Visiting Teaching

Discussions around using and interfacing with the Church MLS program.
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tlarsen20
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Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2012 8:36 am

Visiting Teaching

#1

Post by tlarsen20 »

I am over at Local Unit Support with HQ. This is just for the Programmers. I Sister Called requesting that we put back the options of what type of visit a visiting teaching visit was.
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Biggles
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Location: Watford, England

#2

Post by Biggles »

Pure speculation, but I suspect the type of visits has been removed to make it easier/make way for Teaching Visits to be entered online sometime in future. We do not know when this is going to happen, or if indeed it will happen.
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johnshaw
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#3

Post by johnshaw »

I found it interesting when MLS 3.4.3 was released and the VT indicators were changed to either Yes/No like they are for HT - When I read that in the release notes, I forwarded the information to our Stake Relief Society President, I told here to have fun determining what constitutes a 'visit' like the Priesthood has been doing for YEARS....

I don't see any reason that it was changed, or that it will be changed back, other than it is the only indicator in the church that isn't either a number or a value that is either yes/no
simonawright
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#4

Post by simonawright »

Have a look at the March 2012 Ensign, page 32, Visiting Teaching: Understanding the power of ministering. The article makes it clear that it is the ministering that is important, the reporting to the Bishop of the Sisters needs, by the Relief Society President, is the focus. It also indicates that there are a variety of ways of ministering and so I expect they have taken a prudent course with MLS and will only need to indicate if some form of ministering occurred.
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aebrown
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#5

Post by aebrown »

JohnShaw wrote:I found it interesting when MLS 3.4.3 was released and the VT indicators were changed to either Yes/No like they are for HT - When I read that in the release notes, I forwarded the information to our Stake Relief Society President, I told here to have fun determining what constitutes a 'visit' like the Priesthood has been doing for YEARS....

I guess I don't see why this change makes anything at all more difficult for Relief Society leaders. If they were indicating a visit occurred (of any kind) on the old system, they check the box in the new system. That's easy enough.
JohnShaw wrote:I don't see any reason that it was changed, or that it will be changed back, other than it is the only indicator in the church that isn't either a number of a value that is either yes/no
It's only my speculation, but I think you are close to the mark here. If those who see the information that rolls up to higher levels simply want to know who was visited, and the definition of "visited" in the context of VT is clear, then there's little reason to maintain detailed information on what particular kind of visit was made. At the ward level, I can see how distinguishing among the visit types might well have been useful.
Questions that can benefit the larger community should be asked in a public forum, not a private message.
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gregwanderson
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Location: Huntsville, UT, USA

#6

Post by gregwanderson »

I don't have MLS right in front of me but it seems like the last time I looked, the Home Teaching/Visiting Teaching screen's wording was something like "Record Home Teaching Visits" vs. "Record Visiting Teaching Contacts." So there is a distinction between visits and contacts. And that means (to me) that the Home Teachers are expected to make in-person contacts and the sisters aren't. So (by my understanding) a phone call or a letter may not be ideal but it can count as a "Visiting Teaching contact" and not as a "Home Teaching visit." So, it's the same as before but now it's easier to record Visiting Teaching contacts in MLS. No tedious pull-down options on EVERY entry.
jpjones~ogr
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Location: Brigham City, UT, USA

#7

Post by jpjones~ogr »

I seem to recall that before the simplification to visits in MLS our RS President instructed the VT Coordinator to simply note visit or no visit. Though it seemed odd to me at the time, I was pleasantly surprised and thankful for the local simplification. She was either inspired, instructed, or had connections to HQ about this.

I've not heard of complaints or praise in our area about the change. Because I'm the designated data enterer for VT visits, I find the consistency refreshing and I get to go home a little sooner.

I'm so looking forward to being able to be even lazier and enter data from home or even on the road.
crysburch
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#8

Post by crysburch »

As a relief society president it is useful on a ward level to know if these sisters have only been open to mail, if they have been seen, etc... I just wanted to share what I have done for those who may want to keep up with this. I created my own excel sheet to collect the data on for my records. It lists every sister who has Visiting Teachers and a column for Mail/Email, Phone, Visit, Other. This helps me know if there is a sister that goes more than 2-3 months without a visit. It's also made it easier to collect the data. I save this for my records and simply click if they were visited or not in the MLS. :-)
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