How to prepare and

use a great ward

mission plan
 Strong Ward
Members

PEC & Ward

Council

The
The leaders and members of too many New, weak and inactive
Bishop,
wards don’t understand what role they members; non-members
alone
need to play to help the bishop achieve
his goals in strengthening the ward.
The Ward Mission Plan
As ward leaders, what is
defines how members our goal for bringing non-
of each priesthood and members and inactive
auxiliary organization members into the church,
will contribute to and what is our plan for
achieving these goals. accomplishing it?

Elders
EQ
High Priests HP

Relief Society Sisters RS

Ward & full-time
missionaries
WML B
Primary teachers & Pri
children

Young men & Leaders YM

New, weak and
inactive members;
Young women & Leaders YW non-members
The ward mission plan is a plan for
how we’ll grow the ward through
reactivation and referrals

 The plan’s foundation should be 2 goals:

 Target for increased sacrament meeting
attendance
 The number of people we’ll find for the
missionaries to teach

Goals for sacrament meeting attendance & referrals

The second foundation layer is leaders’
commitment to lead by example.

Leaders’ commitment to lead

Goals for sacrament meeting attendance & referrals

Commit to be leaders!
Administration alone will
not solve the challenge of
growing the church.

It is as if members have been

journeying across a glacier, and are huddled at the
edge of a frightening “member missionary
crevasse,” afraid to jump across. If leaders push
from behind, they will resist. But if leaders jump
across first and then turn back with the assurance
that it is safe and easy, many will follow.
Each auxiliary and priesthood organization
should contribute a building block to the
plan.

Primary

Leaders’ commitment to lead

Goals for sacrament meeting attendance & referrals

Possible initiatives that the Primary could
undertake as its part of the ward mission plan

 Invite families of children being baptized to:

 Invite families of the child’s friends to attend the service
 Missionaries deliver invitations and welcome people
 Child gives talk on the meaning of baptism
 Missionaries deliver thank-you notes written by child’s parents to
families that attended, and ask, “Do you have any questions that
we could answer for you?

 We will invite the community cub scout pack to merge with our
ward pack, and hold pack meetings in the church.

 Or, inspire at least 2 members who are not now active, to

accept callings to serve in the Primary.

 Or an idea that is even better suited for your ward or branch

The plan is built block by block, defining how
other priesthood and auxiliary organizations
can support the missionary effort.

Relief
Primary
Society

Leaders’ commitment to lead

Goals for sacrament meeting attendance & referrals

Possible Relief Society Building Blocks

 Invite a non-member friend to teach a lesson at

each Enrichment Night.

 Or: Involve at least one non-member neighbor or

friend to serve with us in every compassionate
service activity.

 Or: Conduct a monthly mothering class at the

church, with a goal that at least half of those
attending will be non-members

 Or: An idea that is even better suited for your ward or

branch
Having the missionaries serve as home
teachers to five less-active families must be
a part of every ward mission plan

 Bishop assigns the full-time missionaries to home teach five

less-active families
 Missionaries visit often, in every way serving as good home
teachers would serve. As soon as it seems appropriate, they
ask if the members would allow them to teach the new gospel
discussions
 Missionaries report during PEC / ward council on these
families as if they were investigators – use the same progress
forms
 If a family fails to progress, missionaries take them off their list
of five, making a careful record in area book.
 Bishop assigns another less-active family, so that missionaries
always are working with five.
 Virginia Richmond Mission Reactivations
Jan. 1 2006 – July 31 2006

