Two Great Questions - Invite

A few weeks ago, a bishopric member of the M10 ward sent a text asking the following two questions in regards to all of our efforts in hastening the work of salvation. We found these questions very insightful and wanted to share them with you.

1. What struggles have you had as a stake in helping spread the desire to do missionary work in the wards?
2. If you could have the ward mission leaders and/or each ward do 2 things, what would those be?

Great questions. Thank you!!! First let me share a line from Clayton Christensen’s The Power of Everyday Missionaries “If our ward and stake leaders were to focus on leading their members to share the gospel, many of the other problems that fester in our hearts and homes, and in our wards and stakes, would resolve themselves through the blessings that come from accepting the call that God has given each of us to be missionaries.” We testify that this is a true statement as I am sure many of you can also testify to it. The Lord blesses individuals and families that share His gospel.

Below was our response to these questions. I hope you find these two questions valuable in your ward councils. While we are sharing with you our thoughts around these two questions, ultimately the answer to these questions in your specific ward will come from the Lord. But, are you asking these questions? And are you asking the Lord?

1. Starting with the Ward Mission Leader, the Ward Missionaries, and every Ward Council Member, then every Member in the Ward: At least weekly with sincere prayer, review the Ward list - Specifically the less active and or struggling members, as well as the non-members in the boundaries, listen to the promptings and act. If you receive no promoting, pick at least one that you can in someway serve, invite, or share - with the purpose of inviting them to come closer to our Savior. The Lord will begin to trust you in acting, in reaching out to rescue his lost sheep and when he does, get ready, because the opportunities to testify, share, and invite will come more often and never stop.  (There are individuals in our stake doing this and incredible experiences are occurring, they involve their entire family in prayerful looking and acting).  
2. For the Ward Mission Leaders and Missionaries to personally visit families and invite them to do number 1 and to then follow-up regularly with the invitation until the invited member/family has made missionary work apart of who they are, a part of their everyday thoughts and actions. This is what the Lord desires of each of us that has experienced his love and the truthfulness of the gospel. Because of the need for regular follow-up this means they can only invite 1-2 families a month so that there is enough time to follow-up each week with these families.

If we had every faithful family in our Ward starting with the Ward Council’s families and the Ward Missionary’s families, reviewing the ward list with a prayer in their heart to share, serve and or invite for the purpose of helping others come unto Christ, as wards and a stake we will begin seeing so many more miracles occur. The Lord will not just begin to trust a leader, but an entire ward and stake. This will be an incredible experience, something that many of you have already experienced and are experiencing today.

I know this is the Lord’s work. I know He is beside us in this great work and when we testify and simply invite - He will do the rest. Success is in the invite my brothers and sisters.  

We invite each of you to take some time in your next Ward Council to review these questions and discuss together with the desire to receive revelation from the Lord on what he would have you do as a Ward Council to spread the desire to do missionary work in your wards.  Please share with us your experiences as you act on this invitation as we would love to learn and share with the stake.  

Last week while listening to a return missionary give her report to the Stake Presidency and Stake High Council, we asked her what they did on their mission to increase the desire in the hearts of the members to share the gospel.  Her answer: Simplify and Testify.  They would visit the homes of the active members and in 4-minutes share the message of the Restoration.  4-minutes they would share the experience, testify and invite.  

Please share with us what the Lord is directing you to act on when asking as a council what you might do to increase the desire to share the gospel in your ward.  

We love you.  We are praying for you and we are so grateful for your faithful service.  May the Lord bless you in this great effort!

Warmest Wishes!

The Stake Missionary Committee