Mutual Activities: Plan Now for a Great 2009

Fall is here, next year’s Ward Calendars are being put together.   Sure, the YM/YW will get the basics on it, but how about doing a little deep planning.

The Bishop setting goals with the youth at our planning retreat.

In November 2007 we we held a ward youth planning retreat, setting specific activities for the entire 2008.
To make it feel a little different (“retreat”) , we held the session away from the church, in a large conference room at a members’ business.
We led off with a team-building game. The Bishop then went through some goals for the year, and we had a brainstorming session where the kids choose the activities that met the goals we set out.  We then put them on the calendar.  We left with all joint activities planned.

Tips:

• Before the event, leaders debated whether to invite just presidencies, or all youth. Since we have a medium sized program there are just a few youth who do not hold leadership callings, we didn’t want exclude just a few, so we invited all youth.
• To lead the team building game we used a member who does corporate training.   Ask around, there is probably someone in your ward or stake who would does it professionaly.
• We provided food and worked over lunch
• We went for a professional atmosphere, sitting them at tables, with notepads and water bottles.
• We held it right after a Stake Volleyball game, so it was a jump-start to getting the kids out.
• Follow-up in a Quorum meeting making assignments for the year for Sacrament duties, lessons, etc.