of people they’d call as EQP, HPGL, etc. – probably their best teachers.
SD, I like where you’re going with this. Every week, when my son is complaining about going to church, I have a hard time giving him reasons why we go each week, because I’m just as bored sitting through these lecture/discussion sessions myself! My question is, what are the improvements that you are going to recommend? Growing up in the church, when this is the teaching method that has been modeled for us our entire lives, I would imagine most teachers fall into that rut because they just don’t know how else to do it. I don’t know if I’d say you went overboard with your response, but like Ray said, these people are volunteers, so I tend to give them some slack. But, I think if the bishop knows that you’re going to follow up the criticism with some solutions, then he’ll be happy to hear it. Good luck!
DarkJedi wrote:
I don’t know your bishop, but he is apparently a good reader of personality or inspired in asking you to do this (which I think is really supposed to the SS president’s job*). I wouldn’t sweat unless he calls you next week and says, “On second thought Brother Dawning, we’d like someone else to do this.”
I agree. Most Bishops have this quality. If they don’t they develop it quickly.
Old Timer wrote:
Frankly, as your friend, if you don’t accept this assignment and do your best to help address a real issue in the Church that bothers you . . . you are contributing to the problem and, in a real sense, will be criticizing yourself every time you complain about it iin the future.I accepted the assignment right in the meeting — without even thinking about it. When he approached me to talk to me (the third time he has approached me about a calling), I was preparing excuses so I could say ‘No’, but when he asked me to do it, I actually felt the calling interesting. And I had the same thought as you, Curt, that I can’t very well complain about how boring it is when I have an opportunity to share what I know to make it better.
So, you are right, but I did accept the assignment right in the meeting.
One thing I am every interested in is whether I will be able to teach with the spirit again. I have two strikes against me. One, my commitment and faith is very weak right now, as well as my personal righteousness since I do not hold a TR. Second, I will not be set apart in the calling. Traditional believers would say I would not have the priesthood blessing associated with being set apart.
I have a feeling I will be able to do it anyway. But who knows….it is an interesting hypothesis — one I am excited about testing.
Quote:I don’t know your bishop, but he is apparently a good reader of personality or inspired in asking you to do this (which I think is really supposed to the SS president’s job*). I wouldn’t sweat unless he calls you next week and says, “On second thought Brother Dawning, we’d like someone else to do this.”
As I said, this is actually the fifth calling he has sent my way ( I said third earlier and then reflected more and found I have refused FIVE CALLINGS!). I keep refusing them, and educating him further on what my talents, limits, and other things are. I have been asked to be an Executive Secretary, a largescale community service project leader, a Sunday School President. a merit badge counselor, and now this. Each time I think he learned more and more about what is suitable for me, and what doesn’t. The first time he came out with a formal calling, I replied “it sounds like you didn’t read that email I sent you when I agreed to come back to church”. That email indicated my boundaries and desires, as well as where I did, and did not want to serve, generally. I should write a play called “The Education of Silentdawning’s Bishop”.
I admire the guy though. He reminds me of myself. I keep trying, learning each time I fail until finally, I get it right. He didn’t give up. I don’t feel he’s motivated out of helping me though — if so, I think he might have tried to talk to me about my past, my current testimony level, etcetera. I feel he just wants to improve his organization. However, that is good enough in this situation.
I have been wondering if we would have a stronger church if each member refused callings until the Bpric got it right. If the members do so out of self-knowledge, the Bishops would eventually put people into the right positions, where they would function within the field of their strengths.
Quote:In my experience SSP has been a low level calling given to people so they have a job and so the calling is filled. I have literally never had a great leader as SSP, and in the 25+ years I have been in my own ward it’s always people on the margin who have held the calling. We actually discussed this in the stake – this calling is a significant bump up in the responsibility of the SSP and wards need to take a good look at who is there and call the same caliber of people they’d call as EQP, HPGL, etc. – probably their best teachers.
I heard this once before when I reported to a SS president. We held the teacher improvement meetings and we were both stronger than the average SS presidency. One person said “this is the first time I’ve ever seen a SS presidency function”, and we didn’t do very much, in my view…I have never seen the calling really done well either. It’s partly the fault of the Bishops who I don’t think see it as a very important calling — once teachers are called, and show up, they don’t think there is much to do — how wrong that is.
Holy Cow wrote:SD,
My question is, what are the improvements that you are going to recommend?
I won’t be recommending improvements. I will be facilitating discussions among teachers about how to teach better, and even simply allowing for an open forum to air problems and come up with solutions. My role is not so much a teacher, but a facilitator. Naturally, I will be sharing what I know as it fits the conversation, but my goal will be to get the teachers’ counseling together. After I figure it out, I may be responsible for sharing what I know with the stake.
It was interesting, when he wanted me to be SS President, he mentioned he wanted to improve teaching. I asked him “Are you prepared to change the way you call and orient people to positions???”.
He stared at me aghast, and said “I’d like to see what you have in mind”. I said I don’t know yet, but I believe the way we call people to positions isn’t the best way — not based on the results I’ve seen in the community with proper selection and orientation of volunteers. As well as the patterns I see in church service…Regrettably, I have a feeling any ideas I have won’t work here here given our system of calls and releases”. I turned down the calling by email after that.
In terms of what I’ll be doing — it’s facilitating teacher-driven discussions about how to teach the gospel effectively. One Sunday a month. I like the new program, attached. There is a link to the manual below. Not a long read to get the main idea of it. They learned from previous attempts to improve gospel teaching in the church (Teaching the Gospel Course, Teacher Improvement coordinator calling) and have come up with something I am truly excited about. Volunteers don’t want to be evaluated. Many are there out of a sense of duty rather than passion. People with a passion for teaching are often in non-teaching positions. Volunteers don’t want to have to come out for an extra meeting. They fixed that too. Making this a council takes out the “I am here to improve you” assumption of proactive evaluation and guidance of teachers. It creates an assumed environment that everyone can learn from each other, and counsel together. Guided by an experienced teacher.
What they haven’t fixed is the assumption that everyone should be a teacher. “Whom the Lord calls, He qualifies” isn’t something I believe, regrettably. But I can’t change that. People have to want to do it….you can’t force passion and its associated excellence on people.
The saddest story I heard was when they made Stephen R. Covey a primary teacher. I heard he was terrible at it, too.
https://www.lds.org/bc/content/ldsorg/manual/13301_000_TchngSvrsWay_Web.pdf SilentDawning wrote:One thing I am every interested in is whether I will be able to teach with the spirit again. I have two strikes against me. One, my commitment and faith is very weak right now, as well as my personal righteousness since I do not hold a TR. Second, I will not be set apart in the calling. Traditional believers would say I would not have the priesthood blessing associated with being set apart.
You’ve got the Gift of the Holy Ghost and the Light of Christ. You’ll be fine!
I think your answer was spot on. I so dislike classes at church.
My teenage son dislikes them as well, but he doesn’t know MY feelings on them.
I see teachers (in RS, especially) who are lacking in energy.
We need some “shakeups” in our wards.
Maybe bring in an evangelical teacher once or twice as a guest teacher.
:thumbup:
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