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.

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7 Comments

  1. Hi Shawni, it’s off-topic, but I’ve been meaning to tell you this for ages. Every time I see your chessboard in a picture I want to tell you it’s in the wrong position. It should be rotated 90 degrees: a white square has to be in the right bottom corner. Enjoy the game! 🙂

  2. Yowzers! That’s a lot of helpers! As a new member of the RS Activities Committee in our ward, I have a whole new understanding of the importance of Relief Society. And how many people and hours it takes to make it work!

  3. I’m currently serving as a RS president and I love working with the women in my ward! I’m curious, what do the women on your committees do?? We have a big ward but I don’t know how I could put so many women on a committee when 2-3 get the job done. I’d love to involve more people but not if they aren’t actually doing anything. Can you share how these women contribute, especially the service committee?
    Thanks!

    1. Hey Melanie! I think that’s one of the reasons I wanted to have this meeting, I just so want everyone to feel needed and know where they can help, and I hope it served it’s purpose! We do have a lot of helpers and it could be easy to get lost in the shuffle. Everyone on the activity committee works works together to make things happen, (I think they just enjoy working together and there are lots of little things to do…invites, food, set-up, etc.) and the service committee has particular “jobs.” One is in charge of the sign-up genius when people need meals, one is in charge of welcoming new move-ins, one is in charge of keeping track of birthdays and dropping off a little gift for them, the ministering coordinators help set up visits each week, talk to the women to write birthday spotlights on our Instagram account, help come up with ideas for our quarterly ministering interviews. Hope that helps! I’d love for you to share if you come up with great ideas!
      xoxo

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