Our Kingdom Ministry

June 2002                         For United States of America km-E Us 6/02 Vol. 45, No. 6

• ¹ All of us look forward to the fulfillment of the grand promises contained in God’s Word. Even now, Jehovah makes available many blessings that add delight to our lives. The extent to which we personally benefit, however, depends in large measure on the effort we put forth. As the apostle Paul put it, “he that sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” (2 Cor. 9:6) Consider two areas in which this principle applies.

• ² Our Personal Ministry: Sharing the good news with people when it is within our power to give a witness brings many rewards. (Prov. 3:27, 28) Commendably, many are sowing bountifully by expanding their share in the ministry, including auxiliary or regular pioneering. All of us can sow bountifully by conscientiously returning to cultivate all interest that is found and by offering a Bible study whenever the opportunity presents itself. (Rom. 12:11) Exerting ourselves in these ways results in upbuilding experiences and increased joy in our ministry.

• ³ Supporting Kingdom Interests: Paul made his comment about ‘sowing bountifully’ in connection with material giving. (2 Cor. 9:6, 7, 11, 13) Today, there is much we can do in a physical and material way to support Kingdom interests. We can assist in the construction of Kingdom Halls and Assembly Halls. We can also make ourselves available to share in cleaning and maintaining these centers for true worship. In addition, we can contribute financially for local congregation expenses as well as for the worldwide Kingdom-preaching and disciple-making work. As all of us do our part, how we rejoice to see Jehovah’s abundant blessing upon this God-ordained work!—Mal. 3:10; Luke 6:38.

• ⁴ God’s Word exhorts us “to work at good, to be rich in fine works, to be liberal, ready to share.” As we heed that admonition, we enjoy rich blessings now. At the same time, we are “safely treasuring up for [ourselves] a fine foundation for the future [and] the real life” to come.—1 Tim. 6:18, 19.

  Do You “Want to” Help Others?

  
  

• ¹ Jesus truly cared about people. When a leper entreated him for help, Jesus stretched out his hand, touched the man, and said: “I want to. Be made clean.” (Mark 1:40-42) In what ways can we imitate Jesus’ attitude toward helping others?

• ² Interested People: Each member of the congregation plays a part in helping interested ones to become worshipers of Jehovah. When new ones come to meetings, greet them and get acquainted. Look for ways to encourage them. Commend them for the comments they make. Express appreciation for their efforts to apply Bible principles in their lives. Help them to see the prospects they have for making true friends within the congregation.

• ³ Fellow Believers: “Those related to us in the faith” especially deserve our help in a variety of ways. (Gal. 6:10) Many contend with health problems. By making an encouraging visit, you can provide vital association and perhaps also assist in practical ways. Some may be facing other difficulties in their lives. Show your concern by taking the time to listen to them and build them up. (1 Thess. 5:14) The elders too need our cooperation as they carry out their responsibilities. (Heb. 13: 17) By displaying a willing and helpful spirit, we can “become a strengthening aid” to our fellow believers.—Col. 4:11.

• ⁴ Family Members: We should also strive to imitate Jesus’ concern for people within our own family circle. Deep concern moves parents to ‘go on bringing up their children in the discipline and mentalregulating of Jehovah.’ (Eph. 6:4) Children can do their part by promptly getting ready when it is time for family study, congregation meetings, or field service. Grown children can reflect Jesus’ compassion by tenderly helping their parents cope with the difficulties brought on by advancing age. In these and other ways, all of us can “practice godly devotion in [our] own household.”—1 Tim. 5:4.

• ⁵ As we imitate Jesus in helping others, we may be able to alleviate problems and to draw our family and the congregation closer together. Most important of all, we bring honor to Jehovah, “the Father of tender mercies.”—2 Cor. 1:3.

  Service Meeting Schedule

  
  

Week Starting June 10

Song 58

15 min: Local announcements. Selected Announcements from Our Kingdom Ministry. Encourage everyone to view the video Our Whole Association of Brothers in preparation for the discussion at the Service Meeting the week of June 24. Using the suggestions on page 4, demonstrate separately how to present the June 15 Watchtower and the June 22 Awake! In each demonstration, show a different way to handle the conversation stopper “I’m not interested in religion.”—See Reasoning book, pages 16-17.

