The Power of Everyday Missionaries by Clayton M. Christensen

Transcription

1 American Fork 3 rd Ward Summer Read-Along: The Power of Everyday Missionaries by Clayton M. Christensen Reading Schedule: Week 1 (May 17-23): Introduction (13 pages) Week 2 (May 24-30): Chapter 1 (10 pages) Week 3 (May 31-June 6): Chapter 2 (10 pages) Week 4 (June 7-13): Chapter 3 (15 pages) Week 5 (June 14-20): Chapter 4 (19 pages) Week 6 (June 21-27): Chapter 5 & 6 (20 pages) Week 7 (June 28-July 4): Chapters 7 & 8 (18 pages) Week 8 (July 5-11): Chapters 9 & 10 (11 pages) Week 9 (July 12-18): Chapters 11 & 12 (11 pages) Week 10 (July 19-25): Chapters 13 & 14 (12 pages) Week 11 (July 26-Aug 1): Chapters 15 & 16, Epilogue (11 pages) Week 12 (Aug 2-8): Bonus week catch up on reading! Fireside to culminate: Sunday, August 9, 2015 Ward BBQ: Thursday August 13, 2015 Note to parents/families: We are anxious for you to participate in the mind and heart expanding experience it will be to read this book. At the same time, we know that every family situation is different, and you are invited to thoughtfully and prayerfully customize the experience to the needs in your home. You may choose to read the book aloud in its entirety as a family, or to pass it around and read separately before discussing it together. You may read it as parents and find ways to present the ideas to your young children. You may invite friends to discuss it with you. Each chapter has a few suggested items to discuss or do. You may choose to use all the suggestions for each chapter, or only one, or something entirely different may come to mind as the most important thing for you to discuss. We DO hope that you will commit to act upon the promptings you receive as a result of reading. This study guide has been prayerfully written to assist you in transforming your family into powerful missionaries for the Lord. Will any of us be perfect missionaries when the book is finished? No way! But, as Brigham Young taught, Ours is a religion of improvement and extraordinary things happen when we do our best! May you enjoy this journey!

2 Week 1: Introduction 1. Every time you take someone figuratively by the hand and introduce him or her to Jesus Christ, you will feel how deeply our Savior loves you and loves the person whose hand is in yours. (p.1) -What thoughts/feelings does this sentence prompt in you? Have you had this experience in any setting and if so, what was it like? Share these thoughts with your family and invite other family members to do the same. 2. Review the author's personal experience on pages 3-5. Consider your own life. Do your callings and lifestyle have you on the front lines in the war against Satan? If not, what blessings might come if you reposition yourself? 3. Pages 7-9 list promises the Lord makes in the Doctrine & Covenants to those who share the gospel. Which blessings stand out the most to you? Why? Which blessings would you like most to receive? Make a list of these blessings and post it where you can review it daily. For FHE or for family scripture study, consider looking up all these scriptures together, marking them and discussing them as a family. 4. On page 10, the second and third paragraphs discuss how sharing the gospel doesn't just require the power of God, but how it also gives us the power of God. Participating in missionary work will actually make us more pure and holy. How does this concept differ from what we might have thought about missionary work (ie: that you have to be living the gospel perfectly in order to share it) and how can we change our perspective? For young children: use the metaphor at the bottom of page 4 to create an object lesson for your children. You may choose to improvise some sort of armor or weapons to use, or simply have a discussion like this: When parents send their children out to do things, they make sure the children have what they need to succeed. When you go to your soccer game, we make sure you're wearing shin guards to protect you, and shoes you can run in. When you go swimming we make sure you have sunscreen. Heavenly Father is the same way. When we try to be missionaries for him, he gives us what we need to protect us and help us succeed: his Spirit. The Spirit is the BEST weapon we have for helping people learn about Jesus Christ. For youth: 1. Refer to item #2 above, and apply it to the lives of teenagers. Invite them to evaluate themselves at school, work, sports and social events. Are they on the front lines there, or are they lurking at the edge, assuming some other member of the Church will do/say the right thing? How might their lives feel different if they reposition themselves and receive a greater portion of the Spirit? 2. Review the section that begins on page 5, Impact on our Family. Discuss the experience that Sunil and Spencer had. Why was it so powerful? What kind of impact can the testimony of a teenager have on someone? Invitation to act: Choose a goal that is appropriate for your family, and agree to work on it this week. Record your goal here:

3 Week 2: Chapter 1 At the end of last week's reading, Brother Christensen wrote, I invite you to view the stories in this book as parables from which you can glean principles that are applicable to your situation. (p.13) Allow this invitation to guide your family study/discussions. 1. There are two brief videos that go along with this chapter, both worth viewing. To find them, go to: and scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the videos. The two for this chapter are: We cannot predict, and We succeed when we invite. It should be noted that neither of these videos simply repeat what was in the book, but explore the doctrines being presented in these principles. They are excellent starting places for discussions, particularly with youth and adults. 2. How did the Christensen's experiences with their friends (p ) teach them that we cannot accurately predict who will or won't accept the gospel message? 3. The second lesson taught in this chapter is that we don't need to alter our relationships with others in order to invite them. Can you think of people in your circle of friends/acquaintances/neighbors who you know should be invited, but you have mistakenly believed you need a different relationship in order to do it? Make a list of these individuals to be saved and reviewed as you continue to learn new things about missionary work in future chapters. 4. How does the story of Ben (p. 22) challenge your perception of what a successful member missionary is/does? Can we become missionaries who are willing to find people who say no? Review the last paragraph of the chapter. For young children: Ask your kids if they can tell just by looking at another child if they like strawberries, or building legos, or swimming, or playing with dolls? Most of the time, we find out what our friends like to do by asking them to do things with us, or offering to share things with them. Finding out if someone wants to learn more about Jesus, or come to Church, is the same way. We can't tell by the way someone looks if they would want to do these things. And so we need to learn to be brave enough to ask them. For youth: Invite your teenagers to mentally go through the list of friends they made during the last school year. Would any of them have been a surprise if someone had told you you'd become friends? Can you tell only by first impressions who is truly kind, or fun, or who has integrity? There are always some surprises, aren't there? It is the same way with those who are seeking spiritual strength and religious answers. We can't eliminate anyone because we don't know what's going on in their hearts. What can you do to become a teenager who doesn't judge others, and instead tries to reach out to people? *Also for youth: see #1 above Invitation to act: As a family, decide upon a definition of success (based upon the 3 lessons taught in this chapter) that you will all agree to as you become better missionaries. Write it down:

4 Week 3: Chapter 2 1. As Mormons living in Utah, do we tend to fall silent on religion sometimes simply because it seems that everyone is Mormon? Is it possible that we assume everyone knows these things when, in fact, there are many among us who don't? Do you use Mormon words in everyday conversation? Brainstorm ways you can share/word things to start conversations. Pray to meet more non-members! * Watch the video Use Mormon Words in Every Conversation found at 2. What do you think of Brother Christensen's response when people say so you're a Mormon? (p. 26, 2 nd paragraph) How might a similar response help you talk more easily with people? As a family, role play responding in this way. 3. Page 27 lists the top three reasons people are initially drawn to the Church. From your personal experience, think of a simple thought you can be prepared to share with people that relate to any of these three reasons. If someone doesn't have a question, what you share will be more likely to resonate with them if you are ready. 4. Decoupling is a simple way to invite while agreeing that the answer won't change the relationship. Consider the list of people you thought of while discussing chapter 1 (see chapter 1, #3). How would this particular strategy help you begin inviting these individuals to come closer to Christ? 5. The last two sections in this chapter discuss asking questions to discover the questions people have. What specific things stood out to you as you read pages 28-29? How can you apply them in your relationships? 6. Pages offer a highly interesting perspective on the Restoration of the gospel and the importance of asking questions. Discuss with someone, or record in your journal how this perspective enhances your appreciation for Joseph Smith and the Restoration. ***For an awesome FHE (especially with youth) research the Old Testament prophets mentioned on page 33 and compare their inexperience/weakness with that of Joseph Smith. For young children: 1. Help each child think of something appropriate to their age and activities that they can share with their friends. 2. Think of a personal missionary experience you've had with someone and share it with your children. Be sure to include your positive feelings about the experience. 3. In terms they understand, use #6 above to teach your children the importance of asking honest and sincere questions. (This could also be applied to Moroni 10:3-5 and gaining a testimony.) For youth: 1. See #6 2. Invite your youth to share their feelings about talking about religion/church at school, work and with friends. What have been some of the best conversations they've had? The most awkward? Ask lots of questions and listen closely to their answers! Invitation to act: As a family or as individuals, set a goal to create more conversations about the Church:

