I often hear from brand new bishops asking me for general advice related to their new calling.
New bishops run the risk of being swallowed whole by all the administration demands that come with the calling.
It’s easy for a new bishop to find himself in a lot of meetings where the bishopric or ward council is trying to find their footings.
I always suggest that new bishops push against this administrative temptation.
Experienced bishops are aware that those administration demands will always be demanding more and more time, so they can wait.
The biggest piece of advice I have been giving new bishops is to go on a ward couch tour.
What I mean by that is the new bishop should set a goal to sit on every couch in every living room in the homes of members of their ward.
Depending on the size and geographics of the ward, doing this within the first six months would be ideal.
What this does is give every member of the ward a personal interaction with the new bishop.
Sure, the bishop could simply shake hands at church or have as many hallway conversations as possible, but it won’t have as much of an impact.
And waiting around for each member to come to the bishop’s office for tithing settlement isn’t enough either.
There’s something about the bishop stepping into the world of each member by stepping into their home.
Being in their home can educate him more about the people he is leading than any quick handshake in between classes at church.
It also does something to the psyche and commitment of the members of your ward.
When they attend church they will see their bishop and immediately remember the personal interaction they had with him.
They begin to feel like they know their bishop on a personal level.
It builds trust.
They will feel committed to the ward.
And most importantly, it has the potential to stimulate repentance in the ward when someone needs to set that appointment with the bishop.
Side note: the trick to accomplishing this is to keep it simple.
The bishop shouldn’t task his executive secretary to set visit appointments with each family.
He can simply take one to two nights a week, drive to an area of the ward, and knock on doors.
Maybe they won’t invite him in, but a simple conversation on their doorstep still works.
This tactic also works for elders quorum presidents, Relief Society presidents, and any other leadership role in the ward.
Lock the administration demands in the office and go sit on some couches.
Sincerely,
Kurt Francom
Executive Director
Leading Saints
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