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Hey.

Welcome back to another episode of Leading Saints.

This is I wanna share a portion of a conversation I had with a group of ward leaders, stake leaders, former ward leaders, former stake leaders, where we talk all things ward conferences.

I know.

You're probably maybe you jumped onto this because you're looking for a sleep aid, but I promise you there's some great content here that you're gonna love, especially if you're brand new, either on the word level or the stake level when it comes to word conferences.

And I so much appreciate a question that, Bishop asked in this conversation, which was a vulnerable question of, hey.

Wait a minute.

I know it says we gotta do ward conferences in the handbook, but why are we doing this?

What's the point?

What are we trying to accomplish?

And a great conversation ensued, and we talked about everything from getting the youth involved to second hour meetings to the days leading up toward conference.

And how do you just make it an experience that members actually care about or want to be a part of rather than just another Sunday where, hey, look, the stake president actually showed up to to to talk in church.

It can be so much more of that.

It can be a a unifying point in in the calendar for for the ward, a place to reflect and reengage and really establish a strong culture and vision for the ward.

So here is a portion of this conversation all about word conferences.

And to get the full, conversation, you can go to Zion Lab and find it there.

So let's jump in.

So does anybody have, like, a burning question?

Is anybody, like, week two of stake presidency, or, this is your first ward conference and you've got you just have a question you wanna start with?

Or alright.

Mister Chad Frankem.

I'll start.

How do we get past the, it's always been done x way and how, if you will, Sacrament meeting can't be changed a whole lot.

We kinda have our setup there, but how can we make it better or change it up so that people find value in the meeting meetings.

Right.

Love it.

Any any thoughts on that, how you'd respond to how to not fall into the trap of doing it, just how it's always been done?

Yeah.

David, go ahead.

I think one of the things we've tried to do is have a meeting after after all of them are done, to say what went well, what would we like to change.

And it was hard when we would do previously, I was state president with 11 wards.

We would do one a month because it was just so much to get 11 done at the beginning of the year.

So we would try to do one a month and take up most of the year.

That was really hard.

We tried a couple of times to do do them closer, and that was easier.

And now our state split, and we have five wards, so it's quite easy.

We get them done, you know, in two months.

And and, but we try to meet.

What we haven't done is ask any award members.

It's all been, like, feedback from leaders.

And I as I'm been thinking about it, more of what I'd like to do is try to understand from a member's perspective if they're getting value out of the changes that we're making or what we're focusing on.

Nice.

And, David, are you you're currently a stake president?

Yeah.

Mhmm.

And how how long you've been serving there?

Four four years.

Okay.

So you've had a few iterations to test out.

So Yeah.

Yeah.

I love that thought of, you know, how can we just get the general ward's perspective on on on on the meeting.

Right?

And I've often been a proponent of obviously, we have our traditional ward councils, but maybe at least once, maybe twice a year have a literal ward council where whether it's a fifth Sunday, you look by everybody into a room, circle up, and say, alright.

What are you seeing?

What do you what should we start, stop, and or continue type of thing?

And that could be an opportunity to get some perspective there.

Sean, go ahead.

Yeah.

As far as the feedback portion goes, we've we've never been directly asked on it, but I'm a bishop, but we've never been directly asked by the stake.

Like, hey.

How did it go?

How did you like it?

Like, what what can we do better?

And so, whether they liked it or not, this year I proactively offered it.

And, unfortunately, I've missed the last two years of word covers because I've just been out of town for work.

And so I really was leaning heavily on our leaders like, hey, I was I went to all of our organization presidents and said, hey, how did it go?

Like, give me your feedback, like, just raw feedback, positive and negative.

And I and I compiled that all and gave it kind of an email to the stake presidency.

And I feel like they sort of kind of received it well, there was a little bit of defensiveness in it.

And, and, you know, we had really tried to reach out in advance to say, Hey, we'd like you to do this, we would we really want to have this.

And it, like, honestly, was kind of a disaster and it fell apart and didn't really work out all that great.

But that's why I wanted to offer that feedback, not to be critical, but to say, hey, like, we would love to see these things improved and changed so that it is a good experience.

And so that we do feel like there's value that comes from it.

And so I but I do like that thought of even getting even in addition to leaders, more members input for that as well to provide to the stake.

