OUR KINGDOM MINISTRY

• ¹ As we witness the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, we rejoice in our Kingdom hope.,and we are moved to speak about it to aijy who will listen. (Luke 6:45; Rom. 12:12) Our featuring brochures in the field ministry during July is one way in which we can share our Kingdom hope with others as Jesus commanded.—Matt. 24:14.

• ² Since we have a number of colorful and Informative brochures to choose from, which of them might best meet the needs of those in our territory and stir their interest? To make the best possible use of the brochures, we must know their contents. The following brief review will help us in this regard.

• ³ The Government That Will Bring Paradise: When Jesus was on earth, the Kingdom of God was the theme of his preaching. This brochure shows that the Kingdom is a real government and how it will solve problems that make life so difficult today.

• ⁴ Enjoy Life on Earth Forever!: It explains why God made man and how we can enjoy life on earth forever. Descriptive illustrations and the concise text in this brochure appeal to young ones and to those with Jim-ited reading ability. It may also be used to convey basic Bible teachings to those with impaired hearing.

3 ‘The Divine Name That Will Endure Forever: This brochure discusses God’s name from a Scriptural and historical perspective, showing why it is vital for Christians both to know the name and to use it in their worship.

‘“Look! I Am Making All Things New": This brochure portrays paradise and builds appreciation for the Bible and our Creator. After discussing why God permits badness, it focuses on three basic Bible teachings: the ransom, the resurrection, and the Kingdom. This brochure also has questions at the bottom of the pages, which makes it easier for us to conduct a Bible study in it.

^{3 7} Should You Believe in the Trinity?: People may say they believe in the Trinity, yet they differ in their understanding of it. This brochure answers such questions as: What is the Trinity? Does the Bible teach it? Is Jesus Christ the almighty God and part of a Trinity? What is the holy spirit, and how does it function?

’Once we have selected the brochures that we would like to use in the house-to-house ministry or when witnessing informally, we should review the articles on the back page of this issue of Our Kingdom Ministry. There we will find suggestions for offering our literature and making return visits with a view to developing interest and starting a Bible study.

⁹ On many occasions, whether witnessing formally or informally, a particular brochure is just what is needed to give a fine witness. However, we must be prepared, have an adequate supply of brochures, know what Is in them, and be discerning. May Jehovah’s blessing on our zealous ministry result in many more rejoicing with us in the Kingdom hope!—Acts 13:47, 48.

¹ Although millions of people have a copy of the Bible, many do not'accept it as the WorcLof-God. most do not apply its wise counsel, and thus few benefit from it. However, Jehovah's people truly believe that itTs the Word of God and that it is beneficial for all things. (2 Tim. 3:1157T?) Hence. fhe tneme for the circuit assembly program for the 1993 service year will be “Accepting, Applying, and Benefiting From God’s Word."

’There will be talks, demonstrations, skits, experiences, and interviews to encourage us, to deepen our appreciation for God’s Word, and to help us apply it more fully in all aspects of life. The Saturday afternoon program_will consider counsel and discipline within the family circle in connection with entertainmeht/~as-sociation, and materialism. It will show how we must be different from the world and not adopt its bad manners and irreverent or obscene language. In addition, encouragement will be provided to benefit single parents and fatherless children.

³ Also, on Saturday newly dedicated persons will have the opportunity to be baptized after hearing a Scriptural talk on the subject. Those planning to be baptized at the circuit assembly should make_ their wish known as soon as possible to the presiding overseer of the congregation so that he will have sufficient time to arrange for elders to go over the questions for baptismal candidates.

’The Sunday morning program will examine ways in which we distinguish ourselves from the world by conforming to God's Word. The importance of our appearance and how to avoid corruptifig bur mind are among the subjects that will be examined. In the afternoon, the district overseer )yill deliver the public talk entitled'^“What Marks the Bible as Authentic?”)We want to be sure to invite all interested persons to this fine program.

⁵ The dates and location of this circuit assembly program will be provided by your circuit overseer, and we encourage all to be in attendance so as to accept, apply? and benefit from the counsel of God's Word. —Jas. 1:22-25.

Song 123

10 min: Appropriate Announcements from Our Kingdom Ministry and any local announcements. Also, highlight two specific talking points that may be used when presenting July 1, 1992, Watchtower.

20 min: “Feature Brochures to Share Your Kingdom Hope.” Question-and-answer discussion; demonstrations. Inform congregation aEout stock of brochures available, and ask for comments from audience on brochures that would be especially appropriate for local territory. When considering paragraph 9, demonstrate how appropriate brochure might be offered in an informal setting to a neighbor, to an associate at work, or elsewhere. As time permits, have preassigned publishers . relate experiences they have had in using brochures. Enthusiastically encourage brothers to have a full share in offering brochures during July.

15 min: Use Your Time Wisely on Vacation. Encourage publishers to plan now to use extra time during vacation months to advance theocratic interests. Include suggestions for informal witnessing when traveling. Encourage all to set personal goals, including keeping up with weekly Bible reading, reading Society’s publications, and making wise use of extra time during summer months.

Song 165 and concluding prayer.

Song 193

10 min: Local announcements. Accounts report. Theocratic News. Remind congregation of arrangements for field service.

20 min: “Tying In Our Introduction With the Literature.” Brief talk and demonstrations. Arrange for young publisher to demonstrate Scriptural presentation using suggestions set out in paragraph 2. When introducing Isaiah 65:21-23, use approach outlined in paragraph 5. Another publisher may demonstrate offer of “Look!” brochure, incorporating suggestions in paragraphs 3 and 4. In both cases chairman should stress how presentation was tied in with literature offer. In one demonstration show how publisher would proceed if no particular interest is manifested by householder. Remind congregation to pick up supply of brochures and magazines after the meeting.

15 min: Questions About Armageddon. Talk covering material from the Reasoning book, pages 44-9.

Song 137 and concluding prayer.

Week Starting July 20

Song 8

15 min: Local announcements. Discuss congregation’s June field service report, giving commendation along with needed encouragement for improvement. Point out how reflecting on yeartext along with context helps us to find true happiness as we share in field service and associate with congregation. (Rom. 12: 9-16) If time permits, suggest one or two appropriate talking points for use in field service this weekend. \ i,

15 min: “Are You Offeriiig Bible Stud'll?" Question-and-answer discussion followed by selected experiences that

, show fiow Bible studies can be started on \nffi£call or on a return visit

15 min:^vLocaLneeds, or interview three or four publishers on what it was that attracted them to the truth. May Include any obstacles they had to overcome.

Song 184 and concluding prayer.

Week Starting July 27

Song 180

10 min: Local announcements. Question Box. Service overseer may be assigned to handle this part.

20 min: “Cultivating Interest in the Kingdom Message.” After brief introduction, demonstrate return visit on (1) person who accepted latest magazines, (2) person who showed Interest but did not accept literature, and (3) person who accepted “Look!” brochure. In each case lay foundation for another return visit.

15 min: “Accepting, Applying, and Benefiting From God’s Word.” Call for . brief prepared expressions of appreciation for circuit assemblies in general. May call attention to valuable points learned at previous circuit assembly. Then have question-and-answer discussion of article on page 1. Announce date of next circuit assembly, if known, and encourage all to attend.

Song 157 and concluding prayer.

• ¹ Many are having fine success in starting Bible studies by using the direct approach in offering people the opportunity to study the Bible. A man who had refused literature on several occasions responded readily when a Bible study was offered. He replied: “I have always wanted to study the Bible.” A Bible study was started, and the entire family made rapid progress.

• ² All should be conscious of starting studies. If individuals are going to make progress in becoming disciples of Christ, they must be taught. (Matt. 28:19, 20) To be taught, they need to have a Bible study conducted with them. Studies can often be started just by making the offer to demonstrate how the householder can learn more about the Bible and God’s promises. A brother was able to start five studies in the tract Life in a Peaceful New World. Since he was not able to conduct that, many Bible studies regularly, he started turning the Bible studies over to other publishers.

• ³ If we find it easy to start studies, we can take other publishers along with us and help them to get studies too. Or we can turn over some studies we start to others in the congregation. If you would like to conduct a Bible study, why not try making the offer of a Bible study to those you meet in the house-to-house ministry? In one case a publisher made a return visit on a teenage girl who did not show much Interest. Nevertheless, the publisher offered her a Bible study, and she accepted. She is now baptized, and her sister and her sister's husband are also attending meetings.—Gal. 6:6.

• ⁴ Not everyone we start a study with will continue to study. Not all of those who study will come into the truth. But some will. The more studies we start, the more likelihood there is that we will be able to help others become praisers of Jehovah. ■ Literature offer for July: Any of the following brochures: Enjoy Life on Earth Forever!, ‘Look! I Am Making All Things New," Should You Believe in the Trinity?, The Divine Name That Will Endure Forever, or The Government That Will Bring Paradise. August: You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth. September: Life-How Did It Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation? October: Subscription to Awake! or The Watchtower or both. NOTE: Congregations that have not yet requested the above-mentioned campaign items should do so on their next monthly Literature Request Form <S(d)-14).

