LCR Access for FT Missionaries: Need response or suggestions

[kenmcnay]

I saw another discussion on this topic from 2022, but I did not want to attempt to bring that back to life.

I'm the ward mission leader currently, and I need to get some info and/or solutions for the FT missionaries assigned to our ward asking for LCR functions not available in Area Book.

First, two anecdotes:
#1. The FT missionaries ask for an updated ministering list about once every 3 months. I understand they are looking to collaborate with the ministering assignments for new and returning members. The FT missionaries don't have access and do not know how often there are changes in the ministering assignments. I see that I can pull that list in LCR, but they would like to have access rather than request an update. During my time serving, the RS and EQ presidency members have also been responsive providing an updated ministering list when asked.

#2. The FT missionaries conduct chapel tours and want to extend invitations for calendar events for people being taught or new and returning members. As they are not assigned to the ward, the FT missionaries do not see our ward calendar. For example, they recently provided a chapel tour during the setup for a ward activity--not our ward, but the sibling ward in the building. So, yes, great for the person being taught to see a community showing up at the building and hosting an activity, but if they could have seen the calendar, the FT missionaries might have chosen a different time/date to schedule the chapel tour.

Second, some acknowledgments:
#1. I know the FT missionaries must have records maintained in their own home wards for the purpose of missionary finances and the ward budget. I am not asking if FT missionaries' records can be moved to the assigned ward.

#2. At the time of writing, the FT missionaries are assigned to serve both wards that use our chapel; this is a recent change from the previous assignment to only one ward.

#3. Requesting updated ministering lists from the ward leadership seems to be the correct role for my calling as ward mission leader; I'm the liaison between the members and the missionaries. IMO an alternative solution is not needed.

#4. If the FT missionaries at our ward are experiencing this, I would guess all worldwide missionaries face a similar issue; it is not just a local thing.

Third, a request:
The ministering lists are covered by LCR from the EQ and RS presidency members and/or the ward mission leader; I don't feel the FT missionaries need direct access. But, I get that might be nice.

A view of the ward or stake calendar seems like a vital piece of information for the FT missionaries to have access to, and I want to have a viable solution on how to grant access to the ward and/or stake calendar to FT missionaries similar to the access to the ward directory and map. What is the channel to request this feature? Should I coordinate with the mission to drive this question upward to the mission department? Could this be raised through ward and stake channels toward area and GA channels?

Fourth, a postscript:
Please don't tell me, "This is the way it is." If that's all the more advice available to you, keep it to yourself. I want to know the proper channel to raise the issue; because it is a global determination rather than a local setting. If this can be raised to the mission department, and the access control determined by the technology department, then it could be a capability granted to all FT missionaries worldwide.

I'm trying to avoid the local leadership attempting a "fake" solution (someone locally suggested a backdoor access that I do not want to endorse or promote).

[russellhltn]

A view of the ward or stake calendar seems like a vital piece of information for the FT missionaries to have access to, and I want to have a viable solution on how to grant access to the ward and/or stake calendar to FT missionaries similar to the access to the ward directory and map. What is the channel to request this feature? Should I coordinate with the mission to drive this question upward to the mission department? Could this be raised through ward and stake channels toward area and GA channels?

Fourth, a postscript:
Please don't tell me, "This is the way it is." If that's all the more advice available to you, keep it to yourself. I want to know the proper channel to raise the issue; because it is a global determination rather than a local setting. If this can be raised to the mission department, and the access control determined by the technology department, then it could be a capability granted to all FT missionaries worldwide.

I'm trying to avoid the local leadership attempting a "fake" solution (someone locally suggested a backdoor access that I do not want to endorse or promote).

You can submit a suggestion though the Feedback link at the bottom of any church page. You could also ask local leadership to take the issue up with their line of authority. When dealing with things missionary, then asking the Mission President to take up the issue is probably the best way. (Shorter line to Church Headquarters).

However, keep in mine we're not the customer. The sponsoring departments at church headquarters are the "customers" for these tools. And they may have a different vision for how things should work. If the practice of showing an investigator around the chapel isn't in the instructions coming from CHQ, then it's no surprise that that the tools are not supportive of it. Perhaps the reason missionaries don't have full access as there's been issues in the past where they're attending every ward and private function instead of their assigned tasks. We don't know. We're rarely told the "why" about certain decisions. If a control for missionary access to the calendar is made, I'd expect it to be under the control of the mission president rather than the ward.

Assuming that central leadership agrees with your idea, implementing it has to be prioritized with the other tasks assigned to the undersized development team. It may not get implemented until that tool undergoes a refresh. The odds are good you'd be released from your current position before it came to pass.

As for the forum, there's few decision makers here. It's others in situations like yourself. Given the uphill battle for making changes, that's why the strong vibe of "That's the way it is".

[jonesrk]

Third, a request:
The ministering lists are covered by LCR from the EQ and RS presidency members and/or the ward mission leader; I don't feel the FT missionaries need direct access. But, I get that might be nice.

If the mission has set things up correctly then the missionaries should be able to see the ward in Member Tools. I don't know if that includes ministering assignments, but if it doesn't that seems like the place it would be added.

[BrianEdwards]

The Stake President meets monthly with the Mission President (GHB 23.4.1), to coordinate efforts between the stake and ward leaders and the full time missionaries. As your FT missionaries are requesting this access, it seems likely that they are being directed by their mission leaders to work in this fashion, and not something they have decided to do on their own. So if the mission desires their missionaries to interact with local wards this way, they should have a plan for how their missionaries will go about it. This meeting might be the right place to have a discussion about how missionaries can access what you describe, and the Stake and Mission Presidents could then decide if they want to escalate a request up either of their chains of authority.

If the Stake President and Mission President do not decide to raise this as an issue to their Priesthood leaders, it is unlikely that you would be successful in any other attempt to get this into any internal development conversations that the Church might have.

[kenmcnay]

Thanks for all your responses; I'll consider this topic closed. I've passed the informative notes across to the FT missionaries and they will chat with the mission president to raise this with the proper channels.