Sisters and Brothers,
It has been some time since I posted an update to our ward website. It’s amazing how quickly life can get away from you—and before you know it, months or years go by and you are left wondering how you got to where you’re at.
Though I wish I was writing today with a more inspiring message, unfortunately my update today is slightly self-serving and largely administrative. As some of you may be aware, prior to the pandemic I would routinely travel for work. I sometimes visited exotic locales (always an experience) but mostly I made regular, mundane trips to regular, mundane cities. All that travel ceased during the pandemic and it has been a refreshing break from the road warrior life these last two years. My travel hiatus has come to an end, however, and so I am back on the road again requiring my absence variously throughout the year.
Due to the perfect storm of family vacation time, work travel, and a Stake Young Men’s camp, my availability this June is practically non-existent. When I am out for a Sunday or assorted weekdays from time-to-time, I never feel compelled to make any especial announcement regarding my absence. However, my travel in June makes me unavailable for most of the month. If you were to try and schedule an appointment with me today using the online scheduling tool, you’d not find availability until June 26th. So, I felt that some explanation was warranted, and a suggestion for alternatives welcome.
As a general rule, most members’ needs can be met through someone other than the bishop. Usually your best first point of contact would be your ministering brothers and/or sisters. Ministers are especially good at coordinating and administering blessings, offering shoulders to cry on or brains to pick. When ministers may not be available or fully capable of addressing your needs on their own, engaging the Elders Quorum and/or Relief Society presidencies will be your next best option. President Hancock and Sister Scott can then recruit the help of the Ward Council in coordinating even broader responses to needs that come up. And, in most cases, where items like Ecclesiastical Endorsements or Temple Recommend Renewals are concerned, one of my counselors can assist you.
Obviously, not all needs can be addressed through these capable channels. Sometimes your bishop’s keys are needed for specific things such as confessing to and repenting of significant sin, accessing ward welfare resources, or renewing temple recommends after a long time without. While issues or needs in one of these areas sometimes come up suddenly or require immediate redress, most often there is an element of flexibility in time to await your bishop’s regular availability.
Nevertheless, during my time away in June (or at any other times during the year), please contact our Executive Secretary, Brother Reed Noble, if you determine that my immediate attention is required for any reason. Brother Noble will help assess your need, determine if your need can be addressed by any locally available resources, and coordinate a zoom interview with me if a meeting with we is determined to be necessary.
I hope each of you know that no matter where I go, my heart remains in Vineyard. It is a genuine pleasure to serve as your bishop. And, no matter where I might be, I am still the bishop of the Geneva Heights 12th Ward. I still do what I can to hold and preside at Bishopric and Ward Council meetings when I travel, and to remain in touch and engaged with members no matter where I am in the world. I feel keenly the Lord’s love for each of you and my greatest desire is to help each of you feel that love, and I continually seek to use the keys He has entrusted me with to bless and serve you.
Faithfully yours,
Bishop Ty Kenworthy
Vineyard's Trailside Ward Community 