Chesapeake Stake Chesterfield Stake Midlothian Stake Newport News Stake

Ahoskie Branch 6 Belmont Ward 4 Bon Air Ward 17 Denbigh Ward 10
Albemarle Branch 0 Chesterfield 1st Ward 7 Buckingham Branch 1 Gloucester Branch 7
Bennett Creek Ward 6 Chesterfield (SP) 2nd Ward 10 Burkeville Ward 8 Jamestown Ward 6
Deep Creek Ward 4 Colonial Heights Ward 6 Chippenham YSA Ward 3 Jefferson Ward 1
Elizabeth City 1st Ward 5 Hopewell Ward 5 Clover Hill Ward 12 Kilmarnock Branch 2
Elizabeth City 2nd Ward 6 Laurenceville 10 Manchester Ward 13 Poquoson Ward 5
Franklin Ward 5 Weadowbrook Ward 3 Midlothian Ward 9 Todd’s Lane Ward 7
Great Bridge Ward 9 Petersburg Branch 5 Powhatan Branch 10 VA Peninsula YSA 5
Mount Pleasant Ward 6 Wakefield Branch 3 Victory (Spanish) Branch 3
Nags Head Branch 9 Williamsburg Ward 7
Portsmouth Branch 3 Yorktown Ward 1
Smithfield Branch 1
Total 60 Total 53 Total 73 Total 54

Richmond Stake Virginia Beach Stake Waynesboro Stake

Chickahominy Ward 7 Bayside Ward 12 Charlottesville 1st Ward 2
Gaylon Ward 5 Cape Henry Ward 10 Charlottesville 2nd Ward 6
Glen Allen Ward 4 Eastern Shore Branch 5 Charlottesville 3rd Ward 0
Henrico (Sp) Branch 5 Kempsville Ward 1 Franklin Ward 2
Innsbrook Ward 0 Norfolk Ward 10 Harrisonburg 1st Ward 6
Mechanicsville Ward 2 Pembroke 4 Harrisonburg 2nd Ward 0
Richmond Branch 3 Salem Ward 41 Harrisonburg 3rd Branch 4
Scotchtown Ward 12 Sandbridge Ward 14 Rivanna Ward 9
Tappahannock Branch 2 Tidewater YSA Branch 18 Staunton Branch 2
Tuckahoe Ward 7 Waynesboro Ward 7 Total for mission 2005 700
Total 47 Total 115 Total 38 Total for mission YTD 440
The building blocks of a great ward mission
plan define simple, effective ways to engage
the entire ward in sharing the gospel

Complicated & Ineffective Simple & Effective

 Requires creating new  When possible, transforms

programs and events things we already are doing
into missionary opportunities
 Activities that comprise the  Activities that comprise the
plan happen once or plan occur regularly and
sporadically repeatedly, so that they
become habitual
 Responsibility is diffused  Each quorum, auxiliary or
and vague. person involved in
implementing the plan has one
or two specific things to do.
 As permitted by the size and strength of the
ward, other organizations can commit to
initiatives that support the missionary effort *

High Priests YM / YW

Ward Mission Relief

Primary
Teach How Society
Leaders’ commitment to lead

Goals for sacrament meeting. attendance & referrals

* Ideas for what these other organizations might do are included in the appendix to this presentation
 Sample Ward Mission Plan (building blocks chosen from the
ideas in this training document, for illustration)

Goals: This year we will grow Sacrament Meeting attendance from 125
to 140; and we will find 24 people for the missionaries to teach.
We will do this by:
1. The Relief Society will invite a non-member friend to lead a class at each Enrichment Night
2. The Primary will ask the family of each child being baptized to invite the families of several
of the child’s friends to attend the baptismal service
3. The bishop will invite all adults and youth,10 people at a time, to attend a 3-week class on
how to share the gospel.
4. The bishop will ask the missionaries will home teach 5 less-active families at all times. We
will treat them as investigators, using the Progress Report in each PEC/Ward Council. If
they do not progress, or if they become active, we’ll ask the to home teach another family.
5. The high priests will ensure that each new convert visits the temple to perform baptisms for
ancestors within 2 months of their baptism.
6. The YM/YW advisers will invite a non-member friend each month to lead a youth activity
7. The elders quorum will hold 4 firesides on how to be good husbands and fathers, to which
non-member friends will be invited.
8. The missionaries and the 1st counselor in the bishopric and in each priesthood and
auxiliary presidency will confer after meetings each Sunday to list those members who
ought to have attended but didn’t come. We will contact each of them that day to say they
were missed, to express concern for their well-being, and to invite them attend church the
next Sunday.
At this point, the ward mission plan is a document
that defines the goals, what will be done, when it
will happen, and who is responsible for doing it.

It is very important that all active

members know these goals, and
what their responsibility is in
achieving them.

High Priests YM / YW

Relief
Primary Ward Mission
Society

Leaders’ commitment to lead

Goals for sacrament meeting attendance & referrals

The capstone of the plan is to use it as a process
by which Ward Council members hold themselves
accountable for achieving their missionary goals.

Measure
progress, solve
problems & improve

High
YM / YW
Priests

Primary Relief
Ward Mission
Society

Leaders’ commitment to lead

Goals for sacrament meeting attendance & referrals

By returning and reporting monthly, the ward
council holds itself accountable for achieving its
goals, and searches for better ways to meet them.

Progress towards our goal for referrals to

the missionaries EQ

YTD YTD HP
Goal Actual
Jan 4 1
Feb 8 3
“What can we RS
do to close
Mar 12 6
this gap?”
Apr 16 10 B WML
May 20 13
June 24 18
July 28 Pri
Aug 32
Sept 36 YM
Oct 40
Nov 44
Dec 48 YW
Using your ward mission plan as a process
When: How:
 One ward council meeting Progress towards our goal of
each month focuses on the increasing Sacrament Meeting
missionary/reactivation effort. attendance

Goal Actual
 Time created by eliminating
Jan 138 135
announcements &
Feb 140 137
calendaring from this meeting
Mar 142 136
Apr 144 139
 Ward mission leader reports
May 146 136
on progress towards goals
June 148
 Ward leaders, in a problem- July 150
solving mode, discuss the Aug 152
effectiveness of each element Sept 154
of the plan and what else they Oct 156
can try. Nov 158
Dec 160
Example for how ward leaders who focus on growing a ward can
succeed: Where the Revere Second Ward came from

Who could have

been here today
who wasn’t?
Who could have
been here today
who wasn’t?
Who could have
been here today
who wasn’t?

Who could have

been here today
who wasn’t?
What will happen as each auxiliary and
quorum fulfills its part of the plan?

 We can’t predict specifically which people

who touch the church through these building
blocks will accept our invitations to learn
about the gospel or begin actively attending
church again.
 But as we interact with more people in the
gospel context in ways defined by our ward
mission plan, some of them will accept.
Summary

 It begins with clear goals and leaders’ commitment to lead.

 Priesthood and auxiliary organizations contribute building
blocks to the plan.
 When possible, transform existing events into recurring missionary
opportunities
 Responsibility for missionary success borne broadly by ward council
members, each of whom has a simple, clear role
 Ward leaders can choose ideas from the suggestions herein, or develop
initiatives that are better suited

 The plan becomes a process by:

 Reporting progress towards goals at monthly ward council meeting, and
 Having problem-solving discussions about what else can be done to
achieve goals for sharing the gospel and growing the church.
The following pages contain ideas for
initiatives that priesthood and auxiliary
organizations might undertake as their part
of the ward mission plan
 Ward missionaries
 Bishopric & ward council
 Young Men & Young Women
 Primary
 Relief Society
 High Priests Group
 Elders Quorum
 Public Affairs
 Activities Committee
 Young Single Adults
 Ward Mission Plan Progress Report

Portland Ward Augusta Ward Saco Branch

Actual Actual Actual

Referral YTD Attendance Actual Referral YTD Attendance Actual Referral YTD Attendance Actual
Goal Referrals Goal Attendance Goal Referrals Goal Attendance Goal Referrals Goal Attendance

January 2 1 98 98 2     3 0 72 70
February 4 3 100 105   2     6 0 74 68
March 6 7 102 99   2     9 0 75 65
April 8 9 104 96   3     12 1 77 68
May 10 9 106 105   3     15 1 79 70
June 12 9 108 110   4     18 2 80 73
July 14 12 110 113   4     21 2 82 68
August 16   112           24   84  
September 18   114           27   85  
October 20   116           30   87  
November 22   118           33   89  
December 24   120           36   90  
Total year 24   120   not known   not known   36   90  
Possible building blocks from the Ward
Mission
 We will teach an ongoing, 3-week Sunday School class on the
principles and methods of member missionary work. The bishop will
invite by letter all ward members aged 12 and over to take this class, in
groups of ten. (Note: with rare exceptions, this should be a part of
every unit’s mission plan. Lessons for this class can be obtained
through [email protected].)

