Are You in a Unfriendly Ward?by Miriam Caldwell | More from this Blogger 03 Jul 2006 07:30 PM At one time or another most people will experience a time when they feel a less than welcome in the ward. It can happen when you move into a transient ward or a ward with a lot of people moving in and out of the ward. It may happen after you have lived in the ward for a while, and you just feel like people are not your friends. It can be difficult to continue to go to church when you feel like you do not have any real friends in your ward. It may be that others are just so caught up in their own lives that they seem unable to reach out to others. It may be that several families moved in at the same time, and it is taking the ward members a few weeks to sort everyone out. It could be for a wide variety of innocent reasons. At times like this it is important to remember why you joined the church. It is important to remember your testimony, and the reasons why church attendance is important. It will help you feel closer to the Lord. Church can renew your spirit every week. It is important to continue to attend so that you can receive the spiritual blessings during this time. If you are feeling, as those others are not reaching out to you, reach out to them. You can invite a family to your house for dinner in order to get to know them better. Invite your children's friends over for play dates. It is important to go to ward activities and Enrichment nights. This will give you a chance to get to know other members. It will also give the members a chance to get to know you. Usually these feelings will pass in time. If you continue to attend church the Lord will bless you. Learn more about Miriam Caldwell  Miriam is a SAHM mom of three children. She has a daughter who is seven, and two sons, four and two. She loves being a parent and spending time with her children. Relevantlds tags User Comments  blossy (1161) 09 Jul 2006 09:24 PMI so know what you mean about feeling welcomed or not in a ward. Before I moved to the ward I am currently in I felt so unwelcomed by my previous ward that I became inactive. Not only due to the fact that it was almost an hours travelling time just to get there but the members just didn't make me feel like I belonged. With the ward I am in now it's almost like coming home. From the moment we went there we were welcomed with open arms and made to feel like part of the family. It certainly makes a huge difference and now I hate missing even one day of church because I miss that feeling of belonging.  Miriam Caldwell (8030) 10 Jul 2006 06:38 AMIt sounds like you are in a great ward right now. I have been in both types of wards. It really can be hard to keep going when you don't feel like anyone is reaching out to you. I try to reach out to others now, because I know how frustrating it is to be new, and not have anyone want to be your friend. newbiemum05 (246) 19 Dec 2006 01:34 PMA sister I VT who is less-active, is so because she experienced this when she moved away for University. As she was a student there and hadn't actually moved there permanently they didn't bother with her, over time she was so upset that she stopped going out to church and hasn't been back even since she moved back home. We are now trying to reach out to her and help melt away that hurt. blossy is there anything you could tell me from your experiences that might help me know how to best reach out to this sister - she is amazing and I just want her to come back and receive the blessings of the gospel. Please help me know how best to reach out to others in my ward. Miriam Caldwell (8030) 19 Dec 2006 08:22 PMI've also been in a ward where I didn't feel welcome at all. It was really tough. We moved out of the ward quickly, and then moved back several years later. When I moved back I made a concentrated effort to be the one to reach out. I think your best move is to show a genuine interest in friendship, and as you build that, her feelings towards church will improve. Also you need to be consistent. She may try to brush you off, and you need to let her know that she really is a friend and not an assignment. When you meet new people in your ward, ask about them and their family. Try to remember something to ask them about the next time you see them. Make sure to remember them. Nothing is more frustrating to be asked to introduce yourself as new, after you have consistently been attending for more than two months. xterminator (5) 01 Sep 2009 09:57 AMWe moved to this ward from a branch where we used to live 3 1/2 years ago and I still don't feel at home at this ward. I bet I can't count the people I can name on 2 hands. We've never been visited by a home teacher,only the visiting teacher and missionaries a couple of times. The home teacher I have now has one person to keep up with and it's me and he's never been here. I got blasted in priesthood meeting by the teacher just as the meeting started for saying something to the man next to me. I'm 50,not 10. So I haven't been back since. I think this ward has some problems. I've been a member for 10 years and been attending a church all my life and never seen such a gloom in a church. Community Tags activity, lds, mormon, Ward Discuss this article
|
LDS categories |
