INFORMANT

“He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in Jehovah.”—Psalm 112: 7, AS.

ACTIVELY TRUSTING JEHOVAH FREE FROM FEAR

“ALL OUT”

Stimulating

Service Meeting Planned

¹ December is one of the happiest months of the year for Jehovah’s witnesses. While the world buries itself in pagan festivities and revelries to escape for a time from its worries and fears, Jehovah’s servants will busy themselves actively expressing their confidence and trust in Jehovah, free from fear. (Isa. 12:2, AS) Happy? Of course, for the busier we are in Jehovah’s service the happier we become; and we shall be busy, for just look what lies ahead.

• ² This is the month for a 10 per cent increase in publishers. Realizing the need of co-ordinating the activity of all, the Society has outlined the following program for the first service meeting in December.

SERVICE MEETING

• 1. Welcome and text (5 min.)

• 2. Around the World with Jehovah’s Witnesses, "Actively Trusting Jehovah” Talk (10 min.)

• 3. Your Service Meeting demonstration, “Helping One Another” (20 min.)

• 4. Actively Trusting Jehovah in December (15 min.) Rousing talk based on "Informant” article. Stress that reaching 10 per cent goal is everyone’s Job, requiring activity in ministry by all.

• 5. Closing Announcements (10 min.)

³ December will be a month of great activity. For your share in reaching the goal In this “all out” month, read the other columns of this article.

Qualified to Be Ministers to Be Studied

• ¹ Have you read your copy of Qualified to Be Ministers yet? What a book I It is new and different! And it provides just what “I” need! That is the way you will feel when you read, refer to find study Qualified to Be Ministers.

• ² With the week of January 1, 1956, a completely new ministry

for 10 Per Cent Increase

Our Goal

—180,263 Publishers

¹ To reach a 10 per cent Increase, 180,263 ministers will have to be in the field. It will require extra activity by all, true, but the Society believes this goal can be attained, for Jehovah blesses the diligent efforts of his people to gather the other sheep. Our prayers and our work with Jehovah’s favor will bring the desired results.

² If December’s congregation report card is to read “We Made It,” the enthusiasm generated by the service meeting will have to be transformed into activity in Jehovah’s service. Each one of us will have to take to heart his responsibility to serve. While all servants and mature publishers will make arrangements to aid Irregular and newer ones, these brothers need not wait for this help, but should make a decided effort to engage in the service themselves.

• ³ Do not forget to invite newer persons to share, either. If you are conducting a Bible study, would this not be the ideal time to invite those with whom you study to engage in the ministry with you? Those who appreciate the comforting Kingdom message are only too happy to tell others of the truths they are learning.

• ⁴ Each congregation study conductor has the special responsibility of working toward 100 per cent participation in the field service by (Continued on page 2, col. 1) school program starts. The instruction talk will be on a study in Qualified to Be Ministers. Just preceding this talk there will be a beneficial five-minute, to-the-point oral review of the previous week's study. As for student talks, the first and second will be rounded-out eight-minute talks on a chapter (or portion) from one of the Society’s recent books

(Continued on page 3, col. 3)

This Month

Prepare Effective Sermons for Bible and Book Offer ¹ Since a mixed religious fervor and holiday spirit fill the minds of the people ive can prepare our sermons to show them effectively the real significance of Christ as the enthroned King. For sermon suggestions, why not get out your copies of the Informant for December, 1953 and 1954, and re-examine the points in Presenting the Good News therein. The literature offer will be any volume of the New World Translation and a book for $2. Be sure to offer these volumes to all on whom you make back-calls, and if any persons you have studied with during the past year do not have all the volumes, offer them the ones they do not yet possess.

SPECIAL MAGAZINE DAY

² December 25 has been set aside as a special Magazine Day. Though this is a Sunday the offer will be magazines, either single copies for five cents or two copies for ten cents, rather than the regular literature offer. Make this an “all out” day. Let every publisher share in the joys of witnessing this day. Last year excellent results were reported, with one car group placing 247 magazines ! Use the enclosed Magazine Distributors’ Order blank to order additional December 22 and January 1 issues immediately. As Monday the 26th is a holiday in most places, organize group witnessing with the regular offer for that day. Any interesting experiences or reports on the two days’ work should be sent to the Society.

³ With confidence and trust that Jehovah will give the increase if we do our part, we joyfully look ahead to the work for December. No longer, like the world, are we fearful and trembling as we face the future, for Jehovah has made us free from fear through his comforting message of truth. So forward we go preaching, showing our happiness and aiding others to be free from fear by actively trusting Jehovah.

Around the World with Jehovah’s Witnesses

Actively Trusting Jehovah

“God is my salvation: I will trust and will not be afraid; for Jehovah is my strength.” There is no doubt that Jehovah’s witnesses around the world believe and live by this scripture. Regardless of prevailing circumstances they trust in Jehovah and he in turn proves to be their source of strength.

The ban in the Dominican Republic remains complete. Publishers are not even supposed to talk truth to their neighbors. Do they? Of course, for it is impossible for one of Jehovah’s witnesses to refrain from telling another of Kingdom blessings. (134)

Though all missionaries have been expelled from the Jordan the enemy is not satisfied. They want to stop the work completely. But, as they do elsewhere, the brothers continue to preach and the increase continues. (198, 199) Police and clergy opposition in Libya has made the brothers only more determined to trust in Jehovah actively and gather the other sheep. (185)

In Eastern Germany, along with all other countries behind the iron curtain, the enemy exerts more and more pressure. Brothers are arrested, given long prison terms or put to death, fired from jobs, etc. Fearlessly they continue preaching and Jehovah is richly blessing their faithful service. (156-158) Also see pages 129, 130.

With this spirit manifested by Jehovah’s people throughout the world, will not December be the occasion for all congregations to reach or exceed their 10 per cent increase?

Literature Placement Results

That piece of literature you placed —do you appreciate fully the powerful effect it might have upon the individual or another who reads it?

To prove that you never know the results of a placement or know who might benefit from reading it, read of the schoolteacher in Fiji who obtained a publication from a preacher and learned the truth. (88) And read, on page 246, of the Catholic soldier, in Malaya fighting terrorists, who was so impressed with what be learned from a booklet that he wrote for additional literature, and after reading “Let God Be True” was able to take a firm stand for the truth. The result of another booklet placement is found on page 235.

In 1943 a man formed a choir in the Belgian Congo (where our work is banned). It grew to 500 members. In 1949 he learned of the Society’s work and wrote Brooklyn for literature. Soon he began teaching members of the choir and they in turn began preaching. Religious and political opposition resulted in the arrest of many, and their imprisonment and deportation to Angola, their homeland. They continued preaching and correspondents inform us that there are now 1,000 individuals claiming to be Jehovah’s witnesses in Angola. (249)

The powerful effect truth publications have, assisting one to make his mind over for new-world living, may be illustrated by the accounts on pages 70 and 205.

Our Goal...             (Cont’d)

publishers at his service center. Other mature publishers in the group can assist him, as demonstrated in Your Service Meeting. Also, to help us reach our 10 per cent goal, the detailed instructions and practical suggestions given in the December, 1954, Informant should be reviewed by all.

Another Use of Magazines

• ¹ Zealous and alert publishers are spreading the good news by regular and consistent use of the Watchtower and Awake! magazines. As a result magazine distribution has increased tremendously during the last year and will continue to increase as all of us expand our individual distribution. Are you placing your quota of nine magazines a month as a congregation publisher? Or ninety as a regular pioneer? Or 110 as a special pioneer? In the 1955 service year over 18,000,000 magazines were placed, which is the best yet, but still 4,000,000 copies behind the suggested quota. The pioneers were 2% million copies short and the congregation publishers 1% 'million copies short of their quota.

• ² On Magazine Day and while on your way to the congregation book study you have excellent opportunities to share in magazine distribution and all publishers who can support these avenues of service should do so. However, there are additional opportunities for all of us to place magazines. When going from door to door, what do you do when the householder refuses the current monthly offer after you have given your three- to eight-minute sermon and have endeavored to overcome his objections? Do you just offer a tract or a handbill and go on to the next home? Not if you are magazine conscious. Instead you offer the latest copies of The Watchtower and Awake! on a contribution of 10 cents, or a single copy for five cents. If you have not been doing this consider the following suggestions.

• ³ If the offer is not accepted, then you might say: ‘From our discussion

WHY NOT PIONEER?

• ¹ Have you recently considered the guarantees of divine security for faithful servants of Jehovah?

• ² “So never be anxious and say: ‘What are we to eat?’ or, ‘What are we to drink?’ or, ‘What are we to put on?’ . . . Your heavenly Father knows you need all these things. Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you.”—Matt. 6: 31-33, NW.

• ³ “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”—Ps. 37:25, AS.

• ⁴ “The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger; but they that seek I know you agree that there is a great need for all people to be informed on Bible truths. For that reason I should like you to accept the latest copies of The Watchtower and Awake! for only a contribution of 10 cents.’ Some publishers may prefer to offer two booklets and one magazine for 10 cents.

⁴Another: ‘Perhaps it is because you are not too familiar with our work that you do not feel that you would like to accept this offer. In that case, I should like to leave with you these two magazines on just a contribution of 10 cents. They are read and appreciated by millions of people and will enable you to get better acquainted with our work.’

• ⁵ And when contacting a sincere but busy householder who does not have time at the moment to listen to your sermon: ‘Since you are so busy I shall take but a moment of your time. I should like to leave these two magazines for only a contribution of 10 cents now and perhaps when I call again you will have more time.’

• ⁶ Of course, the current monthly offer should be presented at every door without exception while you are engaged in regular house-to-house witnessing. When objections are encountered, every effort should be made to overcome them tactfully and place the regular offer. But if the householder still refuses, then the magazines can be offered. Be brief in offering the magazines. Do not give another sermon. Show them that you are interested in their learning the Kingdom message and that even though they do not accept the regular offer you would be pleased to supply them with the Watchtower and Awake! magazines.

  Jehovah shall not want any good thing.”—Ps. 34:10, AS.

  ⁵ “Brothers . . . continue considering these things.” (Phil. 4:8, NW) As you do, ask yourself: Why not pioneer?

  
  

  UNITED STATES QUOTA FOR 1956 180,263 Publishers

  Monthly Field Service Report

  October Report Av Av Av

  Pubs. Hrs. B-C Bi. St.

  Sp’l Pios.       281  147.0  56.3

  Pioneers      4,982   95.1  32.2

  Vac. Pios.     462   91.5  25.5

  Cong. Pubs. 159,925   10.6   3.5

  Total Pubs. 165,650

  Public Meetings Held: 11,582

  
  

  YOUR SERVICE MEETING

  
  

Helping One Another

Chairman (3 min.) Talk outlining congregation’s prospects for reaching 10 per cent increase. Highlight need for all to work closely together, and how this can effectively be done through service centers. Study conductor must take initiative, arranging aid for irregular and new publishers by seeking help of qualified publishers. Invite all to observe study conductor making such arrangements with qualified publishers and some problems that arise.

SCENE I (1-iA min.) Conductor asks ?ublisher to aid Sister Overburdened, ’ublisher is willing, but says she has tried before with little results, for Overburdened, though wanting to go out in service, seems unable to arrange this, due to opposing husband and caring for her home and several children. Publisher asks for suggestions to assist Overburdened.

Chairman (3-/2 min.) Ask audience what suggestions they can offer based on experiences they have had or know others have had under similar circumstances. In conclusion chairman makes following points If they are not brought out by audience: Go out when husband not home; join other sisters in working out plan to care for children; a desire to serve Jehovah actively and good home organization make time for the ministry possible.

SCENE tl (l-/₂ min.) Another publisher tells conductor the one he is to aid, Brother Tired, says he is just too tired in the evening and has too many things to do at home to go out after a long day’s work at the factory, and his unbelieving wife makes things difficult on Sunday.

Chairman (3-/₂ min.) Audience asked for experiences they have had or know of that would aid publisher to assist Brother Tired see service privileges. If not covered in comments from audience, chairman may add: ‘All of God’s people work hard and get tired; must not let worldly things overwhelm one into inactivity; oftentimes tired and worn-out feeling lost when service finished. As head of family, assume Scriptural responsibility.’ (August 1, 1955, “Watchtower,” paragraphs 11-16. shows the vanity of materialism and the need for one to be rich in right works.)

SCENE III (I-/2 mtn.) Conductor finds another publisher has this difficulty: ‘How can I aid when Sister Frail always says she is not feeling good?’

Chairman (3-'/2 min.) Audience give known experiences and helpful suggestions. Chairman can add: ‘Almost all have temporary or permanent aches and pains, but still all do secular work and things at home; Kingdom work is more important than any other; must appreciate urgent need to minister though not in best physical condition. Staying out of service is no cure, and engaging in service makes one feel much better.

Chairman (2 min.) Admonishes all to co-operate in making and following through on arrangements made to aid all to preach actively during December and all other months.

Back-Calls with a Purpose

Chairman (4 min.) Emphasize the need of following through on our work. Jehovah’s ministers are not Meddlers, leaving the people to shift or themselves. (2 Cor. 2: 17, NW) Nor are they like the hireling clergy. They follow the example of Christ and the apostles in making return visits to feed the sheep. (John 21: 15-17; Acts 15: 36) What have you as a minister done to aid further those with whom you placed literature during the past month?

SCENE I (3 min.) Publisher comes to see Bible study servant, Brother Personal Assistance. After the service-meeting talk on back-calls he feels he should have a part, but he has no placements. Bible study servant goes to Publisher’s Record card and notes magazines and booklets placed last month. What about these? He did not think they would be good prospects. Read together paragraph 24 of “Preaching Together in Unity.” Brother Personal Assistance arranges to go along with him on back-call night the next week to offer help.

SCENE II (5 min.) Brother No Return comes to see Bible study servant. He too heard the talk on the service meeting. He wants to fulfill his ministry, but he never gets results on his back-calls, so he prefers to go from house to house, where he can at least place literature. Bible study servant uses example of farmer: If he only planted but neverwatered or cultivated or gathered, the good of his labor would be lost. So with our ministry. Publisher agrees, but what should he do?

Brother Personal Assistance asks what record of interest found Brother No Return keeps. He does not get name, merely marks that a book or magazine is placed but does not give name of book or date of issue of magazine, nor does he note points observed to be of interest to the householder. Brother Personal Assistance shows that this is a necessary step toward making effective back-calls. Next he must have something definite to talk about and a specific goal in mind. His 10- to 15-minute sermons might well be an enlargement of one of the sermons used in door-to-door work, and his objective, of course, is to start a Bible study. Brother Personal Assistance says that he is going out on a call this evening and invites Brother No Return to go along. He shows him the notations of his call made on his House-to-House Record form.

SCENE III (12 min.) As they near the call Brother Personal Assistance again stresses that they are going to have in mind starting a home Bible study. They are invited in after a friendly greeting at the door, Brother Personal Assistance saying, “Good evening, Mr. Good Will. As I promised you last week, I set aside some time this evening to discuss with you further the matter of the Bible’s value for our day. Mr. No Return came along with me.” Mr. Good Will was previously interested in knowing what made the world of Noah’s day so wicked and why Jesus said our day would be like that. Sermon starts with Matthew 24: 37, then Genesis 6: 1-5, showing angelic superhuman interference. Today the increased wickedness is also caused by superhuman interference. (Rev. 12: 7-12) The world of Noah’s day was destroyed, but faithful ones in the ark were preserved. Those in Jehovah's new system of things today will be preserved. But we must take action now. (2 Pet. 3: 5-7, 13; Zeph. 2: 3) Then turn to the book “New Heavens and a New Earth” and consider the first paragraph on page 7 or “Let God Be True” on page 261 (2d edition). (This should not be delivered in a formal preaching manner, but both publishers and person of good will should read scriptures and offer comments.) Mr. Good Will is impressed, wants to hear more. Arrangements are made to return the next week, and it is suggested that he read at least the next few pages in preparation for their next discussion.

Ministry School . . . (Cant’d) (see schedule). These books will be completely reviewed by discourse as the student speakers give talks on their assigned portion as though they were talking to a person at the door. The third student talk follows with the reading of a portion of Volume II of the New World Translation and then the congregation for five minutes will discuss the material read. What a grand instructive program! Do you not agree?

• ³ So that all publishers will be completely familiar with this fine, new arrangement, it is suggested that the ministry school schedule and instruction sheet accompanying this Informant be considered in detail at the service meeting. Any eligible brothers who are not now enrolled in the school will surely want to do so. And any publishers who may have been missing the school will wisely adjust their affairs to be in attendance each and every week. There is too much to gain to miss a single week.

• ⁴ Some may have the question: “Do we have to wait until we study Qualified to Be Ministers before using the fine material?” The answer is No! Start using It now to improve your ability to speak, prepare and deliver talks, to obtain helpful suggestions for meetings and pointers on how to study, for pertinent information to round out your field ministry and handling of servant and congregation activities, to improve your worship, to increase your knowledge on the history of Jehovah’s witnesses and the theocratic New World society, etc. Servants and publishers alike will find Qualified to Be Ministers an inexhaustible source of practical and helpful information that can and should be put to use Immediately. Each appointed servant will read carefully the portion of the new book that applies to him and his duties and put the good counsel to use at once without waiting. So, then, while the detailed study of the book will come through the school, now is the time to start making use of the abundant material Jehovah has provided for us to be his qualified ministers.

As the two publishers leave the house, Brother No Return says that now he can see what should be done on a back-call. Arrangements are made for Brother No Return to go along next week as well. Perhaps, Brother Personal Assistance suggests, he will be able to take over the study when it is well established.

Chairman (2 min.) "Thoroughly accomplish your ministry." Call back on all placements; call In a week, if possible. Have something definite to say, and keep in mind that your objective is to lay the groundwork for a home Bible study. Really feed the sheep.

Get Ready

for Watchtower Campaign

¹ Every one in the New World society willingly and joyfully serves with Jehovah’s channel of communication. All are eager to attend every congregation meeting in order to gain the vital knowledge and wisdom necessary to be ministers of the Most High God. (Eph. 3:10, W) And then, knowing that “faith without works is dead,” all serve with Jehovah’s channel of communication, heralding forth “this good news of the kingdom.”

• ² Starting January 1 and continuing through the month of April, it is our privilege to offer good-will persons a year’s subscription for The Watchtower and three booklets on a’$l contribution. For each new subscription 5)0 cents will be remitted to the office.

• ³ How many new subscriptions will be forthcoming this year? The answer lies in the amount of time we spend in field service. During the fourmonth Watchtower campaign in 1949

CONGREGATION

Making the Most of Our Time

• ¹ Jehovah never wastes time nor is he ever late In anything he purposes to do. His servants being created in his likeness, Jehovah expects promptness from them too. Yet it seems that many publishers do not appreciate the need of being on time at contact points for field service. Those who are habitually late may not realize it, but they are showing a lack of respect, first for Jehovah and his organization, and second for their brothers.

• ² Each study conductor should recognize his responsibility in this regard and start contact points on time. For example, if the contact point is arranged for 9: 30 on Sunday morning, the conductor should be present and begin at 9:30 a.m. sharp, even if there is only one publisher present. The contact point should not be longer than fifteen minutes. (Preaching Together in Unity, paragraphs 18 and 19) All publishers should be at the first door no later than 10 Sunday morning. Do not wait for latecomers before starting the contact point. Let the publishers know by your example that you are prompt and that they must be there on time if they want to work with the group. Otherwise, we obtained 161,108 new subscriptions ; in 1952 the number increased to '264,159 and in 1955 to 353,592. This can be the greatest year to date for new subscriptions, and we pray it will be, as all of Jehovah’s witnesses without letup offer at every door the unexcelled channel of communicated Kingdom truths—The Watchtower.

“Make Sure of AU Things”

2d Week:

Gifts from God (Pages 140-144) Congregation discussion covering the gifts within reach of Jehovah’s servants today, how gifts are received and cultivated and their purpose.

4th Week:

Healing (Page 144 to 1 Tim. 4: 16 on page 147)

In house-to-house witnessing publisher contacts householder who just heard faith healer on radio and is full of questions, which publisher Scripturally answers with “Make Sure of All Things.” Publisher arranges return visit to discuss subject further.

ORGANIZATION

those that are in the habit of coming on time will see no need of doing so, for as some have said: “We never get started on time anyway.”

• ³ But Is it really that important that we get started as quickly as posssible for the field? Consider the following figures. If each publisher in a congregation of fifty wasted just fifteen minutes every Sunday morning in getting out into the field, it would mean that by the end of the month that congregation wasted fifty hours that could have been spent in praising Jehovah. Now multiply the fifteen minutes by the average number of publishers for the 1954 service year and it amounts to 6,837,012 hours. That is a great deal of time. In view of this, is it not important that each one of us take this matter into serious consideration?

• ⁴ Often time Is wasted when publishers come to the contact points without the necessary literature for the day. Publishers should get all needed supplies at the service meeting and come to contact points fully prepared to go right into the field. If the contact point is at the Kingdom Hall on Sunday morning, the magazine and literature counters may be opened before the time to

Awake! Campaign Ends With 153,032 New Subs!

Thanks to Jehovah’s blessing, which was abundantly manifest upon our ministerial service, during October we obtained 153,032 new subscriptions in the United States alone. That is 15,011 more than last year, our previous best! Congregation publishers obtained 115,813 (14,460 more than last year), while special and regular pioneers obtained approximately the same number as last year, namely, 2,460 and 34,759 respectively.

Now our attention turns to the Watchtower campaign. People W’ho hope to live in God’s new world need the vital information The Watchtower contains. Let us all zealously support the four-month Watchtower campaign, giving everyone the opportunity to have this life-sustaining magazine. Congregations should increase their supply to meet campaign needs right away.

Publications Now Available

“Let God Be True’* (2d Ed )      —Hungarian

After Armageddon-—God’s New World—Ibanag, Portuguese

“This Good News of the Kingdom”—Ilocano, Portuguese

Will Religion Meet the World Crisis T—HlUgay-non-Visayan

assemble for field service, but it should not be necessary to open them after the contact. In many congregations brothers have lingered twenty to thirty minutes after the group was dismissed and this has resulted in the wasting of much time for all. After dismissal car groups should leave immediately for the territory. Once in the territory the one in charge should assign territory to publishers quickly, not letting them gather on the corner and attract a great deal of attention. Give small groups of two or four publishers enough territory to keep them busy for two or three hours. This will allow much more time for actual witnessing and will eliminate groups’ standing on the corner waiting for the one in charge to give them more territory to work.

• ⁵ This means then, that all study conductors must be good organizers with the thought of making the most of the time set aside for field service. All publishers should put forth every effort to co-operate by being prompt. When visiting service centers, congregation servants should check closely on the above-mentioned points, and if there is negligence in any respect they should see to it that such conditions are corrected.

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

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