Announcements

 - PRESIDENCY CHANGES 

Our wonderful 2nd counselor, has been released from her calling in the Takapuna ward. She will now be serving as the Habour Stake RS President. We wish her all the best in this new calling and thank her for her service, she will be greatly missed.

Our new 2nd counselor is . She will be wonderful in this calling; we want her to feel our love and support in this new endeavor.

- FACEBOOK/BLOG 

Our Relief Society has a new facebook page, be sure to check it out and add any fun photos of activities, etc.  Also, the blog address is, http://takareliefsociety.blogspot.co.nz/

- DAGUHTER IN MY KINGDOM BOOKS

The Relief Society requests that: Could you please make sure that all the ladies you visit teach have received their DAUGHTERS IN MY KINGDOM books? We ask that you please seek out a member of the RS presidency to retrieve the books for your sisters and deliver them as well. If you are unsure as to who you are suppose to be visiting, please also see a member of the presidency.

- VISITING TEACHINGSisters, Thank you! for your diligence in Visiting Teaching. It is such a wonderful blessing to see the Hand of the Lord in the lives of the sisters you visit and likewise it is an amazing blessing for you, to be an instrument in the Lords hands.

We are all at various stages in our learning as Visiting Teachers. If you are struggling to catch the vision, I encourage you to prayerfully continue. Watch carefully, for you will see the Hand of the Lord in your sister’s lives and in your own as you reach out in love and service.

When you report on your sisters spiritual and temporal well being, would you please report on services you have rendered as well?  Thank you!

Visiting Teaching assignments are presently being reviewed. If everything in your companionship and with the sisters you visit, is working out, (In other words you do not want to be changed) or if you are having challenges in VT,( and you do need a change) please communicate this, by email , phone or text message  to a member of the Relief Society Presidency. Thank you!

DAUGHTERS IN MY KINGDOM BOOKS

The Relief Society requests that:

Could you please make sure that all the ladies you visit teach have received thier DAUGHTERS IN MY KINGDOM books?

We ask that you please seek out a member of the RS presidency to retrieve the books for your sisters and deliver them as well. If you are unsure as to who you are suppose to be visiting, please also see a member of the presidency. 

Thank you very much for your time

ENSIGN ARTICLE: Visiting Teaching:Understanding the Power of Ministering

Dear Sisters

We know that it is hard at times to make that monthly contact with those whom you visit teach. In this months Ensign there is a powerful article that helps us to better understand the importance of ministering to those sisters on our VT lists and in our ward. Even if it is an email contact, text or a little visit with them at church. It is vital that we as a Relief Society make a charge to be more diligent in our VT callings.

Thank you for being patient as VT assignments are always being sorted. We appreciate those that are ever diligent in contacting their sisters every month and are grateful for your example.

Please find the short article/link for the article below and read it in your spare time, you will certainly be blessed by doing so. 

ENSIGN ARTICLE ON VT

Visiting Teaching:

Understanding the Power of Ministering

By the Relief Society General Presidency

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Our Heavenly Father needs us to follow a higher path and demonstrate our discipleship by sincerely caring for His children.

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During Christ’s mortal life, He ministered to others. As we desire to be His disciples, we must look to Him as our example. He taught, “The works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do” (3 Nephi 27:21). The New Testament is filled with examples of Christ’s ministering. He revealed to the woman of Samaria that He was the Messiah. He healed Peter’s mother-in-law. He restored the daughter of Jairus to her parents and Lazarus to his grieving sisters. Even as He suffered on the cross, the Savior “expressed concern for His mother, who by then was likely a widow in need of watchcare.”¹ On the cross, He asked John to watch over His mother.

Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president, said: “Through Relief Society [and visiting teaching] we practice being disciples of Christ. We learn what He would have us learn, we do what He would have us do, and we become what He would have us become.”²

Understanding the Power of Ministering

Ministering and providing relief to others have always been the heart of Relief Society. “Throughout the years, Relief Society sisters and leaders have learned one step at a time and have improved in their ability to watch over others,” said Sister Beck. “There have been times when sisters have focused more on completing visits, teaching lessons, and leaving notices when they have stopped by their sisters’ homes. These practices have helped sisters learn patterns of watchcare. Just as people in the time of Moses concentrated on keeping long lists of rules, the sisters of Relief Society have at times imposed many written and unwritten rules upon themselves in their desire to understand how to strengthen one another.

