How to contact inactive families for Home Teaching

Post by **_RebelYell** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 7:27 pm

I think there is a reason families are INACTIVE. If they want contact from the church, they will initiate it - I hate the "drop in" policy of many church members - from the youth to Home Teachers and Relief Society - in fact - a new Relief Society president dropped by my door at 9:50 one evening to drop off cookies - this is someone I'd never met as they moved into the ward after I became inactive. All the lights out and I'm in bed and there is a knock at the door.... why....

Post by **_Scottie** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 11:13 pm

My bishop has asked me a couple of times if I would mind having home teachers. I thought that was very respectful of him.

Post by **_Wintersfootsteps** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 12:11 am

My Mom asked to be put on the "no Contact" list a couple months ago. It certainly didn't stop the relief society president, home teachers, and the bishop from stopping by. She was pissed, and I don't blame her... sounds like they need to be more organized.

Post by **_moksha** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 12:19 am

They shared stories in my Priesthood quorum meetings of how kindly persistence eventually wore down the resistance so people would let the home teachers come in the front door. If this does happen to you Asbestos, I would hesitate with anything other than good neighborliness and offer for help from the Elders quorum when needed. Being of service in this way is enough.

Post by **_Doctor Steuss** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 12:27 am

Leave some tasty stuff on their porch with a little letter saying you're their new HT and you'd like to drop by sometime. Give them your contact fun, and promise them more tasty things if they call you.

Post by **_krose** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 12:54 am

I think answering a friendly phone call is not too much to ask. A lot depends on how things are worded. One time a guy in my neighborhood called saying he had been given the job of collecting donations for the ward's scout trip. He made a point of telling me that it was completely okay with him if I said 'no,' which I promptly did (and would have anyway, but his disarming, pressure-free attitude made it less confrontational).

Post by **_KimberlyAnn** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 3:33 am

Asbestosman, you can sing them this this song I wrote last summer. It's to the tune of Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqyc37aOqT0

Home Teacher

I could bestow a blessing,
If you’d just open up your door
You could have a plate of dark fudge brownies
If you’d soften your heart once more

All you do is call me
To you the Ensign I’ll read

You could have a new lesson
And your seven kids can read the Friend
We’ll discuss the blessings of tithe paying,
Oh, the amusements never end!

I want to be…your Home Teacher!
Why don’t you call my name? (Ahhhh!)
Oh let me be your Home Teacher!
I will bear my testimony.

Yeah! (yeah!)

Are your girls licked cupcakes?
‘Cause licked ones disgust me
Get ‘em to Young Women’s
Where the evils of licking they’ll see

I want to be…your Home Teacher!
Why don’t you call my name?
You’d better call the Home Teacher!
I’ll put your soul at rest
I’m going to be…The Home Teacher
I’ll revive your testimony

Yeaaaah!

I’m your Home Teacher
Let there be no doubt about it

Your Home, Home, Home Teacher

Get ready!

You’ve got to have it (gotta have it, have it!)
Come back in,
FARMS has some new stuff
You can believe in, we can believe in

Oh won’t you talk with me?
You’ll see the church is true!
Talk with me, or I’ll keep calling you
Yean, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I do mean you!
Inactive you!
My calls getting through?
You’re gonna feel that power
Feel my priesthood power, hey!
I’ve been feeling the spirit (HUH!)
I’ve been feeling the spirit!
Going to feel my priesthood, yeah, filling you!

Come on, come on, let me through
Come on, come on, let me through
I’m knock knock knock knock knock knock knocking for you!
I’ve been feeling the spirit
I’ve been feeling the spirit!
That’s why I’m calling, calling,
All day and night!

KA

_Ray A · Post by **_Ray A** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 3:37 am

Wintersfootsteps wrote:My Mom asked to be put on the "no Contact" list a couple months ago. It certainly didn't stop the relief society president, home teachers, and the bishop from stopping by. She was pissed, and I don't blame her... sounds like they need to be more organized.

There is actually an easy and practical way to solve this problem. A fenced yard with a pit bull.

Post by **_Moniker** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 3:39 am

Cute, KA!

Wintersfootsteps, I really like a lot of your photography.

On topic: What in the world does a home teacher do? Do you enjoy doing this, asbestosman?

Post by **_asbestosman** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 4:32 am

Moniker wrote:On topic: What in the world does a home teacher do? Do you enjoy doing this, asbestosman?

Home teachers visit your home once a month and chat about random things for several minutes to sort of check up on you. Then they share the monthly home teaching lesson from the church's magazine called the Ensign. Afterwards they ask if you need help with anything (usually moving furnature, food from the bishop, etc.).

Do I enjoy it? No. I'm an introvert so I dislike it quite a bit. Still, it provides benefit to some people. I just wish it was more of a voluntary thing instead of a church-wide calling. I don't particularly like getting home taught either.