Yeah.

And, you know, Chad brings up an interesting point in the comments here as far as a lot of the members, you know, it's just another Sunday for them.

Like, other than maybe the bishop and stake president is is talking in sacrum meeting.

Right?

And and but I think there's some things to be done to make it a little more of, like, a rallying point or, like, a reflection point for the ward in general, not just to say, oh, yeah.

Next week is ward conference.

It's sort of like, okay.

Whatever.

Like, get the sacrament.

It oh, and then when we have some you know, the steak is maybe speaking the second hour or whatever.

So I think there's more to be done there.

And and and going back to Chad mentioned earlier, you know, just how to not fall into the the same old or just doing what the last guy did.

I remember our first iteration of word conferences when I was in a state presidency.

We really forced ourselves to say, let's go to the handbook and and read it, you know, word for word as if we've never experienced a word conference before.

And just take it from there, and then and then from there, we can lean on revelation, inspiration, ideas, brainstorm, rather than asking the previous stake presence.

Hey.

What was that format, you know, you gave us that you printed out or the packet you'd give words?

You know, we'd like to keep using that and maybe, you know, maybe it is effective.

Maybe you'd wanna do that.

But, anyways, I think there's just like most things, you can just assume you know nothing, and what would it look like if if you've never experienced something?

Chad, go ahead.

So I I was released to stake president, oh, six months ago when I was first made state president.

The previous state president handed out about an 18 page document that gave everything that they wanted to do in ward conference.

And, talking to the bishops, it was too much.

So we shortened it down, and gave and just really focused.

I would one thing I learned there is don't overwhelm.

Don't I mean, in there, there was, hey.

We're gonna do these four visits, and we want to visit eight kids, and and it just brought so much stress to the ward.

How how do you keep stress low, but yet, the message and the spirituality high is a question I would ask.

Yeah.

That's awesome.

I'm just gonna share my screen here.

Here is the actual you know, in the in the handbook.

So it's just, obviously, four paragraphs says word conferences word conferences planned to meet local needs.

That's interesting way to start it.

It includes a sacrament meeting planned by the stake president.

The stake president usually presides at the meeting, and a member of the bishop usually conducts.

During this meeting, a member of the stake presidency or high council presents the name the names of general stake and ward leaders for sustaining.

He uses the officer sustaining form prepared by the ward clerk.

The bishop and stake president usually speak in the meeting.

The ward holds regular priesthood and organization meetings as part of the ward conference.

Stake leaders may give instruction and assist, and assistance they minister to ward leaders and members.

In connection with ward conference, the stake presidency meets with the bishopric.

Together, they review the progress of God's work of salvation and exaltation in the ward.

This meeting may be held on the ward conference Sunday or at another time.

So a few things jump out.

One, the, you know, focus on the meetings, focus on local needs.

I think that's, you know, what Sean was getting after as far as giving feedback.

Like, what do we actually need from you or want from you?

And this way, you know, the bishop and stake president usually speak in a sacrament.

So it's obviously not a mandate there.

Some autonomy to work towards.

And, yeah, I you know, going back to what Chad says, I I remember in that Bishoprig kind of getting that packet.

Like, here it is.

It was sort of this this, burden that was put on the, on the words.

Right?

Like, here here's how we here's the general template we want to go, and, and, you know, that here's your marching orders type of thing.

And then it kind of being this big assignment that the bishop came in.

And when we shifted to when I was in this the the stake presidency, I I you know, we we came together and wanted to be more of, like, a treat for the wards.

Right?

Like, hey.

We're coming in.

Like, we got it.

You show up.

Yeah.

We may have you speak in this meeting or that meeting, but that's really all you're worrying about rather than, you know, line up this list of visits or these things.

Right?

And visits are great.

And, obviously, it's kinda hard for the state presidency to do that or if they're not as familiar, but it can be sort of this burden that, you know, there can be some ambivalence that the Bishopric has towards word conferences.

And and I think anytime we can create a positive experience on the stake level, for the word level, and show that, hey.

We're actually here to help you, assist you.

Like, what is your ward need?

What do what what can we do there?

I think it goes a long way.

So alright.

Anybody else wanna, share thoughts or some great comments happening in the chat?