“With so much need for relief and rescue in the lives of sisters and their families today, our Heavenly Father needs us to follow a higher path and demonstrate our discipleship by sincerely caring for His children. With this important purpose in mind, leaders are now taught to ask for reports about the spiritual and temporal well-being of sisters and their families and about service rendered. Now visiting teachers have the responsibility to ‘sincerely come to know and love each sister, help her strengthen her faith, and give service.’”³

Our Relief Society history, Daughters in My Kingdom, and Handbook 2: Administering the Church teach us how we can follow a higher path and demonstrate our discipleship:

• 
  Pray daily for those you visit teach and their families.
• 
  Seek inspiration to know the needs of your sisters.
• 
  Visit your sisters regularly to comfort and strengthen them.
• 
  Contact your sisters frequently through visits, phone calls, letters, e-mail, text messages, and simple acts of kindness.
• 
  Greet your sisters at church.
• 
  Help your sisters when they have an illness or other urgent need.
• 
  Teach your sisters the gospel from the scriptures and the Visiting Teaching Message.
• 
  Inspire your sisters by setting a good example.
• 
  Report your sisters’ spiritual and temporal well-being to a Relief Society leader.⁴

Focusing on Ministering

We are the Lord’s hands. He is dependent upon each of us. The more we see our visiting teaching assignment as one of the most important responsibilities we have, the more we will minister to those we visit.

1. 
   We will provide experiences that invite the Spirit and help our sisters increase in faith and personal righteousness.
2. 
   We will care deeply about those we visit and help them strengthen their homes and families.
3. 
   We will take action when our sisters are in need.

Following is the example of Maria and Gretchen—visiting teachers who understand the power of ministering. Here we can see that now visiting teachers have the opportunity to visit separately or together. They can count their “caring” whether or not they visit together and give the message. They can take appropriate action without being asked. They can actively seek, receive, and act on personal revelation to know how to respond to the spiritual and temporal needs of each sister they visit.

Rachel was expecting her first baby and had to remain in bed for most of her pregnancy. Her visiting teachers prayed for inspiration to know the best ways to help her. Maria, who lived nearby, was able to help at Rachel’s home on most days before work. One day she cleaned part of the bathroom; the next day she cleaned the rest of it. Another day she vacuumed the living room, and the next day she made lunch for Rachel. And so her ongoing ministering continued as she did laundry, dusting, or whatever Rachel needed.

Gretchen phoned Rachel often to brighten her day. Sometimes they talked and laughed. Other times Gretchen and Maria visited with Rachel at her bedside and shared their testimonies, scripture reading, or the Visiting Teaching Message. And after Rachel’s baby was born, they continued to help her.

Throughout this time, Maria and Gretchen also worked with the Relief Society presidency to coordinate other care Rachel and her family needed. The Relief Society presidency counseled with the bishop and the ward council so home teachers and others could provide additional assistance.

Ministering became sweeter as these sisters developed love for one another and as they shared spiritual experiences. As visiting teachers we can follow these same patterns and principles of ministering and receive the same blessings.

Ministering as Christ Did

“As committed disciples of the Savior, we are improving in our ability to do the things He would do if He were here,” said Sister Beck. “We know that to Him it is our caring that counts, and so we are trying to concentrate on caring about our sisters rather than completing lists of things to do. True ministry is measured more by the depth of our charity than by the perfection of our statistics.”⁵

As visiting teachers we will know we are successful in our ministry when our sisters can say: “My visiting teachers help me grow spiritually. I know my visiting teachers care deeply about me and my family, and if I have problems, I know they will help me.” By following a higher path as visiting teachers, we are participating in the Lord’s miraculous work and accomplishing the purposes of Relief Society to increase faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and help those in need.

Achieving the Miraculous

“When we strive with faith nothing wavering to fulfill the duties appointed to us, when we seek the inspiration of the Almighty in the performance of our responsibilities, we can achieve the miraculous.”

President Thomas S. Monson, in Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society (2011), 91.

How Has Visiting Teaching Been Strengthened?

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Following is a summary of the changes to the visiting teaching program. We encourage Relief Society leaders and visiting teachers to read chapter 9 of Handbook 2: Administering the Church to review the specific details of these changes. We also encourage you to read chapter 7 of Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society to gain vision, insight, and understanding of the power of ministering and its essential role in visiting teaching. (These two books can be found online at LDS.org.)

Assigning Visiting Teachers
1. The Relief Society presidency, not just the president, is responsible for visiting teachers.	See Handbook 2,9.2.2.
2. When a Relief Society leader gives a sister her visiting teaching assignment, the leader helps the sister understand that visiting teaching is an important spiritual responsibility to fulfill.	See Handbook 2,9.5; 9.5.1.
3. The Relief Society presidency conducts ongoing training for visiting teachers on how to be more effective in ministering to those they visit. Training can be given in Relief Society on the first Sunday of the month or in another Relief Society meeting.	See Handbook 2,9.5.

Counseling with Others
1. The Relief Society presidency meets regularly with visiting teachers to discuss the spiritual and temporal welfare of those in need and to make plans to help them. Visiting teachers may assist the Relief Society presidency in coordinating short-term or long-term service for sisters in need.	See Handbook 2,9.5; 9.5.1; 9.5.4.
2. The Relief Society presidency counsels together regularly to discuss the spiritual and temporal welfare of those in need.	See Handbook 2,9.3.2; 9.5.4.
3. In ward or branch council meetings, the Relief Society president shares appropriate information from visiting teaching reports so that ward or branch leaders can counsel together on how to help those with spiritual and temporal needs.	See Handbook 2,4.5.1; 5.1.2; 6.2.2.
4. The bishop or branch president may invite the Relief Society president to ward or branch priesthood executive committee (PEC) meetings as needed to coordinate home teaching and visiting teaching assignments.	See Handbook 2,9.3.1.
5. The Relief Society presidency and the young single adult leader meet regularly to ensure that visiting teaching assignments help address the needs of young single adults.	See Handbook 2,9.7.2; 16.3.3.

Organizing and Overseeing Visiting Teaching
1. The bishop or branch president and the Relief Society presidency counsel together and prayerfully consider local needs to determine the structure of visiting teaching. (Sisters should not be organized in groups for the purpose of visiting teaching since they minister to individual needs.) The bishop or branch president approves each assignment.	See Handbook 2,9.5.2.
2. Where possible, the presidency assigns sisters in companionships of two. Handbook 2 provides other options to meet local needs. The presidency counsels with the bishop or branch president about using the following options: a. Temporarily assigning only home teachers or only visiting teachers to certain families. Or leaders may alternate the monthly visits of home teachers and visiting teachers. b. Asking full-time sister missionaries to help with visiting teaching on a limited basis, with approval of the mission president.	See Handbook 2,9.5.2; 9.5.3.
3. Visiting teaching is not just a monthly visit; it is ministering. To watch over and strengthen sisters in their individual needs, visiting teachers have ongoing contact with them through visits, phone calls, e-mails, letters, or other means. Leaders give special priority to ensuring the following sisters are cared for: sisters coming into Relief Society from Young Women, single sisters, new members, recent converts, newly married sisters, less-active sisters, and those with special needs.	See Handbook 2,9.5.1; 9.5.2.

Reporting Visiting Teaching
1. Visiting teachers are asked to report special needs and service given—in other words, their ministering. Count the caring instead of just counting visits.	See Handbook 2,9.5.4.
2. The Relief Society president gives the bishop or branch president a monthly visiting teaching report. This report includes the special needs and service rendered by visiting teachers and a list of sisters not contacted.	See Handbook 2,9.5.4.

Announcements, Week of March 18th

- CONGRATULATIONS MONA

Be sure to congratulate next time you see her. She was married this past Saturday and made a beautiful bride. We wish her all the best in this new union.

- PRESIDENCY CHANGES 

Our wonderful 2nd counselor,has been released from her calling in the Takapuna ward. She will now be serving as the Habour Stake RS President. We wish her all the best in this new calling and thank her for her service, she will be greatly missed.

- FACEBOOK 

Our Relief Society has a new facebook page, be sure to check it out and add any fun photos of activities, etc. Click the link below to "like" the page.

 

- HAMILTON TEMPLE

Stake Temple week is on this week between March 20th-23rd

- WARD CARNIVAL

Our ward carnival will be held March 31st, it is sure to be a great time. It begins at 3:00pm and there will be carnival foods, face painting, line dancing and more! This would be a great activity to invite your non-member friends to. 

- VISITING TEACHING

Please contact a member of the Relief Society presidency to insure that you are aware of the new visiting teaching assignments.

