July 2004 Ensign - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

the end of the activity,
ward members gathered
for a short Church video
on families, such as
Together Forever (53411;
U.S. $4.00) or On the Way
Home (53062; U.S. $4.00).
It was wonderful to have
fun together and then end
the evening with the opportunity to feel the Spirit.
Kristy Sawtelle, Buffalo Ridge Ward, Phoenix Arizona
Deer Valley Stake
Simple Activities
Over the years I have observed that the best
ward activities seem to be simple ones that
emphasize service, strengthening testimonies,
missionary work, and activation. Often all it takes
to turn a service project into a fun activity is to
provide refreshments and some structure to
encourage socializing and fellowshipping.
These are several of my favorite activities:
• We have had socials where the entire ward has
been invited to meet new converts, less-active members,
investigators, and those who have recently
moved into the ward. The guests of honor are then
spotlighted or in other ways introduced to the group.
• We have met together to bake cookies and
make greeting cards, and then we break into
small groups to deliver these items to less-active
members of the ward.
• My singles ward often had
many records of less-active
members with whom no
one had had contact
for some time. The
young adults would meet
together for breakfast and then
break into pairs with lists of the
names and addresses of these
Even the most simple
activities can
encourage socializing
and fellowshipping.
members. We would visit them, see if their addresses were
correct, and welcome them to the ward. We would then
meet back together to share the information. This activity
greatly assisted our fellowshipping efforts. ■
Kimberley Hirschi, San Diego 12th Ward, San Diego California North Stake
ENSIGN JULY 2004 33