 Our ward missionaries will commit to serve at one or more regular,

specified times each week. This will make them predictably available
to help the missionaries teach. They will also use this time to serve as
weekly home teachers to new members for 3-4 months after baptism.

 Ask each less-active family in the ward to host the missionaries for
dinner at least twice each year.

 Or, other initiatives that are appropriate to the ward or branch

Other Ward Mission responsibilities

 The ward mission leader’s “blocking and tackling”

administrative duties need not be recorded as part of the ward
mission plan – but they absolutely must be done in a
dependable way.
 Weekly correlation meeting with missionaries
 Help missionaries lead a productive, problem-solving discussion
about progressing investigators in PEC and Ward Council
meetings
 In particular, use this discussion to mobilize ward’s resources to teach
the friends and family of every progressing investigator that the
missionaries have begun to teach as an individual
 Arrange for members to join missionaries in teaching all
investigator lessons beyond the first.
 Ensure that each baptismal service is an inspiring experience for
the friends and family of the person being baptized.
Possible Bishopric & Ward Council
building blocks
 We’ll inspire the ward members by our examples. Each month in
fast meeting, at least two ward council members or ward
missionaries will bear testimony about an inspiring missionary
experience they’ve had.
 Each Sunday the ward clerk will
 List each occasionally-attending member and progressing investigator
who did not come to church that day
 Convene a 5-minute meeting at which the missionaries and a counselor
from each auxiliary and priesthood organization attends. They will make
assignments to contact each person on that day to express how much
they were missed, see if anything is wrong, and invite them to attend the
next week.
 When we ask members to speak in sacrament meeting, we will ask
them to bring at least three non-member friends to that meeting.
 We will ask every person who prays in every meeting in the ward to
ask God to bless us to find more people with whom we can share
the gospel.
Possible Bishopric & Ward Council building
blocks (continued)

 Each year we will release one capable counselor from the

presidency of each priesthood and auxiliary organization; call him or
her to serve as a ward missionary; and find a less-active member to
take that person’s place in the presidency.
 With the assistance of the ward mission leader, we will custom-
formulate an ideal responsibility for each new member prior to his or
her baptism, and the bishop will issue that calling at the time of
baptism.
 Or: Other ideas that are even better suited for your ward or branch
Possible Young Men & Young Women
building blocks
 Our advisers will invite a non-member acquaintance to lead
one activity night each month.

 Or: We will transform our boy scout troop into a community troop that
meets in our church. It will be led by a ward member but will seek to
draw at least 50% of the boys from non-member families.

 Or: When young men are ordained, we will ask their families to invite
the families of non-member friends to the ordination service. The
young man being ordained will give a talk about the priesthood.
Missionaries will attend; greet guests; deliver thank-you notes from
the family several days later; and ask the guests if they have any
questions that they might answer.

 Or: We will inspire each teacher, priest, Mia-Maid and Laurel to find a
friend that regularly attends activity nights with them.

 Or: An idea that is even better suited for your ward or branch
Possible Primary building blocks

 We will ask families of children being baptized to invite the families

of 8-10 of the child’s friends to attend the baptismal service.
Missionaries will deliver invitations and welcome people at the
baptismal service, and the child will give a talk on the meaning of
baptism. Missionaries will then deliver thank-you notes written by
child’s parents to families that attended, and ask, “Do you have any
questions about what you saw there that we could answer for you?
 Or, We will invite the community cub scout pack to merge with our
ward pack. We will hold pack meetings in the church, and involve a
mix of members and non-members as pack and den leaders.
 Or, Each year we will inspire at least 2 members who are not now
active to accept callings to serve in the Primary.
Possible Primary building blocks
(continued)

 Or, Each year we’ll sponsor a “Teacher Appreciation Night” at the

church where each primary child can bring his or her favorite school
teacher. Through talks, media and presentations, the children will
express their thanks to their teachers.
 Or an idea that is even better suited for your ward or branch.
Possible Relief Society building blocks

 We’ll invite a non-member friend to teach a lesson at each

Enrichment Night.

