| QUESTION CORNER |
Years ago there was a process called "Personal Priesthood Interview" where the Quorum/Group leader would meet regularly with the Home Teacher and allow for an accounting of his stewardship as it pertained to the assigned families. In my experience the Spirit was invited to assist. Specific assignments were given under the direction of the Spirit with the realization the Home Teacher would be expected to 'return and report'. When this process was used the Home Teaching improved as there were two, the H.T. and the Leader actively involved in the family teaching. Has this process become a relic of the past or does it hold as much significance as others who were asked to 'return & report'? Phil Anderson, Former Elders Quorum President, Quincy, Washington, USA
I am a firm believer as well in the PPI process. In fact the MPLH
recommends it. I have seen a better increase in HT, but in our ward the
increase has not been substantial. To answer your question, PPI's have not
become a relic in our ward. Hopefully it is the same elsewhere. Kim Siever, Elders Quorum President
Surrey First Ward, Surrey British Columbia Stake, Canada The EQ President before me would stand before the priesthood and "remind" the brothers to do their home teaching. This never seemed to work. Why not talk to the members one-on-one, I asked? Takes too much time, he replied. Now as his replacement I've discovered that you have to make time. A recent article in our local paper noted the rapid growth of our Church; big families helped but as important was the conversions made one member at a time. The Church sends missionaries to the homes, not to sports stadiums to converts thousands at a time. Likewise an EQP must go to the homes or at least meet face-to-face with every member of his quorum. The PPI can be a learning experience about stewardship. We use two levels of PPI. My counsellors are asked to meet monthly with the members assigned to them to discuss Home Teaching. This can be very brief but the purpose is to get beyond the numbers and look at the needs of the families being taught. Yearly the EQP meets with each quorum member to look at all areas of the priesthood: family, career, food storage, missionary work, temple work, etc. For many the yearly PPI in 1997 was the first they had every had! A few lives were changed for the better. We had two Elders renew their temple recommends after years of not having one. Two others impressed me so highly that I selected them as EQ teachers for 1998. It is important that members know that you value them personally as Elders and value the responsibilities assigned only to them. Gary Kibble, Elders Quorum President, Yorktown Ward, Yorktown New York Stake, USA The Home Teaching Interview is a tool for linking the home teaching visit to the quorum leader and the Bishop. The Lord seems to value the principle of "return and report." Without it home teaching is not complete. If the home teacher visits a family once per month, and never reports the health and status of the family to the quorum leader, the leaders will not know how the family doing. The leaders cannot possibly visit the homes of each family every month. They must have priesthood holders help them. Home teaching is a special and sacred obligation to serve in the priesthood. The Home Teaching Interview is not a relic of the past. It is a way to complete the monthly home teaching visit. The principle has been around for many years and I believe will continue to exist. I have used it many times in my Church callings, and I have had extremely successful results. Try it. It works! Mark Whitworth, Home Teaching Executive Secretary Bergeson Ward, Boise Idaho East Stake, USA The PPI is a lost art. However, we are still responsible for reporting the information. A suggestion to Elders Quorum Presidencies, do your PPI's. Leave ward socials to the experts (the Relief Society....with a generous amount of help from the EQ) and concentrate on the primary responsibilities of the EQ "perfecting the saints". Love them into the Church, let them know just how badly they are needed and wanted. Mark Dillingham, Deacons Quorum Advisor/Scoutmaster Ward and Stake Unknown * If anyone has any ideas that would be helpful in answering the above question, then please let me know, so I can post them. |