Most of you have probably been hearing announcements for the upcoming Self-Reliance Devotional. This post will hopefully answer some basic questions about that event and about the Church's new Self-Reliance Initiative.
First the Devotional --
Sunday Jan 29, 2017, 7pm at the Columbia Stake Center. It will run about 90 minutes in length. Sunday dress is not required. Non-LDS Church members are welcome to participate.
It is not a general 'come learn about self-reliance' event. It has a specific purpose to organize attendees into groups/classes.
The following description is taken from FAQs for the Self-Reliance Initiative: Members. If you still have questions, after using the link to read the FAQs page, please contact your Relief Society president or Bishop/Branch President.
"The devotional will be a meeting in which all individuals who have been identified by their ward councils, or individuals who wish to self-select into the initiative, will come together and learn about the church’s new Self-Reliance Initiative. Each participant will come ready to be assigned to one of four groups that will be learning over a 12-week period principles, skills, and habits in regard to Finding Better Work, Education for Better Work, Starting or Growing a Business, or Managing Finances (participants may choose a group before they arrive, decide during the devotional during an assessment exercise, or a bishop could assign a particular group based on a situation). All participants will divide into these four groups, then each group will get together and decide where, when, and what time they will meet each week. Each participant will be committing to a 2 hour meeting each week, for 12 weeks, and to complete 3-6 hours of assignments between each class."
Second the New Self-Reliance Initiative --
“Self-reliance is the ability, commitment, and effort to provide the spiritual and temporal necessities of life for self and family” (Handbook 2: Administering the Church[2010], 6.1.1).
The new initiative is all about learning and doing. It is targeted to people's needs - areas they need to/want to improve their self-reliance in. The program helps to connect people together in a facilitator - learner/doer context and allows us to truly make use of the storehouse of resources that exist within our members knowledge, skills, and willingness to serve one another.
The new initiative will be used by ward/branch leaders to help specific individuals they have reached out to, but members are encouraged to evaluate themselves and participate in the formal classes as they feel a need.
There are many resources available online specifically for this Initiative and for general self-reliance information. If you have the Gospel Library app on your device - simply click on the Self-Reliance tab. Using lds.org you would follow the links through Families and Individuals. Or you can use these links:
https://www.lds.org/topics/pef-self-reliance/principles?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/topics/pef-self-reliance/manuals-and-videos?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/topics/pef-self-reliance/live?lang=eng
My husband and I are working though the booklet My Foundation together. While we may not choose to participate in any of the 12 week classes, we are finding that reviewing these basic principles together is helpful. The thing about self-reliance that my parents taught my is this - the more self-reliant I am the better able I am to serve and lift others, whether it be temporally or spiritually....and as I strive to center my self-reliance on my faith in Jesus Christ, I am blessed to be able to do what needs to be done.
-Lorie Pierce
