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I know this isn't tech related, but I can't get an answer elsewhere... The mission president in our area recently sent a letter to the stakes and wards about the new schedule for missionaries. In addition to the time changes for planning, etc., he also said the members could only feed the missionaries one meal per week. I have been trying find out if this is just our mission area or church wide. (Moderators are free to delete this if they feel it is too far off topic.)

zaneclark wrote:I know this isn't tech related, but I can't get an answer elsewhere... The mission president in our area recently sent a letter to the stakes and wards about the new schedule for missionaries. In addition to the time changes for planning, etc., he also said the members could only feed the missionaries one meal per week. I have been trying find out if this is just our mission area or church wide.

Policies on feeding missionaries are set by the mission president. What you described is certainly not the policy in the mission where I live.

One of the key aspects of the new missionary schedule is adaptibility and flexibility based on particular areas, so it really wouldn't make sense for the new schedule to become more restrictive with a single world-wide policy.

We haven't received that direction in North East Indiana

We were told we could only feed the missionaries once a month and it could only be an hour long, also single sisters could not feed the missionaries unless a priesthood holder was present.

We have seen these policies change from time to time in our mission. The reason has never been given, but we do our best to support the missionaries within the current mission rules at the time. When I served my mission (many moons ago), our mission president set some drastic and restrictive policies in place. However I knew it was to correct inappropriate behavior with some missionaries and I believe it was only temporary (I finished my mission before the policies changed).

Section 2.4.5 of the Missionary Standards guidebook, "Meals with Others," provides the official guidelines for meals with members (or non-members) that apply to all missionaries.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/stu ... ng#title25

A little further up in the same chapter, it's mentioned that lunch and dinner during a day should be no longer than 2 hours combined – I expect in most places that would work out to be an hour for lunch and an hour for dinner.

Additional guidelines can be set by the mission president based on the needs of the mission, missionaries, and members in the area.

sbradshaw wrote:Section 2.4.5 of the Missionary Standards guidebook, "Meals with Others," provides the official guidelines for meals with members (or non-members) that apply to all missionaries.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/stu ... ng#title25

A little further up in the same chapter, it's mentioned that lunch and dinner during a day should be no longer than 2 hours combined – I expect in most places that would work out to be an hour for lunch and an hour for dinner.

Additional guidelines can be set by the mission president based on the needs of the mission, missionaries, and members in the area.

Thank you for posting something like this

I am wondering if it is church policy to ASSINGN members to feed the missionaries. In our ward there is a person with a calling that calls members and sets up meals for the missionaries. it seems to put members in an awkward situation.

The wards we have lived in have always handed around a missionary da calendar in Relief Society. Seems to work ok.

Our ward has moved to an online sign-up app and post it on the ward FB page. Many members use that. Cold-calling members who have not agreed in advance to host the missionaries for meals seems a bit presumptuous, but that is just my personal opinion. Some will be fine with it (or even prefer it), but others could be offended or put in a financial bind if they don't feel comfortable declining.