In a 2005 talk, Elder Ulisses Soares shared a sweet story about his bishop:
“My bishop invited me in for an interview and taught me how to prepare to receive the Aaronic Priesthood and be ordained a deacon. As the interview was coming to an end, he pulled out a set of forms from his desk and challenged me to fill them out. They were mission call papers. I was astonished. …
“He showed he really cared about me. He told me the steps I should take to prepare both spiritually and financially to serve the Lord. ... Then the bishop who was called after him, interviewed me at least twice a year until I was 19 and encouraged me to remain faithful in my preparation.
“They kept my missionary forms in my file and mentioned them whenever we had an interview.”
Here are three ways—with specific suggestions from the Young Men general presidency—local leaders can have a similar impact on the youth in their wards.
1. Clarify Responsibilities for Adults Serving With Youth
When advisers and specialists are called to serve with the youth, the bishop or Young Women president should communicate responsibilities and expectations early on, empowering those called to serve to act without waiting around for someone to tell them what to do.
Here are a few ideas the Young Men general presidency gives:
- Assign one adviser to oversee weeknight activities.
- Call another adviser to work with a quorum or class presidency and attend those presidency meetings.
- Assign one adviser to oversee Sunday lessons.
- Assign another adviser to make sure the sacrament is ready each week.
- Call a specialist to make sure young people are registered for FSY and that they have the pre- and post-conference experiences that enhance beyond the week they attend.
- Call another specialist to oversee camps and overnighters.
- In larger wards, call an assistant ward executive secretary to coordinate everything having to do with the youth, such as scheduling and attending ward youth council, scheduling regular interviews, and managing other administrative tasks so the bishop can focus on building relationships with the youth.
2. The Young Women President and Bishop Should Meet Regularly
In the words of the Young Men general presidency, “One task that should not be delegated is coordinating with the Young Women president and her presidency. Everything will run much smoother if there is a set time for them to meet and communicate concerns, plans, and needs. They will meet in ward council and ward youth council, but there should also be other scheduled times when they can make sure they are on the same page when it comes to the progress of the youth and building relationships with them.”
3. Establish Positive Relationships with Youth By Being Consistent and Present
Two-hour church has been a blessing, but it has also created a small challenge because young men and young women don’t always see the same leaders and teachers each week. It makes it easy for them to get lost in the shuffle. And in the words of the Young Men general presidency, “One of the things that keeps young people strong and motivated to come to church are relationships—not just with their peers, but with loving and caring adults, including the bishop. Connections—even greetings—each week foster those positive relationships.”
A few solutions the Young Men general presidency suggests:
- Consider having only one set of youth Sunday School teachers instead of rotating so the classes see the same teacher every other week.
- On weeks when Young Women classes and priesthood quorums meet, the bishop could greet the boys as they gather and then sit in on a class with the girls or vice versa.
- On Sunday School weeks, the bishop could sit in with a class or at least greet youth as they come or leave their classrooms.
- Discuss in your ward council and seek inspiration for your ward’s circumstances.
You can read more thoughts and insights from the Young Men general presidency on the Church News.
And check out more great articles on supporting youth and young adults in your ward through the links below.
► 6 spiritual questions your teens are sincerely asking—and how to answer them
► 5 insights about seminary every parent needs to know
► The Lord knows His youth: How FSY brought my sister peace