10 min: Question Box. Read entire article and cited scriptures. Then make additional comments, enlarging on other points in the Question Box in the March 1998 Our Kingdom Ministry.

20 min: “Sowing Bountifully Brings Rich Blessings.”¹ Include comments based on the December 1, 1992, Watchtower, pages 15-16, paragraphs 14-17.

Song 220 and concluding prayer.

Week Starting June 17

Song 136

10 min: Local announcements. Accounts report.

15 min: Local needs.

20 min: “Be Content With What You Have.”¹ Emphasize the Scriptural basis for the counsel, reading and discussing as many of the cited texts as time allows.

Song 197 and concluding prayer.

Week Starting June 24

Song 52

8 min: Local announcements. A married couple working together in service demonstrate how to use the suggestions on page 4 to offer the July 1 and July 8 magazines. The wife features The Watchtower, and the husband features the Awake!

12 min: Relate or reenact experiences from local publishers (1) witnessing to various ethnic groups or people speaking other languages or (2) witnessing in settings other than house-to-house and street work. In preparation for next week’s Service Meeting, encourage everyone to find a presentation to use with one of the brochures that will be offered in July and August.—See the box “Other Publications,” in the January 2002 Our Kingdom Ministry insert.

25 min: “Why We Love Our Whole Association of Brothers." Get right into an audience discussion of the Whole Association video, using the questions that are provided.

Song 95 and concluding prayer.

Week Starting July 1

Song 83

15 min: Local announcements. Remind publishers to turn in their field service reports for June. Ask publishers to tell which brochure they plan to offer during July and what presentation they will use.

15 min: You Can Be God’s Friend! Talk and audience discussion. Point out features of this brochure that make it a powerful teaching aid to help children and others with limited education or reading ability to learn about Jehovah. Discuss examples of its simple and logical explanations. (See lessons 2, 8, and 12.) Show how the pictures can be used to reach a student’s heart. Suggest ways that this brochure can be used to good advantage. Parents should study it with their young children. Encourage everyone to offer it in the ministry whenever appropriate.

15 min: “Do You ‘Want to’ Help Others?”¹ Encourage everyone in the congregation to have a helpful spirit.

Song 156 and concluding prayer.

Question box

■ What standard of dress and grooming should we observe when visiting Bethel homes and branch facilities?

When we visit Bethel, whether to tour the facility or to visit with members of the Bethel family, “our dress, grooming and conduct should be similar to what is expected of us when attending meetings for worship at the Kingdom Hall.” (om 131) However, it has been noted that when visiting the branch offices, some brothers and sisters tend to be extremely casual in their dress. That is not appropriate when visiting these facilities. Our appearance should be exemplary, well-arranged, and modest, reflecting the decency and dignity that befit servants of Jehovah God.—1 Tim. 2:9,10.

This is especially important when visiting Bethel homes and branch facilities because they attract the attention of many non-Witness observers. Such onlookers may form opinions about God’s people and his organization based on what they observe. It would be good to speak with Bible students and others who may be visiting to remind them of the importance of giving attention to proper dress and grooming. The Bethel family will appreciate your doing this.

As Christian ministers, we must be careful that our appearance does not give any cause for stumbling. (2 Cor. 6: 3, 4) Rather, by our proper decorum, may we always “adorn the teaching of our Savior, God, in all things.”—Titus 2:10.

Announcements

■ Literature offer for June: What Does God Require of Us? or Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life. When householders already have these publications, offer an appropriate brochure that the congregation has in stock. July and August: Any of the following 32-page brochures may be used: Does God Really Care About Us?, 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, The Government That Will Bring Paradise, What Happens to Us When We Die?, What Is the Purpose of Life—How Can You Find It?, and When Someone You Love Dies. The brochures A Book for All People, Our Problems —Who Will Help Us Solve Them?, Spirits of the Dead—Can They Help You or Harm You? Do They Really Exist?, and Will There Ever Be a World Without War? may be offered where appropriate. September: Life-How Did It Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation?

■ DISTRICT CONVENTION CHANGE: Because of circumstances beyond our control, the dates for the district convention in Uniondale, New York, on June 28-30,2002, have been changed to September 1-3, 2002, on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. It should be noted that Monday, September 2, is a national holiday.

