Toward the end of January I received a call from President Muse in the Stake Presidency. I thought for sure I was getting called to Girls Camp. My jaw hit the floor when he asked me to speak in the leadership session of Stake Conference. Even better, my topic was Effective Ministering Interviews...Oh boy! I spent the next few weeks writing and rewriting my talk. When the day finally arrived I was pretty nervous and ended up switching out an entire part of my talk 30 minutes before hand. But...I did it. I was so glad to have it over, but it went well and I was happy for the opportunity.
My husband, Adam and I, were blessed with three beautiful daughters. Callister, Sadie and Gentry. One day amidst the chaos and joy of raising a family we blinked and they were grown. Our youngest, Gentry is now 17 and our oldest two are adults. Sadie is 20 and Callister is 23. Teenage years were the best and the hardest. Running here and there, involved in school activities and always wanting to hang out with friends.
On one particular weekend night Calli came to ask if she could go hang out with some friends. Thinking we were hilarious, we jokingly asked, “WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY and HOW” to our surprise she left for a few minutes and came back with our request. Letting us know:
Who she was going to be hanging out with,
What they were going to be doing,
Where and When this was going to take place
And just for fun Why and How?
How could we say no to such an obedient child. I’m sure in that RARE moment we probably looked at each other and gave ourselves a high five for thinking we were parental genius. This questioning continued through all three of our children. They soon learned before asking to go anywhere they might as well gather all the information first because they knew we were going to ask.
I decided to approach my topic today of “Effective Ministering Interviews” with that same questioning. Who, What, Where, When,Why and How? In the journalism world these are referred to as the 5W’s and the 1H.
So the first W -
1. Who: Who are the ministering interviews for:
A ministering interview, is a discussion between ministering brothers and their priesthood quorum leader and ministering sisters and their relief society leader. These interviews should be simple and led my the spirit.
The 2nd W -
2. What: What is the PERFECT RECIPE for an effective ministering interview?
President Nelson teaches us the three essential ingredients needed. He says “To achieve meaningful and successful ministering, leaders should conduct inspired ministering interviews with love , humility, and faith. We need to humble ourselves, have charity, and we need to have faith in the Lord…And then, I added a 4th ingredient…cookies. Because double stuffed Oreo cookies are always a good idea, especially for anything related to Relief Society.
In a recent training video the church demonstrated an effective ministering interview in a short video clip:
It opens with the priesthood leader asking about the minister and his family and then how his assigned families are doing.
The minister explains “I am just so busy I haven’t had the time to get to know this family yet. I really want help them but I just don’t have time.”
The leader responds and asks “Do you know the names of the family members”
He say’s he know that parents name but no, not the children.
The leader asks: “Would you have time to just learn their names and pray for them?”
Minister: “Yes, I can do that.”
Leader: “ Let’s talk from there, I know Heavenly Father will bless you as you think about and pray for your families”
The leader was being guided by the spirit. The leaders showing love. He is starting where the minster is at and giving him loving instruction.
The next time they talked, the leader asked if he had been praying for the family. “Yes, and as I have prayed, I have found that I care about this family”
“I sat by them in Sunday School and noticed that the brother was bothered by something. After class, I asked him if he was okay and he told me he had just been laid off. I have been there before, so I’ve been texting him and sending him encouraging messages.”
Leader: “Have you asked him he has talked to the ward employment specialist.”
Minister: “No that is a good idea.”
The next clip: The minister calls the leader. He is excited as he announces that he has been talking with the family but is concerned about one the daughters and asks for suggestions from the leader.
The minister has gone from “Too busy to even know the names” to being anxiously engaged, he is the one initiating the interview.
These interactions were simple but effective as the leader was guided by the spirt and conducted an effective ministering interview with the three essential ingredients. Love Humility and Faith.
