It is drawing close to the time of year when the graduating young women will be joining Relief Society. This is a transition that some of the young women find difficult. It is important that as sisters that we make sure that they feel welcome. It is important that they feel wanted as needed. Each of us can help play a part in this process. Here are five ideas that you may consider doing in your ward.
1) You could assign an older sister to welcome and watch out for each new sister. This buddy system makes sure that the new sister has someone to sit with each week. Often a young mom is a good choice, because the age difference is not as great. Older sisters can work as well, since I formed friendships with several older sisters in my ward as well.
2) If you spotlight a sister each week in Relief Society, you may want to spend time spotlighting each of the girls in turn. This will give everyone a chance to get to know her interests. You may want to have them introduce themselves when they first come in as well.
3) My ward just started having opening exercises combined with the Young Women one Sunday a month. This is to help build fellowship between the young women and the older sisters in the ward. It helps to bring an awareness of the individual young women to the sisters as well.
4) At the beginning of the summer you may want to have an Enrichment activity that focuses on getting to know you. This allows the young women to learn more about the older sisters in the ward. They may find that they relate well to women that they would not have initially thought of.
5) Whether or not you are in the presidency, a warm smile and a kind hello can help any sister feel welcome and needed. Take time to get to know each new young woman and ask her how she is each week. This way she will have at least one friend in the Relief Society
Related Articles:
Young Women: The Transition to Relief Society
The Blessings of Relief Society