By Jennifer Davis
New ward callings usually come for most of us at this time of year. It''s an exciting time, unless you are one of those people who sit in sacrament meeting and don''t hear your name called.
You want to serve, you want to get involved in your ward, but the bishop doesn''t seem to know you exist. So, here are a few tips on how to get a calling.
First of all, be bold. Walk right up to the bishop and introduce yourself. Tell him how much you love to work with others; past missionary experiences are OK in this situation. Also, it''s a good idea to bring up some of your talents like piano playing, public speaking and athletics.
This may be scary for some of us, but let''s keep in mind what kind of benefits we get from church callings: how many single Elder''s Quorum Presidents do you know who were single when they were called and engaged when they were released?
If the bold approach doesn''t work for you, try to get known by being a bit more discrete. For example, be prepared for Sunday School and volunteer a ton of great comments. This shows you are able to get involved and you know your stuff.
Remember to attend all church activities and talk to people you don''t know so that you look like someone who could work with anyone doing anything.
Finally, if none of these ideas are working, go to extremes. Date the bishop''s son or daughter, bring dinner over to the bishop''s house and be buddy buddy with the bishop''s wife.
If these tips don''t work, nothing will -- move out of your ward and try again.