OCTOBER, 1956

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

BROOKLYN, N.Y.

BEING AWAKE DURING OCTOBER

¹ To write the human recommendation letter on men’s hearts we must preach. We must preach the truth and show the way to life. We must be awake, zealous and active, pressing ever forward, heeding the urgent warnings: “The time left is reduced.” “The great day of Jehovah is near . . . and hasteth greatly.” “The time that has passed by is sufficient for you to have worked out the will of the nations.”—1 Cor. 7: 29; Zeph. 1:14; 1 Pet. 4: 3.

² Men who are seeking the truth must be found. To find them we must be capable and efficient. We must expand our knowledge, improve our sermons and press forward in the ministry. Glorious privileges are ours, outstanding blessings from Jehovah’s hand, but we must be alert and active in order to receive them.

³ We can see how others could improve, but what about ourselves? Are you awake? alert? growing in knowledge and ability, zeal and service? The organization is awake. It is alert. It is growing in both size and ability. Are you growing with it? The Scriptures say: “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.” You are already wise, and growing in wisdom; already righteous, and increasing in learning only if you are pressing ever forward with the wide-awake organization of today. Are you?—Prov. 9: 9.

⁴ To press forward with the organization, you must be awake theocratically. You must know what is going on. You must listen carefully at meetings. You must get new ideas for use in Jehovah’s service. Do you write down new points that you can use in your own territory? Do you catch new ideas when they come your way? Everyone can improve by following these suggestions.

• ⁵ Are you awake regarding Awake!

this month's offer? Are you familiar with the current issue? Have you, as this Kingdom Ministry’s “Presenting the Good News” suggests, looked at “Do You Know?” to learn some of the unusual points in the current Awake!? Were you alert to the fact that these questions can be converted into statements very easily, and used quickly to tell the householder what he can learn from this magazine?

• ⁶ Do you know how each issue of Awake! applies to different people? Do you know what might interest women, children, students, men? Do you know what might interest the particular person you meet at the door? Can you adapt your presentation to that person? Are not these things expected of a really wideawake publisher?

• ⁷ Then, too, are you awake to the magazine’s real purpose? Probably so, but let us review it. Its purpose is not just to entertain. It does not try to appeal to just everyone. Its major purpose is not even just to provide news. Its goal is to do some preliminary writing on the hearts of men of good will. It appeals to men

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.

who “sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done.” It provides sound Biblical information. Each issue has a public lecture article that is basic, plus “Your Word Is Truth” and other clear, straightforward articles on the Bible or religion. Awake! introduces new people to the truth.

^s Awake! does not replace or substitute for The Watchtower, but is an excellent steppingstone to The Watchtower. Awake! is a bridge to further spiritual advancement. It should be used as such, and back-calls should be made to introduce its readers to other publications and to start studies with them.

⁹ We must not only be awake to the magazine’s content and to the importance of using it, but also to the subtle snares that are cast in our way. Perhaps you are new in the service and hesitate to offer a subscription at the door. But there is no need to hesitate, because when you are awake to the magazine’s value, presenting it is not difficult.

¹⁰ Perhaps the snare that you need to be awake to is the love of pleasure or materialism. Overtime pay may tempt you to miss service or meetings. But if you say, “It’s just this once,” are you really awake to the dangerous habit you may be starting? There may be nothing wrong with the money, but if getting it keeps you out of the service or away from meetings, then remember the counsel: “Those who are determined to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many senseless and hurtful desires.”—1 Tim. 6: 9.

• ¹¹ But as wide-awake publishers we shall take advantage of all the provisions that are made for the improvement of our ministry; we shall press forward in service and reject all such snares that are put in our way.

• ¹² The offer we shall alertly present during October is Awake! and three booklets for $1, or to people who already have Awake! we shall offer The Watchtower and three booklets. The quota that we want to meet and exceed is one subscription each for congregation publishers, five for pioneers and eight for special pioneers.

™ Awake !’s circulation already has reached 2,000,000 copies an issue! A powerful house-to-house campaign (where most subscriptions are obtained) will put it well over’ that. Thirty-one days of intensive activity by wide-awake publishers with excellent three- to eight-minute sermons will enable us to have a marvelous world-wide report this month to the honor of Jehovah’s name!

FIRST MEETING IN OCTOBER

Theme: Writing- the Human Recommendation Letter with God’s Spirit.

5 min: Welcome, text, comments.

