[Jenny SmithParticipant]

Thanks for sharing your ideas!

[Jenny SmithParticipant]

The answer to the question “Does the Primary secretary conduct sharing time” is no. Secretaries do not conduct Sharing Time. “Members of the presidency take turns conducting sharing time.” (CHI 11.4.2) Secretaries are not part of the presidency. (See 11.2.2)

The answer to the question “Does the Primary secretary teach sharing time” is also no. The handbook says in section 11.4.2: “Gospel instruction [during Sharing Time] by the Primary presidency. This portion lasts about 15 minutes. Members of the presidency use the scriptures and follow the current outline for sharing time as they prepare and teach.”

Presidency members may call on classes (or even the secretary) to participate (as per the Sharing Time Outline), but presidency members teach Sharing Time lessons. Secretaries are not part of the presidency and have different duties, many of which are carried out during lesson time. They should not be part of a regular teaching or conducing rotation. (See 11.2.2)

[Jenny SmithParticipant]

Yes, class presentations during Sharing Time were discontinued in January 2010. The information on who teaches the Sharing Time Classes is in the front of the Sacrament Meeting Presentation book. The classroom teachers don’t teach regularly, but they may be called on to assist the presidency.

Here’s a new FAQ from lds.org on the topic:
http://lds.org/pa/display/0,17884,8883-1,00.html

and I’ve reproduced it below:

The 2010 Outline for Sharing Time: I Know My Savior Lives will be posted soon. Copies were mailed to priesthood leaders in June 2009 and are available through the online Church distribution center and your local distribution center. Here are answers to frequently asked questions regarding this outline.

* What do we do for sharing time for the fifth Sunday of the month?
“When there is a fifth Sunday, use this time to review previous lessons” (2010 Outline for Sharing Time, inside front cover).

* Do we still do class presentations during sharing time?
Starting January 2010, there will be no class presentations. However, “occasionally you [the Primary presidency] may invite teachers and their classes to help you with parts of the gospel instruction” (2010 Outline for Sharing Time, inside front cover).

* How should we divide up sharing time and singing time?
Fifteen minutes should be for gospel teaching and twenty minutes for teaching music (see 2010 Outline for Sharing Time, 1).

* Can we use pictures in the sacrament meeting presentation?
“Visuals, costumes, and media presentations are not appropriate for sacrament meeting” (2010 Outline for Sharing Time, 1).

* Have class names been changed?
The Primary class names have been aligned with the ages of the children on January 1. For example, the CTR 4 class is for children age four on January 1, the Valiant 8 class is for children age eight on January 1, and so forth (see 2010 Outline for Sharing Time, 1).

* Will sharing time ideas still be in the Friend magazine?
Starting with the January 2010 issue of the Friend magazine, the sharing time ideas for leaders will no longer be included. These ideas are incorporated into the outline for sharing time. The sharing time for children will still be in the magazine.

* The outline indicates curriculum for 2010 is either “General Curriculum” or “Basic Curriculum” (2010 Outline for Sharing Time, 1). What is the difference?
Basic curriculum is used where the Church has been recently organized or where general curriculum materials are not available. General curriculum is used where the Church is well established. Information about curriculum materials can be found in “Information for Priesthood and Auxiliary Leaders on Curriculum: 2009 through 2012.”

[Jenny SmithParticipant]

As of the new handbook (2010) Quarterly Activities are eliminated. You can read the discussion on this here:

http://www.mormonshare.com/forum/new-church-handbook-of-instructions

Scroll to the bottom for the Primary stuff.

[Jenny SmithParticipant]

The statement was made during Elder Oaks’ talk, as I recall.

[Jenny SmithParticipant]

Thanks for sharing these lyrics — you are awesome!

[Jenny SmithParticipant]

Not sure why you felt the need to make this comment. At the meeting we were instructed to utilize the handbook and quote it. The entire handbook is online. It’s not a top secret document in any way.

Clearly the leaders want us to use the handbook. Not every one has a copy. It’s obvious distribution is intended to be for all church members so they don’t bother Salt Lake with so many questions and so we can fix some of the silly things we do in our meetings and activities. If the information doesn’t get out there, no one can be helped.

Don’t see a problem.

[Jenny SmithParticipant]

The responsibilities of auxiliary secretaries are spelled out in the handbook. The handbook outlines those responsibilities, which do not include teaching or conducting. For example, the handbook states that a member of the Relief Society presidency conducts or teaches RS on the first Sunday of the month. The secretary is not a member of the presidency; therefore, she does not teach or conduct.

If a presidency is invited to attend a meeting, the secretary is not included unless specifically invited. If you’re unsure if a secretary should attend a meeting, you should ask. Using the term presidency to include a president, counselors, and secretary is a common mistake in the church. The “Presidency” of an auxiliary organization has never included the secretary; it is made up of a president and counselors only.

[Jenny SmithParticipant]

Ah — I totally missed the teacher training omission. Thanks!

[Jenny SmithParticipant]

No. Some units were combining groups of women into Visiting Teaching groups instead of visiting sisters individually in their homes. That practice has always been discouraged and has been specifically prohibited in the new handbook.