Morgan says, we found that the meetings surrounding the ward conference can provide a lot of meaning.

Organized visits involve the word and state council, a joint stake and word council focused on understanding word needs and strengths, and an activity involving the stake presidency and the youth before the word conference.

It's a new practice.

Yeah.

Love that.

I I know, you know, there was a word when I was serving the state presidency that really did a fantastic job of making it, like, sort of a weak experience for the ward.

And it wasn't, like, heavy handed.

Like, you know, the ward members have to come to everything, and they did everything from having, like, a temple day the week prior to work conference.

They'd have an activity on one of the days.

I forget all the other things, maybe a youth focused activity.

And it it maybe was a lot, but it definitely made, like, the it it helped members really, engage members in a different way to be like, this is sort of a special week to really focus in on on our ward and our culture and all things happening in our ward that then by Sunday was sort of this capstone to the the week.

And I always thought that was a a unique approach.

There was a lot of work, but they were, like, willing to take it on because they knew it could be focused and more special for the the ward members.

So, Brad says here, we've always held ward conferences in the first four to five months at a pace of about two per month.

This makes for a busy season with eight wards.

Have others tried with a slower pace?

Yeah.

I'm curious what, others have tried with just, you know, how you schedule these.

Obviously, you have the autonomy of of, doing them at whatever time that you want throughout the year.

I've seen some that just, like, you know, book them back to back as much as they can, you know, skipping fast Sundays.

And, you know, we're gonna get through our eight, nine, 10 wards in the next twelve weeks.

And then, you know, sort of the first of the year, you get them over, and then you can focus on other things.

But, curious to know, anybody have a unique approach or seen a unique approach as far as how to space them out in the year?

David says, Brad, we did, one a month for eleven months, but found that it was hard to get the similar message out across all awards because our emphasis was changing.

Not the end of the world, but the later awards missed out on the early instruction, and the early ones missed out on the later instruction.

We've also powered through and done for a month for a few months, and that was too much mostly just for the stakeholders.

Yeah.

That's that's for sure.

And that is a thing.

Right?

Like, you generally want a a message, a theme, as part of of what you're doing.

But if you have 11 wards and, you know, by you're just doing one a month, like, that Ward 1 seems like a long time ago when you finally get to Ward 11.

Right?

Morgan, go ahead.

I'm curious how many of the ward how many of the stakes are coming with a consistent message, across the the word conferences, or is this something that they're catering to individual awards based upon their needs?

Our stake is one in which we we have 11 units, and so as a result, we we end up, doing it over the course of the full year.

And so that message can definitely change, and does change over the course of the year.

So I'm I'm curious as to that.

Love it.

Any any thoughts on that as far as, Morgan, like, themes.

Right?

Yeah.

Chad, go ahead.

I sometimes, I we would have a main theme, and then, once or twice, I would pray about a given ward and would adapt my message for the ward.

So I did it both ways.

I don't think that there's, a perfect way of doing it.

They both worked out the same.

So I I didn't see a plus or minus either way.

Yeah.

And and I don't know.

I mean, it's always nice to have a theme.

You know, I guess it kinda helps mold and shape the direction and help everybody sort of talk about similar things, but, you know, sometimes you just visit the ward and share the gospel and, you know, move on.

So, I think this is also a good time for stake presidencies to be self aware of, you know I often mention this in the context of stake conference that it's like every six months, they finally get a venue where they can speak directly to the entire stake.

And so it's this over overly or or passive, you know, heavy handed, like, hey, temple numbers or, hey, you know, missionary work or, you know, there's sort of this, they're the pounding of the drum of, like, do more, do better.

Here's our numbers.

Like, do you really understand how awesome the temple is?

Like, we're gonna give you three talks to kinda beat over the head with that doctrine so that you go to the temple more.

And just be aware of, like, when you have visiting authorities come to your stake.

Right?

Like, what are the things you like they do like that they do or like that they don't or don't like that they do?

And then, you know, we've all had the maybe visiting authority that comes, and there's like, let me see the numbers and just go, oh, wow.

Like, you're you're, endowed without recommend list.

Like, alright.

Now I know what we're gonna speak about, and then they kinda, you know, beat the stake up about that.

And then they they leave town, and you're like, woah.

Your your head's kinda spinning.

Like, what was that about?

