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By 'Editor, LDSCaNews'
Lethbridge Open House Great Success
LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA, CANADA -- The second annual community open house
held by the Lethbridge Alberta West Stake was a great success. Held
29 March 2001, activities were held in all three meetinghouses on
Lethbridge's West Side.
Shortly after Tyler Mandin, a local Institute director, was called as
the stake mission presidency two years ago, one of the ward mission
leaders approached him with an idea to hold a ward open house.
Intrigued by the idea and pleased with the ward mission leader's
enthusiasm, Mandin suggested involving the other two wards which
shared the meetinghouse. He asked the ward mission leader for an
organised list of his ideas for the open house, so he could present
it to the stake president the following Sunday.
President David Koegler, the only stake president on the West Side
since the stake's inception in 1997, was a convert to the Church in
Ontario and delighted to hear of this ward mission leader's plans.
Koegler was determined however that this should be a stake-wide
event, convinced that it could have more of an impact.
Directions were then passed on to the stake council and assignments
handed out to individual wards. Despite the lack of planning, the
inexperience of organising an open house, and a sudden blizzard last
year, the open house saw 15 people between the three buildings whom
were not members of the Church.
Learning from mistakes of the previous year and from feedback
submitted by stake members and leaders, the stake council set at once
to prepare for the following year's open house.
The Institute building, which housed to young single adult wards,
would be advertised at the nearby University of Lethbridge as hosting
a free barbeque and free pool and foosball. The lowest turnout from
2000's open house was at the Institute building, and local leaders
were afraid it was because activities didn't cater to the
personalities of the university students.
The other two meetinghouses, which house five family wards, would
feature interactive displays throughout the chapel allowing visitors
to learn more about Church programmes, such as youth activities, the
Primary, the Relief Society, and priesthood quorums. The material
centres and bishop offices were also opened so visitors could have a
better feel of what happens in each room on a typical Sunday.
Twenty-five people not of the LDS faith, more than the entire stake's
turnout for 2000's open house, showed up last week between these two
meetinghouses. Though exact number of non-members at the Institute
building were not recorded, it was estimated a total of over 300
people had attended.
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