Overview of Family History

1. Overview of Family History • The Family History organization in wards and stakes exists to help members • Identify their ancestors • Link them into families • Ensure that temple ordinances are performed for them. Ref. Admin Guide for FH, page 1

2. The Key The key to a successful family history program is Family History Consultants who meet with members and families individually to help them begin and continue their family history work. Ref: Admin Guide for FH, p.1

3. The Basic Program • As consultants do this, over timeall members of the ward can have an opportunity to receive help from a family history consultant. Ref: Admin Guide for FH, page 1

4. Implementing the Basic Program • The Bishop: • Calls and sets apart consultants • Provides direction in Priesthood Executive Committee and Ward Council meetings about individuals and families that family history consultants could contact. • Ensures new members receive help from consultants. • Receives a regular report from the High Priests Group Leader on temple and family history efforts. Ref: Admin Guide for FH, 2

5. Special Message for HPGLs • HPGLs are called to administer the FH program • You are Not called to be consultants nor to learn all of the various family history programs • Too often, HPGLs feel inadequate to lead in this work because you don't know about computers or all of the genealogical programs and so you often fail to simply administer the program. • Following The Basic Plan and focusing on the Progress Reports and Chart will make you a successful leader in family history. An observation by Robert E. Strange, FH Center Director

6. High Priests Group Leader • Recommends members to serve as family history consultants. • Ensures consultants are trained and able to fulfill their calling. • Not expected to train them himself but guides them (See Knowledge Document: 100587) • Encourages registration at consultant.familysearch.org so they can complete training. • Gives regular reports in priesthood interviews, PEC and ward council meetings. He reports on the help consultants have provided to specific individuals and families. Ref: Admin Guide for FH, page 2

7. HPGL Duties Continued • Leads discussions in PEC and Ward Council meetings to suggest individuals and families that consultants could contact. • Meets regularly with consultants to provide counsel (and encouragement) and help. He assigns them to contact members suggested by the PEC and Ward Council. He reviews the consultants' success in helping members do family history. Ref: Admin Guide for FH, page 2

8. High Council Advisor & HPGL • Meet with or contact monthly or as regularly as possible the workers for whom they are responsible. ...consult by telephone or other media such as e-mail. • In these meetings or contacts, family history workers can report on their activities and receive counsel (and encouragement) from their leaders. Ref: Admin Guide for FH, page 3

9. High Council Advisor & HPGL cont. • Request a regular report from family history workers on how they are fulfilling their callings and any specific assignments. • These leaders can then provide a report to the stake presidency or to the bishop... • Regular reporting provides priesthood leaders and family history workers opportunities to counsel together and focus on progress in family history efforts. Ref Admin Guide for FH, page 3

10. How much progress is expected? “I imagine that in the course of a year we could help at least ten families. In five years, we could have a corps of fifty families active at some level in family history and its attendant temple work. That to me would be a successful, well-run program.” Elder D. Todd Christofferson • Thus each consultant should help ten families per year or about one family per month

11. How many consultants should a ward have? Divide the number of ward families by the number of consultants and you can see how many families each consultant is expected to help. • For example: • 200 families divided by 4 consultants = 50 families. • 10 families x 4 consultants = 40 families per year. • 200 families divided by 40 per year = 5 years. • If there is only one consultant, 200 families divided by 10 per year = 20 years!

12. Divide the list • Home Teachers and Visiting Teachers are assigned specific families and so should Family History Consultants. • The ward list of families should be divided between the consultants so that each knows which families they are responsible for. • Otherwise they will never focus on which families to contact during the month. • The list could be divided by the HPGL or the consultants could get together and do it. • It is critical that it be done!

13. Family History Consultant • Reaches out to individuals or families a few at a time, so that over time all members of the ward have the opportunity to receive family history help. • Focuses on those ...suggested by ...leaders. • Meets with members in their homes, where possible. See other responsibilities listed on page 7 of Admin Guide for Family History.

