Remember the One

". . . go after that which is lost." -Luke 15:4

Account for each child is not attending:

1. Know Who
Know the child who is not attending. Keep accurate, up-to-date records about each child. Include interests, friends, and achievements of the child. Keep a record of your activation efforts. Update your activation record monthly.

2. Know Why
Discover why the child is not attending; determine the specific reasons why. What does the child or parent say when contacted?

3. Know How
Know how to activate the child. Design a plan to activate each non-attending child. Make the plan special for each child, designed to meet the specific need of the child. Make a short-term goal. Include: Who can help? What can be done?

Contact each child who is not attending:

1. Primary
Help teachers feel personal responsibility for each child. Discuss when orienting new teachers and when counseling teachers. Involve the secretary in record keeping and contacting. Discuss in ward council meeting. Have teachers share successes. Keep a positive focus as teachers and leaders brainstorm ways to activate the children in your area.

2. Home and Visiting Teachers
Discuss in each ward council meeting. Work, with priesthood direction, to involve home and visiting teachers. Provide them with enough information about the child (on paper if possible) to make a meaningful visit to the family. Acquaint uninformed parents with the blessing of Primary.

3. Friends
Primary classmates are important activation helpers. Share the message that Primary is fun by encouraging other ward members to befriend children, provide rides, and sit with them in sacrament meeting. Ward members could be a substitute grandmother/grandfather, big sister/brother, or aunt/uncle.

Love each child:

1. Focus on the child
Love each child as he is and where he is. Find ways to let him know you care (a call or note, a visit, recognizing special days and achievements).

2. Make Primary special
When the non-attending child comes to Primary, make him feel welcome and involve him. Take part of Primary to the child with handouts, special invitations, and a message from the lesson.

3. Make Activity Days missionary days
Plan Activity Days to include the non-attending child. Plan Activity Days to include the non-member child.

Activation through love:

The light of the gospel is a sharing process. Primary teachers, children and presidencies all work together with prayer, faith, and action to fill those empty chairs at Primary.

Teachers: Home Visits, Transportation, Invitations, Calls and Visits, Special Time Together, and "Missed You" Cards
The teacher, Sister Reese, at each year's beginning, prayerfully visits the home of each child assigned to her class. The quote from Elder Neal A. Maxwell gives guidance: "Organized love is better than generalized concern." Meeting with both parent and child, she describes the course of study, offers assistance by arranging transportation, and issues a special invitation to class. She helps each child feel secure and excited about the new change that will be taking place.

Invitations are adapted to remind a child of quarterly activities. Follow through is important to Sister Reese. During the year, she calls or visits the child and parents to inform them of special activities, class presentations, or the child's progress in class.

Sister Reese prepares especially for each child by learning as much about them as possible, preparing her lessons with each child in mind, and by taking advantage of preparation meeting. She loves the one-on-one fellowship with a friendly "hello" outside of class and by having "special time" with each child. She may invite the child to her home to bake cookies or go bike riding. Birthdays are remembered with a note or a telephone call. A teacher trying to activate a child could attend the child's concert, ball game, or other activity.

"Missed You" ideas help Sister Reese maintain that one-on-one closeness she is developing. She sends a card or note, calls, or takes the classroom materials to each missing child. To help her remember to mail a note, she puts a stack of stamped "Missed You" notes with her Primary materials at the beginning of each month. Then on the way home from church, it is easy to mail the card to the missing child.

Class Members: Lessons, Friendshipping, Fellowshipping, and Invitations to Quarterly Activities
Class members can have a significant influence on the lives of other class members. Victor L. Brown said, "Sometimes these young people have a special touch, which only peers seem to have."

David was having problems and rarely came to Primary. He felt alienated and would start fights with the other children. When David did come to Primary, the other boys made him sit next to the girls and giggled and teased him. In a meeting, his teacher and the Primary President helped plan a course of action. There would be lessons on friendship and love. The class would offer special personal and class prayers on David's behalf; children would be encouraged to specify what they would do to befriend David. Classmates agreed to be friendly at school, help him attend special activities, talk nicely to him at Church, or invite him to their home. When David attended Church, the children were excited to see him.

David pestered a small boy on his way to his class row. Bob, one child who had been particularly unfriendly to David, stood up and said, "Come on, Dave, sit by me." A smile spread over David's face. He beamed excitedly and sat quietly and reverently throughout the entire Primary meeting, including class time. His teacher couldn't believe the instant transition--all because one boy asked David to sit by him.

