how to hold a Relief Society board meeting

I remember going to a board meeting for primary years ago.

I had been a part of that organization for a while and I was feeling a little lost. But when they gathered everyone who served in primary for a board meeting, I remember sitting there realizing, suddenly, that I mattered.

I don’t remember details at all. But I remember the feeling of emerging from that meeting with more purpose. Suddenly feeling like, wow, this is really an amazing organization I get to be a part of. I understood my part so much better. I understood better how I could help those children I was working with, and also how they could help me. (Callings are the best.)

So fast forward years and years later to this calling serving in Relief Society.

You guys, Relief Society is the COOLEST organization! I love it so much.

Some things you may not know about Relief Society:

–It was organized on March 17, 1842 with twenty women present. Today, it has a membership of 7.1 million women in 170 countries.

–It is one of the oldest and largest women’s service organizations in the world.

–The Relief Society motto is “Charity Never Faileth.”

And it’s true, charity really doesn’t fail.

When we can reach out to each other, lift each other’s burdens, grow together in our knowledge of Jesus Christ, and learn better to “Feed His Sheep,” we grow and intertwine together in beautiful ways.

And I feel SO lucky I get to be a part of it. Of all my years of callings, this is my very first in Relief Society (I’ve always served in Primary or Young Women). I am so grateful I’m getting a deep dive into all this wonderful business of charity never failing, and seeing first-hand the effects of just that.

Ok, so back to the board meeting…

This is my presidency, and I love them with all my heart:

We have many other women serving with us to make things run smoothly around here. Everyone who desires is a ministering sister, but those with specific Relief Society callings serve as teachers, Ministering coordinators, Activities Committee Members, and Service Committee Members.

And ever since I became part of this organization I’ve wanted to do our own board meeting.

I want all those incredible women we serve with to feel that sense of purpose that emerged with me as I left that Primary board meeting all those years ago.

I want them to recognize how awesome this organization is, how they all fit together, and how much we appreciate all they are doing with all our hearts.

So finally we put together a board meeting.

There is something powerful about joining with like-minded women.

We started all together with a short story and a thought, and an overall presentation of how the different parts of Relief Society work:

And then we separated into groups…the activities committee:

The ministering coordinators:

The service commitee:

And I loved the sweet spirt there and that chance to learn from each other.

When I said in the title, “how to hold a Relief Society board meeting,” I guess the answer is just to gather. Because when women gather it is sure a beautiful thing.

I think we all left feeling more a part of this big whole. I sure hope all those women know how much they are loved and appreciated.