INFORMANT

NOVEMBER, 1955         “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed,          BROOKLYN N Y.

trusting in Jehovah."—Psalm 112: 7, AS.                                 ’ * ’ *

November 24, Special Magazine Day

• ¹ What do you do with your time? Do you use it wisely in Kingdom service, or waste it in pursuits of this world? With every passing minute goes one more opportunity to speak words of praise of our God, Jehovah. We can make every minute count by “buying out the opportune time” in Kingdom service, thus using wisely the reduced time left.—Eph. 5:15,16.

• ² As dedicated slaves our time is not really our own, so what we do with it concerns not only ourselves but our Owner as well. With this thought in mind be alert to take advantage of the service privileges that are yours. During November, in addition to offering any volume of the New World Translation and a book for $2 in our regular witnessing, all persons with whom studies have been held during the year should be called on and offered the volumes they do not yet possess. They should be offered at $1.50 each. Good-will

1956 Yearbook and Calendar

Orders may be placed now for the 1956 Yearbook and calendar. The Yearbook is 50 cents a copy. Calendars are 25 cents each, or five or more to one address for 20 cents each. Publishers are requested to order through the congregation and not send in individual orders to the Society. Pioneers on the list before July 1, 1955, should register with the congregation literature servant to receive a free copy of the Yearbook. The literature servant will keep this list and take it into consideration when ordering the congregation supply of the Yearbook. Congregations will submit a Literature Credit Request form the usual way to receive credit for copies of the Yearbook given to pioneers who qualify for a free copy. Pioneers not associated with a congregation will receive their Yearbook direct from the Society. Pioneers starting on or after July 1, 1955, will not be eligible for a free copy of the Yearbook. persons will find these volumes very useful in gaining more accurate knowledge. Do not withhold these excellent instruments from them.

• ³ Speaking of studies, are you as a congregation publisher conducting at least one each month? If your answer is “no,” then you are missing a privilege and a blessing that every minister should have. Ask those conducting studies how they got theirs and they will tell you it was through making effective back-calls. So prepare practical ten- to fifteen-minute sermons and then make your back-calls with the goal of a study in mind. You too can have the blessing of conducting home Bible studies by making the necessary effort.

Support Holiday Witnessing

• ⁴ All congregations will want to plan for special magazine activity on the “Thanksgiving Day” holiday. Magazine-territory servants may order additional magazines by immediately filling in the enclosed Magazine Distributors’ Order blank and

  Help! Pioneers Needed

  
  

Can You Answer the Call?

¹ Stop and think I Look with the eyes of discernment! Listen with the ears of understanding to this appeal for pioneer help! This cry is increasing in volume and magnitude dally. Do not view this call lightly and indifferently. Do not ignore this invitation from the Master of the harvest himself. Heed his admonition to count the cost of what is lost by not being in the front lines of the Christian ministry.—Luke 14: 28-33, NW.

² Help! Pioneers Needed letters are daily being received by the Society from circuit and congregation servants as well as isolated publishers. Note the earnest appeal made in this typical cry for help: “I am a new publisher living in isolated territory. A witness living in another town, twenty miles away, Is studying the Bible with me and teaching me to do the preaching work. I have one Bible study of my own and others returning it to the Society. During the past year these special Magazine Days on holidays have been highly successful. Every publisher should plan to give real thanks to Jehovah that day by supporting the magazine work. We would appreciate receiving any interesting experiences and reports.

• ⁵ How are you coming in your magazine activity? Are you reaching your goal: congregation publishers nine magazines a month, regular pioneers 90, and special pioneers 110? If not, have you considered why? By supporting the Magazine Day arrangements every week, by doing house-to-house magazine work on the way to the congregation book study and by remembering to use the magazines in regular witnessing when the offer is not taken, there will be abundant opportunities to reach the goal. Be magazine conscious. Make wise use of every opportunity to place these valuable journals.

• ⁶ Remember, time wasted is time lost. So make your time count by buying out the opportune time in Kingdom service during November. It will be to your everlasting good to make wise use of the reduced time left.

with whom I placed literature are showing much interest also. Of late, my husband and son have become interested in the truth, which has made me very happy and thankful to Jehovah. However, my problem Is great since I am unable to do very much to help them. It is my firm belief that a small congregation could be formed here shortly if a pioneer were sent in to help us. Please do something for us.”

³ This appeal for more publishers to enter the pioneer work is not to be viewed as a help-wanted ad, only to be scanned through and set aside because the position does not measure up to our individual inclinations. Jehovah is not dealing with his people on their terms. He is the one that sets forth the requirements. He expects His name people to measure up to the things he knows are best for them. It is up to us, therefore, as {Continued on page 4, col. I)

Around the World with Jehovah’s Witnesses

Home Bible Studies

Of the monthly average of 525,924 publishers throughout the world in 1954, not all conducted one or more home Bible studies, for the monthly average was only 293,341. Appreciating that through home Bible studies goodwill persons come to an accurate knowledge of the truth, every publisher should work toward the goal of conducting at least one home Bible study regularly each month.

Home Bible studies result from the placing of literature and then the making of return calls by the publishers. A study cannot always be started on the first call or two. Often several back-calls are necessary. Use ten- to fifteen-minute sermons on return calls to give an effective additional witness. That home Bible studies may result from following up even booklet placements, read the interesting experience from Luxembourg. (97) Especially should an effort be made to start studies In “This Good News of the Kingdom” on return calls.

What if people are not home when the first back-call is made? Try again, is what the publisher in France would correctly counsel. (147,148) Some goodwill persons after only a few studies see the issue and wonder if they will be able to do field service. Continued study to take in more knowledge and reliance upon Jehovah is the answer.

A sister in Peru continued a study for a long time with little resulting. She decided to help the person make the truth her own by having her engage in field service. It brought results, for now the person is a dedicated publisher. (235)

The more time one spends in service the more opportunities he has for home Bible studies. Why not pioneer, and enjoy the privilege of conducting many home Bible studies? (82) Every publisher should conduct at least one home Bible study regularly each month.

The Importance of Placing Magazines

The importance of placing magazines in the hands of the people can be pointed to time after time in the “Yearbook,” which contains but a few of the many, many magazine placement results and experiences of publishers around the world. Just what effect can the thirty-two pages of the magazine have on a good-will person?

An example of “The Watchtower’s” doing its work is found on page 190. Through the magazine a Japanese woman recognized the message she had read more than twenty years ago and after reading the “Watchtower” article “How True Christians Serve God” she was motivated, without consulting anyone, to publish the good news from house to house in her own neighborhood.

That a single copy of “The Watchtower” packs more than enough truth to start one on the narrow road to life is proved by the interesting experience that resulted In Australia as a result of an alert publisher’s placing a single copy of “The Watchtower” with a lady traveler. Read it on pages 86 and 87.

Just how does “The Watchtower” impress others? People of godly devotion recognize its truth, as illustrated by the observations of a lady in Uruguay (268) and another in Australia (86).

Do you have the idea that magazines cannot be placed in your neighborhood? That is what some publishers in Bonaire, N.W.I., thought until they actually

(Continued on page 3, col. 2)    ,

With the

New World Translation

• ¹ During November and December any of the three volumes of the New World Translation will be offered. In presenting the Greek Scriptures you might use this as the basis for your three- to eight-minute sermon:

• ² [After introduction] “There is much interest in the Bible these days. Some read It as history, others for diversion, and still others read it hoping to find an answer to the perplexing questions of our day. Is it accurate? Is it inspired? Does it support all the conflicting ideas of Christendom? When we make an honest study of its contents, free from religious prejudice, we find it is harmonious throughout. Jesus stated regarding the Bible: ‘Your word Is truth.’ (John 17:17, A^TW) He denounced the religious leaders of his day, saying: ‘You have made the word of God invalid because of your tradition.’ (Matt. 15:6, NW) Studying the Bible and applying its teachings can lead one to everlasting life in God’s new world. [Read 2 Timothy 3: 15-17, NW.] It is to help you understand God’s purposes as set forth in the Bible that I have called. You will note I have been reading you these texts from a modern-speech Bible, the New World Translation." [Offer Bible and book.]

• ³ In presenting Volume I, you might use the following outline and scriptures for your sermon: “Did you ever wonder how the earth came into existence? The Bible tells us, and it also tells us why God created the earth. In reading the first few verses in Genesis (Gen. 1:1-3, NW) we find that the earth was without form and void of living matter. The account allows for the actual mass of the earth to have been brought into existence millions, even billions of years before the first creative day began. In the ensuing thousands of years the earth underwent development as man’s home and, when ready, God created man and placed him In a perfected part of the earth, called Eden. He was given a grand work to perform. (Gen. 1:28, NW) All this was a grand heritage, but he lost it because of disobedience. (Gen. 3:17-19, NW) Nevertheless, this did not cancel God’s purpose to have perfect men serving him on earth. Since Eden his purposes have been progressing and now we are standing on the very threshold of the new world. A wonderful foretaste of what God intends for those who serve him now was actually experienced by Noah and his family. They were preserved through the great flood into a cleansed earth. (Gen. 8:15, 16; 9:1, A^TW) We have an even grander hope of survival into God’s new world.” From this point lead into a presentation of Volume I and “New Heavens and a New Earth”.