5 Week 4: Chapter 3 1. Watch the video Ask for Help when the Winds of Prosperity Blow found at Discuss as a family the principle it teaches. (see also p of the book) 2. This chapter includes many stories. Assign each family member a story to review and share with the family. Discuss how these stories open the door for missionary work. 3. Think of people you know who would appreciate an opportunity to serve. Ask the Lord to give you opportunities to ask for their help, especially with things they are uniquely qualified for. Keep a record of these thoughts and intentions. For young children and youth: 1. Find a way to participate in giving service THIS WEEK. Consider bringing a nonmember or less active friend with you. Discuss how we feel when we serve. Testify that Heavenly Father wants all of his children to have the chance to feel this way. 2. Invite your children to do one act of service every day. For youth: 1. Are you rendering service that your youth could be invited to join you in? How might they respond to being trusted to do more? Can this principle be a blessing as you strive to be a missionary to your teenagers? 2. Take your youth to the temple this week to perform baptisms and confirmations for those who lived and died without the gospel. Talk with them about the joy that follows this kind of service. Share your feelings about being in the temple and how the temple has blessed your life. Invitation to act: What will your family do this week to make people feel needed?

6 Week 5: Chapter 4 1. This chapter discusses Satan's success with influencing our cultural beliefs to convince us that talking about religion is not acceptable at work, school, or in our community. Discuss your thoughts about this concept and your personal experiences. What is Satan most effective at in your sphere of influence, and what small changes could you make to begin changing that? 2. Watch the video, Share at Work Confidently, found at Use this to begin a discussion about how to make sharing the gospel profitable for your co-workers. 3. On page 56 the author writes, whenever I'm in a teaching situation, I try to find a story about something that we do or have done in the Church to illustrate what we need to do at work. He then shares stories illustrating this habit. One thing we learn about Brother Christensen from his book is that he has developed a habit of seeing his personal scripture study, service in the Church, and personal experiences as stories that may useful in the future. They become personal parables of a sort, and he draws on them to help bring others to Christ. What can you do to develop this habit? What personal parables have you lived lately that you could write down for future use? Begin praying that the Lord will give you eyes to see and recognize the importance of your experiences so you can begin sharing them with others. Designate a small notebook or any other device as a place to jot down these ideas and thoughts when they come to you. Writing them down will help you remember them, and will also show the Lord that you are serious. 4. Pray for opportunities to share personal experiences in ways that will profit those you work with. Set a goal to share one experience this week. 5. The Speaking with Love section of chapter four is applicable in every setting. What will you do to improve the way you teach and interact with others? Follow the author's example and begin praying each day that everyone you interact with each day will be able to feel your love and God's love through you. Pray that the Lord will bless you to feel His love for his children, even those you don't know well. For young children: Ask your children what it means to speak with love. Review challenges they have had lately with siblings or friends and talk about ways we can speak with love to work things out. Set a family goal to speak with love. For youth: 1. What reasons are there for not speaking about the Church at school, work, or with friends? Evaluate them and see if they fall into the category of Satan's ban. Brainstorm ideas for changing this. 2. Challenge your youth to participate in #3 above. Invitation to act: Set a family goal for the week:

7 Week 6: Chapters 5 & 6 Chapter 5: 1. Three important lessons are summarized on pages Review them: a. Spencer's Principle of Desperation. b. Setting a date is not a program, but is making a commitment to God. c. We cannot allow the current efforts we are making in the kingdom of God to become our reason for excusing ourself from obedience to counsel or commandment. Which of these three lessons apply to you most? How will you act on it? Set a goal AND a date to do so. Watch the video set goals and deadlines at everydaymissionaries.org, then discuss it. 2. The purpose of this book is to change how we think and feel about participating actively in missionary work. Take a few minutes and go back through the first 5 chapters to review the things you've learned that have stood out to you most. Have you ACTED on any of them yet in a conversation with a nonmember or less active member? If not, set a date NOW by which you will do so. 3. As a family, set a date by which you will find someone for the missionaries to teach. Consider not just what a great experience it will be to do this, but how greatly it will bless the lives of your family members to be a part of it. Have faith that he Lord will give unto you success (Alma 26:27). 4. In your next family scripture study, read Alma 26. Compare it to the things you are reading in The Power of Everyday Missionaries. What principles are the same? How does this chapter buoy your faith and give you confidence? For young children and youth: 1. Give your children the gift of training them in the process of setting measureable goals, working toward them in small steps, evaluating and achieving goals. Have a personal interview with each of them and let them choose one goal. Guide and train them in this process. 2. thoughtfully apply #2 and/or #3 above, inviting them to exercise faith and be missionaries. 3. Memorize 1 Nephi 3:7 Chapter 6: 1. The online missionary efforts reported here are AWESOME! Go to some of the websites referenced and see how they are sharing the gospel, and talking about gospel principles online. What stands out to you, and how can you incorporate it into your online activities? 2. Follow the example of Brother Christensen and write your testimony with the purpose of sharing it online. Consider reading his, found at claytonchristensen.com (referenced on p.85). Set a date for completing this task. Share it on your blog, Facebook page, or other social media sites. Consider how your personal profile could be represented to better invite discussion. For young children: As a family, write down what you believe and how it helps your family. Consider it a simple family testimony of sorts. Share it online and involve your children in doing so. For youth: Invite them to complete #2 and share it publicly. This week's goal:

8 Week 7: Chapters 7 & 8 Assume people need to learn HOW, not that they're not interested! *How does this statement change what we're doing as we try to share the gospel with friends, neighbors, and even our children? Chapter 7: 1. Watch the video Teach How to Pray found at everydaymissionaries.org 2. Are your personal prayers bringing you closer to the Lord? How can they be improved? 3. Are your family prayers a good example of true and sincere prayer? Consider a family home evening lesson to invite your family to pray more thoughtfully and sincerely. 4. Ponder your own experiences with prayer. Might any of them be appropriate stories to help teach someone else (remember suggestion #3 from chapter 5)? Write them down, and also share them with your family. 5. Ask the Lord to bless you with an opportunity to talk with someone THIS WEEK about prayer, and help teach them how to do it more effectively. Ask the Lord to bless you with confidence and his Spirit when it happens. For young children: 1. Review how and why we pray. If you struggle with individual or family prayer, set a goal to change that. Share your testimony of prayer. 2. Review your date you've set to find someone for the missionaries to teach. Are you sincerely praying for this? 3. Discuss friends or family members you know who need extra strength and invite your children to pray for them. 4. Pray with each of your children individually at bedtime. Listen carefully to their prayers. Talk to them about what they prayed for and teach them about personal prayer. For youth: 1. Invite your teenagers to share their favorite scripture story about prayer. Discuss why they love it and what they learn from it. Invite them to remember this story and be prepared to share it with friends. 2. Invite your youth to think of their recent experiences with prayer. Which do you remember most and why? Have them write down a positive experience in their journal. Invite them to stay on their knees when they pray until they really feel something, and see how it changes their week. 3. Invite them to do #4 above. 4. Have an interview with your teen. Ask them about their personal prayers, what they're praying for, if they receive answers, etc. Perhaps there are things they haven't yet learned about sincere prayer! Invitation to act: This week I will teach how to pray by

