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● How can all help to keep meetings from going overtime?

Meetings of the congregation should be conducted in an orderly way, with things taking place “decently and by arrangement.” (1 Cor. 14:40) This includes keeping meetings within designated time limits.

Everyone can help by arriving early and being promptly seated before the program begins. All meetings should start on time.

Proper timing of the program itself begins with adequate preparation. It is helpful if talks and demonstrations are carefully rehearsed. When it is necessary to include special letters or reports, time allotments can be adjusted in advance. Lengthy and repetitious announcements are often unnecessary. Brothers who exceed the time allotted for their assignments on the service meeting can be given appropriate counsel.

The “Watchtower” study conductor will usually find it best to apportion the material to be covered, determining how much time is to be allotted to each section and then adhering closely to that during the study. He can keep his own comments brief. Comments from the audience are usually best when they are brief and to the point.

In the Theocratic Ministry School, student talks can be promptly terminated when the allotted time is up. If instruction speakers go overtime, they can be counseled privately. The school servant can help by keeping his remarks reasonably brief and limiting counsel on student talks to two minutes. When everyone cooperates, meetings can usually be kept within the allotted time.