Equally Yoking the Elders Quorum & Relief Society | A How I Lead Interview with Aaron Bujnowski

Aaron Bujnowski is a lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints. He served in the Chile Concepción Mission and
has served as a bishop, stake high councilor, stake Sunday School
presidency member, and Seminary teacher. He’s currently his ward’s
elders quorum president (for the fourth time) and is an ordinance
worker in the Dallas Texas Temple. Aaron works as a healthcare
consultant. He has bachelor and master of science degrees in
Chemical Engineering from Brigham Young University Provo, a Master
of Business Administration degree from The University of Texas at
Austin, and is currently a candidate to receive a Doctor of Science
degree in Healthcare Leadership from The University of Alabama at
Birmingham. He and his wife, Julie, are the co-authors of
Discovering Your Temple Insights. They have two adult children and
live in Frisco, Texas. Links Ministering is Love Discovering Your
Temple Insights Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library There
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Highlights 02:40 Kurt introduces Aaron and their discussion on
approaching and shifting elders quorum culture through simple,
thoughtful questions. 04:45 Aaron introduces himself and shares his
leadership experience. He wrote an article recently on ministering.
06:20 Ministering should be something natural and normal. How can
we make it simple and show love for our God and neighbor? Ask
questions about how they show love in the ward and how they need to
be loved. Do this instead of asking if they need anything. 10:15
Great questions for ministering interviews In what ways did your
families need love over the last quarter? How did you find ways to
show those families love? 11:00 Typical answers that Aaron hears as
he does ministering interviews and asks about how people show love
and connect with the families they serve 17:00 By changing our
questions and having more authentic concern and love, the
minister's heart changes and the person who is being ministered to
changes also. We want to actually get to know people and not just
check the box. 18:30 The best success you can have is just to show
up for people. Be there for them. There is a cultural shift that
happens when we consistently show up for people. Can people trust
that you are going to be there for them? 22:00 Creating an
equally-yoked elders quorum and Relief Society. Set the standard
that the elders quorum knows the needs of the ward just as much as
the sisters do. Meet with the Relief Society president outside of
ward council to talk about the needs of the ward. 24:50 Helping the
bishop focus on the youth, and how Aaron as elders quorum president
supports him by taking care of the adult concerns in the ward along
with the Relief Society president 27:00 Other leaders in the ward
can create relationships with the members to take the burden off
the bishop. Instead of calling the bishop, people feel more
comfortable to go to their Relief Society president, elders quorum
president, or ministering brothers and sisters. 29:00 Approach to
elders quorum meeting every other week. Before the lesson they have
a council to discuss needs in the ward. 33:40 Inviting people to
the table. Ask people that don’t come as often or don’t participate
very much to give prayers and other small things. 37:30 Aaron and
his wife wrote a book about the temple. It’s about how to learn
from the temple. 38:30 Aaron’s testimony on leadership and what he
has learned from it The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top
independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading
Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to
lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at
LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David
Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz
Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey,