Worldwide Leadership Training

The church has just issued 2 new handbooks and leadership training regarding them.

Handbook2 Administering the Church is found under "Serving in the Church" section of the new lds.org website. Handbook1 is more specific to Bishops and Stake Presidents and not available online.

Here is the video of the training and introduction if you'd like to see what was emphasized.

President Monson encouraged all of us to read, understand, and follow it. Answers to 80% of all the questions that are asked of the First Presidency can be found in the handbook.

Principles
The first 3 chapters focus on key principles for leadership and church administration, with families at the heart of God's plan.

Ward Councils
Emphasis is given to the Ward Council meetings that focus on benefiting individuals and families and less about calendaring.

"Effective councils invite full expression from council members and unify their efforts in responding to individual, family, and organizational needs."

There is no longer a separate Welfare meeting. Specialists may be called by the Bishop for employment, family finance, home storage, etc.

Activities
There is no longer a separate Activities Committee but the Bishop may assign responsibility to one or more organizations, individuals or committees organized temporarily for a specific activity.

"Activities strengthen members by giving them a sense of belonging and mutual support. Activities should help members feel connected to others their age, to their leaders, and to their families. Activities should also help members see how living the gospel brings 'the joy of the saints.' ...Leaders ensure that activities strengthen the family rather than compete with it."

Uniformity and Adaptation
One section focuses on what is to uniform and what can be adapted when it comes to church policy and programs, based on the size and needs of the ward. Scriptures, Sunday meetings, curriculum and ordinances are uniform throughout the church. Staffing a ward, the format and frequency of activities, and class sizes may be adapted giving consideration to families, transportation, communication, and leadership resources.

There are specific chapters for each organization, guidance on meetings and callings and some selected policies from Handbook1.

I think it's great that this manual is available for study. It gives us all the big picture of how the church is administered, what can be expected and where the Lord wants us to focus our efforts.

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