Sample LDS Young Women in Excellence Program
"Instruments in the Hands of God" Theme for Latter-day Saint YWIE
Nov 1, 2009
In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, every ward and branch holds a Young Women in Excellence (YWIE) event each year. The theme of YWIE is up to individual units to decide, meaning that leaders have a lot of work and planning to do beforehand.
The following article contains a complete sample program for an LDS Young Women in Excellence night with the theme "Instruments in the Hands of God."
Official LDS Guidelines for Young Women in Excellence
While LDS young women leaders are free to develop the theme of YWIE on their own, they must meet the basic purposes of the program. According to the Church Handbook of Instructions, Young Women in Excellence:
- Is held toward the end of the year;
- Celebrates personal progress;
- Allows young women to share a value experience or project they've done during the year;
- Should be put together with input and assistance from the young women;
- Invites both young women and their parents;
- Acquaints parents with the personal progress program; and
- Gives recognition to each young woman.
Any Young Women in Excellence ideas that fit with the above objectives should make a wonderful YWIE night.
YWIE Theme - Instruments in the Hands of God
"Instruments in the Hands of God" is a great YWIE theme. Leaders who want to pair their theme with a scripture can use Alma 26:3, which reads, "We have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work."
Young Women in Excellence will focus on how participation in the personal progress program helps each young woman to be an instrument in God's hands.
LDS Young Women in Excellence Invitations
It's a good idea to mail out formal invitations to Young Women in Excellence two to three weeks ahead of time. Invites given to the girls at church often don't make it home, but mailing them is a great way to make sure they are seen by parents. The invitations don't have to be fancy, but should include important information like:
- Theme of YWIE
- Date
- Time
- Location
- Special reminder for parents to bring an "instrument" or tool representing their daughters
Make sure to indicate on the invitations that parents (both moms and dads) are invited to YWIE.
YWIE Idea - What "Instrument " Are You?
To go with the "Instruments in the Hands of God" theme, ask all parents to bring a household instrument that symbolizes their daughter. A wrench, for example, could represent the young woman who tightens up loose ends and makes things run smoothly. A spork, for instance, could symbolize the young woman who is a jack of all trades and always makes people laugh.
All items are displayed on a table and during the program, each parent takes a turn identifying their item and explaining how it symbolizes their daughter. This activity is a little off the wall and gets parents involved in YWIE.
Sample Program Young Women in Excellence
A program for an "Instruments in the Hands of God" YWIE night might look something like this:
- Opening hymn: #270, "I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go"
- Opening prayer (by prior assignment)
- Opening remarks by a YW presidency member
- Display: Which "Instrument" Are You?
- Talk by the ward personal progress specialist
- Presentation of the young women values (detailed below)
- View slideshow of LDS young women's activities throughout the past year while having refreshments
- Closing remarks by the bishop or branch president
- Closing hymn: #293, "Each Life That Touches Ours for Good"
- Closing prayer (by prior assignment)
Introducing the Young Women Values
Since the purpose of Young Women in Excellence is to familiarize parents with personal progress and highlight achievements, it's appropriate to introduce each of the 8 young women's values by name.
At YWIE, each young woman introduces one of the values with a prepared script of a few sentences long that gives the name of the value, its scripture in the personal progress book, and how living that value can help them to be an instrument in God's hands. She then tells about a personal progress value experience or project she has worked on during the year.
Young Women in Excellence is an important night for Mormon young women. It highlights their achievements of the past year regarding personal progress, and gets their parents more involved as well. With proper planning by young women leaders, an "Instruments in the Hands of God" themed YWIE can be a complete success.
Young women leaders might also be interested in LDS Youth Mutual Activities, Personal Progress Motivators, and Ideas for YW Room Bulletin Boards.
Source:
- Church Handbook of Instructions, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City: Intellectual Reserve, 1998.
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