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Roy – Amen to your explanation. Old Timer wrote:Sheldon, in general, I share that concern – but in many cases with natural disasters, police and other groups want to be able to identify those who are there as part of an organized relief effort. Wearing the shirts allows members access to critical need areas they might be stopped from entering otherwise.
Obviously, that is not true in all situations, but it critical in enough cases that I am completely fine with the shirts being worn.
I completely agree with using the vests In a disaster area. We have NEVER done that in my area. All out helping hands events here in SOCAL have been cleaning a park, volunteering at the Special Olympics, etc. And every time they wore the bright helping hands vest and or t-shirts, and then submitted a paragraph to the local newspaper to be printed in the Sunday edition. This Christ would not approve, and the people will receive their reward in this life, with no rewards in heaven.
Sheldon wrote – Quote:All out helping hands events here in SOCAL have been cleaning a park, volunteering at the Special Olimpics, etc. And every time they wore the bright helping hands vest and or t-shirts, and then submitted a paragraph to the local newspaper to be printed in the Sunday edition.
Me too. I cringe when I see it.
Double cringe when the church news publishes one of those. GRRRRR.
Earthquakes, tsunami’s, etc. NO Problem. Park Cleaning – No thanks.
I agree about the helping hands thing. I will say that the only time we did something somewhat local was after a flood and the local authorities did work with the church and wanted people to wear the vests as a means of identity. And there was no press or church news coverage. As a side note, the SP cancelled Sunday services that week and told everyone who wanted to just got do helping hands. :thumbup: I was just asked to serve as the ward’s justserve.org coordinator. Who knew such a calling even existed?! 
I’ve been asked to coordinate two ward service projects each year, and to find at least one recurring service opportunity that I can post on the website within our area. My worry is that posting a recurring service opportunity that is open to people to attend, or not attend, will just be something that people will ignore. Has anybody had any experience with anything like this before? The last thing people want is for one more thing to become an assignment, so I don’t want to be approaching people to ask them to participate. But, I also don’t want to set up a service opportunity that will leave somebody hanging if nobody ever shows up to serve. Any ideas?
Holy Cow wrote:I was just asked to serve as the ward’s justserve.org coordinator. Who knew such a calling even existed?!
I’ve been asked to coordinate two ward service projects each year, and to find at least one recurring service opportunity that I can post on the website within our area. My worry is that posting a recurring service opportunity that is open to people to attend, or not attend, will just be something that people will ignore. Has anybody had any experience with anything like this before? The last thing people want is for one more thing to become an assignment, so I don’t want to be approaching people to ask them to participate. But, I also don’t want to set up a service opportunity that will leave somebody hanging if nobody ever shows up to serve. Any ideas?
Our stake is just getting going with JustServe as well. I like it. I also like that the very first thing our SP says about it when he brings it up is “This has nothing to do with missionary work and everything to do with helping to make our communities better.” We are not doing anything as wards, we’re just getting stuff on the site and people are being encouraged across the pulpit to participate if they want to – not commitment type things. There are none in my immediate area at the moment, but I do see how people in wards that do have things might just ignore it. I actually think that’s fine with the SP, he has also talked about this as just being opportunities for individuals and perhaps families to find service activities.
Congratulations!! That is awesome. 
:clap: My wife and I are advisors to the YSA, and they want to do service twice a month, rather than just socialize. There is one organization in our area listed on justserve.org (a Lutheran ministry), and Inwill be contacting the Sisters of Annunciation Monastary about their organization, as well as a groupmthatbis losing people with mental disabilities and a local nursing home.
All of us agree there will be no missionary effort.
Quote:Has anybody had any experience with anything like this before? The last thing people want is for one more thing to become an assignment, so I don’t want to be approaching people to ask them to participate. But, I also don’t want to set up a service opportunity that will leave somebody hanging if nobody ever shows up to serve. Any ideas?
Yes, for the past couple of years. Justserve is getting a second reboot. It ran, had some kinks and is on the map again. There is much to like about it. As to getting people motivated – be cheerful. Ask for a few minutes during Sunday School to talk up the next project. If your ward is just starting, shoot for 2 or 3 for the year. Make them big, fun, and memorable. Try to connect the project to something already taking place like a monthly ward dinner. Arrange to clean and overhaul a park that night and have the ward dinner a potluck where everyone can bring an item, when the work is done, break out the food. Let people chat. Have fun.
Biggest KeyThank the ward profusely. Make thank you posters and put them in the hall way on a table where everyone can pass it. (Not the glassed in ones by the Bishops office). Send treats. Even a bag of lollipops with a note for each organization during 3rd hour to pass around to say thanks. Then as you talk to people in the hall drop more words of praise. Even if only 5 people show up (which happened with my first) praise the event, the people. No guilt. Now my ward busts it out every time. I will PM you with specifics if you want.
mom3’s ideas are awesome! Thanks for the tips, folks! Great ideas! And I love the reminder to offer plenty of thanks to people!! A little thanks can really go a long way. mom3 wrote:
I will PM you with specifics if you want.
That would be awesome if you have time! I can use all the help I can get.LookingHard wrote:There are 15 million members with between a 30% to 50% activity rate gives between 5 and 7.5 million members.
Maybe it’s just my stake, or just single adults, (since that’s the only area and demographic I’ve gone through the “all members on file” list of) but even 30% seems way too generous. My ward’s SA activity level is at around 4-6%, and IIRC, the best in the stake was still under 10%. I forget what the overall membership number is for my ward, but frankly based on attendance we should be at best a medium-to-large branch.
mom3 wrote:Quote:Has anybody had any experience with anything like this before? The last thing people want is for one more thing to become an assignment, so I don’t want to be approaching people to ask them to participate. But, I also don’t want to set up a service opportunity that will leave somebody hanging if nobody ever shows up to serve. Any ideas?
Yes, for the past couple of years. Justserve is getting a second reboot. It ran, had some kinks and is on the map again. There is much to like about it. As to getting people motivated – be cheerful. Ask for a few minutes during Sunday School to talk up the next project. If your ward is just starting, shoot for 2 or 3 for the year. Make them big, fun, and memorable. Try to connect the project to something already taking place like a monthly ward dinner. Arrange to clean and overhaul a park that night and have the ward dinner a potluck where everyone can bring an item, when the work is done, break out the food. Let people chat. Have fun.
Biggest KeyThank the ward profusely. Make thank you posters and put them in the hall way on a table where everyone can pass it. (Not the glassed in ones by the Bishops office). Send treats. Even a bag of lollipops with a note for each organization during 3rd hour to pass around to say thanks. Then as you talk to people in the hall drop more words of praise. Even if only 5 people show up (which happened with my first) praise the event, the people. No guilt. Now my ward busts it out every time. I will PM you with specifics if you want.
Sounds like it has worked great for your ward and sounds wonderful. I think part of the purpose is for us to step outside of our little group and serve people we don’t know while showing others we’re not just about us. Much of our world/disaster type humanitarian stuff goes widely unnoticed, even among members, and I think that’s fine (alms before men mentioned earlier). I also think that Mormons are pretty well known for “taking care of their own.” Sometimes I think that perception makes us seem a bit more exclusive. Again, our stake is just getting going with this, and perhaps we’re just not at the point where we’re ready to say to wards “OK, there’s some good park cleanups or whatnot in your area, get a move on.” On the other hand, we did review the JustServe manual (of course there’s a manual!
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