August 16 RS Meeting

Here is a preview.  It's at 7 pm.  Save the date.

Crock Pot Freezer Meals

1 recipe makes 2 bags - 4 servings

What a great idea.  Prepare, chop, and mix ingredients ahead of time.  Place it all in freezer Ziploc bags.  You could make 10, 12, 14 or more meals at a time.  It takes up less space than an entire frozen casserole, especially if you only have the freezer   When you are ready to use them, open it up and plop it in your crock pot and by dinner time, it's ready to eat.
You can link to a list of recipes here: Slow Cooker Freezer Meals

8 Crock pot Freezer meals in a small space

Here are a few websites with more recipes and pictures.
Freezer Recipes for Slow Cooker
Crock Pot Freezer Cooking 101
10 Steps to Freezer Cooking
Krazy Coupon Lady Freezer Meals

Cole Henderson's Baptism

Cole Henderson's Baptism is scheduled for Saturday, August 4, 2012 at 11:00 am.  We hope that you can make time in your schedule to attend and support the Henderson family.

Easy Chicken Caesar Casserole

What a great recipe to take to someone after surgery, after having a baby, or just to help a worn out mom (maybe it's you).
4-6 raw chicken breasts
New potatoes
Green beans (or broccoli)
Arrange in a 13 x 9 pan like photo. Sprinkle with a packet of Italian dressing mix and top with a melted stick of butter. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
You could bake this beforehand or take it to them earlier and have them bake it when they are ready.
Remember to make it in a disposable pan.

Reminder: Teacher Improvement Training

Don't forget that we have Teacher Improvement training on Sunday, July 29th at 8:00 am.  It will last for 45 minutes.  It will be in the RS room and the YW will be available to watch the little ones in the nursery.  See you there.

Family Mission Plan

Have you established your family mission plan yet?  The Elders serving in our ward, as well as your home teachers, are anxious to help you get this going if you haven't already.  The Elder's can also provide you with an easy to complete document to help you establish your family mission plan.

• It asks you to make a goal date to have someone in your home to be taught by the missionaries.
• It asks you to establish a motto (scripture or quote) that helps you define your mission plan purpose.
• It asks you to identify individuals that may be receptive to receive the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.
• You then make goals about how you can prepare yourself to share the gospel with them.

Making a family mission plan isn't new at all, but it may be new to you.  Here is a link for an example of a family mission plan that a family shared online in 2008 Jeppson Family Mission Plan, a step by step approach of another stake can be found here, and here is a Sample Ideas for a Family Mission Plan

Here is an August 2007 Ensign article about How to Be a Great Member Missionary, and also a September 2010 article called More Than a Missionary Guide

Ward Temple Night-July 27

We have Ward Temple night the last Friday of every month.  We encourage you to carpool and make new friendships.  We informally meet at Craig and Marilyn Williams home and leave by 5:30 pm.  We try to make the 7 pm session, but it is usually the 7:30 session that we make it to because of traffic and getting dressed.
If you need a ride, please feel free to call one of your visiting teachers or home teachers to see what arrangements can be made for you to attend.

Weekly Family History Help

Our Ward Family History Consultants are available every Wednesday from 7 to 9 pm to assist you with family history research.  They are available in the high priest meeting room at the Church building near the bishop's office.  If you have a laptop, iPad, or some other way to connect to the internet, please bring it and they can help you.

If you do not have a portable electronic device, no problem, they can still help you with their own laptops.  What is keeping you from discovering your family history dead ends?  Come join us.

We also have a Family History Blog.  The link is located on our RS Blog.  It is called Family History Made Easy.

Brandon Stake Pioneer Day

Back in the Pioneer Days it was not about the hustle and bustle, it was about a simpler life.  So this year we are going to keep Pioneer Day SIMPLE.  The hope is that you will sit back and relax, fellowship and enjoy the entertainment.  This year's theme is:  "Keep Calm & Push Along"

5:00 - 7:30 pm @ Brandon Stake Center, 4806 Bell Shoals Rd, Valrico, FL  33596 (click to get a map)

• Each ward has an assignment.  Temple Terrace is to help take down the chairs and tables as soon as the dinner is over.
• Some of the Activities include: Music entertainment, Live entertainment, Pie Baking contest, Costume Contest (Pioneer & Western themes)
• Food: The High Council has been asked to serve dinner (minus the dessert).  
• The stake will provide (including all paper goods): Shoulder (Pork) Steak, Chicken (thigh or leg), Hot dogs (limited amount for the kids), Cole Slaw, Baked Beans, Bread, Lemonade, Water.
• Ward Families to provide: Desserts (Each dessert should be large enough for 1 1/2 families)
• Members should bring their own lawn chairs or a picnic blanket.  More info can be found at http://www.ldsbrandonstake.com.