W #3
3. Where: do these interviews are place?
These interviews should be flexible and customized. Of course face to face interviews are preferred but phone calls, zoom interviews or driveway visits are acceptable. I have conducted several interviews via zoom, where myself and the ministering sisters were both in the comfort of our homes and sometimes in the comfort of our pajamas as well. I have found that these interviews are fun and engaging as we are more relaxed. In Alma 37:6 we learn by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; The “where” really isn’t as important as the “doing.”
The 4th W -
4. When: should these interviews take place?
In April 2018, when changes were made from visiting and home teaching to ministering they made changes with how and when we report as well. It was taught that we no longer gather reports of families and individuals who were visited during a given month. Instead, we are asked how many companionships participated in quarterly ministering interviews. Elder Christofferson added, The recommendation for these interviews being quarterly is only a recommendation and that they should be held as needed. He said this recommendation is a Floor not a Ceiling! The simple answer here is to pray for your ministering brothers and sister, as you do this you will be directed in the timing and frequency of these visits. Once a relationship has been established you may find the ministers are contacting you, to give you updates rather than waiting for an official interview.
The 5th W -
5. Why: do we hold ministering interviews
Elder Christofferson again shares that “although we do not count, we still render an account. “ Just like the Return and Report principal.
He says “It’s vital that ministering brothers and sisters have an opportunity to give an accounting of their service, how are they watching over, loving, teaching, comforting, and assisting in the Savior’s way? And vital for priesthood quorum and Relief Society leaders to become informed of any needs of those over whom they preside.
Without them, Elder Holland says “The bishop will have no way of receiving the information he needs regarding the spiritual and temporal conditions of his people.”
But the ministering interview is more than a report.” Ministering interviews are absolutely crucial and “will be the key to the quality and success of our ministering for generations to come.”
Another reason “why” is because ultimately, we are trying to be like Him!
Christ was the perfect example of ministering, loving, serving and teaching. As we practice his teaching, we become more like him.
These interviews don’t need to be long, structured to a T, interview. We just need to be trying:
There’s such a simple but valuable lesson to be learned in the primary song “I’m Trying to Be like Jesus”
I love how many times we hear the words “try”, “trying” and “learning”
- I’m trying to be like Jesus;
I’m following in his ways.
I’m trying to love as he did, in all that I do and say.
At times I am tempted to make a wrong choice,
But I try to listen as the still small voice whispers, - .2. I’m trying to love my neighbor;
I’m learning to serve my friends.
I watch for the day of gladness when Jesus will come again.
I try to remember the lessons he taught.
Then the Holy Spirit enters into my thoughts, - Our Heavenly Father is not looking for perfection, just effort. In the April 2020 conference our dear prophet taught us that the Lord loves effort. As we strive to do better, as we strive to fulfill our callings, as we strive to reach out to others and as we strive to conduct these interviews we will be blessed. “Our” lives will be blessed and the lives of the members in our ward will be blessed. This is all we are asked to do, to strive, try to be better, try to do better and try to be like Him.
- Which brings us to HOW:
6. How: How do we conduct effective ministering interviews:
The answer is simple…With the first ingredient President Nelson gave us…LOVE and the 4th ingredient cookies.
- Again, in the song “I’m Trying to be like Jesus” the chorus teaches us the most important lesson of all:
“Love one another as Jesus loves you.Try to show kindness in all that you do.
Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought,
For these are the things Jesus taught.”
Loving one another is what these ministering interviews are all about:
Elder Ting Tsung Chang TING JOAN CHANG, an area seventy ** says “As we keep the two great commandments, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind”,6 and “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”7, we are promised this: “[We] shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come.”8
**(I’m not sure I’m pronouncing that correctly. I went to the church website and search his name trying to find it anytime it was read out loud so i could hear the pronunciation of it, but the only time it was, was by President Uchtdorf and his strong accent, so this is how President Uchtdorf pronounced it…)
I am so thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who loves me in spite of my imperfections.
He recognizes that I am trying to be better everyday and he is patient with me.
I’m thankful for this gospel.
I love my savior. I am indebted to him for his love and sacrifice and will continue to try everyday to make it up to him.
In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
