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Service Meeting Schedule

NOTE: Our Kingdom Ministry will schedule a Service Meeting for each week during the summer months. Congregations may make adjustments as needed to allow for attending the “Doers of God’s Word” District Convention. Where appropriate, use 15 minutes on the last Service Meeting before attending the convention to review pointed counsel from this month’s insert. Encourage everyone to take a few minutes to look at the printed program before each morning and afternoon session begins and anticipate what might be discussed. This will make it easier to focus attention on the program and take brief but meaningful notes. Two to four weeks following the convention, a 30-minute review of program highlights is to be scheduled on the Service Meeting. At that time, each one will be prepared to volunteer a brief comment when invited to do so by three qualified brothers assigned to handle this part. Such comments may express how what was learned at the convention applies to one’s own life and in one’s field ministry. One or two selected, brief experiences may be related. Good preparation by all is the key to making this Service Meeting part both interesting and instructive.

Week Starting May 8

Song 125

15 min: Local announcements and selected Announcements from Our Kingdom Ministry. An elder will carefully review the above note regarding Service Meeting adjustments.

15 min: “Do You Appreciate Sacred Things?” Talk by an elder. Emphasize the importance of attending all three days of the district convention.

15 min: “Let All Your Affairs Take Place With Love.” Question-and-answer discussion. Relate some of the difficulties that result when individuals fail to abide by directions provided to obtain rooming accommodations.

Song 201 and concluding prayer.

Week Starting May 15

Song 134

13 min: Local announcements. Accounts report.

16 min: “Be Attentive to Sacred Pronouncements.” Questions and answers. Stress the reasons why all of us should be in our seats when each session begins.

16 min: “Maintain Fine Conduct That Glorifies God.” An elder discusses article with a family group. They review what they need to do to maintain orderliness, good manners, cleanliness, and exemplary appearance and conduct in public places.

Song 203 and concluding prayer.

Week Starting May 22

Song 36

12 min: Local announcements. Review Question Box.

20 min: “Keep Awake.” Question-and-answer discussion. Explain why it is urgent that we stay awake spiritually even though we do not know the day and hour.​—See the November 1, 1995, Watchtower, page 20.

13 min: What Are Your Plans for the Summer? A family group discusses what they will do during the summer months. They talk about attending all three days of the district convention and auxiliary pioneering one or more months. There also may be an opportunity to visit a scenic park or engage in some wholesome recreation. They all agree not to neglect their routine of theocratic activity.

Song 83 and concluding prayer.

Week Starting May 29

Song 135

12 min: Local announcements. Remind all to turn in field service reports for May. Demonstrate a brief presentation of the literature offer for June. Show how to offer a Bible study, using lesson 13 in the Require brochure.

15 min: “Finding Joy in Your Sacred Service.” A talk. Discuss reasons why we have cause for joy in our ministry.​—See Insight, Volume 2, page 120.

18 min: Bible Reading That Is Rewarding. Talk and demonstration based on School Guidebook, pages 34-5, paragraphs 6-7. A standard Bible reading program, on which Bible highlights are based, is part of the Theocratic Ministry School curriculum. (December 1999 Our Kingdom Ministry, page 7) Have a family group demonstrate how a family could have considered a portion of this week’s reading for the school. They pick out one or two interesting points and do some additional research in the Watch Tower Publications Index or Insight on the Scriptures. Show how reading the Bible can become more meaningful, better equipping us to ‘handle the word of the truth aright.’​—2 Tim. 2:15.

Song 95 and concluding prayer.

Week Starting June 5

Song 37

5 min: Local announcements.

10 min: Local needs.

15 min: “A Privilege Available to Younger Ones.” Talk and audience discussion. Relate experiences found in the December 1, 1996, Watchtower, page 13, paragraph 15. Invite young ones to recall how they have enjoyed distributing magazines. Have one or two youths demonstrate a simple door-to-door magazine presentation. Encourage parents to take their children with them in magazine work every week.

15 min: “‘Tested as to Fitness’​—How?” Talk by an elder. Review Scriptural arrangement for having ministerial servants in the congregation. (See Insight, Volume 2, page 409.) Show what qualifications they must meet for appointment. (See Our Ministry book, pages 55-7.) Point out ways ministerial servants can serve, and encourage more brothers to reach out for this privilege.

Song 82 and concluding prayer.