14. Family History Consultant cont. • Start a Family History Progress Record As you begin helping..., make a copy of the Family History Progress Record on pages 23-24 to record the help you provide.... Or you could use a notebook to do this. (Please write in a clear and readable manner) Refer to the progress record or notes when you consult with your HPGL. • Keep them in a binder or folder. They will help future consultants know what progress the members have made so the consultants do not waste time duplicating your efforts. Ref: FH Consultant Guide , page 13 (p 20-pdf) & Appendix B

15. APPENDIX B FAMILY HISTORY PROGRESS RECORD Keep a record like this for each ward member or family you have contacted. Record what assistance you have given and what plans you have made for follow-up. Save these records in a binder or folder so that you can refer to them and pass them on to future family history consultants. Full name __________________________________________________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________________________________________ Phone ___________________________________________________________________________________ E-mail ___________________________________________________________________________________ Sign-in information for you to use the new FamilySearch on behalf of the member (if needed): Member’s birth date __________________________________________________________________________ Member’s helper access number (last 5 digits of membership record number) ________________________ Background notes: (Information could include answers to the following: Is there access to a home computer and Internet connection? Is Personal Ancestral File or a similar program used to keep track of family history? Does the individual prefer to use paper forms?) _____________________________________________________________________________________________ A brief summary of what family history work has already been accomplished: _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 23

16. A Progress CHART that shows all families and the major steps completed that will allow them to submit names to the temple and that also measures the wards' total progress? Which is easier to evaluate? • A dozen, photo-copied, single page Progress RECORDS on individual families with lots of details that the bishop may not have time to read?

17. Combined Progress Chart & Report • From the Progress Records, brief e-mail, phone or verbal reports can be given on a monthly basis as requested by the HPGL. • The Ward Family History Progress Chart & Report can be used on a quarterly basis and a printed copy is given to the Bishop and High Council Adviser. • Printed or electronic copies are given to each FH Consultant. **Save a back-up copy on computer.** • Viewing the Chart, future consultants can quickly see where each family is at in Family History work.

18. Ward FH Progress Chart

19. Steps followed & Items tracked • Date family contacted – number & % tracked • Software being used or done on paper • If PAF, tell them about Family Insight • Date registered on NFS – number & % tracked • Did they complete ALL of the NFS tutorials?

20. Steps followed & Items tracked cont. • Verifying and correcting records? • Show how to make Family Ordinance Request • Able to find names to submit to temple We do NOT want the number of names submitted! • Number in family doing indexing – tracked (Obtain report from Stake Extraction Director) • Completed new Sunday School FH Class? Number being tracked Hint: If answer to a question is NO, leave the space blank so it stands out as undone.

21. Cumulative Report on FH Progress Chart

22. How will this help? “I just looked through the information you sent... It will be very helpful to be able to hand my HPGL something...I hope it will be helpful in helping him fulfill his calling...but mainly to get me on task and know where I need to concentrate my efforts as a consultant. Thank you!” Luana from Utah

23. Must every family be contacted each quarter? NO! • The only information that needs to be recorded each quarter is the work done with the two or three families they are assisting during that quarter. • Consultants should record their progress as they do it to keep them focused and on target to assist ten families each year. • Doing it as you go takes the pain out of reporting.

24. Adding Notes to Progress Chart • Do not put notes in a high-lighted column that is being tracked (columns C, F, K & L). This will mess up the calculations. • If a family is not interested, put a note on the chart in column D or E. Later if circumstances change, such as a death in the family, consultants may want to try again. • Record information only in the row for that family. Do not make multiple row entries for a family. You may make multiple visits and perhaps only accomplish one step on the chart. The chart is not designed to record every visit.

25. The Bishop is the key to the report • If the bishop requires the report then the rest of the actions will occur. • Have his Exec. Sec. schedule a quarterly meeting with the HPGL to receive the progress chart with its cumulative quarterly reports. • Bishop can refer to just the report or he can view the progress of any individual family. • The Progress Chart provides the information and focus for PEC & Ward Council discussion.

26. “Where performance is measured, performance improves. Where performance is measured and reported, The rate of improvement accelerates.” Return and Report

27. Where to obtain FREE copies • Of this program plus • Bob's Ward Family History Progress Chart with a Quarterly Report • Bob's Overview of Family History • Bob's Duties of Family History Consultants • Indexing Flyer • And more! res@ida.net Please share freely with others