■ Beginning in September, circuit overseers will give the public talk “Cleansing Ourselves From the World’s Defilements.”

■ New Publications Available: Afrikaans: You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth (Small size). Arabic: Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Twentieth Century. Igala: “Look! I Am Making All Things New" (Brochure). Ndonga: My Book of Bible Stories. Sinhalese: Jehovah’s Witnesses—Unitedly Doing God’s Will Worldwide. Swahili: Why You Can Trust the Bible (Tract No. 13); What Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Believe? (Tract No. 14); Life in a Peaceful New World (Tract No. 15); What Hope for Dead Loved Ones? (Tract No. 16). Tahitian: The Bible—God's Word or Man’s?

■ New Diskettes Available:

English: New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References (Available in a set of seven 3 1/2" 720-kilobyte diskettes or a set of four 51/4" 1.2-megabyte diskettes. An IBM PC-compatible computer, running DOS. with at least 512 kilobytes of random access memory and 71/2 megabytes of free space on a hard disk is needed to run this program.)

■ How may the service overseer oversee the work of ministerial servants handling the literature and magazine departments?

The service overseer’s sphere of interest is not limited to visiting book study groups on a monthly basis and arranging regular meetings for field service. This zealous elder is keenly interested in everything that could affect the progress of the preaching work in the congregation’s assigned territory.

He will ensure that each month ample supplies of campaign literature and magazines are readily available and that they are in very good condition. To this end he oversees many of the responsibilities of ministerial servants assigned to handle the literature and magazine departments.

The service overseer pays particular attention to announcements of upcoming literature campaigns when these appear in Our Kingdom Ministry. He and the brother caring for the literature work closely together to ensure that a sufficient quantity of literature will be available for use. but they must be careful not to request too much. If a publication is to be used in the field for the first time or if it will soon be studied in the congregation, these factors should be considered when a request is placed with the Society. If the literature has been offered before, the congregation field service report for the last campaign will indicate whether supplies on hand will be adequate. Of course, consideration should also be given to such factors as the number of publishers who will serve as auxiliary pioneers for the month as well as the growth In the number of publishers and regular pioneers since the last time the literature was offered. Literature should be available both before and after congregation meetings. Cartons of literature should be properly stored in a clean, dry place and stacked so as to prevent any damage.

The service overseer will also cooperate with the brother who cares for the magazine department. From time to time, the service overseer and the brother handling the magazines should compare the number of magazines that are requested each month with the number of magazines that are actually placed in the ministry. It may be that some publishers should reduce their requested quantity of magazines if these regularly accumulate in their homes. Magazines should not be wasted.

With the same principles In mind, the service overseer should personally check the amount of campaign literature that the congregation is requesting on the Literature Request Form (S(d)-14). He will then turn the form over to the congregation secretary, who will carefully check the rest of the form, paying particular attention to the number of special-request items listed.

Of course, a certain amount of paperwork is required in properly caring for the literature and magazine departments. If the assigned brothers have questions in connection with their use of forms and record keeping, the secretary will be happy to assist in this aspect of their work.

Theocratic News

Lebanon: Publishers reporting in February totaled 2,919, which is a 9-percent increase over their average for last year.

Poland: A 6-percent Increase in publishers was reached in February, with 105,226 reporting. Bible studies went up from 71,686 to 76,919 in one year.

CONGREGATION BOOK STUDY

Schedule for congregation studies in the book Revelation—Its Grand Climax At Hand!

April Service Report

Av. Av. Av. Av.

Number of:            Hrs. Mags. R.V. Bi.St.

TOTAL 869,529 Baptized 3,225

• ¹ When preparing your presentation this month, you might first consider the major problems facing people in your areaand tijen select statements from the latest magazines or from a brochure that point to the practical. Scriptural solution.

• ² In some neighborhoods, people may be concerned with rising unemployment and the high cost of living. If you encounter that situation, you could mention the problem specifically in your introduction.

You might say:

■ “We’ve been talking with our neighbors about what can be done to ensure that there is employment and bousing for everyone, bo you believe it is reasonable to expect that human governments willaccomplish this? (Allow for householder's response. 1 There is someone who knows how to solve these problems; notice his reassuring promise at Isaiah 65:21-23. [Read.] Our Creator ha’d this promise written down for our encouragement, and all of us need that in these difficult times, don’t we?" —rs, p. 11.

