Sunday School General Presidency Says Teacher Council Meetings for Parents Can Bless Families

Download Photo

This story appears here courtesy of TheChurchNews.com. It is not for use by other media.

By Kaitlyn Bancroft, Church News

Sunday School General President Mark L. Pace was recently in Arcadia, California, when he saw the benefits of teacher council meetings for parents in real time.

After instructing local members about the new council meetings — intended to connect parents with each other as they navigate raising their children — President Pace asked those in attendance what the Holy Ghost taught them.

One man said he felt inspired to turn off the radio while driving with his family. Another said he needed to better help his wife carry the load of teaching their children. A third person talked about turning off cellphones more often in their home.

None of these ideas was spoken about during the meeting, President Pace said. Rather, the Holy Ghost showed individuals specific ways they could teach the gospel in their own homes.

“I was just amazed with the things that people said,” President Pace recalled.

The anecdote illustrates what the Sunday School General Presidency hopes wards will achieve through teacher council meetings for parents: home-centered gospel learning grounded in personal revelation.

Teacher council meetings for parents were discussed in August 2023 during the Sunday School General Presidency’s presentation at Brigham Young University Education Week.

Brother Jan E. Newman, Second Counselor in the Sunday School General Presidency, further expounded on the topic during October 2023 general conference while speaking about the sacred roles of parents: “You may feel a bit inadequate in this role, but you should never feel alone. … [During teacher council meetings for parents], parents can gather to learn from each other’s experiences, discuss how they are strengthening their families and learn key principles of Christlike teaching.”

Regular teacher council meetings offer the chance for teachers to make teaching plans, share challenges and successes and offer each other support, Brother Newman said during BYU Education Week. Teacher council meetings for parents will serve the same purpose, allowing parents to help each other as they navigate the blessings and challenges that come at different stages of their children’s lives.

During a recent Church News interview, the Sunday School General Presidency spoke about what teacher council meetings for parents are, how wards should conduct them and how these councils can bless parents striving to teach their children the gospel.

Who Should Attend Teacher Council Meetings for Parents, and When Should They Be Held?

Brother Milton Camargo, First Counselor in the Sunday School General Presidency, said the new council meetings are for parents, not Church teachers. Brother Newman emphasized that a teacher council meeting isn’t a lesson, but where parents learn from each other.

President Pace added that Sunday School presidents typically lead regular teacher council meetings, and therefore also typically lead teacher council meetings for parents. However, bishops could decide differently based on local needs.

Teacher council meetings for parents should be held quarterly, in accordance with guidance for regular teacher council meetings found in section 13.5 of the Church’s General Handbook.

Additionally, he said teacher council meetings for parents can be held any Sunday as determined by the ward council.

Brother Newman added that the Sunday School presidency recognizes parents come from a variety of backgrounds — divorced or widowed, with teenagers or little children, or a combination of situations.

Accordingly, teacher council meetings for parents are flexible enough to accommodate local needs, Brother Newman said. For instance, a ward could hold multiple teacher council meetings per quarter, each with a different “cohort” of parents navigating similar circumstances.

“The goal is to have every parent in the ward [have] the opportunity to participate in a teacher council meeting [for parents] during the quarter,” he said. “That might require the ward council [to] organize five teacher council meetings in the quarter, but nobody attends more than one.”

Download Photo

How Should Teacher Council Meetings for Parents Be Conducted?

President Pace said teacher council meetings for parents should follow the structure for teacher council meetings found in the “Teaching in the Savior’s Way” handbook:

• Share and counsel together. Parents can share recent teaching experiences in their homes, ask questions and exchange ideas for overcoming challenges.
• Learn together. Parents should discuss gospel principles found in “Teaching in the Savior’s Way” and how they apply to home study.
• Plan and invite. Parents should discuss how they can apply the scriptures, “Come, Follow Me” or other resources to home study.

President Pace said each part should last about 15 minutes, and “if we only do one or two of [these parts], we’ve missed the joy. We’ve missed what [the council] can be.”

Brother Newman emphasized that the three-part meeting is the established format, whether the council is for teachers or for parents.

During a teacher council meeting for parents, participants don’t share what’s happening in Primary classes or youth groups. Rather, “you’re going to say: ‘Tell us how things are going in your home. What are some of the great things that you see happening?’” Brother Newman said.

He also encouraged Church members to use print or electronic copies of “Teaching in the Savior’s Way.”

“This is the teaching manual for Church and home, for the entire Church,” he said, adding that if someone wants to be a better teacher at home or Church, “[get] into this [manual] a little more deeply.”

Download Photo

Why Should Church Members Attend Teacher Council Meetings for Parents?

Brother Newman said the entire goal of teacher council meetings for parents is to support President Russell M. Nelson‘s call for improving gospel learning at home.

Teacher council meetings for parents give parents connections with others in similar circumstances, Brother Newman said, which shows them: “‘I’m not alone in this, and nobody’s perfect.’ … Just find something that works for you and your family and do that, and then just try to do a little better over time. And I think that gives everybody a little bit of hope.”

He also recognized that some parents might be uncomfortable sharing particular struggles their families are going through. No one is required to share anything they don’t want to, he said; but he also hopes that, as parents are honest and vulnerable with each other, they’ll feel greater support from their communities.

“There are just all kinds of things that can come up now in these discussions that then can be dealt with the people on the ground, that live next door or a few blocks from you. That’s where the power comes from,” Brother Newman said.

Ultimately, teacher council meetings for parents are intended to help Church members grow, he continued.

“If we can get people to improve 1% on an ongoing basis, we’re going to see great things happen,” Brother Newman said. “So anything we can do to inspire people to maybe be a little better at home and find something that just works for them … I think we will have made some great progress in the Church.”