2013 Stake Auxillary Training

We enjoyed seeing each of you at leadership meeting this weekend.  We hope you felt the spirit and left with some information that you can use and apply to your callings.  We know the Lord will bless you, your families, and the young women you serve as you strive to fulfill your callings.  We missed those of you who could not be with us and hope to see you soon.
Here is a recap of what we covered at Leadership Meeting

Sister Cindy Pack introduced the 2013 theme "Stand ye in Holy Places and be not moved."  D&C 87:8
She showed the 2013 theme song video "Stand" and encouraged you to use it your activities.  Purvis Ward shared how they are using the theme in their combined activities and Sunday lessons by challenging the girls to Stand in Holy Places.  Sister Blalock from Meridian shared how by studying the theme she has learned that by praying, studying the scriptures, and living the standards of the church,  we can make every place, our homes, school, work, etc. a holy place.
Here are the other 14 videos that go along with the 2013 theme.
Sister Pack also challenged each us to make a conscious effort this year to stand in holy places and be not moved.  For us to set the example and lead the way for our young women.

Next, Sister Faith Trussell (our new stake camp director) introduced the theme for Girls Camp.

Girls camp will be June 4-7, 2013

June 3rd is our YCL day

All young women ages 12 - 18 are invited to attend

The cost will be $100

It will be held at Camp Camellia in Glendale.

More information on registration and certification will be coming soon.

As a presidency, we believe in Girls Camp.  We have seen miracles at camp.  Every young woman can come have fun, learn new skills, but most importantly feel the spirit and have her testimony strengthened at girls camp.  I have heard several girls say Girls Camp recharges their spiritual batteries and makes them excited to live the gospel.  I have heard adult women say Girls Camp is where my testimony began and it is the reason I am active in the gospel today.  Sister Trussell challenged each ward to find one girl who did not come to camp last year and make an extra special effort to get her to come.  I encourage you to involve  your young women in this challenge.  As adults, we can invite a young woman, but to be invited and wanted by her peer group is a powerful thing.  So ask the young women to share their camp experiences and to enthusiastically invite girls who have never been.

Then, Sister Meredith Biesinger talked about "Come Follow Me",the new curriculum to help teacher's teach in the Savior's way and help youth become converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  She walked through a sample outline from the February theme and discussed how she would prayerfully choose the activities from the outline to use in her lessons.

She said "Prayer + Planning= Perfection"

She also shared videos from the Come Follow Me page on the church website.  Here are the links to the Come Follow Me resources

Videos for Leaders

Come Follow Me for Young Women

Frequently asked questions

Next, I spoke on Personal Progress.  

Elder Bednar said in the October conference 

“Testimony alone is not and will not be enough to protect us in the latter-day storm of darkness and evil in which we are living. Testimony is important and necessary but not sufficient to provide the spiritual strength and protection we need.Some members of the Church with testimonies have wavered and fallen away. Their spiritual knowledge and commitment did not measure up to the challenges they faced. . .A testimony is spiritual knowledge of truth obtained by the power of the Holy Ghost. Continuing conversion is constant devotion to the revealed truth we have received—with a heart that is willing and for righteous reasons. Knowing that the gospel is true is the essence of a testimony. Consistently being true to the gospel is the essence of conversion. We should know the gospel is true and be true to the gospel.”

The personal progress program help a girl go from having a testimony to being converted to the gospel. Every value experience in the program follows a pattern

• First, she learns a gospel principle, through scripture and modern revelation
• Second, she applies that principle in her life.  She practices it and acts upon it.
• Third, she records her experiences in her journal.
• Fourth, she reports her experience to her parent or leader.

This pattern helps her establish Personal sPiritual Practices (emphasis on the "P's") that can help her continue to become converted to the gospel.

Our roles as leaders are as follows: (from the Personal Progress website)

1. Present the Program  
2. Participate in the Program
3. Pep them uP
4. Praise them
5. Record Progress (I encourage you to begin using the online tracking)

I encourage to get excited about personal progress, to earn your medallion and your bee, and use the program to praise our young women for the righteous choices they make.  They live in a world where they see unrighteous choices glamorized, let them know we see the good they do, we are proud of them, and their Heavenly Father sees it to and loves them for it.

Finally, Sister Tammy Evans gave her thoughts on the Training from Sister Dalton the General Young Women's President.

The training video can be found here

She said "Remember who you are.  You are not in your calling for some random reason.  You are there because the Lord knows you and he trusts you to lead his daughters.  Because before they were yours, they were HIS. "
Here is her handout that she used:  (these are her notes from Sister Dalton's talk.  I encourage you to watch it)

She concluded by saying "We love you and we are here for you.  We are a resource to you.  We know how busy your lives are, how busy planning and carrying out activities and lessons.  So if you have a question or a need, please ask us.  Let us help you."

May the Lord bless you for all the good you do!

Sister Miriam Arroyo

(Please comment away with questions or suggestions.  We would love to use this blog as a place for us to not only share information with you, but as a place where you can communicate with each other.)