• ⁴ A sermon using Volume II might be based on the following: [After introduction] “Some believe that the ancient accounts of the Bible relate mainly to the distant past and are of little value to us living in this modern twentieth century other than as plots that can be made into motion pictures and novels. But did you know that many of the Incidents described in the Bible are actually prophetic of things that would occur in the future? There is a significance far deeper than that of mere historical or entertainment value. Take for instance the visit of the queen of Sheba to King Solomon. The movies and novels play up the splendor and romantic aspects, but actually she came to hear Solomon’s wisdom and see why his nation was prospering so greatly. [Read 1 Kings 10:1, 4-9, offering appropriate comments as you read.] One could conclude that this is just a nice story and attach no further significance to it. However, Christ Jesus used her as an example to condemn the unbelieving Jews of his day. They had heard him speak and saw his works of righteousness, but they did not believe in him. But, in contrast, Jesus stated that the queen of Sheba ‘came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, but, look! something more than Solomon is here.’ (Matt. 12 : 42, NW) That ‘something more’ was Christ himself, whom Solomon prefigured or foreshadowed and of whom God said: ‘This is my son, the Beloved, whom I have approved; listen to him.’ (Matt. 17:5, NW) We should, therefore, take heed to his words and the prophetic significance of the ancient accounts in the Bible. God had them written down for our learning. So that you can understandingly read about this and many other interesting accounts, you will be interested, I am sure, in obtaining this volume of the New World Translation in modern speech that was released this year and this Bible study aid, which will help you see these important points, for only $2.00.” [Present Volume II and a book.]

  YOUR SERVICE MEETING

  
  

Encouraging More Magazine Placements

SCENE I (8 min.) Magazine-territory servant (Brother Get Excited) is emptying a carton of old magazines out on table when congregation servant (Brother Positive) walks in. Get Excited turns to Positive and negatively comments, "We shall just have to cut our magazine order,” pointing to stack of old magazines as evidence of excess. Positive recommends more positive course. Congregation has not yet reached its quota of nine magazines a publisher each month, so rather than cut the order more stress must be placed on magazine service. “Only few gublishers support Magazine Day,” Get ixcited replies. Positive suggests that Get Excited personally organize and encourage more to share. How? By personally contacting publishers and helping more to share. “I’ve tried,” he protests, “but they work or have other difficulties on Magazine Day.” Positive questions, “What difficulties?” Get Excited then presents the following as Positive supplies the answers and shows how even such publishers can be assisted to share in magazine work.

Problem No. 1. Publisher conscientiously feels that on Magazine Day she must do week-end shopping and house cleaning. Remedy: Assign publisher some territory close to home so some other day during week an hour or so can be devoted to magazine w^Tork.

Problem No. 2. Some brothers say their secular work keeps them busy every day of the week except Sunday, the day the regular offer is used. Remedy: Prestudy service with magazines before congregation book study.

Problem No. 3. How can I keep all publishers supplied with territory? Remedy: Since study conductors hold territory immediately surrounding service center, they should assign a street or a block (s) of the group territory to each publisher able to share.

The two continue to discuss such things as younger brothers doing magazine work after school a day or so each week, how magazines can be used in regular witnessing when offer is not taken, etc. For magazine work to exSand, Positive shows, servant must estir himself, not only by taking lead in the work, but also by taking the initiative to encourage publishers and show them how they too can share, by discussing their problems. Positive volunteers to show Get Excited how effective personal contacts and encouragement are.

SCENE If (8 min.) Service meeting just over, the two approach publisher known not to be busy on Magazine Day and tactfully invite her to be with group for this service. “Yes,” she can arrange to be there. Next, they talk to sister with Problem No. 1 and suggest remedy, to her expressed joy. Get Excited, moved by results, says he will carry on while Positive cares for other duties. Get Excited contacts brother with Problem No. 2 and discusses remedy, for which brother is glad. Next, Get Excited talks to study conductor to make sure he understands that each publisher who can do prestudy work should have territory to work with magazines as he walks to study. Zealous young brother who does magazine work after school is encouraged to continue the good work.

