“Prove me now herewith, saith Jehovah of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour ybu out a blessing.”—Malachi 3:10, AS.

KINGDOM MINISTRY GOALS FOR 1957

• ¹ No standing still for us! The New World society pushes forward to the 1957 Kingdom ministry goals. We have seven goals. They are stimulating. They should be: they are reachable! And we make our plans with Jehovah in mind: “A man may plan his course; but the Lord directs his steps.” May Jehovah direct our steps as we zestfully push toward our seven Kingdom ministry goals. —Prov. 16: 9, AT.

• ² We start with meetings. Our first goal? Better meetings. Good, lively meetings make us spiritually strong. This spiritual vitality we need to forge forward during the new service year. What will help us reach the goal of better meetings?

“Kingdom Ministry” Provisions to Help Us

² Jehovah’s hand is not shortened. He has given us aid—the Kingdom Ministry! The name “Kingdom Ministry” replaces the name “Informant.” The name “Informant” has given us good service throughout the years, but we believe “Kingdom Ministry” is more expressive in relation to our service today. “Kingdom Ministry” has the thought of action, energetic action, on the part of all of Jehovah’s witnesses world-wide.

⁴ The provisions of Kingdom Ministry will aid us in livelier, more interesting meetings. There is a new provision to make service meetings well-balanced spiritual meals. This is the service meeting outline.

⁵ How can we benefit the utmost from the new provision? Two ways: (1) By adequate preparation. (2) By using capable brothers who can enthusiastically exhort the congregation. Inspiring service meetings require preparation, both by those assigned parts on the program and by the congregation. The service meeting outline makes it possible for the congregation to be prepared.

⁶ Is the service meeting to train new brothers in speaking? No, nor is it for just giving brothers a personal study and by regular attendance at congregational meetings. —1 Tim. 4: 7.

¹⁰Train ourselves by all means! But also train the new Kingdom ministers. “Give support to the. brothers,” said our Chief Trainer. “Support the weak,” said Paul. And those “who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those not strong." So goal number five is: carry out our part in the Kingdom ministry training program faithfully.—Rom. 15:1.

• ¹¹ Those assigned to be teachers— really “give support to the brothers.” Show new ones how to make effective doorstep sermons. Work patiently and kindly with those not strong. Stick to a well-chosen theme. Make your presentation easy to grasp. Be positive in your approach.

• ¹² Those being instructed should do their part in the program too. Be willing to learn. We learn best by doing. So after having been shown, try. Be willing yourself to “preach the word.” Jehovah’s training program will enable you to say with Isaiah: “The Lord, the Eternal, has given me a well-trained tongue.” —Isa. 50: 4, Mo.

• ¹³ Now we are ready for goal number six: give more time to back-calls and Bible study work. “Become full-grown in powers of understanding.” The best way to help sheeplike ones to become full-grown is through home Bible studies. Our increases come from that work. Moreover, by holding Bible studies we bring our Kingdom ministry to maturity. This we must do. Declared Paul: “Thoroughly accomplish your ministry.” —2 Tim. 4: 5.

• ¹⁴ Goal number seven now should be easy: a congregational increase! How much? A 10-percent increase in Kingdom ministers by December 31. By April’s end can we reach a 20-percent increase? Let “each one help one” and we can I

• ¹⁵ Push forward, then, to make 1957 the outstanding year thus far in our Kingdom ministry. Be able to say: “I am pursuing down toward the goal.”—Col. 4:17; Phil. 3:14.

  ■k “You ought to be teachers in view of the time.” Are you? *

  
  

  This outline is to aid congregations to put on balanced, constructive service meetings. Only the first meeting of the month is given a theme, which will be the theme for the month shown on the calendar. The congregation servant will assign the parts to the most qualified brothers, and they must stay within their

  FIRST MEETING IN SEPTEMBER

  
  

  given time. When there is a fifth meeting in. the month it will be arranged locally. This schedule is not ironclad, for something exceptional, like the visit of a circuit servant or a big assembly, might necessitate a change; but it is to be followed unless the circumstances are unusual.

  
  

Theme: Triumphing over Enemies by Kingdom Preaching

5 min: Welcome, text, comments.

10 min: Talk on “Triumphing over Enemies by Kingdom Preaching.’’ (See “Watchtower,” 9/1/56, p. 520, and 10/15/55, p. 621.)

