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Meetings to Help Us Make Disciples

Note: No service meeting is being planned for the week of July 13 to allow an open week for attending a district convention. This open week can be shifted to the actual week you attend a district convention in June, July or August. The program during the week that congregations attend a convention should be transferred to the week of July 13. The week of July 20 is set aside for reviewing the highlights of things learned at the district convention. This program may be shifted to the appropriate week.

WEEK STARTING JUNE 29

15 min: Song 34. Announcements and local announcements. Introduce next part.

20 min: “Presenting the Good News—To Reach the Heart.” Discuss article. Have Topic for Conversation and three or four key words shown on chalkboard, if available. Have pioneer or capable publisher demonstrate presentation, interrupting at intervals to discuss key words with audience. Highlight value of mental outline, speaking extemporaneously to reach heart of householder. Introduce next part.

20 min: Talk on “Youth—Ward Off Calamity!—Eccl. 11:10.” Include comments from youths in congregation on problems encountered at school and how they keep themselves from such. Also comment on how they can make wise use of time during summer vacations.

5 min: Song 97 and prayer.

WEEK STARTING JULY 6

10 min: Song 45. Local announcements. Discuss June field service report. Commend for work done, highlighting fact that it was part of our sacrifices of praise. Stress any outstanding aspects of the report.

15 min: “Are You Proving What Your Own Work Is?” Question-and-answer discussion. Use five minutes of allotted time for a short talk by an elder on how those who serve in various capacities in the congregation unite their efforts to accomplish the overall purpose of the congregation, namely preaching and making disciples. Introduce next part.

15 min: Children Can Share the Good News. Discuss opportunities open to children to share the good news. Some study with relatives, schoolmates, teachers. Have young publisher demonstrate how a study may be offered. Let child age 8 to 12 demonstrate study in the Bible Stories book with two other children. Use lesson 94. Introduce next part.

15 min: “Have You Served as a Pioneer in the Past?” Talk and interview. Use 10 minutes to cover points and then interview some who have pioneered in the past. (If none have regular or special pioneered, use those who auxiliary pioneered in past.) Introduce brother assigned the concluding part.

5 min: Song 25 and prayer.

WEEK STARTING JULY 13

Week for attending district convention. (See note at top of page.)

WEEK STARTING JULY 20

30 min: Song 19 and local announcements. Chairman: Review highlights of things learned at district convention. (See note at top of page.) Assign book study groups to relate what they learned from program on certain days of the convention as mentioned under Announcements in June 1980 Our Kingdom Service.

30 min: How the “Divine Love” District Convention Has Helped Me. Chairman: Interview family heads, wives, teen-agers and children asking how the convention has helped them. As time permits, call on audience to express their feelings. Song 108 and prayer.

WEEK STARTING JULY 27

7 min: Song 71. Accounts report and local announcements.

20 min: “Let Your Light Shine.” (w80 6/1 pp. 8-10) Elder conducts question-and-answer session similar to method normally used for Watchtower study. If practical, may conduct this with group of pioneers and auxiliary pioneers (or those who have pioneered in the past) on platform. Emphasize paragraph dealing with 2 Corinthians 5:10, 11, and the following paragraph to show seriousness of doing all we can in preaching work. If any have had outstanding experiences, started studies, and so forth, let them relate such when second paragraph on page 10 is considered. End with appeal to those now out of school for summer and others who can do so to use summer month(s) to share in auxiliary pioneer work.

13 min: “Have You Ever Wondered . . . ?” Qualified brother discusses advantage of this feature found in most issues of Awake! Deals with thought-provoking questions. (Mention some recent subjects under this heading.) Householder’s interest captured easily. Provides ready-made presentation suitable for magazine work. Large, bold print makes it easy to give presentation right from magazine. Minimum of preparation needed to be effective. A real help for (a) newer ones sharing in house-to-house work, (b) younger ones and (c) those who have had little opportunity to prepare.

Demonstrate use of this feature in simple, direct way. Publisher introduces self and then asks: “Have you ever wondered if it is right to talk to others about religion?” (Allow response.) Bring out July 22 issue of Awake! and open to first article. “That is the question posed in the first article of this issue of Awake! Note what this first paragraph brings out.” (Read.) “I’m sure you will find the points presented in the rest of this article unusual and interesting. We leave it with a companion magazine for just 20 cents.” Householder accepts.

Ask audience for further comments on how they have used this feature of Awake! and how it has helped them in the magazine work. Introduce next part.

15 min: “When You See These Things Occurring . . . ”—Luke 21:31. Jesus and Bible writers gave us a sign and a preview of world conditions that would prevail during “last days.” Even attitudes of people were predicted. (2 Tim. 3:1-5) What do we see happening currently, relating to these things foretold, that we might use in conversations with people in our territory? In Luke chapter 21 Jesus mentioned international turmoil (vs. 10); earthquakes, pestilences, food shortages, fearful sights (vs. 11); persecution of Christians (vss. 12, 16); literal signs in the heavens and in the sea in this space age (vs. 25); great fear (vs. 26). Invite comments from audience on what has happened locally, nationally and internationally that fits into these foretold events. After discussion, elder could read some news headlines clipped from newspapers or other material to reemphasize the point. Get suggestions from audience on how such information could be used in our conversations with householders. How should we react to world events? (Luke 21:28, 31, 34-36) Brief demonstration of topic to be used during August incorporating a point or two about current events and their meaning. Use of bad events should not be overdone but merely referred to to make a point. Introduce concluding part.

5 min: Song 93 and prayer.