July 22nd RS Lesson Link

This week's lesson is from the April General Conference Saturday morning session talk by President Henry B. Eyring, Mountains to Climb.

Please take a moment this week to read it.

Teaching the Gospel: The Lord's Way

Aren't we all teachers even if that is not our current calling?  We teach our children, we teach our friends, we teach our co-workers, we even teach ourselves many things.  When we are teaching the gospel, we need to be aware of teaching in The Lord's way.

Teachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ have been given a sacred trust. Their purpose goes beyond simply teaching lessons. Elder Dallin H. Oaks said, “A gospel teacher will never be satisfied with just delivering a message or preaching a sermon. A superior gospel teacher wants to assist in the Lord’s work to bring eternal life to His children” (“Gospel Teaching,” Ensign, Nov. 1999, 80).


Resources to help you become a better gospel teacher:

Teaching the Gospel - Leadership Library on LDS.org
Principles and Methods of Teaching the Gospel from LDS.org
Teaching Children, Youth, and Young Adults from LDS.org
Improving Your Teaching from LDS.org
Teaching, No Greater Call: A Resource Guide for Gospel Teaching
The Charted Course of the Church in Education - A must read for all gospel teachers

Reminder: Stake Pioneer Day Celebration

This Saturday, July 21st, 5:00-7:30 pm at the Brandon Stake Center, 4806 Bell Shoals Road, Valrico, FL  33596.  There will be lots of food, Shoulder (pork) steak, chicken, hot dogs, coleslaw, baked beans, and bread.  They are asking that you bring a dessert to share and lawn chairs for your family to sit on.  They will also have a western/pioneer costume contest, a pie baking contest, music entertainment, a parade for the children to participate in.  It will be lots of fun.  See you there.
Note:  You can click on graphic to make it larger.

July 15th RS Lesson Link

Please take the time to read this week's RS lesson from Teachings of George Albert Smith, Chapter 14: How to Share the Gospel Effectively.

July 8th RS Lesson Link

The previous post was incorrect.  This is the lesson for this Sunday.

Please take the time to read this Sunday's lesson from the Teachings of George Albert Smith, Chapter 13: Doing our Part to Share the Gospel.

What is VT 5, 10, 15, 20 rule?

Doing your visiting teaching using the 5, 10, 15, 20 rule works like this.

1. Make contact by the 5th
2. Make appointments by the 10th
3. Visit by the 15th
4. Report by the 20th

It doesn't get easier than that.  Give it a try.  Today is the 5th, it's not to late to get started.  In fact, it is never too late.  Like President Spencer W. Kimball once said, "Do it."

Brandon Stake Pioneer Day Celebration

Saturday, July 21, 5:00 - 7:30 pm

We are awaiting more details for this year, but the kids dress up like pioneers, if they want, adults can too.  They have activities and a wonderful BBQ dinner ready for us.  Then the kids participate in a pioneer day parade around the stake center.  Here is a link to the Brandon Stake website.

Because we want to encourage participation in this stake activity, our ward RS has chosen not to hold our monthly RS meeting.  Please gather your family and make plans to join the rest of the ward and socialize "pioneer style" on July 21.

July 2012 RS Newsletter

Please click on this link for the July 2012 RS Newsletter.  It lists the lesson schedule, a 72-Hour preparedness minute as well as a copy of the July VT Message.

Create a Casserole

Aren't most casseroles just a variety of different ingredients in a pan?  Some with rice as a base, some with pasta.  Some using chicken, some using ground beef, ham, or tuna.  Then don't forget the various veggies all in a sauce that holds everything together.

What if there was a formula (recipe) that helped you create your own casserole with the ingredients you had in your house?  No need to look up a recipe, just put the basic ingredients together and Voila. . . your casserole is created.

Here is a link to a Create a Casserole document.  There are two columns.  Follow the right column for one casserole "recipe" or follow the left column for a different casserole "recipe" version.  So basically this document shows 2 recipe versions for Create a Casserole.  Have fun.

Temple Terrace City Parade

2011 Parade Participants

The parade is a great opportunity for us to be involved in our community as a church, and it only takes a few hours once a year! 

We are asking all who will participate to meet at the North West Corner of the Terrace Plaza where you will then be taken to our "parade staging area"  Be there by 9:00 a.m.  ( the Parade begins at 10:)

We are asking that you wear red white and blue and comfortable walking shoes

The Children will be riding safely in the boat with adult supervision and there will also be some room in the rear of Romans truck for adults. 

So even if you can't walk in the parade with us imagine the possibility of missionary work waiting for those of you who support us by watching the parade and cheering to your hearts content when our boat goes by and perhaps those around you could ask you their burning questions about our faith. 

The parade route is shown below.  The shuttling will occur south of this map near the Burger King parking lot.