10 min: Discussion, by a selected group, of “Yearbook” material on Triumphing over Opposition. Our 1955 “Yearbook” shows that in spite of governmental interference and persecution our brothers in the Dominican Republic had a 30-percent increase (32, 131); our brothers in Colombia a 28-percent increase (32, 117) and our brothers in Greece a 12-percent increase. (34, 161) Those in “Five Other Countries” where the -work is fully banned had a 12-percent increase as compared with an 8.5-percent increase for all countries.

Yes, “we know now how opposition is defeated,” say our brothers in Peru. (241) 'And while, after eight months of violent persecution, a pioneer in Egypt had to leave his assignment he left behind a promising nucleus. (137)

And that, at times, by using tact we can divert prejudice and opposition and thus triumph over it is seen from experiences had in the Danish Faroe Islands (128) and in Finland. (144) 10 min: Question-and-answer coverage of “Find the Scattered Sheep!” 15 min: Congregation servant cover by discourse “Kingdom Ministry Goals for 1957.”

10 min: Arrange locally. (Suggestion: the congregation servant might extend the time of his talk on the goals into this period, leaving just a few minutes for his closing announcements.)

SECOND MEETING IN SEPTEMBER

5 min: Welcome, text, comments.

10 min: “Make Sure of All Things,” Jesus Christ, pages 207 and 208 to Luke 1: 32, 33. Ask questions for audience to answer with texts in this section.

12 min: Talk on “Why Have You Not Said: ‘Here Am I, Send Me’?”

23 min: Demonstration: Overcoming Objections to Continuing Bible Studies.

CHAIRMAN (2 min.) Many home Bible studies discontinued while interest exists because publishers fail to overcome objections or obstacles raised to studying. What can be said to show value of continuing study?

SCENE I (10 min.) As publisher concludes study, householder says: “I do appreciate your coming to help me. I’ve enjoyed the studies, but I am so busy now I think I’d better stop them for a while. I will continue by myself and that will free you to help others.”

Publisher: “I am glad you see the need of spreading the good news. Jesus showed this work must be done. (Matt. 24: 14) While others must get the good news, we do not want to lose out ourselves. Private Bible reading is important, but more is required for Jehovah’s blessing. (Matt. 18: 20) A dividing work is now taking place. (Matt. 25: 31-46) Our protection lies in being with the Lord’s sheep. To try to go it alone in this world is very dangerous. (1 John 5: 19; 1 Pet. 5: 8) Keeping people too busy for Bible study is Satan’s scheme. The wise man encourages us to stick together. (Eccl. 4: 9-12; Prov. 27: 17) Paul counsels similarly. (Heb. 10: 25) Studying by yourself can never substitute for group study. True, it takes time, but time taking in knowledge will mean life to us.”—John 17: 3, NW.

Householder should inject two or three brief objections or comments during publisher’s remarks; but sees point, continues study.

CHAIRMAN (1 min.) Family opposition often results in studies’ being discontinued. How can these be met?

SCENE II (8 min.) Publisher enters home for study. Householder says: “I’m afraid we can’t have the study any more. My husband objects. I know you’re doing a good work, but I don’t think I should go against his wishes.”

Publisher sympathizes with her position. Opening her Bible to 1 Peter 3: 1-6 (NW) she points out that subjection is required of wives, but verse 6 shows it to be of value “provided you keep on doing good and not fearing any cause for terror.” Jesus showed times when wives must make vital decision. (Matt. 10: 32-39) While it may not be easy, yet it brings God’s approval. (1 Pet. 2: 20) You obey your husband because you love him. (1 Cor. 7: 14-16) The best way you can show this love is to bring to him and your family the knowledge of God, because this will mean everlasting life to them. If you let go of your study, you would be giving up this greatest means of expressing love. Thus you would not be helping them nor yourself. Paul admonishes not to “give up in doing what is right.”—Gal. 6: 9, 10, NW.

Householder should inject a comment or two during publisher’s remarks, to make it natural; but she finally agrees, continues study.

CHAIRMAN (2 min.) The Good Shepherd gave his life for the sheep. We must also do all we can to help these sheeplike ones gain life.

10 min: Arrange locally. (Suggestion: some comments on the slogan at bottom of first page, tying in with demonstration on studies, and closing announcements.)

THIRD MEETING IN SEPTEMBER

5 min: Welcome, text, comments.

8 min: Talk based on “Yearbook” material, Keep On Using Film. Until the new film, “The Happiness of the New World Society,” is made available for congregational showing continue to make good use of the film “The New World Society in Action.”