SCENE III (3 min.) Two servants alone: Get Excited, bubbling over with good results, is all smiles. He relates to Positive that he is convinced that with his really doing his part to serve and encouraging his brothers there will be no more magazine decreases, but, rather, increase upon increase.

Back-Call Training

SCENE I (5 mln.) Congregation servant and Bible study servant are going through Publisher’s Record cards and discussing progress of those participating in training program. Some figures are read from imaginary record cards to show that the majority being assisted are progressing well in door-to-door work and their placements are increasing, but they are not progressing in back-call and Bible study w’ork. Brother Incomplete then becomes subject of discussion. Since being assisted he too has placed a goodly number of books and obtained many subscriptions, but has made few back-calls. Why? Congregation servant says he is being trained by Brother Mature, who regularly makes back-calls and conducts two home Bible studies. He suggests Bible study servant check with Brother Mature to see if he is giving assistance in these features of the work.

SCENE II (10 min.) Next week when visiting service center, Bible study servant approaches Brother Mature and inquires now he is progressing in training Brother Incomplete. He answers that everything is going along fine. Brother Incomplete can now go by himself, gives two or three good three- to eightminute sermons and places plenty of literature. He is qualified now to begin training someone else. But Bible study servant calls attention to the fact that he has not been making back-calls and conducts no Bible study. When Brother Mature is asked if he is training him in back-call work after the door-to-door work on Sunday or on back-call night he answers that he is not. He says he has been concentrating on making him a good house-to-house publisher. Bible study servant points out that a good publisher is one who engages in all features of the work. He then engages Brother Mature in a consideration of material in Study 56 of “Qualified to Be Ministers,” paragraphs 11-14, on page 221. In this discussion it is brought out that placing literature is not qnough and does not make one a qualified minister. Back-calls must be made in order to help the interested person to understand the literature, or else the initial sermons and placements , do very little good. Also, the training program is intended to help publishers m all features of the work, including back-call and home Bible study work, and since Brother Mature is strong in these features of the work he should be giving Brother Incomplete assistance. Definite arrangements should now be made to engage in back-call work just as have been made for door-to-door work. Then when Brother Incomplete learns how to give ten- to fifteen-minute sermons on back-calls and to develop the back-calls into home Bible studies he may be considered a mature and qualified minister. Brother Mature sees the need for helping Brother Incomplete in his back-call work and determines to do so beginning next Sunday morning following the two hours of door-to-doorwork. He will also help him start and conduct a home Bible study, as well as keep him active in the house-to-house work.

Around the World . . . (Cont’d) tried Magazine Day activity. (213) The good results show that it can be done if an effort is made. And that this service is for all, old and young alike, let the results speak for themselves as you read the blessings two sisters in the Saar, both over seventy years of age, had while placing magazines. (152)

Correspondence from the Society

Addressed to Congregations

¹ Paragraph 94 of Preaching Together in Unity reads: “Any letters the Society has for the congregation will reach the congregation through the congregation servant. He will read all letters addressed to the congregation at the first service meeting following receipt of the letter or according to the directions of the letter.”

• ² This is being called to the attention of all congregation servants, for it has come to the Society’s attention that some letters from the Society addressed to the congregation are not read to the congregation. This may concern the spending of congregation funds. This is a congregation matter and should be taken up with the brothers, as outlined in paragraph 120.

⁸ For a servant merely to announce he has heard from the Society or to proceed to take care of the business called for by the letter on his own without reading it to the congregation is entirely improper. Servants have no right to withhold from the congregation any information about which the Society wants everybody to be wholly and fully informed. If letters are for the congregation servants only, they will be so marked.

“Make Sure of AU Things”

2d Week:

Gifts from God (pages 135, 136) Discourse.

4th Week:

Gifts from God (pages 137-140) Two brothers discuss how this material can be used in the house-to-house work or on a back-call to clear up misconceptions many people have regarding miraculous gifts today.

Magazine Subscriptions and Orders for Literature

It will be greatly appreciated by the Society if publishers and pioneers associated with congregations will send all new and renewal subscriptions (including their own) and orders for literature through the congregation organization.—See paragraphs 111 and 115 of Preaching Together in Unity.

