Special Meetings with Elder Kopischke

We started the day with a special MLC with Elder Kopischke and Elder Thompson, our area authority.  It was an excellent meeting.  Elder Kopischke praised the missionaries for what they have been doing.  He suggested that the missionaries focus less on just contacting and teaching lessons and more on bringing investigators to church meetings and engaging members in the teaching process.  He emphasized that we are not just teaching lessons but we are trying to build the Church.  He indicated that the missionaries should try to teach families.  He said the Church does not need more part-member families.  He pointed out that we can burn out the members by expecting too much of them.  He said we should not "kill the cow that we want to milk."  This is a good approach because some of the missionaries have become too competitive in teaching lessons and teaching more than others.

In the afternoon, Elder Kopischke addressed a special 5 Stake Ward/Stake Council meeting.  At the beginning of the meeting, he asked the 5 stake presidents and Pres. Cusick for one statement of their concerns about ward councils.  He then started addressing each one, but the discussion blurred between them all.  He discussed how everyone in ward council should participate, especially the sisters.  Ward councils should focus on individuals and families.  He said that we should not attempt to talk about everyone and everything at each ward council.  We should be united and noted that it is "more important to be united than to be right."  Again, he emphasized that we should focus on families and work toward bringing all of the family members into the Church.  It was an excellent meeting.

The Special MLC attendees with Elder Kopischke in the center and Elder Thompson (r).