Today we discussed taking investigators on a tour of our meetinghouse. We invited Sis. Sarah Mortensen back to demonstrate this. She and Jared Pyne gave chapel tours frequently on their missions. Bro. Pyne would teach lessons in the church, and specifically in front of the font when teaching about baptism. It is helpful to have a member accompany them as well that can offer to bring them to church. We get to read letters from missionaries in our stake and all of them express how they hope their investigators will actually come to church. That is the grand prize! So how do we assist those who know nothing about our church feel comfortable enough to attend our meetings?
There are three things that are important to understand to help people alleviate their fear of coming to church. they are the 3 p's. They wont come if they dont know the People, if they don't know the Place, and if they dont know the Procedures. So our job is to eliminate those fears ahead of time. We do this with a chapel tour.
We start in the Foyer. Sarah asked us to look at the pictures on the walls. What do you see? Pictures of the Savior. As you go through the building she wanted us to think about our relationship with the Savior. What does he mean to us personally? The class pointed out that she was comfortable, not nervous like some tour guides. Sarah pointed out that the chapel will be your second home on the mission and you do feel at home there. Also, some chapels with your help and encouragement can be set up to teach the lessons by the placement of the pictures on the walls. Simon said they were able to teach the restoration lesson in the foyer of a chapel he used on his mission by just talking about the pictures on the walls.
Its is helpful to arrive early and turn on the lights in the rooms you want to show them ahead of time. Here we are shown the cultural hall. We talked about the fact that our buildings are used for many things, including fun activities during the week for youth and families.
I missed the picture of the relief society room. We talked about during the 3rd hour the men and the women split up and learn about their specific roles and learn from each other and strengthen each other through instruction and discussion. The doors to the baptismal font are open and there you can ask about baptism. Why do you think the Savior wants us to be baptised? As we ask questions, we discover where they are and what matters to them. Then we don't have to guess what to talk about. Jared reminded us that in preach my gospel it says to never hesitate to invite someone to be baptised. It is important for them to know the goal is for us to make covenants with our Heavenly Father so we can follow Him and keep His commandments.
Here she stopped and pointed out this picture of the Savior. She asked us again to think about what is our relationship with the Savior. Then she bore her testimony of the Savior. She also encouraged us to strengthen our own testimony of the Savior now. You cannot lead someone to Him if you don't know Him yourself. We also talked about pausing and being comfortable with silence as you ask questions. Give them time to think and respond to your questions. You can prep them ahead of time that you are going to ask questions and give them time to respond so they know to expect it. Bro. Hooker mentioned that President Carpenter talked about how well the Sisters are doing as missionaries in the south. Sisters, you have unique gifts to reach people. Elders, the sisters are not your competition. Learn from them and ask questions to discover how to be more effective. If your companion is good at something, ask them how you can learn to do it too. Avoid competition, we are all on the same team! Learn from each other.
Here we are in the primary room. On the wall are pictures of Christ with children. As she talked about the picture, she related it to us by asking a questions about what we see in the pictures and how the Savior feels about each one of us and how important each one of us is to Him. Hayden pointed out that the Savior is sitting on the same level as the children and that impressed him because it helped him see that the Savior is someone we all can relate to at any level we are at. For parents, this is a great room to talk about what their children would do when they come to church.
As we walked down the halls Simon pointed out that the bulletin boards have lots of things that show what the ward is doing. There were pictures of children who had just been baptised, a family history map of the wards genealogy work, dances, youth activities, etc. All great things to point out and explain how the church strengthens our families.
The final stop is the chapel. This is your home run spot. Here you feel a different spirit as you enter. We went directly in front of the sacrament table. She explained the ordinance of the sacrament. You should have a trays set out and talk about the symbols of the sacrament of the bread and water and what they mean. we also talked about where your investigators should sit. The best place is the third row in the middle on the side where they can see the sacrament being blessed and passed. If they sit in the back, they are distracted by too many things. Closer to the front they can focus on the meeting. After the meeting, take them to the stand the introduce them to the Bishop and his counselors. Then to the speakers. Help them feel important and welcome. As they come off the stand, they can meet members and feel welcomed even more.
Jared and Simon also pointed out that you can teach lessons in the chapel. They did it all the time. What a great place to teach about the sacrament and Jesus Christ in front of the sacrament altar!
Assignment for next week:
As we concluded, you were invited to pay attention today and every week to the building and the purpose of each room. Think how you could explain how it is used. Think of questions you could ask about the pictures on the walls. Invite your family to tour the chapel and practice giving them a tour.
However, next week is Easter Sunday. So we will not be having class. Enjoy this wonderful day with your families. Bro. Hooker mentioned that in preparation for Easter, you might like to take your families and friends to an exhibit at the BYU Museum of art called "Sacred Gifts" This exhibit closes May 10th. It has pictures of the Savior by Carl Bloch, Heinrich Hofmann, and Frans Schwartz! These paintings are the originals on loan from Denmark and other cathedrals that are inspiring. If you cant make it you can download a free app for Ipads that show each picture and listen to inspiring thoughts about them and music.
You will need to reserve tickets online and print them before you visit. You will enjoy this in preparation for Easter Sunday!
We will see you the following week.
Oh I almost forgot! Berkley Stulce announced today that he received his mission call to the Ghana, Cape Coast mission. He will leave in August! Congratulations Berkley. We know the Lord will use your talents and strengths to teach our brothers and sisters in that wonderful part of the world.
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