• ¹ Some time has passed—perhaps a day or two, perhaps a week—since you last spoke to someone who showed interest in the Kingdom message. Whether he accepted Bible literature or not, it is important to cultivate any interest as soon as possible.

• ² Review the notes you carefully made after the initial call. Then, when you pack your witnessing bag. be sure to include a copy of the literature you placed so that you can refer to it during the return visit.

If you placed the “Look!” brochure, you might say:

■ “I am glad to see you once again. The last time we spoke, I showed you the cover of this brochure, and we read a scripture from the Bible to prove that, through his Kingdom, God will provide housing and employment for everyone. But God has also promised to put an end to sickness, old age, and even death. Do you find that hard to believe? [Allow for householder's response.] Notice this point in paragraph 4 of the

• ³ At this point in your presentation, you could tie in material from the latest magazines or from a brochure. If you are sharing in magazine work, you may select an appropriate point in the article “Hope Conquers Despair!” in the July 1 issue of The Watchtower. If you are offering the "Look!" brochure, why not show how the concept of housing and employment for all is illustrated on the front and back covers of the brochure. You can open it so that the householder will see the entire illustration at one time.

*In territories where householders have a variety of concerns, a more flexible introduction will be helpful. You may want to try the second introduction listed in the Bpn son iriphrety Tinker “Kingdom."

You could say:

■ “Jesus taught us to pray for God’s Kingdom to come and forRis will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Doyou think., that if God’s will is ever done here, the earth really will become a paradise?" After householder responds, introduce and read Revelation 21:3-5.

brochure I left you.” Read the paragraph, and consider one or two of the scriptures listed at the bottom of the page. A Bible study is being started!

³ To prepare the way for a future visit, you could bring the conversation to a close by saying:

■ “Of course, everything we have considered is in the Bible, but many people wonder whether they can really believe what the Bible says. The next time I come. I would like to take a few minutes to consider this subject with you.” When you return to cultivate the interest, take up the discussion from the subheading “The Book That Explains Paradise,” beginning with paragraph 5 of the brochure.

* In Territories Where Little Literature Is Placed: The same general presentation may be used when visiting people who showed some interest but accepted no literature. You may refer to the brochure that you offered in the course of the previous conversation. It

Then, if you are offering the Qopem-ment brochure, read selected portions of the introductory paragraph on page 3. Note the statement: (“By means of the Kingdom, God will soon put an end to wars, hunger, disease, and crime." Ask the householder which of these problems he feels to be the most serious.

If you are featuring the July 15 “Watchtower,” you might say:

■ “Many people would like to believe that this promise will be fulfilled, but they are not sure whether the Bible is a reliable guide. I am sure you will find this article, ‘Does the Bible Contradict Itself?,’ to be faith strengthening."

⁵ Young people too can effectively present the Kingdom message, even to older persons.

In introducing Isaiah 65:21-23, young publishers might say:

■ “I know as an older person you are much more experienced in life than I am, but this scripture is comforting to all of us.”

• ⁶ Be sure to make a careful record of any placements, including the specific brochure or magazines placed. You will need this information when you return to cultivate the interest.

may be necessary to make repeated calls using the Bible and your personal copy of the brochure before the householder accepts a brochure. If you placed either the July 1 or the July 15 issues of The Watchtower, refer to related subjects in the "Look!" brochure when returning to cultivate the interest.

• ⁵ Fine return visits leading up to a Bible study in the Government brochure may be prepared from material on pages 154-6 of the Reasoning book. Or a Bible study may be started by asking the question: “Did you know that the Bible holds out two. hopes? One is to live forever on part.h^Xhit; brochure explains how that will be possible." Then turn to page 15 of the brochure, and read the three cited scriptures.

• ⁶ If you have placed two magazines, a bound book, or a brochure or have simply had an interesting Bible discussion with someone, you have the responsibility to cultivate the interest. We encourage all of you to set aside some time during July to share in this lifesaving work—1 Tim. 4:16.

© 1992 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. All rights reserved. Our Kingdom Ministry (USPS 295-360) is published monthly by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society ol New York Inc. and International Bible Students Association 25 Columbia Heights. Brooklyn. N Y 11201. Second-class postage paid at Brooklyn. N Y and at additional marling ohices POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Watchtower 25 Columbia Heights. Brooklyn N Y 11201                 Printed m U.S.A.

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