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January — 1927

“INCREASE MORE AND MORE”

"But as touching brotherly love ye need not that 1 write unto you: 'for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more: and that ye study io be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you: that ye may walk honestly towardthem that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.”-—1 Thessalonians 4:9-12.

HE apostle’s command to the church at Thessalonica that the brethren there should increase more and more in brotherly love raises at once the question as to how this increase in love should be manifested. Would it be best increased by thinking thoughts of brotherly love toward them and letting it go at that, or by telling them of the love which exists in the heart, and letting the matter rest there, or should it go farther and manifest itself in deeds, and if so what kind of deeds ?

The context seems to show the manner in which the apostle desired that love should increase more and more among the brethren at Thessalonica. It will be noticed that this command to increase more and more or, as the Diaglott puts it, to abound more and more, is sandwiched in between encouragements to love the brethren and to work industriously; and it is a fair presumption that the apostle had in mind that the two should go together.

Anyway, that is the truth of it. Sentiments of love in the heart are better than nothing. Certainly they are better than reverse sentiments. And it is right to give expression to these sentiments, at proper times and places and in a proper manner. But the best possible expression of sentiments of brotherly love are those expressions that cost us something. And that brings us to the need for the opportunity for work, Christian work., as the best possible way to manifest real love both for the Lord and for his own.

The brethren at Thessalonica were forward in helping on the Lord’s work (1 Thess. 1:1-8), but some of them needed encouragement to still greater activity. If the most they could do was to work

ESDVEKI1SE I HE KING AND IHF KINGDOM!

industriously at their occupations and devote their surplus to the spread of the truth, that would be acceptable to the Lord; but an increase in love toward the brethren was inseparably joined in the mind of the apostle with activity on their behalf.

Practical Fulfilment

Today there are brethren who are working with their own hands, making books, etc., so that others may be more directly engaged in the work of putting the truth into the hands of the people. But it might be added, also, that these same brethren will be found on Saturday afternoons and Sunday forenoons busily engaged in taking to the people, from door to door, the books which their hands have helped to make during the week. These brethren we think are fulfilling the command of the apostle to the church at Thessalonica in a very literal and very practical manner.

Watch the Time

Looking ahead to what 1927 might accomplish in the way of spreading the message of the truth is one of the advantageous methods of assuring success in the circulation of the message in printed form. What expectation we may have as to results for 1927 are largely based on the excellent results for 1926; for the increase of 1926 in itself lays a foundation upon which can be built the much greater work during 1927. As to just where to look for this increase is a problem for each worker. Each one may set for himself a personal quota as to what he or she will accomplish, and then aim to see that this amount of work is actually done during the coming year. However, each worker probably has during 1926 put in the full amount of time possible. Each worker has spent what he or she feels is the maximum of time. One thing is sure for 1927; and that is, that likely the same amount of time can be employed in the service, and probably the greatest increase then will depend upon the judicious use of the time available for field work. May we then suggest to you as a slogan for 1927, ‘’'Watch the time” ?

Just where the most time can be saved each worker can probably concern himself with this as a problem. It may be in the amount of time employed in traveling to and from the territory; the amount of time employed at each call; the amount of time used in our going from one home to another; and, finally, the amount of time lost due to completing territory ahead of other workers and consequently waiting about for them. In each department then there might be room for improvement.

Limit the Time at Homes

From our observation of the number of sales made as compared to the number of calls, our conclusion must be that a great saving can be accomplished in the amount of time spent at the homes, by limiting this time to what is actually necessary in order to make the call, by avoiding entangling discussions, and by tactfully cutting short calls that tend towards discussion. Our work is mainly to place the literature in the homes of the people. Those who are interested in understanding the signs of the times will be more than anxious to make good use of the books. Those who are not going to buy are usually the ones who think that they should prove to you that you are wrong; and the discussion is mostly immaterial, irrelevant and inconsequential at any odds. Such arguments cannot be stopped abruptly; but the worker can aak for a decision as to whether they are interested in the books or not and really have them dose the call by saying that they do not intend to buy the books. Watching the time at calls will probably permit you to make a great many more calls than during the past year;, and the number of sales that are made as depending upon the number of calls. The more calls made, the more sales, and the greater the number of homes in which literature can be placed.

Watching the time of the calls is the essential feature then, an element that will allow for a great increase in the circulation of the books during 1927. Watching the time seems to provide a field that will in turn produce greater results: and we trust that it will also produce a more direct and concentrated canvass that will bring the truth to the people in such a way as to impress upon them that the message of the truth itself is short, concise and to the point, much in keeping with the busy age in which we are living. It will be the workers and their conduct of the call, their managing of the call in fact, that will allow for 1927 having a great circulation. We urge that this point be considered at the workers’ meetings; and that each worker bring to the attention of the other workers how they are finding themselves making better use of the time so that others might be benefited by the efforts of the other.

Cooperation on the Part of Workers

One of the other features that impress us as a field for saving time is the ending of work. It often occurs that on territory allotted for the afternoon work many of the people are out; and in consequence the worker has completed his work or his territory before the remainder of the canvassing party have completed their work. This entails a large amount of waiting around until the time the party is to start home. As well laid out as any territory may be for the canvassing party, the director cannot foresee how many people will be interviewed ot how much of the workers time they will consume. It depends upon the cooperation of the workers to watch this time and see that the entire afternoon set aside for the work is employed. If necessary, go over the territory, get in touch with a. nearby worker, and arrange to alternate in canvassing the remaining houses in the other worker’s territory. Or get in touch with the captain of the canvassing party for additional and new territory. But what we wish to emphasize is the necessity for close cooperation on the part of the workers. Again, workers must watch the time.

The Quota

In addition, then, to setting a quota for the number of books he will endeavor to sell, each worker should set a quota upon the number of people he will interview. Wc mean by this that if you start out on an afternoon carrying the number of books you intend to sell, you must have in mind a definite number of calls to be made. If the territory and the people prove especially interested you might sell all of your books quickly and in a less number of calls than you had anticipated. But under general circumstances it is found that a certain number of calls must be made; and for each worker to set the number of calls that he will make will pretty nearly assure the sale of a certain number of books. By the term "call”, we do not simply mean a call at a house, but an opportunity to talk the truth; and the watching of your time at

each call Kill guarantee your reaching all of the homes you plan to reach.

We feel that 1927 will be one of the greatest years for the distribution of the message. There will, of course, be opportunity for extra work during the holidays, vacation periods, outings, camping parties, and other arrangements that the director will make. If these arrangements exceed, what was done last year, then 1927 will surely be a greater year; but it can be made just that much greater by the workers watching the time and increasing the amount of calls that they can make within the time that they can give to the service.

Output Dependent on Calls

This feature of the work, i. e., the number of calls that can be made, is one that depends upon the workers to. solve. We are attempting to point out the field that can be better developed, and we would like to be advised from time to time how you feel yon are getting along with this work. Be assured of our interest in what you are attempting to do. Anticipating that there will be quite a response on the part of the workers in watching the time, in making more calls and consequently in placing more books, we are increasing the number of books to be turned out here at the factory in order to meet your demand. We at the factory will attempt to watch the time in order to see that you are well supplied with the books required and in order to get them to you. In fact, what the factory is doing is pretty well gaged by what the workers in the field are doing, and we anticipate an increase mainly by the workers watching the time.

Trusting that the summing up of the reports at the end of the year will show a marked progress in this regard, and knowing that the Lord will he well pleased with any such efforts to enlarge our capacities to meet this increase, we urge that all workers look to the increase during 1927 as depending upon watching the time. May the Lord bless you and increase your labors and your joy in the Lord and the blessings of his service,

With Christian greetings, we are

Your brethren in the service of our King, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society.

Service Dept.