Moving beyond administering primary to ministering to children‏

As a Primary Presidency, you have many responsibilities and things which need to be planned for.  I encourage you to try to move beyond the day to day administration of primary towards the goal of ministering to the children you have responsibility for.  As you are able to minister to the children, I testify that you will receive a greater measure of the spirit and will have an increase in your capacity to love the children.  I have experienced those blessings in my own life.  The church handbook has some suggestions for ways we can minister to individuals.

Handbook 2, 3.2.3

Like the Savior, leaders seek to minister to individuals and families, both spiritually and temporally. They care about each person, not just about managing an organization. They reach out to new members, less-active members, and those who may be lonely or in need of comfort.

The purpose of ministering is to help others become true followers of Jesus Christ. Ministering to others includes:

◼ Remembering their names and becoming acquainted with them (see Moroni 6:4).

◼ Loving them without judging them (see John 13:34–35).

◼ Watching over them and strengthening their faith “one by one,” as the Savior did (3 Nephi 11:15;17:21).

◼ Establishing sincere friendship with them and visiting them in their homes and elsewhere (see D&C 20:47).

There is an excellent video in the leadership library at lds.org which shows the power of ministering to the one.  It's only about 6 minutes long.  Click here for link.  My happiest memories of my time as a Primary President are the individual visits I made to children in their homes.

Thank you for all you do to serve the children in your primary.  The stake Primary Presidency loves you and prays for your success.

Stephanie Dickson

Secretary