- MISSIONARY MEALS

Be sure to always check the missionary meals tab for meal assignments

March Visiting Teaching

* Remember that you can always find the link for the Visiting Teaching message on the left side bar of the blog under

VISITING TEACHING MESSAGE
& MESSAGE ARCHIVES

CLICK HERE FOR THE MARCH VISITING TEACHING MESSAGE

Daughters in My Kingdom

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We are daughters of our Father in Heaven. He knows us, loves us, and has a plan for us. Part of that plan includes coming to earth to learn to choose good over evil. When we choose to keep God’s commandments, we honor Him and acknowledge our identity as daughters of God. Relief Society helps us remember this divine heritage.

Relief Society and its history strengthen and support us. Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president, said: “As daughters of God, you are preparing for eternal designations, and each of you has a female identity, nature, and responsibility. The success of families, communities, this Church, and the precious plan of salvation is dependent on your faithfulness. … [Our Heavenly Father] intended Relief Society to help build His people and prepare them for the blessings of the temple. He established [Relief Society] to align His daughters with His work and to enlist their help in building His kingdom and strengthening the homes of Zion.”¹

Our Father in Heaven has given us specific work to help build His Kingdom. He has also blessed us with the spiritual gifts we need to accomplish this specific work. Through Relief Society, we have opportunities to use our gifts to strengthen families, help those in need, and learn how to live as disciples of Jesus Christ.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, said of discipleship: “By patiently walking in the path of discipleship, we demonstrate to ourselves the measure of our faith and our willingness to accept God’s will rather than ours.”²

Let us remember we are daughters of God and strive to live as His disciples. As we do so, we will help build God’s kingdom here on earth and become worthy to return to His presence.

From the Scriptures

Zechariah 2:10; Doctrine and Covenants 25:1, 10, 16; 138:38–39, 56; “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” (Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2010, 129)

From Our History

On April 28, 1842, the Prophet Joseph Smith said to the sisters in Relief Society: “You are now placed in a situation in which you can act according to those sympathies which God has planted in [you]. … If you live up to your privileges, the angels cannot be restrained from being your associates.”³

Recognizing the power of Relief Society to serve others and to help individuals increase in faith, Zina D. H. Young, third Relief Society general president, promised the sisters in 1893, “If you will dig in the depths of your own hearts you will find, with the aid of the Spirit of the Lord, the pearl of great price, the testimony of this work.”⁴

What Can I Do?

1. 1. How can I help my sisters reach their potential as daughters of God?
2. 2. How can I apply in my life the counsel and warnings given to women in Doctrine and Covenants 25?

For more information, go to reliefsociety.lds.org.

Calling all YSA

Attention all YSA

It is wonderful to hear that so many of you are attending Institute.
You will benefit greatly from your attendance and participation.
We are excited for you! Keep in mind that, that whatever spiritual knowledge you obtain now, will help to make you and your future family stronger.
If you have not yet filled out an enrolment form please be sure to do so next time you attend. Also, if you know of someone who is not attending, invite them. It will change their life, for good :)
Have a great week!

* Go to the YSA tab at the top of the page to find the link for theYSA blog and learn more about the importance of Institute.

Relief Society Birthday Activity...What A Success!

A sincere and big THANK YOU!  for all the preparation and work that went in to creating such an absolutely fantastic Relief Society Activity, Wednesday night.

Thank you also to all who attended. It would not have been as much fun without you.

I shared this picture at the activity and wanted to share it with you all. It is a picture from our daughter's Wedding, January 14th. It is my favourite! It encapsulates the feelings of the day.I love the way our little grand daughter Lil is turning to see what all the excitement is about. It reminds me that the Temple brings joy to everyone's life.

For those who could not attend, we have a very special White Coat Hanger to give you. (thanks to Andrea's good works) We will try to get one to you on Sunday but if we miss finding you, for some reason, please find us and ask us for one. We do not want anyone to miss out.

Directions

Announcements

- RELIEF SOCIETY BIRTHDAY PARTY

*THIS EVENING*

We politely ask that you try and dress smart casual

You are invited to the

Relief Society 170^th Birthday Commemoration

A World Wide Sisterhood

“Rejoicing in the Blessings of the Temple”

Wednesday 14^th March 2012

7.00 - 8.30 pm

- TITHING SETTLEMENT

Please sign up with Bishop if you wish to have an appointment for tithing settlement

- FACEBOOK

Our Relief Society has a new facebook page, be sure to check it out and add any fun photos of activities, etc. Click the link below to "like" the page.