[Jenny SmithParticipant]

I have posted a

Comprehensive List of Changes

relating to Book 2 for leadership training efforts.

I know exactly 0 about Priesthood changes and very little about Primary changes. If you can help, please take a look and help!

[Jenny SmithParticipant]

To clarify — no, there will not be two talks at the beginning of each sharing time. I’m talking about one set of talks/prayers/scriptures for the Junior Primary and a second set of talk/prayer/scripture for Senior Primary. Double the children will be reached because you’ll be using two pools of children.

Yes, there will be two breaks.

I’ve posted a little bit more information on this topic in a comment lower down — you’ll want to read on to find it.

[Jenny SmithParticipant]

Here’s the quote you’re looking for:

Another major theme in Handbooks 1 and 2 is to reduce the workload of the bishop. Partly this is done by allowing some flexibility in meetings. Just as important, Handbook 2 seeks to reduce the workload of the bishop by enhancing the role of the ward council and its members. They are to act not just as representatives of their quorums and auxiliary organizations but, with their counselors and organizations, to receive delegation to assist the bishop on matters of importance to the whole ward. Quorum and auxiliary leaders will also assist the bishop by helping in the rescue role of activation and retention of their members. UAdd a Note

The roles of elders quorum presidents and high priests group leaders are significantly enhanced in the new handbooks. These leaders and their counselors have increased responsibilities to help individual quorum or group members, both spiritually and temporally. Handbook 2 directs them to “encourage quorum and group members to fulfill their priesthood duties, especially their duties as husbands and fathers” (7.3.2). They are also directed to work with their “counselors and with home teachers … and others in reaching out and ministering to those in their organizations and others who need assistance” (4.5.1) In order to accomplish these vital ecclesiastical responsibilities, these priesthood leaders will have to delegate extensively and may need to reduce some temporal service demands, such as helping members move.

It’s from Elder Oaks’ presentation

As for no more welfare, this means that confidential welfare issues will be addressed during the 30 minute PEC meeting before ward council, sometimes including the RS president. Ward council will address non-confidential *whole* or *general* ward and individual needs as a team.

I think it’s great to involve the Primary and youth leaders in discussing non-confidential needs. If the new meeting structure works in its ideal form, ward/auxiliary activities will be catered to suit needs as determined by the council, instead of the “fill-a-date” style meetings we’ve had before, like HP parties, Primary quarterly activities, ward activities, etc. In short, the LDS approach to activity planning has completely changed. Instead of a requirement to do x number of meetings per year, leaders now determine a need through discussion in ward council and THEN plan an activity to fill that need.

It’s brilliant.

Elder Oaks mentioned that further detail on the new structure will come at the next WW training meeting.

[Jenny SmithParticipant]

Handbook TWO is the version we’re talking about here. TWO is the version that had limited distribution at the WW training meeting in November. Handbook one has already been distributed to relevant leaders. I think it was last year…. Handbook two is available online as you state.

Handbook two is available for your iPhone using the Church’s app, btw.

Handbook ONE is also now available online at http://new.lds.org/ to Bishops and Stake Presidents only. You can find out about that at LDS Media Talk:

http://ldsmediatalk.com/2010/11/29/handbook-1-online-for-leaders/

[Jenny SmithParticipant]

10 minutes isn’t really that long. If it was my class, I’d haul my kids outside for a lap around the building. Then we’d line up at the door, have a reverence reminder, and go in for water/potty and to our next class.

All the children will not be taking their break at the same time in a larger Primary. Only half of a large Primary would be on break at one time. Smaller Primaries will not have the same issues. If you have a larger Primary, you probably also have a larger building which means you have more than one bathroom and water fountain in your building. You could take the kids outside and go “the long way” to the water fountain farthest from your class so they can stretch and get their break.

And yes, the teachers supervise.

Here’s the info from the handbook in Section 11.4.1:

Schedule

Sunday Primary is normally held for 1 hour and 40 minutes while adults and youth attend priesthood meetings, Relief Society meeting, Young Women classes, and Sunday School.

Children in the nursery stay in their nursery class for the entire time, as outlined in the nursery manual, Behold Your Little Ones. The other children attend two sessions. In one session, children meet together for 50 minutes for sharing time. In the other session, they divide into smaller classes for 40-minute lessons taught by their Primary teachers.

The children and teachers who attend sharing time and classes have a 10-minute break between the two sessions. During this break, they prepare for the next session. Children may use the restroom or get a drink of water. Teachers supervise the children throughout the break.

The following charts show three options for scheduling Sunday Primary. When considering which option to follow, Primary leaders ensure that the older children attend sharing time at the same time as Aaronic Priesthood quorum meetings and Young Women classes. This will allow for a smooth transition for children when they reach age 12.

Option 1: The younger children and older children meet for sharing time in two different groups. During the first 50 minutes, one group meets for sharing time while the other group divides into classes for 40 minutes and has a 10-minute break. Then the two groups switch places, with the first group taking a 10-minute break before their classes begin.

Option 2: All the children meet together for sharing time first. Then they have a break and go to their classes.

Option 3: All the children go to their classes first. Then they have a break and meet together for sharing time.

[Author]

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