Right?

And so this is sort of very similar of an experience where the stake leaders coming to the ward and what are you know, how would you want that visiting authority to act, and you can maybe learn from that as well.

So, Sean, go ahead.

Yeah.

I have all these, like, thoughts in my head, and I don't know how to exactly get it out.

So wish me luck.

But it I don't and I don't want it to come across as cynical, but it kind of is.

I I know that we we read that handbook section of, like, you know, they adapt to meet local needs, and there's, you know, so many things that you could do with that.

And that's really, like, the focus of it.

But I'm I just wanna ask that kind of especially to those that are state leaders now or have been, because I've never held a state calling.

And so I've never been on that end of things.

But I just wanna ask kind of a semi cynical question of what's the point or conference like, what's the point?

And and I'm like, I can self answer my own question by like reading that.

But I guess I've just never experienced like a word conference where the stake leaders left and we all got got back together.

We're like, that was so good.

We got this.

We got this.

It felt like a treat, like like you said, Kurt.

And so I would love I would love to hear positive, like, specifics of what made it a treat, what what specific local needs, like, were truly met by stake leaders coming once and meeting for a few hours or joining a sacrament meeting.

Like, I I guess I'm trying not to be cynical, but at the same time, I've just I've never experienced a truly positive word conference where I'm like, man, I was fed and it was good, and I'm so grateful that the stake came.

Yeah.

Hopefully, that comes across right.

Yeah.

And that's why I'm like, at bare minimum, like like, let's just give, like, a an easy week for that ward leadership to just show up, and we'll do the rest.

Right?

Like, even if we don't, like, have a barn burner of a talk or a, you know, whatever, at least we can do that.

But, Brad, go ahead.

I'm a stake clerk, so I'm not in a stake presidency or a bishopric, but I do I do sit in all the meetings.

And, what our stake presidency did in terms of local needs versus kind of a state focus is they took that second hour, then they assigned a high counselor to focus in on something that's that's of high priority for the state presidency.

And in this case, this year, it was, temple, a temple focus.

And it was a how to, it was how to use family search, how to do ordinances ready, you know, a focus on what is a what is a what is a family search discovery experience?

What can a Temple of Family History, consultant do to with the family?

And while they were doing that, the presidency was in with the youth who had turned in questions, and they were answering questions to youth.

And that felt like a way to kind of address kind of the big stake needs, their focus, that they felt like they needed to focus on was on the temple portion of things and family history.

And then, the stake presidency adjusted, the the stake president adjusted his message by ward with the bishops when he when he went to, give his talk in sacrament meeting.

Awesome.

David, do you have something to add to that?

Yeah.

One one of the things that I think we did that worked well was in that portion of the handbook where it says meet meet with the bishoprics and talk about the work of salvation, we we asked instead of meeting individually with the bishoprics, we met as all of the stake bishoprics together, and we asked them to bring certain numbers, certain ideas, certain efforts, and then we treated that meeting as a council.

Whereas a bishopric, he thought, we're we're working on this area.

What is everybody else doing?

What's working well?

What's not work I mean, kind of a meeting like we're having right now.

And that seemed to be a good way to not just focus in on one word and say you need to do this better or that better.

It was a chance for them to reflect on their own efforts and then come with questions, come with thoughts, come with ideas, and we try to get all of them to share and be able to ask questions and not just have it be stake presidency driven, but more of a council.

Yeah.

That's great.

That's good.

Any other anybody else as far as what the purpose of you know, I obviously, we have the purpose in the handbook says award conference.

At word conference, stake leaders instruct, support, and minister to award leaders and members.

Ward members sustain general and local leaders.

Right?

And I guess, you know, feel free to raise your hand if you share, if you have something to share.

One thing I was gonna add on is that I think, like, I've had opportunity to be in the priesthood and family department several times.

I'm familiar with some of their processes and, you know, the councils they hold and things like that.

And it's really interesting to see how they're trying to influence the church from that level.

And they're very self aware of, like, you know, just because we write in the handbook or or they don't you know, they're very as you can see, all these qualifiers in this, like, you know, usually, regularly, or isn't isn't necessary.

Right?

Because they don't want it to feel like a heavy mandate, a lot of things they put in the the handbook.

