Visiting Teaching Workshop Ideas

Visiting Teaching Workshops are held annually to help sisters recommit themselves to visiting teaching. Here are some online resources that will help you plan a fabulous visiting teaching workshop:

Handouts / Lesson Plans

• Visiting Teacher's Guidebook - this is a document that would make a good lesson plan or handout for a Visiting Teaching Workshop. Think of this file as Visiting Teaching for Dummies. Has quotes and basic instructions about visiting teaching.
• Visiting Teacher Introduction Cards - Use these cards to leave your contact information with the sisters on your route.
• Overcoming Roadblocks to Visiting Teaching - PDF Handout; This amazingly clever handout has some practical solutions to the "roadblocks" that can keep us from Visiting Teaching. Here is a picture from the BYU Women's Conference booth with some cute visual aids. You can download my coordinating poster/invitation graphic ideas here.
• Visiting Teaching Handout / Lesson Plan - This handout was created by Heidi N. for a special Fast Sunday lesson on Visiting Teaching. She used the handout as her lesson plan and gave each member of the class a copy. Has lots of great thought-provoking quotes about Visiting Teaching in a Q&A style format.
• Visiting Teaching Poem - A cute poem written by Visiting Teachers (anonymously). Would make a nice handout at a VT convention.

Celestial Visiting Teaching Skit

This light-hearted skit was performed by our stake leaders as part of a Stake Leadership Training in the Riverton North Stake in 2005. The author, Mary C., gave our Relief Society president a copy, who then gave it to me.

Basically, 3 sisters act out short parts as Telestial, Terrestrial, and Celestial Visiting Teachers. Hilarious! Can be done with as few as 3 people, up to as many as you want. Requires very few props and no costumes (unless you want to have some adults dress up in children's clothing). The Telestial Visiting Teacher might also be in her pajamas.

You'd probably want to use a sun or sun-related items on posters and invitations.

Download the Celestial Visiting Teaching Skit

Relief "Sole"-ciety

This humorous skit has been performed in units all over the Salt Lake Valley in recent years. According to LDSTeach.com this skit was written by Laurel Hart and was orginially presented at a stake Visiting Teaching Workshop, in Provo, UT, USA, 1984. This skit is sometimes also called the Shoe Skit because it has so many shoe-related puns in it.

SCENE: The Relief Sole-Ciety Shoe Store. A sign bearing the name sits on the desk. A back drop of shelves of shoeboxes is behind the desk. The Relief Sole-Ciety Prez is seated at the desk. Sister Blister limps in, with a Barefoot" poster hung on her front.

This script has 14 speaking parts, though all but two of them have just one line. (Inviting lots of people to participate is a good way to improve attendance at notoriously empty VT Workshops.) Characters are the Relief Society President, Sister Blister, 2 Loafers, 2 Flip-Flops, 2 Sneakers (that's Trainers for those of you outside the US), 2 Slippers, 2 Boots, and 2 High Heels. No costumes are needed, but the people playing each role should be wearing the appropriate shoe.

Invitations and posters will be shoes, shoes, shoes! You can do sayings like "Buckle Down to Visiting Teaching" or "Let us Spur you On" or "Is your SOLE hurting? Don't Flip-flop -- come to our Relief "Sole"-ciety Visiting Teaching Workshop".

Download the Relief "Sole"-ciety Skit

Sisters Grimm-ish

The author of this cute skit, Beverly Fearon, has submitted this skit to share. A beleaguered Fairy Godmother needs help to get her work done -- of course, she needs visiting teachers to help! Very funny. I especially like the Paramedic Formerly Known as Prince!

This script has 12 speaking parts, up to 4 could be male. One can be a child. The set calls for a stage with a curtain, but I expect it could be done without it.

Invitations and posters will have a fairy tale theme!

(Some adjusting might be needing to suit the speeches to the needs your unit -- for example, there's a spot that could be mistaken as an insinuation that a poor person's biggest need is to have the satellite bill paid. Be sensitive to the needs and temperaments of your sisters, as always. ~ Jenny)

Download the Sisters Grimm-ish Skit

Music

Sing My Sister's Hands by Sally DeFord. Free MP3s and sheet music available. This would make a beautiful number for a unit with women of different ages or ethnicities. The lyrics are especially appropriate for a VT Conference. Sally ROCKS!

Off site Resources

LDSTeach.com is the biggest website online dealing with Visiting Teaching and Home Teaching. The preceding link will take you to the VT conference section with tons of ideas for Visiting Teaching Workshops.