In Haiti the whole town co-operated, even to closing off the main street, 1,000 seeing it. (169) In the Gold Coast they had to buy a generator, projector and jeep to show it. but what results' An average of 1,800 In attendance at 59 showings! (157)

And what comments this film provokes! When it was shown at a university in Bolivia, a prominent educator commented: “All education is truly in vain unless you first give the people the proper education about God and his purpose.” (93) At a showing in British Guiana a Seventh-Day Adventist confessed, “We should have such unity.” Note also what a mining camp manager observed. (98) Seeing it at a Hindu college in Ceylon an instructor exclaimed: “My, but those are the people that really have the faith that can move mountains!” (Ill)

El Salvador reports showing the film at service centers with good increase in attendance at Kingdom Hall resulting. (140) So, keep on showing the film. 12 min: Question-and-answer coverage of “Congregation Organization: Using ‘Kingdom Ministry.’ ”

15 min: Give each publisher his personal publisher record card. As each one checks his own card, the assistant congregation servant can review the month-by-month campaigns, beginning with September, 1955, and following on through to the close of August, 1956. By his considering month by month the congregation’s total activity and averages, the publishers will be able to compare their ministry with the congregation average.

For example, the assistant congregation servant might say: “September, 1955, we were offering to the people a book and a booklet. The congregation placed a total of 200 books and 400 booklets, an average of two books and four booklets each. How does your report compare with the congregation average? Have you done as well? In October we were placing ‘Awake!’ subscriptions along with three booklets. The congregation averaged three subscriptions and twenty-five booklets per publisher. Did you meet the congregation’s average?” And so continue.

Ask, Is your time being well spent In the field? Are you calling back on all placements? Are you studying with people to help them see the truth? Does your card show advancement, maturity? Are you pleased with it? 10 min: Congregation servant will give talk outlining goal for each individual to strive for, namely, meeting at least the monthly quota of hours for the congregation, placing nine magazines, making nine back-calls, conducting one home Bible study. Discuss the congregation’s goal of ten-percent increase in publishers over last year’s average by December and a twenty-percent peak by April.

10 mln: Arrange locally. (Suggestion: the congregation'servant might continue and consider slogan at bottom of page 4, then end with announcements.)

FOURTH MEETING IN SEPTEMBER

5 min: Welcome, text, comments.

10 min: Talk on “Make Sure of All Things,” page 208, from “Died on Stake as Ransomer in Spring, A.D. 33” to end of material on “Jesus Christ.”

20 min: Demonstration on presenting magazines, based on material in “Presenting the Good News.”

15 min: Talk on the part “Awake!” plays in Kingdom preaching.

10 min: Arrange locally. (Suggestion: preparation for “Awake!” campaign.)

CONGREGATION

Using “Kingdom Ministry”

¹ What is the purpose of Kingdom Ministry? It is “to incite to love and right works” and to help us in “encouraging one another.” Kingdom Ministry Is the Society speaking to encourage us, to exhort us “in every way” to “recommend ourselves as God’s ministers.” View Kingdom Ministry as one of the means by which the Society keeps exhorting each one of us to “thoroughly accomplish your ministry.”—2 Cor. 6:4.

• ² Read Kingdom Ministry when you receive it. Study it. Do not miss a single issue. Retain your copies of Kingdom Ministry for later use. The sermon suggestions alone will help you to be exceedingly “useful,” as Paul said of Mark, “for ministering.”

• ³ Service meeting subjects, as outlined, should be assigned to well-qualified brothers. Do this early enough so they will have time to give their parts good preparation. Those assigned question-and-answer Kingdom Ministry parts will not just call for answers; they will also be prepared to make their own enthusiastic and apt comments. Brothers on the service meeting should not go overtime. Stay within the time allotted. When one goes overtime, either the others following him on the program must cut short their parts or the meeting goes overtime. Avoid this.

• ⁴ The ten minutes to be arranged locally does not mean ten minutes of local announcements. Often stimulating letters from the Society may need to be considered, or local problems may need discussing. The last few minutes of this time period can be used for local announcements. If necessary to keep the meeting within the hour, cut this period short.

^B Proper handling of local announcements is important. A long, dull reading of announcements can ruin the effect of a good meeting. Avoid an anticlimax. Keep announcements short. Apply the art of condensing. Especially with announcements is the inspired proverb true: “He who spares his words has true wisdom.”

⁶ The Society outlines four service

Subscription Rate Change

Foreign editions of The Watchtower and Awake! that appear only once a month will hereafter have a subscription rate of fifty cents a year, with individual copies being placed at five cents each.

Starting October 8, the Greek Awake! will be published semimonthly and the yearly subscription rate will be $1.

ORGANIZATION

meetings in each Kingdom Ministry. Occasionally there will be five service meetings during a single month. When this happens congregation servants will prepare a lively, instructive meeting, one particularly apt for their congregations. Such a meeting may feature some encouragement as to a congregation’s weak points and how they may be corrected, “that our ministry might not be found fault with.”—2 Cor. 6: 3.

^T Using Kingdom Ministry congre-gationally and individually will indeed help us bear Kingdom fruit and thus be like the righteous man of whom the psalmist wrote: “He is like a tree planted by a stream, that bears fruit in due season, with leaves that never fade; whatever he does, he prospers.”

JULY SERVICE REPORT

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

Sp’i Pios. 239  140.3  52.3

Pioneers 4,868   90.9 29.3

Vac. Pios. 2,292  91.6  17.1

Cong. Pubs. 159,324   10.3  2.9

Total Pubs. 166,723

Public Meetings Held: 11,088

UNITED STATES QUOTA FOR 1956 180,263 Publishers

Publications Now Available

"New Heavens and a New Earth”     —Spanish

^eeThis Means Everlasting Life?*        —Chinese

Preaching Together in Unity —Ilocano, Tagalog

New Chart Instructions

With the revised congregation field service chart being sent out is a new instruction sheet. Read this sheet carefully and especially note the new way to figure averages and quotas. Post new quotas on the chart and weekly record sheet.

Service Supplies

Congregations and pioneers at this time are being sent their supplies for the 1957 service year. Please note that the Congregation Progressive Report Sheet and the Pioneer Daily Record Sheet have been replaced by the new Pioneer, Circuit and District Servants and Congregation Weekly Record Sheet. Pioneers may use the Publisher’s Weekly Field Service Report slip to record day-by-day service and at the end of each week show the total on the new record sheet, which is good for two years. Only this sheet need be shown the circuit servant.

Congregation and assistant congregation servants will note that the first box on the new record sheet is for publishers and that this change has also been made on the congregation report card.

Find the Scattered Sheep!

• ¹ Many men of good will today are like sheep “scattered upon all the face of the earth,” and like sheep skinned and knocked about without a shepherd. When on earth Jesus felt such tender affection for these that he devoted his life to seeking them out. He left an example for us “to follow his steps closely.”

• ² Are we expressing this same tender affection for the scattered sheep by making the most of our opportunities to find and feed them and to bring them into the fold of the New World society? If so, then September will see us diligently looking for these scattered sheep by going from house to house with the three-book offer; especially in isolated territory or such as has not been covered for the past six months, provided we have such kind of territory. And, of course, we shall continue to make return visits, conduct Bible studies and support the magazine activity.

• ³ Make plans to spend full days in the isolated territory. During this last month try to cover such of it as still remains; it may be a long time until it again gets a witness. And let us not content ourselves with merely placing the literature offer or part of it. Take time to explain how they can get the most good out of it; encourage them to study it with their Bibles. Why not also leave sample copies of the magazines with the suggestion that upon reading them they may want to subscribe?

• ⁴ Those having the oversight of such activity will, of course, remember to report to the Society just what has been accomplished in the territory. They will also make certain to give the names and addresses of those beginning to publish, so that these can be supplied with service information.

• ⁵ We have received much stimulating and nourishing spiritual food at the district assemblies. We should therefore be full of spiritual vigor and eager to go forth and apply what we have learned as well as to tell it to others. Make September a good month for finding the scattered sheep.

Watchtower and Awake!

Bound Volumes

Orders may now be placed for the 1956 bound volumes, and these should be in the Society’s office by November 1, 1956. Please order through local congregation. The cost for each volume is $2. Remittance must accompany orders. If your address changes before order is filled be sure to advise the Society.

How to Prepare 30- to 60-Second Magazine Presentations

• ¹ You cannot do much in 30 to 60 seconds, so try to do only a little, but do it well. Pick out one idea or theme or point and stick to that. If it is to be faith, do not go into the problem of world peace, and if it is to be world peace, do not try to cover juvenile delinquency also. Pick out just one idea, put it in a few pointed phrases, and present the offer of the two magazines.

• ² Be personal and be specific. Pick out a particular article in either The Watchtower or Awake! and draw attention to it. In a few words give the gist of the article, the kernel of it, or perhaps pick out just one point it makes that might be catchy. You might read a sentence from the article, but more often it is better to pick out a catchy point and put it in your own words. Sometimes the illustrations can be used to present this point. And when you present it, show how it applies to the householder. People are not so interested in the world as they are in themselves, their family, their community. So apply it to them personally.

• ³ If you present two magazines, confine your remarks primarily to one, the one you pick the article from to discuss. Do not try to do too much in too little time. After you have finished your brief remarks about the article, merely say this magazine and its companion journal are theirs for 10c.

• ⁴ Are you enthused about the magazines you are presenting? Then show it. Are you interested in the householder’s welfare? Show it. Are you sincerely and genuinely concerned about him? Show that too. In other words, let your warm interest and concern and friendliness for the householder show in your way of speaking. Do not hide your enthusiasm for the message and the magazines. What you say is important, but often it is how you say it that places or fails to place the literature.

• ⁵ To present the September 22 Awake! you might say: “Here’s an article that is of personal interest to you. It’s, ‘When You Pray, Does God Listen?’ People today pray for everything, from peace to winning football games. Do you think God listens to all these prayers? Does he listen to yours? How can you be sure? God tells us the kind of prayers he hears and the kind he does not listen to. This article tells us how to pray so that God will listen. This magazine Aioake! and its companion The Watchtower are only 10c.”

• ⁶ To present the October 1 Watchtower you might say: “This article asks, ‘How Will God’s Kingdom Come?’ And here by this title it says: ‘Jesus taught us to pray for the coming of God’s kingdom. What is that kingdom? Who are its rulers and its subjects? How will it come, and why?’ This article answers these questions, shows what the Kingdom can mean to you personally, how it can change your life and the life of your family. It’s very important information for you to have. You can get this Watchtower magazine and also this copy of Awake! for just 10c.”

• ⁷ When the material of this article is demonstrated on the service meeting, as scheduled, show two publishers preparing the presentations and discussing the points of paragraphs 1-4, and then, working alone, actually making the offers to a householder.

  
  
  

OFFER FOR OCTOBER One-year subscription for “Awake!” and three booklets, $1.

THEME FOR OCTOBER Writing the Human Recommendation Letter with God’s Spirit—2 Cor. 3:1-3.

NEW WORLD NEWS

*‘A congress of 13,000 Jehovah’s witnesses from Berlin and East Germany mailed a petition to Premier Nikolai A. Bulganin of the Soviet Union today requesting release of witnesses reportedly held in Russia.”—Associated Press dispatch, July 22, from Berlin, published in the New York Times.

All district assemblies sent petitions to Premier Bulganin of Russia asking the release of imprisoned witnesses, the right to hold religious meetings and the freedom to circulate Russian-language editions of The Watchtower. The petition suggested a special delegation of members of the governing body of Jehovah's witnesses go io Moscow to confer on these matters with the Russian government.

+ Fourteen United States district assemblies reporting thus far show 131,370 at the public meetings and 3,481 immersed.

♦ Eire: Dublin convention attended by 1,210, with 34 baptized.

♦ Scotland: At Paisley 3,340 attended public meeting, 160 immersed.

Polish government reviews charges against witnesses. Espionage charge dropped, some prominent brothers freed, others may be released within a year.

House of Lords judges in London unanimously deny ministerial status to Walsh. British brothers determined to push ministry.

# Gilead graduates twenty-seventh class. 108 special servants prepared for active duty in twenty lands. 4,420 attend exercises.

* June peak of 514 publishers in Spain is the sixth new peak of the service year.

“HERE RRI I, 5ERD RIE”?

• ³ Or is it a lack of love for your brothers? Whether you are a brother or a sister, they need your help in the training program, in the field and at the meetings, as well as your example. As a pioneer you could do so much more in these respects. Or is it a lack of love for your “neighbors” in the world, the scattered sheep?

• ⁴ Could it be that you have allowed the snare of materialism to dim your vision of the new world and to dull your appreciation of the blessings of Kingdom service to such an extent that you are content to render less to Jehovah than exclusive devotion? Or are you excusing yourself because others are coming short? Yes, ask yourself: “Why have I not said: ‘Here am I, send me’?”

■K James said, “Faith without works is dead.” Is yours alive? X-

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