Leadership Course Syllabus by Randy F. Rubio

THE LEADERSHIP COURSE SYLLABUS Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence. He that is slothful shall not be counted worthy to stand, and he that learns not his duty and shows himself not approved shall not be counted worthy to stand. Even so. Amen. (D&C 107:99-100)

The Church Handbook of Instructions is inspired of God and written intentionally for latter-day shepherds. The reader will immensely benefit from its abundant supply of ideas. In recommending a personal leadership development reading program for bishoprics and other auxiliary leaders, I would like to present a rationale of this syllabus. I believe a systematic reading program instead of random reading will maximize the benefit it provides.

MINISTRY Leadership Your speed as the bishop determines the speed of the ward. The ward will adopt your personality for better or for worse. The ward’s rise and fall is dependent upon you. Therefore, your ability to lead people, motivate those whom you lead, effectively delegate responsibility to others, create momentum, and sustain the work despite overwhelming obstacles is crucial to your success. You must first learn how to be an effective leader. Teaching the Gospel Effectively As a bishop, you are a teacher. You need to teach and teach and teach correct principles until your people learn how to govern themselves. While other members of the bishopric are other ward teachers have also been called to this noble calling, you as the bishop have to be the most effective teacher. Positive changes and results are only produced through deliberate and intentional teaching. Interviews & Counseling You have marvelous one-on-one opportunities to teach members through interviews and counseling sessions. You minister to your people individually in this manner. Your ability to listen, discern members’ needs, ask the right questions, provide helpful counsel, and follow-through will nourish their souls. This is true ministry in action. Calls & Releases Calling people into church callings means to match their abilities with responsibilities and stretching them towards achieving their real potential. To call someone to fill a position in the church is not simply a matter of giving the handbook and then leaving them on their own. You have coaching and mentoring responsibilities as well. To release someone from a church calling has to be handled with care in order to sustain member’s progress.

Leadership Course Syllabus

Ward Melchizedek Priesthood Leadership The Melchizedek Priesthood holders are your greatest resource of frontline leadership. You must harness this awesome power into becoming mission-driven, goal and results oriented. You should see to it that the high priests and elders are organized optimally to help you accomplish the mission of the church. Organizing Home Teaching Despite today’s sophisticated weaponry, no war has yet been won without foot soldiers. An organized, efficient, and motivated home teaching force will help you watch over the flock as a true shepherd. They are your foot soldiers. You cannot succeed without them. Your shepherding role becomes much easier with a strong assembly of home teachers. Ward Relief Society Leadership If men represent the mind, women represent the heart. Sisters have such innate spirituality and motivation for church work that sometimes surpasses men’s. You ought to take advantage of their natural enthusiasm by providing a strong leadership for sisters and your solid support. Organizing Visiting Teaching Visiting teachers are also your deputies in the work of shepherding. They are hardworking, usually very efficient, and self-driven to take care of their own. You should utilize them more to render compassionate service and make meaningful impact to members’ lives. Temporal Welfare Do not teach the gospel to a person with a hungry stomach was the practical advice of Pres. Brigham Young. As a consequence of home and visiting teaching, you will inevitably find the poor and the needy. Your challenge is that they number among the biggest portion of your ward population. You are the key whether they will become self-reliant or not, or whether assistance will be given when they need it the most. Be thoroughly familiar with the doctrines and principles of welfare. You should also be very knowledgeable with fast offering policies and procedures as set forth by the Area Presidency. Ordinances & Blessings The mission of the church is to ‘invite all to come unto Christ’ (D&C 20:59). Every accountable person will be given opportunity to receive the saving ordinances of the gospel. As the bishop you hold the keys to these ordinances in the ward. The proper performance of these ordinances is your primary responsibility. See to it that priesthood holders have been trained to perform them within the correct pattern the Lord has established. Issuing Temple Recommends All roads lead to the temple. Once the basic saving ordinances of the gospel have been received by individuals and families, your responsibility is to prepare members to receive the temple ordinances. Your role is to ensure that they have been adequately prepared to receive these ordinances and are worthy in every way to enter the House of the Lord. Ward Aaronic Priesthood & Young Women Leadership The youth are your successors in the church. The future is in their hands. Unlike other programs of the church, your mandate to work with the youth has been doctrinally set being the President of the Aaronic Priesthood. The Lord has so structured your stewardship to make this as the first of your five principal responsibilities (CHI p. 11). While your Copyright © 2005 Randy F. Rubio All rights reserved “Being Anxiously Engaged in a Good Cause”

