While the gold standard is still a visit to the home and a gospel message, the new handbook allows some temporary solutions to the widespread problem of too many less-active families and too few HT/VT companionships.
In our 200 mile long Canadian stake, the policy is that the member, not the HTer, has the right to decided the level of contact. If the member wants home visits with a gospel message, then a phone call is not considered a HT visit for the month. On the other hand, if the member wants neither visits or phone calls, but is OK with a card or Ensign article in the mail, then that's a HTing visit for our statistics.
Under this policy, it would be very helpful if the member's preferred level of contact could be highlighted. Then, when our HTer checks the box for a phone call, he and the leaders all know that that is or is not what the member prefers.
The Christmas visit at the front door to deliver a small gift may be an inspired move which is above the level of contact the member normally prefers. The "hand-wave-how-are-you" may be exactly what the member wants, or not. In either case, it would be obvious.
Highlighting the member's preferred level of contact would be easily recorded quality information which graphically shows trends. How easy it is to program in, I don't know.
Thanks for all you do.
Recording various types of HT/VT contact
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- aebrown
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For those who may not be familiar with the new Handbook provisions referred to, they are in the second paragraph of section 7.4.1 and all of section 7.4.3.jacksevy wrote:While the gold standard is still a visit to the home and a gospel message, the new handbook allows some temporary solutions to the widespread problem of too many less-active families and too few HT/VT companionships.
Questions that can benefit the larger community should be asked in a public forum, not a private message.
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The key word here is temporary. The software change you recommend [quote]t would be very helpful if the member's preferred level of contact could be highlighted.[/quote]would give the impression that the preferred method of contact by the member is other than temporary. Looking at Handbook 2, 7.4.3, it states that [quote]Any adaptations they make to home teaching should be considered temporary.[/quote]While I can see your concern that this information be available in MLS about members in your area, we have to consider that MLS reflects the policies of the Church worldwide. The direction given in the Handbook has given more latitude regarding home teaching than was provided in the previous Handbook of Instructions. However I do not see any instructions that relieve home teachers from visit members in their home and sharing a message when possible.jacksevy wrote:While the gold standard is still a visit to the home and a gospel message, the new handbook allows some temporary solutions to the widespread problem of too many less-active families and too few HT/VT companionships.
JD Lessley
Have you tried finding your answer on the ChurchofJesusChrist.org Help Center or Tech Wiki?
Have you tried finding your answer on the ChurchofJesusChrist.org Help Center or Tech Wiki?
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Could Custom Member fields help?
While not exactly what you're suggesting, and while you are waiting for MLS to make those changes, you can do much with custom member fields and custom reports.(see the links above to the ldstech wiki on these MLS features.) Cutting and pasting to a spreadsheet for further data manipulation could also be part of what you need.jacksevy wrote:...it would be very helpful if the member's preferred level of contact could be highlighted.
At least you could input the level of contact any member wishes by defining a custom member field and then combine these with a custom report that shows home teachers assigned and performance stats. Such a report could be used by calling supervisors, or given to the bishopric, etc.
We've used this combination to create Fast offering route sheets that track members wishes of "No Contact," and "newsletter only," or other helpful information like "Basement door around back" or "On Mission, House vacant."
MLS is really very powerful.