The new Home, Family and Personal Enrichment program has met with varying responses. The program changed in January with new guidelines from the general Relief Society presidency. The new guidelines change the number of Enrichment meetings to four a year. These meetings are to be planned so that all of the sisters feel welcome and included. All the sisters in the ward are encouraged to attend.
The second part of this change is that in addition to the Enrichment meetings there will now be Enrichment activities. The activities are to be planned as often as needed on topics, which interest different sisters in the ward. Each activity does not necessarily need to appeal to every individual and should be planned to meet the needs of the sisters in the ward.
The new program gives the sisters greater flexibility in deciding which activities to attend. If a sister is busy with family obligations she does not need to feel badly that she does not have the time to attend the different Enrichment activities. The different activities will hopefully address specific needs or interests of several sisters in the ward.
Each Relief Society presidency is to determine the best way to implement the program in their own ward. This allows for greater flexibility in meeting the needs of the sisters. Some wards have set up book clubs and scrap booking nights for their sisters to get together to socialize. Other wards have set up classes on home and family needs. Several wards have set up service groups where sisters come together to complete a service project once a month.
The changes will be different in every single ward or branch, but your Relief Society presidency is working to meet the needs of your ward. Try to support them as they work out the kinks in the new program. Enrichment will continue to be a blessing to all those who are involved in it.