10 min: Talk on ‘Writing- the Human Recommendation Letter with God’s Spirit.” (See ‘Watchtower,” 10/1/56, p. 606, and 11/1/55, p. 661.)

20 min: Select as chairman a qualified brother, perhaps the school servant, and let him lead the congregation in a discussion to develop the details of the following sermon for presenting the “Awake!” subscription offer at the door:

• 1. Living in critical times—2 Tim.

3: 1-5

• 2. Cannot change conditions, but should not be indifferent to learn their meaning   —Matt. 24: 37-39

• 3. Must keep on the watch—Matt.

24: 42

• 4. Contrast fear of people generally with blessings of being awake

-Luke 21: 26, 28

The chairman should draw comments from individuals in the congregation on points to bring out in connection with these scriptures. Certain comments may be particularly suitable in a given territory, or some comments may be easier for certain types of publishers, iriajr be more natural to them. The chairman should be prepared with some specific points of his own to contribute to the development of the sermon. It is not necessary for every publisher to say the same thing. Each one should get points that appeal to him and say them in words that are easy and natural with him. This discussion should bring out several possibilities and each publisher can choose the points he prefers.

It is good to keep the sermon flexible so it can be altered to fit varying circumstances at the door. If a man answers your knock you can very effectively stress points in 2 Timothy, chapter 3 of particular concern to a man and other points there that are of concern to women. Something you observe about the person or in or around his home may make it advisable to stress a certain point. That is why it is not good to memorize sermons, especially if the words you have memorized are not your own. Put your sermons in your own friendly conversational speech.

The chairman should focus special attention on the opening and close of the witness at the door. He should get suggestions from the congregation and offer some of his own. After a friendly introduction the publisher might make a few statements of fact relative to disturbing local, national or international news in current newspapers or heard over the radio, then go into 2 Timothy, chapter 3. After the fourth text it will be easy to introduce “Awake!” as a magazine that helps us keep on the watch for the meaning of the critical times. Then a few points about “Awake!” can be made, such as its purpose, its circulation, its varied coverage of subjects that interest everyone, or a particular article might be mentioned.

In conclusion the chairman should have a publisher, who has carefully prepared beforehand, give this sermon as an example of one effective way of working it up, using about five minutes. If the householder does not take the subscription, the publisher could drop to offering the three booklets and leaving a sample copy of “Awake!” for 15c or a copy of “The Watchtower” and “Awake!” for 10c. For the purposes of this demonstration this would be better than placing the subscription, as it would snow that the publishers should drop to the smaller offer.

15 min: Talk on “Being Awake During October.”

10 min: Arrange locally.

SECOND MEETING IN OCTOBER

5 min: Welcome, text, comments.

10 min: Talk on “Make Sure of All Things”, Jews’ Return to Palestine, pages 210 to 212 to Jeremiah 29: 10. Put lengthy quotations in your own words, briefly.

10 min: Consider by question-and-an-swer method the article "Brace Up Service Centers for Activity.”

15 min: Demonstration to bring out the points of “Presenting the Good News.”

10 min: Talk to cover points of “Keep Watching Your Ministry.”

10 min: Arrange locally. (Suggestion: the congregation servant might take the preceding ten-minute talk and let it run on into this period, working in comments on the slogan at the bottom of page four, and saving a few minutes for necessary announcements.)

THIRD MEETING IN OCTOBER

5 min: Welcome, text, comments.

8 min: Talk on pioneering, based on “Yearbook” material. Appreciate the importance of preaching as much as possible, to get one to decide on pioneering as a career, as did the young English medical student who turned from physical healing to spiritual healing and finally entered full-time service. (103) Once a person has started he will experience such joys that he will wonder why he did not begin earlier, as did a sister in Costa Rica. (119) Perhaps good family co-operation will make it possible for one member to pioneer, as it did for a New Zealand mother of five (218) and an Indonesian mother of a new baby (182).

The blessings from pioneering make its sacrifices worthwhile. Note the results obtained by special pioneers in Argentina, in spite of stiff opposition. (79) In Colombia two special pioneers had eight publishers reporting after ten months’ work. (118) And in Newfoundland one special pioneer, after only one month, was able to organize a congregation of seven publishers. (216, 217)

25 min: Demonstration showing family arrangements for pioneering.

CHAIRMAN (3 min.) Family responsibilities keep some from pioneering, but they need not keep every member from doing so. Is there any possible arrangement that the family can make to get one or more of the family in fulltime service? If you can’t pioneer yourself, can you help another to pioneer? Have you sat down as a family group and considered it? Then let chairman introduce the setting of a family scene, in the evening after supper, with family members in living room engaged in various activities. Cast will be determined by how many are available for parts in the congregation, but perhaps have father, mother, son out of high school, daughter in high school and daughter in grammar school.