TAKA RELIEF SOCIETY FACEBOOK PAGE

- HAMILTON TEMPLE

The Temple is currently closed for maintenance but be sure to note that Stake Temple week with be March 20th-23rd

- WARD CARNIVAL

Our ward carnival will be held March 31st, it is sure to be a great time. Be sure to stay tuned for more details on this activity.

- VISITING TEACHING

Please contact a member of the Relief Society presidency to insure that you are aware of the new visiting teaching assignments.

Message From the Presidency, March

March Message

Thank you sisters for all you do to build the Kingdom of God here in the Takapuna Ward.  We appreciate your efforts to visit teach and reach out in service to one another.   It is indeed impressive to observe the good works of the young single adult sisters as well.  Your willingness and enthusiasm is a wonderful example to us.  Thank you so much!

Our chosen topic for March is Prayer.  Prayer changes things!  Oh how it does!

The Savior teaches us in the Book of Mormon directly and indirectly through His prophets, that our prayers are heard according to our private charitable acts.  See 3 Nephi 13, Alma 34:28&29

I am continually amazed at the organization of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is divinely designed to provide us with opportunities to grow spiritually and to keep our covenants.  I marvel at how every child and adult member of the church is taught to pray from the heart.  No one is exempt from this sacred blessing; everyone is invited to pray on behalf of the congregation at one time or another.  What a remarkable blessing!  I am also in awe of the blessing that visiting teaching is to us spiritually. We are constantly encouraged to reach out and serve one another.  May I add here that small simple acts of service, as our Savior taught, can be most effective: the smile, the hug, the kind word, the phone call, the prayer in behalf of, or the uplifting message, etc.

In teaching the Nephites about prayer in 3 Nephi 13:20-21, our Savior taught the importance of praying from the heart.   Our actions in daily life determine where our treasure is and thus where our heart is. Orson Hyde, an early Apostle, said,

“Whenever I see the hungry, and feed him, the naked and clothe him, the sick and distressed and administer to their wants I feel that I am laying up treasures in Heaven. When I am educating my children and embellishing their minds and fitting them for usefulness, I am laying up treasures in heaven. I would ask that little boy, who is well educated and well trained, “What thief can enter in and steal the knowledge you have got?”  It is beyond the power of a thief to steal, it is out of his reach, that treasure is laid up in Heaven, for where is there a place more sacred than in the hearts of the rising generation which beat with purity and love to their parents and love to God and His Kingdom?  What better place can you find than to deposit treasures than that?  But all our obligations are not pointing to one source of quarter, there are many ways we can lay up treasures in Heaven by doing good here on earth”

May we each, “lay up more treasures in Heaven” this month and may we feel of His Spirit as we try our best to do so. 

Our love to you all.

Relief Society Presidency

Announcements

- CONDOLENCES

We wish to express our deepest sympathy for the family at this time, our thoughts and prayers are with you and your loved ones. What a blessing it is and a comfort to have the knowledge of Eternal families.

- RELIEF SOCIETY BIRTHDAY PARTY

You are invited to the

Relief Society 170^th Birthday Commemoration

A World Wide Sisterhood

“Rejoicing in the Blessings of the Temple”

Wednesday 14^th March 2012

7.00 - 8.30 pm

- TITHING SETTLEMENT

Please sign up with Bishop if you wish to have an appointment for tithing settlement

- MUMS & BUBS

Our ward is full of new, wonderful babies. Sister  had her beautiful baby girl on Feb 19th. A big congrats to her and we can't forget that congratulations are in order for Grandma  as well.

Also as you know Sister  had her sweet baby a few weeks earlier than expected. grandmother has also passed away recently.

If you are able to serve these dear sisters in any way, please don't hesitate.

- FACEBOOK

Our Relief Society has a new facebook page, be sure to check it out and add any fun photos of activities, etc. Click the link below to "like" the page.

- HAMILTON TEMPLE

The Temple is currently closed for maintenance but be sure to note that Stake Temple week with be March 20th-23rd

- VISITING TEACHING

Please contact  a member of the Relief Society presidency to insure that you are aware of the new visiting teaching assignments.

- MISSIONARY MEALS

Please refer to the missionary meals tab to see the monthly meal schedule.

Its Party Time...

You are invited to the

Relief Society 170^th Birthday Commemoration

A World Wide Sisterhood

“Rejoicing in the Blessings of the Temple”

  

Wednesday 14^th March 2012

7.00 - 8.30 pm at Julie Coward’s home

17 Bloomfield Spa, Takapuna