Leadership Course Syllabus

counselors and other youth leaders assist you, you have direct accountability with the Lord. The church has a “totally awesome youth program” within the pages of our handbooks intended towards building their spiritual, physical, emotional, and intellectual capacities. Ward Primary & Sunday School Leadership The ward Primary and Sunday School programs cater to the spiritual needs of children, youth, and adults. Children are at a stage where they learn so much and very absorbent to a variety of stimulus. Adults require religious educational opportunities to adapt to a gospel culture. Youth have seminary. Strengthen these programs in your ward. Ministering to New Converts & Less Active Members Church programs have to be established and faith-promoting activities are regularly held in order to retain new converts and reactivate less active members. New converts and less active members require a lot of spiritual nourishment in order to thrive in their new environment. Home and visiting teachers must be called to extend a warm fellowship that makes them feel important and needed. Church programs must be functioning to meet their various needs. Understanding Church Discipline Members transgress and church discipline is necessary to save the transgressor. Therefore, church discipline is part of your ministry whether you apply informal or formal discipline. Sometimes holding a disciplinary council is mandatory. It is important that you understand the doctrine, principles, and procedures of church discipline to save the errant member.

MEETINGS Christ Centered Sacrament Meeting Members expect to have a spiritual experience when attending a sacrament meeting. The sacrament is the most significant weekly ordinance we participate. The meeting must be conducted with utmost reverence and solemnity to be worthy of our remembering our Savior Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice. Memorable Baptismal Service A person’s baptism brings him or her to the gates of our Father’s kingdom. It should be a memorable experience for new converts. It must be conducted with highest care to also provide a spiritual experience not only for the converts but for everyone present. New converts must feel our love and fellowship as they join the church. Principles of Effective Councils There is so much work to do in the church. While you as the bishop is the designated priesthood leader, the church is fortunately operated by councils. This means you are not alone and there’s plenty of help coming from other ward leaders if you know how to draw this out from them. Councils recognize the value of every person who participates and their ideas and suggestions. Learn how to conduct them efficiently and you will have tapped the vast resource of knowledge and experience of everyone who sits in it. Bishopric Meeting A united ward begins with a united bishopric. A bishopric that meets frequently to discuss issues and concerns in the ward will not only resolve these concerns but also build stronger fraternal relationships with each other. Always remind yourself that these meetings are not only for administrative purposes, it should also edify. A bishopric that has become Copyright © 2005 Randy F. Rubio All rights reserved “Being Anxiously Engaged in a Good Cause”

Leadership Course Syllabus

friends will find work so much easier and quite look forward to these meetings. Everyone should be committed to be present in these meetings and contribute to the best of his ability. Priesthood Executive Committee This is your missionary, home teaching, and activation committee. Ensure that committee members come to these meetings with a report on their respective assignments. Focus on the work designated for this committee. Don’t deviate. Ward Council Meeting The most wonderful ideas and suggestions about your current concerns are generated in this meeting. Take note of these ideas. Delegate the responsibility for implementing the ideas. Always follow-through what has been assigned. Ward Welfare Committee Meeting Gather information from home and visiting teaching visits as to welfare needs identified. Always challenge auxiliaries to take immediate action. Respond to the needs involving every able-bodied member in service projects. Ward AP & Bishopric Youth Committee Use these committee meetings to train youth in leadership roles. Role modeling is very powerful. Ward Committee for Single Members Do not neglect the single adults of your ward. You should have an equally ‘awesome program’ for them.