And so but I'm just thinking, like, the general church often looks at the local church and I think, okay.

Like, obviously, priesthood keys are in motion here.

How do we like, what are the touch points from the the stake presence keys and the bishop's keys, and how can the stake be a resource to the you know, to the wards.

And then it's sort of like, well, now then we get into these modes of, like, well, the high council can speak, right, on a regular basis, and that's maybe a touch point.

And then every year, we'll do these word conferences, and that's a touch point.

So I think I don't think there's, like, a clear, you know, obvious purpose unless, you know, a specific word has one and and turns to the stake for that.

But it's sort of like, let's just make sure that because especially outside of maybe the Wasatch Front, it's probably very easy for a ward to kinda be on an island.

And, yeah, maybe the state presidency checks in every once in a while, the high council or whatever, but maybe this forces those sort of words say, okay.

Just, like, at least take one one Sunday a year and just go focus on that as a stake and see if you can offer something to them.

Right?

But, unfortunately, just in our human nature, it kind of becomes rote or just like, well, what what what do you mean what the purpose is?

The handbook says it's that's just what we're doing.

Right?

So, Sean, go ahead.

Yeah.

I think you hit it on the head for me there is that at least my experience here in Tennessee is that we are so far apart from each other's list.

The we have third we have 12 units in our steak and and we spread out it takes it easily will take three to four hours to drive from one end of the stake to the other, I think.

And so we feel very distant.

And we also kind of have a style of leadership in our state presidency that they're very hands off.

And it's which makes us be very, very self reliant.

And so that's my experience is the stake is this very, very distant thing that I honestly only ever reach out to when the handbook says I have to, otherwise, I don't ever talk to stake leaders, and they don't ever necessarily reach out.

And I know that I could probably reach out to them more to involve them.

But at the same time, I just don't feel the need to.

And so I guess that's where some of my cynicism comes in of, like, I would love to hear how there's some just like really, really positive interactions.

And I've heard like all these examples that have kind of been shared here and there, you know, since I asked my that question a few minutes ago.

And I just like, I go, Yeah, that sounds great.

But it just hasn't been my experience, and and I just don't know how that would help because they feel so distant.

Because they feel distant, when they do come, it's kinda just like, wow.

Why are you here?

It kinda throws off our cadence and doesn't feel all that helpful.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And I think having that real conversation, you know, I remember being that bishop, and I I, I knew this was a helpful data for my stake president in in, one of our one on one meetings.

I just said, hey.

Just so you know, like, when we have our stake bishop meeting or bishop meeting, like, it's long.

It's boring.

I feel like most of that can be in an email.

I just want you to know, like, I struggle with that meeting.

Happy to show up, happy to participate, and have a good attitude about it.

But I think this is important for you.

You know?

Right?

And he really appreciated that.

And I think there's a dynamic with this, stake ward relationship to consider.

You know, I'm serving as a state or, elders quorum president right now, and my stake president does a phenomenal job of meeting with us quarterly.

Like ever since I've been called, I've met with him quarterly and I know, and I've even mentioned him.

I'm like, I hope, you know, like not all elders core presidents.

Get this treatment.

Like this is, I really appreciate this.

And, and he was kinda surprised by that, but anyways, and and meeting with them and and the you can imagine my my world as a lay member is a little bit weird because I'm, you know, my ward and stake leadership know I'm the leading saints guy, you know, and I don't want to perceive, like, I'm walking around my ward with a clipboard and be like, oh, that's that's terrible culture.

I'm gonna do an episode about that.

Right.

So I try and play it cool.

But my state president was really open.

He's like, hey, wait a minute.

Like, we can talk about whatever your quorum needs, but I got some questions about some things we're doing.

Hey, thanks for listening to this episode.

We're actually gonna cut it short a little bit.

If you wanna listen to the entirety of this conversation, head on over to the Leading Saints community.

You can, find the link in the show notes and you can watch the extended cut there and I think you'll benefit from it.

So come join us over at the Leading Saints community.

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It came as a result of the position of leadership which was imposed upon us by the God of heaven who brought forth a restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And when the declaration was made concerning the own and only true and living church upon the face of the earth, we were immediately put in a position of loneliness.

The loneliness of leadership from which we cannot shrink nor run away, and to which we must face up with boldness and courage and ability.