FAMILY SCENE (20 min.) Father opens discussion by reminding family of the district assembly talk “Life Does Not Result from the Things Possessed” and others remark on points on pioneering. With the entire family in the truth, the father thinks he has thought of a way some can pioneer. The family shows keen interest, and he continues, pointing out that he can carry the burden of supplying the family’s needs. The son could quit his full-time secular work, get a part-time job for some of his personal needs, pioneer the rest of the time, and the father would supply room and board. The mother can pioneer while the two girls are in school, and the daughter in high school offers to help with housework, the grade-school daughter says she can take care of her room. This arrangement will provide two pioneers.

The dialogue should be worked up to sound natural, each one in the demonstration having something to say. It is not to be an uninterrupted speech by the father. There will be some problems raised, they will be discussed and solved. Necessary household work will be mentioned, and how it can be accomplished by each one’s co-operation.

CHAIRMAN (2 min.) Comment on the theocratic spirit shown by this family, and raise questions as to how many families could contribute pioneers to the theocratic ranks, if they planned as co-operatively together.

12 min: Talk on “Enjoy the Life of a Pioneer!”

10 min: Arrange locally. (Suggestion: tie in with summary of points on pioneering the slogan at bottom of page one, plus announcements.)

FOURTH MEETING IN OCTOBER

5 min: Welcome, text, comments.

10 min: Talk on material in “Make Sure of All Things” from second column of page 212 to Ezra 8: 15-30 on page 215.

8 min: “Awake!” campaign experiences. Chairman should check for experiences in advance, to be sure of good ones.

12 min: Review of October “Kingdom Ministry.” A panel might be question? by the audience, or chairman migh query audience.

15 min: Talk on “Is the Golden Rule Enough?” See August 1, 1956, “Watchtower.”

10 min: Arrange locally.

CONGREGATION

Brace Up Service Centers for Activity

• ¹ Overseers, keep the life line of your congregation, your service centers, braced up for activity. See that they are well organized and directed. The service centers are not only a doorway to active Christian ministry, but an introduction to the very congregation itself. Therefore, be keenly interested in your service-center organization. Much can be done to build up these points by well planned visits on the part of members of the congregation committee.

• ² At least once every three or four months the congregation servant will visit the service centers, spending as many weeks as he feels necessary with each group. His purpose will be to exhort and instruct “on how you ought to walk and please God, just as you are in fact walking, that you would keep on doing it more fully.” —1 Thess. 4:1.

• ³ Before visiting a service center, however, he will examine the Publisher’s Record cards of that group and note the advancement of those assigned in the training program; also check the progress of the house-to-house and back-call activity and the regularity of all publishers. This he does so that he can be in position to really help his brothers to overcome any weaknesses in the center. His interest is to build up the group in love and faith, so that all publishers “stay awake, stand firm in the faith, carry on as men, grow mighty. Let all [their] affairs take place with love.” Overseers know that healthy, active service centers mean

New Movie Film

Extra copies of the new film, “The Happiness of the New World Society,” will soon be available for showing to gatherings of good-will persons. Orders should be placed now. A remittance of $175 per set must accompany the order. The film is 16 mm, silent, double-perforated stock and comes on four 400-foot reels. Narration script is supplied.

Prepare for November!

Any book and booklet for 50c will be the November offer, but the congregation must also keep “Thanksgiving day” activity in mind. Outstanding results have been achieved on this special magazine day. Two order blanks are enclosed with this issue of Kingdom Ministry. Each congregation should order now the extra November 22 Awake! and December 1 Watchtower magazines it will need for this special activity.

ORGANIZATION

a thriving congregation.—1 Cor. 16: 13, 14; 1 Thess. 5:11.

• ⁴ When visiting service centers observe how the study is conducted, the spirit of participation and the alertness of the conductor. Note the efficiency with which he works with the publishers and arranges for field service. See if he shows love for the “sheep,” because “love builds up.” —1 Cor. 8:1.

• ⁵ The last week of the overseer’s visit to the service center, he will, following the study, give a short talk to the group, offering counsel. “Reprove, reprimand, exhort, with all longsuffering and art of teaching,” however. Encourage the brothers. Do not criticize them. Build them up, don’t tear them down. Counsel the study conductor in private ; offer him helpful suggestions. Remember, “love never fails.” —2 Tim. 4: 2.

