Lesson Schedules Discountinued 2017

[wrigjef]

Wouldn't that be multiple calendars to accommodate each class?

[billgis]

For the last several years we have operated only 1 stake calendar (Public). In that calendar we put all stake events on it and we also have an 'all day' sunday event called Lesson Schedules - in the notes of the event we have SS lessons (with lesson number and title) Priesthood and RS lessons (with lesson number and title) and the monthly theme for the youth. This keeps uniformity around the stake, so we don't end up coming in for a Ward Conference and a ward has already had the lesson being taught or is several weeks away from having that lesson. It has helped significantly to do this through the Stake Calendar. We also have it set up as an Excel spreadsheet so the stake sunday school presidency, high council and stake presidency can review it before going to the wards for review and then to the Stake Calendar. Some of the wards would take the info and put it into their Lesson Schedule program, but usually not. The only thing we don't show are any ward assigned lessons for 1st, 4th and 5th Sundays and instructor assignments for the wards, we just refer to the counsel from lds.org for those weeks. This year we will also add a reminder for "Teaching in the Savior's Way" Council for our Stake (3rd Sundays).

[russellhltn]

For the last several years we have operated only 1 stake calendar (Public). In that calendar we put all stake events on it

I don't have a problem putting lesson schedules in the calendar, but I detest putting everything into one calendar. It prevents the members from customizing their calendar view to limit it to the events that apply to them. If you're putting events into the calendar, I'd suggest that you make it it's own calendar so members can choose to see it or not.

[wrigjef]

What would be neat is a separate application on LDS.org that would allow SL to push church wide events like General Conference, stakes to push events, like Ward and Stake conferences, down to wards. Allow wards to edit the Sunday classes they are flexible with and auto populate the rest. The listings would include links to lesson material. Make it available to all but members could subscribe to the schedules they are interested in. Make this its own application separate from the calendar to help eliminate clutter. It could be widely publicized in teachers councils and even mentioned in teacher training materials to be discussed in ward councils.

[mevans]

One of the things I dislike about the calendar approach is that there is no rich text. I can't make a hyperlink to a lesson the way I can with Lesson Schedules or even the Newsletter. I'm debating about putting some things in the Newsletter vs. the Calendar. It's really too bad they're discontinuing Lesson Schedules, as that way, the URLs are gathered once and the whole church can use them. Now we all get to do that work multiple times.

As far as having a stake lesson schedule calendar, as suggested above: from reading the handbook, lesson planning is a ward matter, except for the 4th Sunday Teachings for our Times, for which the stake has the option to select the topics. That's been discussed in other threads on the Lesson Schedule forum. In the old LUWS system, I believe stakes did have control, but not now.

[scgallafent]

What would be neat is a separate application on LDS.org that would allow SL to push church wide events like General Conference

Church-wide events (yes, even general conference) can't be scheduled on a Church-wide calendar. I'm not sure if it has changed in the past few years with Internet transmission, but I know that some areas in Australia used to wait a week to view general conference because the Saturday sessions start early Sunday morning for them. The FIrst Presidency Christmas devotional (normally 6:00 PM on the first Sunday in December) starts at noon on Monday in Sydney.

[russellhltn]

Church-wide events (yes, even general conference) can't be scheduled on a Church-wide calendar.

Actually, they are scheduled on the church-wide calendar. But you are correct that local observance may be adjusted to fit local needs. That makes the suggestion problematic. So, I'd leave it at the stake pushing down events. The stake just need to take on local observance of church-wide events.

[scgallafent]

Church-wide events (yes, even general conference) can't be scheduled on a Church-wide calendar.

Actually, they are scheduled on the church-wide calendar. But you are correct that local observance may be adjusted to fit local needs. That makes the suggestion problematic. So, I'd leave it at the stake pushing down events. The stake just need to take on local observance of church-wide events.

That's a much better summary of what I was trying to describe.

[dhollowell]

I've always thought the church was so smart about using electronic technology. Until today. To log in to Lesson Schedules and be "encouraged" to revert to PAPER lesson schedules is the epitome of inefficiency. If anyone has an alternative that will help us make lesson schedules available to members electronically, I would appreciate being directed to it. Plus, my ward puts emphasis on the High Priests, Elders, and Relief Society teaching the same lesson on the same day, and Lesson Schedules worked beautifully for that. Making lessons available to members just became a real hassle.

[kd7mha]

Here is what I have been working on

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing