It was like a good old boys club as each of us sat around joking and telling stories.  I was having a good time surrounded by friends and colleagues, but I noticed the only lady in the group sitting on the side trying to stay calm as her face turned various shades of red.  She was not amused.

After the meeting, she approached me and expressed her frustration with the direction the meetings were going.  She felt that we rarely stayed on topic and that there wasn’t a purpose to the meeting.  Furthermore, she wondered why we were wasting time meeting anyways when we could be doing more important things like visiting people who needed our help.

She was the Relief Society President and I was the Elders President in a local singles congregation.  I was primarily responsible for over 90 young men (Elders) and she was responsible for primarily the young ladies and we also collaborated to help each other.  The meeting was a leadership meeting that was held each Sunday with our Bishop (Pastor) and the purpose was to keep him informed of the needs of the young people in the congregation.

While the intentions were good and important, some, including our Relief Society President thought the meetings were a waste of time in that we could be using that time more effectively.

Mormons are notorious for having meetings, as referred to in this blog I read today.  We have 3 hour meetings on Sundays and if we are in a leadership position that can be as much as 6-8 hours in meetings on Sundays.  It can be exhausting (believe me, I know from personal experience)!

Using Technology to Address the Issue

I think that meetings are an important part of building unity between the various groups and also keeping the lead pastor (bishop) informed on what each auxiliary is doing.  However, I don’t think we need to physically meet for every meeting.

For example, much of what is discussed between auxiliaries could be handled in emails that with each leader receiving a copy.  Meetings could also be held via Skype or teleconference.

Additionally, for Mormons who find it hard to attend their church meetings, perhaps there could be a live stream or recording of sacrament meeting so they can view it from home.

Conclusion

I think there are many resources that we aren’t using and as a result some members are getting frustrated.  Implmenting some additional technology into our mix could only help the situation.

What are your thoughts?