ADMINISTRATIVE Ward Administration This section provides you an overview of how the ward is operated. Although I placed it under this heading, you should read it first to give you the big picture of your job as a bishop. Handling & Accounting for Funds If you have been called a bishop then you are an honest person. However, it is not enough that you are honest. It is as important to be visibly honest or transparent in all your conduct in handling the ward finances. Even well-meaning but suspicious acts can be misinterpreted. Be very careful not to lose your credibility. Properly Allocating Budget Allowance Follow current budget allowance disbursement principles as contained in the handbook and policies as set forth by the Area Presidency. The bishopric and ward council members should frequently counsel with each other how to best utilize these funds in accomplishing the mission of the church. Meetinghouse Maintenance & Cleanliness Call a ward building representative or designate one of your counselors to regularly appraise you of meetinghouse maintenance. Establish a volunteer program where members assist in the meetinghouse cleanliness. A clean meetinghouse contributes to a reverential atmosphere. Copyright © 2005 Randy F. Rubio All rights reserved “Being Anxiously Engaged in a Good Cause”

Leadership Course Syllabus

BISHOPRIC

Reference

Goal Date

Date Done

MINISTRY Leadership in the Church Teaching the Gospel Conducting Interviews and Counseling Extending Church Callings & Releases Ward Melchizedek Priesthood Leadership Organizing Home Teaching Ward Relief Society Leadership Visiting Teaching Spiritual & Temporal Welfare Ordinances & Blessings Guidelines for Issuing Temple Recommends Temple & Family History Work Ward Aaronic Priesthood Leadership Ward Young Women Leadership Conducting Youth interviews Ward Sunday School Leadership Ward Primary Leadership Ministering to New Members & Less-Active Stake & Member Missionary Work Understanding Church Discipline

CHI pp. 306-307 CHI pp. 299-306 CHI pp. 19-22 CHI pp. 37-49 CHI pp. 164-168 CHI pp. 168-170 CHI pp. 196-199 CHI pp. 202-204 CHI pp. 255-258 CHI pp. 171-174 CHI pp. 65-68 CHI pp. 261-270 CHI pp. 180-192 CHI pp. 216-227 CHI pp. 20-21 CHI pp. 241-244 CHI pp. 230-237 CHI pp. 307-310 CHI pp. 245-254 CHI pp. 91-108

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MEETINGS Conducting a Sacrament Meeting Conducting a Baptismal Service Principles of Effective Church Council Conducting Bishopric meeting Conducting Priesthood Executive Committee Conducting Ward Council meeting Conducting Welfare Committee meeting Conducting Aaronic Priesthood Committee Conducting Bishopric Youth Committee Conducting Ward Committee for Single Members

CHI pp. 54-56 CHI pp. 253-254 CHI p. 314 CHI pp. 57, 62 CHI pp. 62, 317 CHI pp. 62, 317 CHI pp. 63, 318 CHI pp. 63, 318 CHI pp. 63, 318 CHI pp. 63, 319

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ADMINISTRATIVE Ward Administration Handling & Accounting of Funds Handling Budget Allowance Conducting Annual Tithing Settlement Meetinghouse Maintenance and Cleanliness

CHI pp. 11-17 CHI pp. 136 CHI pp. 136 CHI p. 134 CHI pp. 141-142

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Leadership Course Syllabus

AUXILIARY PRESIDENCIES

Reference

Goal Date

Date Done

CHI pp. 306-307 CHI pp. 299-306 CHI pp. 164-168 CHI pp. 168-170 CHI pp. 196-199 CHI pp. 202-204 CHI pp. 255-258 CHI pp. 171-174 CHI pp. 261-270 CHI pp. 180-192 CHI pp. 216-227 CHI pp. 241-244 CHI pp. 230-237 CHI pp. 307-310 CHI pp. 245-254

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CHI pp. 314 CHI pp. 317 CHI pp. 317 CHI pp. 318 CHI pp. 318 CHI pp. 318 CHI pp. 319

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Music Public Affairs Selected Church Policies

CHI pp. 289-294 CHI pp. 295-298 CHI pp. 321-328

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MINISTRY Leadership in the Church Teaching the Gospel Ward Melchizedek Priesthood Leadership Organizing Home Teaching Ward Relief Society Leadership Visiting Teaching Spiritual & Temporal Welfare Ordinances & Blessings Temple & Family History Work Ward Aaronic Priesthood Leadership Ward Young Women Leadership Ward Sunday School Leadership Ward Primary Leadership Ministering to New Members & Less-Active Stake & Member Missionary Work MEETINGS Principles of Effective Church Council Priesthood Executive Committee Ward Council meeting Welfare Committee meeting Aaronic Priesthood Committee Bishopric Youth Committee Ward Committee for Single Members OTHER TOPICS

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