• ⁶ Where the assistant overseer and the Bible study servant are not needed to conduct congregation book studies, they can be assigned with groups in need of assistance. It is not necessary that they serve the service centers on a rotation basis. The assistant overseer can work with a group weak in organization, improving their house-to-house and magazine work. The Bible study servant can work with a group weak in the back-call and Bible study activity, aiding them by assisting them with their ten- to fifteen-minute sermons and calls. Their assignments can be changed as needed. All servants, “keep watching the ministry which you accepted in the Lord, that you fulfill it.”—Col. 4:17.

Greek Magazine Subscriptions

The July Informant gave notice that subscriptions for the Greek Awake! could be mailed to Greece following a government ruling. We regret to report that the Greek government has now ordered that all the Society’s literature must have the word Hebesy on the cover if permitted to enter^- and circulate in Greece. We will not comply, because the truth is not heresy. Therefore mailing Awake! to Greece is suspended until further notice. The Watchtower is printed in Greece and Watchtower subscriptions may still be taken for addresses in Greece.

Publications Now Available

Preaching Together in Unity —Portuguese, Silozi What Do the Scriptures Sav About “Survival After

Death”?                         —Spanish

Jehovah’s Witnesses—the New World Society (by

Marley Cole) Cash Item 13         —German

Keep Watching Your Ministry!

• ¹ Our ministry needs watching. True, the servants in a congregation help us; they even remind us to turn in reports. But the responsibility to watch our ministry mainly falls on the individual Kingdom publisher. For the inspired counsel given an early Christian also applies to us: “Keep watching the ministry which you accepted in the Lord, that you fulfill it.” If we truly keep watching our ministry, one thing we certainly can do: we can be a regular Kingdom publisher. Are you?—Col. 4:17.

• ² Who is a regular publisher? One who watches his ministry so that he goes out into Kingdom service and turns in his report every month. Anyone who has been serving and reporting as a Kingdom minister for six consecutive months is considered a regular publisher.

• ³ Everyone dedicated to Jehovah has agreed to accept a ministry. Jehovah’s organization asks us to fulfill that ministry by being regular Kingdom publishers. “Make sure of the more important things.” How we should keep watching, then, this important matter of being regular publishers! Really try. Put forth the effort. Certainly in thirty days we can preach some.—Phil. 1:10.

• ⁴ Was it because some were not watching their ministry that the increase during the 1956 service year dropped to about 3 percent? During 1954 the increase was 10 percent; in 1955, 6.4 percent. What happened in 1956? Servants, keep watching your ministry to take the lead regularly. Study conductors, make sure all new and irregular publishers are aided each month. Kingdom ministers assigned to the training program, fulfill your assignment regularly. Everyone be a Kingdom publisher regularly.

• ⁵ We all want to see a speedy increase for 1957. Push, then, for the 10-percent increase by December’s end. Each month, every month, watch your ministry. Keep on watching your ministry, never falling to be a regular Kingdom minister, “that the word of Jehovah may keep moving speedily.”—2 Thess. 3:1.

AUGUST SERVICE REPORT

Av.  Av.

Pubs. Hrs. B-C Bi. St.

Sp’l Pios. 291  110.9  40.8

Pioneers 5,008   90.9  29.8

Vac. Pios. 1,843   90.4  18.6

Cong. Pubs. 166,730   10.1   2.9

Total Pubs. 173,872

Public Meetings Held: 9,447

UNITED STATES QUOTA FOR 1956 180,263 Publishers

Newer Publishers on Magazine Day

• ¹ What can new publishers, just beginning Magazine Day activity Say at the doors? Must they make involved presentations? No. For the first few times the newest of publishers (and even more mature ones when a householder just looks through the peephole or calls “What is it?” through a closed door) might merely say: “I have come to bring you the latest copy of the Bible study aid magazines, The Watchtower and Awake! You may have these copies on a contribution of only 10c.”

• ² Soon he will want to go a step further. He might say: “Hello. My name is----. My purpose in calling

this evening is to acquaint you with these two world-famous Bible periodicals, which have reached worldwide circulation into the millions of copies each printing. Many people are asking to examine them. Awake! deals with current news and The Watchtower with Bible prophecy. These are your two copies for a 10c contribution, which helps toward the printing cost.”

• ³ Another presentation might be: “Good evening. My name is ---.