Presidencies: Incentives, Transportation, 100% Day, and the Little Lamb Report
Presidencies will receive inspiration as they strive to reach the heart of each child in need. One president, Sister Evans, uses attendance incentives to excited children to come to Primary, not by competition between children or classes, but through increasing their self-esteem and sense of belonging. She uses bright stickers, stars, wooly lambs, etc., appropriate for children of various ages. However, the best and most important attendance incentive is an increased show of love and attention toward a non-attending child.

Through the ward council meeting, Sister Albert enlists the assistance of priesthood leaders, home teachers, and visiting teachers in a coordinated effort to reach the child. The ward council discusses possible solutions to attendance problems. Sister Albert's ward organized a transportation committee to meet the attendance needs of the children.

A 100% Day can add excitement as well as spirituality into Primary. The president enlists the efforts of every teacher to have each child attend on this special day.

Another presidency realizes the importance of knowing something about the factors in Primary or a child's personal life which might influence his attendance at Primary. Some of these are: class relationships, relationship with his family or whoever has prime care for him, personality and self-image, and the support he receives to attend Primary. The president assigns her secretary to create a "Little Lamb" reports for each executive meeting designating any child who had missed two Primaries in a row. With this report, the presidency contacted the teacher to inquire after the child's welfare or makes some visits themselves.

When Primary teachers, children, and presidencies work hand in hand, many empty chairs can be filled with children. They can't be taught if they aren't there. Then clearly the Lord's admonition is fulfilled: "And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children." (Isaiah 54:13)

Reaching the One Object Lesson Ideas:

Display a bouquet of pansies and discuss with teachers how each child in their class is unique, just as each pansy is different. We have to get to know each child and their interests to appreciate that uniqueness.

Display a poster of a large magnet overlaying a heart. A magnet has a positive and negative end. We should always stress the positive and magnetize those whom we serve with our love for them.

A Teacher's Testimony:
Shortly after my arrival in Utah, four year ago, I was called to teach a Primary class. Two years later, we moved to a different ward and I was again called to the same position. I thought I needed a change and was somewhat upset with the call. After prayerful consideration, I accepted the calling.

When the class roll was given to me, I discovered I had ten children assigned to me. Three were regular attenders, four attended occasionally, and three did not attend. I decided to accept the challenge to find the one missing lamb of the flock, or in my case, to find all seven.

After reviewing proper teaching methods, I realized that I had to become a true friend to each child, develop a trusting relationship and join these together with a bond of love. I set these goals for myself.

To develop a close relationship with anyone you must meet personally on a "one to one" basis with them. Since the majority of my students didn't come to Primary regularly, I decided to take a portion of the Primary to them at home for each lesson they missed. I called the handouts and other related lesson materials I gave each child the "Goodie Sack." This was effective in activating all the children except two. Bobbie was one of the two.

For five months, weekly, Bobbie reacted to my presence with mad stares and complete silence. I grew to love the little boy and the spirit of "finding the lost one" grew stronger within me. One day, something very discouraging happened. Bobbie missed class, as usual, so I took his "Goodie Sack" to him at home. I handed it to him and I got my first verbal response from him which was, "Get out of my house, I hate you Kelly Bradley!" His mother was totally frustrated and sent him down the hall to his room. At the end of the hall, I could see him punching the air like he was trying to hit me.

When I left his home, I broke into tears. After five months of rejection this seemed unbearable. Maybe it was time to give up. I went home and poured my soul to my husband. We prayed about it, and the spirit told me not to give up.

Luckily, Bobbie's birthday was in three days. I made him a cake, took it over to him, and sang "Happy Birthday." Once again I received the same reception from him. I thought that no one deserved this kind of treatment. Since I had been successful with the rest of my class, why did I keep inflicting punishment upon myself?

I went home and told the experience to my husband. Once again, he gave me his usual pep talk on "reaching the one," but this time I told him if he was so "gung ho" about going back there, he could go!

The next Sunday, Bobbie missed class again, so my husband took the Goodie Sack to his home. Being the brave person that I am, I stood across the street and gave him moral support. I still loved Bobbie, but I wasn't sure how to proceed. As I look back, I realize the Lord knew how to proceed. That very next Sunday, I walked into Primary opening exercises and there sat Bobbie and his mother. Five months of effort had paid off in double dividend. The young boy and his mother were in church.

Both of them came every week from then on, gradually learning and partaking of the Spirit of the Lord. Bobbie's mother had recently been called to teach in the Primary. She has accepted the call and has opened the door for other inactive children to come to Primary with her.

I thank the Lord for this experience I have shared with Bobbie and his mother. Now I know this call came from the Lord. I know that through prayer, faith, and being diligent in whatever calling we hold, our Heavenly Father will assist us in carrying out our righteous endeavors.

-Kelly Bradley