question about matching up families with ministers

I am a EQ secretary in my ward (and I am new at this), and I am wondering how other wards solve the dilemma of not having enough ministering companionships for the # of families in that ward? For example, your ward has 60 households that need to be assigned out to a companionship, and you try to assign 3 households to each companionship. You would need 20 ministering companionships if each were assigned 3 households. What if you only had 18 companionships that were able and willing to go minister? That would only cover 54 households. So you are left with 6 unassigned households. How do you fit them in? Do you just ask some of the companionships if they are willing to take on the extra burden of having extra families assigned to them?

The responsibility for prayerfully considering assignments for ministering brothers rests with the EQ presidency, General Handbook, 21.2.1. The EQ secretary assists in this responsibility by recording companionships and ministering assignments, if necessary. The is no limit to the number of households a ministering companionship could possibly be assigned.

Prayerful consideration is the key. Your EQ president could counsel with the Stake President if he has specific concerns that are not answered. In our ward, most of our companionships have 3 families, but many have 4 and a few have 5 (the 5's are special cases where it works out OK). As EQ President, I encourage them, but also remind them "this isn't the gospel of guilt." As President Gordon B Hinckley used to say, (paraphrasing) "just do the best you can and it will all work out." This is not our work, it is the Lord's work and He knows how He wants it done.

I'd recommend that you and the presidency prayerfully study the General Handbook, chapter 21. Here are some things that stood out to me:

21.2.1 wrote:Dedicated ministering brothers and sisters should be assigned to members who have the greatest need.

21.4 wrote:In units with few active members, the Relief Society and elders quorum presidencies may decide not to assign both ministering sisters and ministering brothers to some members. Leaders make this decision together and seek the bishop’s approval.

In my ward, we decided not to assign ministering brothers to every household. We decided to prioritize those who have chosen to stay in contact with the Church (which includes members at varying levels of activity), and a few others discussed in ward council. We felt that we needed to strengthen our core first, to avoid spreading ourselves too thin and overwhelming the relatively small group of brothers who are responsive and/or willing to receive ministering assignments. That said, what we felt was right for the next few months in our ward may not apply universally.

All of your comments were helpful, and that makes sense. Thank you.