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Not Neglecting the House of Our God

¹ “Guard your feet whenever you go to the house of the true God; and let there be a drawing near to hear.” (Eccl. 5:1) Yes, Jehovah’s place of worship is special to us, and so our care for the Kingdom Hall as well as our conduct while there should show that we recognize it as a place to be “taught by Jehovah.” (Isa. 54:13) Do you have such appreciation for your Kingdom Hall?

² As Kingdom expansion continues, many have shown appreciation by contributing to the Society Kingdom Hall Fund. Jehovah blesses such thoughtful generosity and devotion to true worship. But what are we doing to help maintain our place of worship in good condition?

CONDUCT IMPORTANT

³ When we invite others to attend meetings, we should do so with confidence that what they observe there will represent well Jehovah’s name and Kingdom. As the true God, his “dignity is above earth and heaven,” and our conduct when at the Kingdom Hall should uphold this dignity. (Ps. 148:13) Never would we want our dress, grooming, or conduct to disturb our brothers and sisters or stumble someone who may be visiting.

⁴ Each one should exercise neighbor love and be careful not to cause distractions. Whispering, eating, chewing and snapping gum, rattling candy wrappers, making unnecessary trips to the rest room, and habitually arriving late all interfere with others’ concentration and detract from the dignity due Jehovah’s place of worship. “Love . . . does not behave indecently,” and such poor manners are out of place in the Kingdom Hall. (1 Cor. 13:4, 5; Gal. 6:10) Worldly meeting places are often unsightly and even damaged when people carelessly dispose of chewing gum, candy, and food. All of us, and especially parents of young children, should take care that we do not spoil Jehovah’s building in this way.​—Compare Deuteronomy 23:14.

ARRANGEMENTS FOR CLEANING

⁵ The body of elders (and the Kingdom Hall Operating Committee, if more than one congregation uses the hall) schedules regular cleaning and maintenance of the building. Cleaning is usually done on a weekly basis by book study groups, following a checklist of necessary things to be done. All will want to be sure to follow carefully the schedule provided so that the care of the hall can be carried out “decently and by arrangement.” (1 Cor. 14:40) Additionally, an occasional special day for thorough cleaning may be scheduled.

⁶ When the Kingdom Hall is used by more than one congregation, it is especially important to be conscious of our responsibility in maintaining the hall. In such cases, the building is subject to much more wear and tear, but our cleaning assignment comes less frequently. We should mark our calendar to remind ourselves about cleaning assignments. Book study conductors and their assistants should be alert to remind their groups well in advance of each assignment.​—See Our Ministry, page 61, paragraph 3.

DOING OUR PART

⁷ All of us will want to support our group when it is assigned to clean the Kingdom Hall. This assures that the burden does not fall on just a few, and we benefit from the wholesome activity and good association. But we do not have to wait for an assigned turn to clean. As individuals and as families, we can help tidy up the hall after meetings. If we see paper on the floor, we can pick it up; if chairs are not aligned, we can help straighten them. How satisfying it is to see Jehovah’s place of worship sparkle as a result of our efforts!

⁸ Nehemiah recognized the importance of ‘not neglecting the house of our God.’ (Neh. 10:39; 13:11) We recognize that our Kingdom Hall is the center of true worship in our community and as such deserves our loving attention and care. By our conduct and by supporting arrangements for cleaning, may all of us uphold the dignity of Jehovah’s place of worship.