I can stay only a few moments, but I should like very much to acquaint you with these two journals and leave them with you. They are read by people of all walks of life who are interested in better conditions. All of us can see conditions in our own area, as well as the world, going from bad to worse, and often we hear people say things just can’t go on much longer without something happening. Just what will be the result? These two journals point to the Bible answer. You may have them on a contribution of just 10c.”

• ⁴ But how can the publisher go further and really get interesting points out of the magazine to use in his brief presentations? He reads the entire magazine carefully, picks out points that have special appeal. Or an easy way is to turn to “Check Your Memory” or “Do You Know?” where the Society has already listed some of the unusual or outstanding-points found in this issue. In the September 15 Watchtower the first few questions asked: “Why many professed Christians are always learning, yet never really come to a knowledge of the truth? Why men are in such bondage today? Where real freedom can be found? What change the Bible can make in your life?” and “How the problems of envy or jealousy can be conquered?”

• ⁵ By converting these into statements you can say: “This Issue of The Watchtower will explain why men are in such mental bondage today, and where real freedom is to be found.” Or, “It shows what change the Bible really can make in your life.” Or, “It shows why professed Christians are always learning and yet never really come to a knowledge of the truth.” Or, “It explains how such personal human problems as envy and jealousy can be conquered.”

• ⁶ The point is that you can convert these questions into simple statements that will show unusual and interest-arousing points that can be found in the articles. This type of presentation is effective because it deals briefly but concretely with the contents of the magazine, and it also is very easy for even new or inexperienced publishers to use.

OFFER FOR NOVEMBER Any bound book and booklet for 50c.

THEME FOR NOVEMBER Supporting the Service at Jehovah's. House Fully.—Malachi 3:10, AS.

EIIJOV THE LIFE

• ¹ Have you ever thought about pioneering from the standpoint of being useful to others, thus by the giving of yourself reap happiness to yourself? “I’m forever grateful for these pioneer years, grateful that I am able to give,” says a missionary. “When I think of what people say to me for my little efforts, tears of joy come to my eyes. They say, ‘God must have sent you to me.’ ‘Teach me to pray.’ ‘Read to me from the Bible, because I’m blind.’ To be wanted, needed and loved the way pioneers are, is a life almost too good to be true.” Can you say the same about your job? If not, why not pioneer?

• ² The life of a pioneer is a wide-open door of New World Interests. Before him is the circuit and dis-

N£W WORLD NEWS

♦ Five new units recently formed in New York city bring the total to 62. Best report this year showed 7,197 publishers preaching.

+ M. G. Henschel, representing president, begins tour of South American branch offices this month. Large assemblies planned during his visit.

+ 20,675 Kingdom publishers in Nigeria rejoice at opening of newly constructed branch home and office in Lagos.

+ Foundations laid for new Bethel home in Denmark.

+ Building purchased in West Berlin, Germany, for new Bethel home.

+ Montreal, Canada, district assembly attended by 5,250. 182 immersed. Publishers worked freely with magazines and placards on streets. Good newspaper, radio and television reports. 3,902 adopt resolution sent to Russia.

+ Branch servant and all companions treed in Poland. Efforts to reopen branch office continue. Further news awaited.

♦ Watchtower banned from circulation in Lebanon on false charge that it “aims at the promulgation of Zionistic propaganda.”

+ Restrictions on Kingdom work in Dominican Republic lifted. Increase of 400 publishers in six-year period of ban. Brothers rejoicing to assemble again in Kingdom Halls.

♦ 148,002 enthusiastic witnesses of Jehovah in United States acclaim resolution at district assemblies urging U.S.S.R. to grant religious freedom to fellow witnesses in that country. Total attendance at public talk for the 26 assemblies in the United States was 198,296, and a total of 5,368 were baptized.

OF 0 PIOHEER!

trict work, the branch and zone work, perhaps Gilead, a foreign assignment, a different race, a new language—an ever-changing life of opportunity. Does your work offer more? Consider the life stories of pioneers in “Pursuing My Purpose in Life” and be a pioneer.

• ³ “You may be wondering about financial difficulties. I did at first,” says a pioneer, “but I have never had any financial trouble during my eighteen years of pioneer service.” Can you do better? Why, then, burden yourself with this life? Why not pioneer?

• ⁴ Why not respond to the many wonderful comments you have made about the pioneer talks at the district assemblies? Not only talk about pioneer life, but enjoy pioneer life.

★         Paul counseled, “Be rich in right works.” Are you?        *

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