The need for calling this to the attention of all will be appreciated when it is considered that in one week we received 936 envelopes containing subscriptions and orders from brothers, all of which could have been sent through the congregation. This represents approximately 50,000 pieces of mail a year that could be channeled through the congregations. If all will send subscriptions and orders through the congregation it will be possible to provide quicker and better service.

Prepare to Report “We Made It”

• ¹ Do you trust Jehovah? Or do you fear man? By actively exercising your trust in Jehovah, let everyone know that you trust Him and that you are not fearful of man. Your activity is an example to all who see you. Just as babes imitate those whom they see, babes in the truth are going to follow your example. Make it a good one I—Isa. 12 : 2, AS.

• ² When you were a babe in the truth you needed to be helped to learn fearlessness. So do those who are now babes in the truth. Will you help? All of Jehovah’s witnesses in all congregations will answer the question by what they do during December. It is the month to report “We Made It” for the 10 per cent increase. All congregations, aided by Jehovah’s blessing, will be able to do this if the less mature and Irregular

Help! Pioneers Needed (Cant’d) dedicated servants, to make room for pioneer work, if at all possible!

• ⁴ To keep everyone alerted and conscious of this service, at least one service meeting program every three or four months should be devoted exclusively to encouraging more publishers to have a part in the regular and vacation pioneer work. Pioneers should be used, but if they are not available competent brothers should be assigned to prepare and present material featured in The Watch-toioer, such as, Pursuing My Purpose in Life, Yearbook experiences and pertinent matter brought out in the Informant. Each assignment should be well prepared and presented in an enthusiastic manner. For program variety adapt suggestions given in Preaching Together in Unity, paragraph 138.

• ⁵ Daily the Help! Pioneers Heeded cry is being sounded. Determine now to use the reduced time wisely by answering the call. Get started in the regular or vacation pioneer work today, or as soon as possible.

UNITED STATES QUOTA FOR 1956 180,263 Publishers

Monthly Field Service Report

September Report

Av. Av Av Pubs. Hrs. B-C Bi. St.

Sp’l Pios. 319  140.6  52.9

Pioneers 5,132   90.4  29.2

Vac. Pios. 342   92.0  21.0

Cong. Pubs. 158,052    9.9   3.1

Total Pubs. 163,845

Public Meetings Held: 10,203 publishers are assisted to minister. Also, persons with whom home Bible studies have been conducted and who can talk the truth should be encouraged to start actively trusting Jehovah by publishing. The same offer will be used as in November.

³ Last year we did not make the suggested 10 per cent increase in December. It was not because we did not have the publishers within our ranks, for we did. The thing that was lacking was the giving of proper assistance to those needing encouragement and help to trust Jehovah actively. Let all publishers, pioneers and congregations do their part to remedy that situation this year.

CONGREGATION

Becoming Magazine-minded

• ¹ More and more Jehovah’s people are becoming magazine-minded. The fresh, vital news contained in The Watchtower and Awake! is bringing truth to millions and we count it a blessing to carry these magazines to them.

• ² The magazine-territory servant plays an important role in keeping us magazine-minded. He cares for Magazine Day activity by arranging the territory to be worked by the group and by taking the lead In this feature of service himself. He is alert to note those not taking part in the house-to-house magazine work and is helpful in suggesting ways that they may share in it. (See Your Service Meeting demonstration Encouraging More Magazine Placements.)

• ³ As all territory should be covered with the magazines as well as with the regular campaign literature, the magazine-territory servant should see to it that the territory is covered in rotation with magazines. This coverage should be co-ordinated with that of the regular offer. This would include all territory, that held by individuals and that covered by group witnessing. When individuals or study conductors are holding territory and it is being covered properly with magazines as well as with the campaign literature, these territories will not be worked in magazine group activity unless assistance is desired. When aid is requested, the magazineterritory servant will work out arrangements for group work with the one holding the territory.

• ⁴ When a territory has been completely covered with the magazine offer, it should be considered as

Publications Now Available

God’s Way Is Love     —Cinyanja

What Has Religion Done

for Mankind?       —Japanese

Vacation Pioneer Requirements

Inquiries have come in asking whether vacation pioneer requirements have changed. The vacation pioneer service is open to all regular publishers recommended by the committee for this service even though their activity may not meet the requirements for regular pioneer applicants, set out in detail in the September, 1955, Informant. All publishers, however, should strive to meet these qualifications and improve their ministry.

ORGANIZATION

* Add to Your Regular House-to-House Preaching Back-Call and Bible Study Service ♦

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