I'm pretty sure we are the ward project family now. I remember talking about project families in ward council working to be friend them and bring them back into the fold.

We haven't been to church in months and months, now people are dropping by all the time... I don't know quite what to do, on one hand I know for the most part they are well meaning from their perspective. So for now we just grin and bear it.

a small sadistic part of me wants to see if I can get them to do some yard work for me next spring :) lol

but I have to say I really didn't like the call from my 15 YO home teaching partner asking when we are going out. (I might be wrong it is the only time that has happened in 20 years) it sure felt to me like he had been put up to it, and I'm not big on dashing kids hopes. what a tough spot I was in, I did something different than I would have in the past though and told him simply that I didn't do that anymore.

demand that they put a parent on the phone.

it's illegal and wrong for you as an adult to be asked to engage with a youth without proper training.

tell them that.

Sorry. I am not trained to interact with youth. Please put your parent on the phone.

I didn't like it because it happened sporatically over decades and didn't know a single one of the fellowshippers and had never attended the local ward or stake. That made the whole process very clinical and manipulative. Total strangers don't love and miss people they've never met and wouldn't enjoy or respect if they did happen to start attending.