9 Week 7 continued: Chapters 7 & 8 Chapter 8 1. Based on the story in this chapter, and the concept of Pray, read, write. Pray, read, write. Pray again, how effective is your scripture study? What simple things might you do to improve it so that you are answering questions you have about doctrine and the challenges you face? Set a specific goal to improve. 2. Is there someone you have stewardship for who would benefit from learning to study in this way? Pray for guidance and opportunity to introduce it. 3. Ask the Lord to bless you with an opportunity to use the scriptures and teach someone else how to do the same. Perhaps this could come with a less active friend or neighbor. Be ready! For young children and youth: 1. Ask your children what questions they have about the gospel, or about life. Make a list of them. Do your own study to find passages that will help answer their questions. 2. Invite one (or more) of them to teach a family home evening lesson on a specific principle (that will answer the questions in #1, perhaps), assigning them specific verses in the Book of Mormon to use as material. Help them study and prepare for it using the principles taught in this chapter. They will learn more teaching than listening! 3. Is there a gospel principle one of your children needs to understand better? Begin studying with them in this pattern to help them gain a testimony. 4. Pass out paper and pens during scripture study to teach children and youth to write down what they learn. Along these lines, you could make sure each family member has their own copy of The Book of Mormon, or consider giving each family member a small notebook to use as a scripture journal. Make a habit of getting them out during FHE and scripture study to write in. Invitation to act: This week we will

10 Week 8: Chapters 9 & 10 Chapter 9 1. Review some of the sacred places you have. Write them down, if you've never done so. Share them with your family, if appropriate. 2. Evaluate your feelings when at Church. Does it feel sacred to you? How can you improve/elevate your feelings about being at Church? 3. Ask the Ward Mission leader or one of our ward missionaries to tell you about those they are working with now. Find out if there is something you can do to help those individuals have a good experience at Church. Fast and pray for them. Also, share with them the experiences you've had with sharing the gospel since reading this book. 4. Be quick to introduce yourself to people you've never seen before, and offer to help them find the place they need to be. 5. Evaluate your Sabbath day observance. Do your Sunday habits prepare you to teach others how to observe the sabbath? How might you improve? Set a specific goal. 6. Invite someone to Church. Consider using the ideas in the chapter to prepare them: show them the church building in advance, invite friends to pray for them, make sure they have a great experience, teach them how to honor the Sabbath. For children and youth: Read Mosiah 13: Make a list of holy and unholy activities we may participate in on the Sabbath. As a family commit to avoid the unholy ones and choose the holy activities. Work together to honor your goal. Chapter Watch the short video, Teach toward conversion at This video is actually about detecting temptation. Part of the conversion process is teaching people to identify and withstand temptation. Discuss why this is an essential skill to learn. 2. Discuss the author's defense of Joseph Smith and of continuing revelation. How can this perspective strengthen your testimony and help you resist apostasy? 3. Follow the author's invitation to read Ether chapters 2 & 3. Then re-read pages Discuss. For young children and youth: 1. Talk about the Brother of Jared. Discuss how even prophets have to grow in their understanding about Jesus and the gospel. We have to grow in our knowledge too. If we don't know all the answers, it doesn't mean the gospel isn't true; it means we need to ask the right questions and listen for the Holy Ghost to answer us. 2. Invite your youth to share some of the attacks they have seen/heard on Joseph Smith. Talk about them and identify the deception in them. Invitation to act: How might improved Sabbath observence help you better avoid deception?

11 Week 9: Chapters 11 & 12 Chapter Consider the story of the Farmingdale branch and what happened there. In what ways does it inspire you? What can we learn about earnestly seeking the Lord's will as we serve in our callings? Can we predict what God will do if we do our best to act on the revelation he gives us? Wouldn't you love to be a part of something like this!?! Chapter The story of the growth of the Malden twig is amazing. How did the members act in faith as they tried to increase attendance? (ie: setting up the number of chairs they needed to meet their goal, etc.) 2. When was the last time you looked around at Church or a Church activity and asked yourself, Who isn't here, who could be here, and how can I let them know that we need them? Will you start asking this question? Will you begin acting on the answer? Consider how easy it will become to participate in activities and meetings when you're excited about figuring out who else we could get to come! What effect might this have on your ward if this question, and a loving action that follows it, were to guide our behavior? What would happen if every family who WAS there reached out to a family who wasn't there? What would happen if we did this every week? 3. Watch the video, Ask who is missing, found at everydaymissionaries.org. Use it to begin a discussion about this principle. Invitation to act: At your next church meetings, look around with a prayer in your heart to notice who isn't there that you should reach out to. Then do it. Keep it simple, and just do it. Act in faith! For children and youth: Invite them to ask the same question and reach out to their friends who don't come. Help them reach this goal.

12 Week 10: Chapters 13 & 14 Chapter This chapter shares the stories of many leaders who were totally committed to training people in their callings, watching over them and helping them succeed, no matter how hard it was. What can we learn from them? 2. Ponder these stories and pay attention to what the Spirit whispers to you. In what ways can you give a little more in your calling and be like these individuals? Remember what we learned in the introduction? Go back and re-read page 10, then choose something you will do to strengthen others spiritually! For children and youth: Sometimes Church service requires sacrifice. Consider the story of the Olsen family (p.133). Are we willing to make sacrifices of time and effort so that the Lord's work can move forward? How can we do this with a good attitude? Chapter What was the common element in these three wards? Why might a feeling of love be the most important ingredient in the work we do? 2. Each of us is a member of a ward, and as such, we can help build wards God can trust by being members God can trust. In what ways do you feel God trusts you? In what ways would you like to qualify for his trust? Write them down. 3. At the bottom of the everydaymissionaries.org home page, click on It's Easy to Love. This is not a video, but shares the personal story of one missionary and how she was successful in loving others and inviting people to come to Christ. Read her story. What ideas can you draw from her experiences to use in your callings and everyday life? For children and youth: Ask the question, How can we become a family God can trust? See what your family members have to say. Agree on a common goal that will help you be that family. Invitation to act: What longings are stirred in your heart by reading this book? What will you do to move toward becoming that person/family?

13 Week 11: Chapters 15, 16, Epilogue Chapter 15 Sometimes when we pray for a miracle we get nothing like what we expected. How did Jaime become the miracle this branch prayed for? What can you learn from it? For children and youth: Thoughtfully review some of the most miraculous missionary experiences you (or your ancestors) have had. Share them with your family. If they haven't been recorded, write them down so your posterity will always have that spiritual legacy. Chapter Review the lessons Brother Christensen learned from the stories he shared. Choose one that applies to your current missionary efforts and discuss how to use it. 2. What does it the phrase entrepreneurs in Zion mean to you? (see page 149.) How can you apply D&C 58:26-29 to your daily efforts to share the gospel? Read the last complete sentence on page 149. Pray for the privilege of becoming an instrument, and for the ability to do the work in God's way instead of man's. Epilogue Read Clayton Christensen's testimony. How has reading this book strengthened your testimony? What specific things has the Spirit taught you as you read? What actions have you taken as an individual or as a family? How have your efforts blessed your life? Write them down. Thank the Lord for these blessings. Review your goal for finding someone for the missionaries to teach. For children and youth: Have a family testimony meeting. Invite each person to share their personal testimony. Share your own testimony. Invitation to act: Plan to attend the Ward Fireside on August 9 th. Bring a friend to the Ward BBQ on August 13 th. Come to the dinner prepared to be a member that God can trust, prepared to show love to everyone who attends. Let's see what awesome things will happen!