 Or: We will involve at least one non-member neighbor or friend to

serve with us in every compassionate service activity.

 Or: We will conduct a monthly mothering class at the church,

with a goal that at least half of those attending will be non-
members

 Or: An idea that is even better suited for your ward or branch
Possible High Priests’ building blocks

 We will take each new member to the temple to be baptized

for deceased family members within two months of baptism.
 Or: Four times each year we will find an opportunity to help a
member of the ward who is in need that requires the skill of a less-
active member. We will ask him or her to organize and lead a
project to solve that problem.
 Or, Each year we will help twelve inactive members to research
their family history, and take at least six of them to the temple to be
baptized for their ancestors.
 Or, We will ask members of an ethnic community in our ward
boundaries (Italian, Hispanic, Chinese, Armenian, etc.) to join with
us in a name extraction project using records from their native land.
 Or: An idea that is even better suited for your ward or branch
Possible Elders Quorum building blocks

 We will hold a fireside each month for quorum members and their
non-member friends that focuses on how to become better fathers.
 Or: When ward members ask members to ask us to help them move
to have at least one non-member friend there to work with us.
 Or: We will create a special home teaching district comprised of
ward missionaries or others who will commit to serve at a regular
time each week. They will visit each new member at least weekly
for the first 3-4 months after baptism.
 Or: Other ideas that are even better suited for your ward or branch
Possible Public Affairs building blocks
 We will cause one article about the church or one of our
members to be published in one of our local newspapers
each month.
 Or: We will create a “family of the year” award whose criteria are
those in the Proclamation on the Family. Once each year we will
identify a family in our ward area to receive this award at a
ceremony held in the church.
 Or: We will make it easier for people to learn of our church by
 Installing call-forwarding on the telephone at the church so that a
member can answer calls during the week.
 Ensuring that copies of the Book of Mormon and other essential
materials are on the shelves at each public and school library in our
communities.
 Or, Hold a family / emergency preparedness fair for our community
 Or, Other ideas that are even better suited for your ward or branch
Possible Activities Committee building
blocks

 On Good Friday of each year we will sponsor a devotional service

for members of our community that focuses on the resurrection of
Jesus Christ.
 Or: We will hold an Easter egg hunt on the church grounds every
year for children in our community.
 Or: We will involve at least one less-active or non-member in the
planning and work associated with each ward activity – we won’t
just invite them to come, we’ll ask for their help in putting it on.
 Or: An idea that is even better suited for your ward or branch
Possible Young Single Adult Initiatives

 Twice each year we’ll sponsor a 3-on-3 basketball

tournament at the church, requiring that one or two
non-members be on each team.
 Or, We’ll hold a concert in the chapel each quarter,
at which we’ll invite members’ friends who are less-
active or non-member musical artists, to perform.
 Or, Each year, each active YSA member will find
one less-active member to attend institute with
them.
 Or, another initiative that is even better suited to
your ward or branch.
 Finding the Right Focus
President Thomas S. Monson: Elder Boyd K. Packer:

When we deal in generalities “I wish we would stop collecting

We shall never succeed. so many statistics and reports.
When we deal in specifics, The church is not a business. If
We shall rarely have failure. we teach pure doctrine, and
When performance is measured, teach our leaders to be led by
Performance improves. the Spirit in all they do, the
When performance is measured and Kingdom of God will flourish.”
reported,  
The rate of performance accelerates. (personal notes of Clayton
  Christensen from Seventies’
(Favorite Quotations from the training meeting)
Collection of Thomas S. Monson, pg
61, Deseret Book, 1985)

There are goodWhose approach

numbers, is right?
and there are bad numbers
Worse Good
Numbers Numbers

% Home Taught Sacrament mtg attendance

 Treat meaningless  Who’s not here?
contacts as a “visit”  Reactivation
 Mis-reporting  Retain new members
 Report by email –
“Did you visit?” Member referrals taught
 Doesn’t cause  Lead by example
personal interviews
to happen
 Inspire members to share
the gospel
 Testimony in home

Active Temple Recommend

holders
 Who doesn’t have a
recommend?
 What can I do to help you
be worthy?