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“Instructions to Primary Leaders for Sharing Time and the Children’s Sacrament Meeting Presentation,” 2009 Outline for Sharing Time and the Children’s Sacrament Meeting Presentation: My Eternal Family, (2008),1–2

Message to Primary Presidencies

This year you will teach the children that they have an important role in building an eternal family. They can strengthen the families they have now, and they can prepare to be faithful fathers or mothers in their future families. You will help the children learn that the role of the family is an important part of Heavenly Father’s plan for us. We learn and live the gospel in our families. The scriptures, prayer, prophets, covenants, temples, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ are blessings that strengthen families. As you prepare and teach with the Spirit, He will confirm these magnificent truths in the hearts of the children. We invite you to teach from the scriptures, bear testimony, and be an example. We love you and pray for you and know the Lord will bless you.

The Primary General Presidency

Instructions for Sharing Time

Sharing time is a 30-minute period that allows children of combined age-groups to participate in activities and sing songs that teach gospel principles.

The following guidelines will help in planning sharing times:

• • Prayerfully study this document before the year begins.

• • Teach the principles in this outline.

• • Seek inspiration as you plan weekly sharing times.

• • Include the music leader in your planning. Use music throughout sharing time to reinforce the principles being taught. Half of sharing time should be used for singing. This will allow the music leader enough time to teach new music and to help the children enjoy singing.

• • Discuss ways you can teach the weekly gospel principle, involve the children, and help the children apply the gospel principle to their lives. (See “Teaching Methods” on page 13.)

• • Look for ways to take the children into the scriptures as you open them, teach from them, and testify of them in sharing time each week.

• • Write your plan on a copy of the “Sharing Time Planning Work Sheet” on page 12.

• • Determine which member of the presidency will teach or oversee each weekly sharing time.

• • One sharing time a month should be a class presentation that supports the weekly principle. (See “Class Presentations” on page 13.)

Guidelines for the Sacrament Meeting Presentation

Under the direction of the bishop or branch president, the children’s sacrament meeting presentation is given during the fourth quarter of the year. The children will share what they have learned about this year’s theme, “My Eternal Family.” The sacrament meeting presentation should be no more than 40 minutes long and should follow Church policies and guidelines for sacrament meetings. A member of the bishopric or branch presidency should conclude the meeting with brief remarks confirming the principles taught in the presentation. (See Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2: Priesthood and Auxiliary Leaders [1998], 237.)

The following guidelines will also help in planning the sacrament meeting presentation:

• • Meet with the bishop or branch president early in the year to discuss preliminary plans. Obtain his approval when the plans are completed.

• • Plan for the children to present the program based on the monthly sharing time themes.

• • Throughout the year, keep notes of individual children’s talks and experiences for possible use in the presentation. Choose children to participate as guided by the Spirit.

• • Plan to use a variety of methods in the presentation: scriptures, personal experiences, music, individual or group recitations, and testimonies.

• • In presenting the music, you may include the entire Primary chorus, older and younger children’s choruses, child soloists, duets, small groups of children, the congregation, and appropriate instrumental accompaniments.

• • Plan practices that will not take time away from classes or families unnecessarily.

Key to Symbols and Abbreviations

The following symbols and abbreviations are used throughout the outline:

Pictures

The following GAK pictures are referenced in this year’s outline for sharing time. Most have a corresponding picture in one of the Primary manual picture packets.