■ The branch facilities in Brooklyn, Patterson, and Wallkill, New York, will be closed on the following Saturdays: September 14, 2002 (Gilead graduation); October 5, 2002 (annual meeting of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania); March 8, 2003 (Gilead graduation); and May 10, 2003 (spring cleaning). There will be no arrangements for tours or for congregations to pick up literature on those dates.

• ■ Awake! in Urdu is being changed from a monthly to a quarterly edition, beginning with the April-June 2002 issue.

• ■ New Publications Available:

“All Scripture"—Authentic and Beneficial (Brochure for use in 2002 Theocratic Ministry School) —Samoan

“All Scripture”—Authentic and Beneficial, Brochure 1 (Brochure for use in 2002 Theocratic Ministry School)

—Russian, Ukrainian Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life—Large Print       —Spanish

■ New Audiocassettes Available: Respect Jehovah’s Authority—On Audiocassette (Drama, single cassette)

—Spanish

■ New Videocassettes Available:

Faithful Under Trials—Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Soviet Union —Russian

The Bible—Its Power in Your Life

—Portuguese, Thal

The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived—On

Videocassette, Volumes

—American Sign Language

March Service Report

It was especially encouraging to see a total of 994,105 publishers reporting for the month of March. This represents a 5.1-percent increase over last year’s average. In addition, 19,852,438 hours were spent in the ministry, and 126,378 were able to share as auxiliary pioneers.

In today’s loveless world, how can we keep our love for our spiritual brothers burning brightly? (1 Pet. 2:17) How can we show others that our genuine, global brotherhood really exists? (Matt. 23:8) By means of the video Our Whole Association of Brothers. It shows the reasons why we love one another. See if you can answer these questions:

(1) What three activities do we share in common with our worldwide brotherhood? (2) How are our brothers showing their determination to preach (a) in the Alaskan wilderness, (b) in the vast harbors of Europe, and (c) in the dense forests of Peru? (3) What is an especially effective witnessing tool? (4) Why should we never feel that preaching is just an ordinary work? (5) Give examples of how Jehovah’s Witnesses have comforted and supported one another in times of distress —earthquakes, hurricanes, and civil wars. (See the comments of Takao on page 23 in the August 22, 1995, Awake! and of Kotoyo on page 20 in the October 22, 1996, Awake!) (6) In what practical ways can all of us demonstrate the great identifying mark of our Christian brotherhood? (John 13:35) (7) How highly should we value our congregation meetings? (8) How does having a Kingdom Hall in which to meet affect those who have not previously had one? (9) How did our brothers in Eastern Europe and Russia survive spiritually when under ban? (10) Even now, what extraordinary effort do many Witnesses put forth to attend conventions, and why? How has this touched your heart? (11) Why are you determined to worship together in unity, to help others in times of need, and to preach faithfully whenever and however you can? (12) Why would it be good to have a personal copy of this video and show it to as many interested people as possible?

• ¹ The Scriptures admonish us to provide materially for our household, but this should not become our main focus in life. Spiritual things must come first. (Matt. 6:33; 1 Tim. 5:8) Finding the proper balance is a challenge in these “critical times hard to deal with.” (2 Tim. 3:1) What will help us to do so?

• ² Adopt the Bible’s Viewpoint: God’s Word warns us that the pursuit of riches can cause spiritual ruin. (Eccl. 5:10; Matt. 13:22; 1 Tim. 6:9, 10) At this crucial hour, it would be disastrous for any of us to become so preoccupied with secular employment or financial concerns that we relegate spiritual activities—meetings, study, and service—to a secondary place in our lives. (Luke 21:34-36) In contrast, the Bible counsels: “Having sustenance and covering, we shall be content with these things.”—1 Tim. 6:7, 8.

• ³ This does not mean that Christians are required to live in self-imposed poverty. But it helps us to identify what our material needs really are—food, clothing, and shelter adequate for where we live. If we have the necessities of life, we should not endlessly pursue a higher standard of living. When contemplating making a purchase or taking on additional work, we do well to ask ourselves, ‘Is this really necessary?’ Doing so will help us to heed the inspired counsel: “Let your manner of life be free of the love of money, while you are content with the present things.”—Heb. 13:5.

• ⁴ If we trust in Jehovah, he will bless us. (Prov. 3:5, 6) Though we have to work hard to obtain the daily necessities, we do not center our lives on those things. Whether we have little or much, we rely on Jehovah to satisfy our needs. (Phil. 4:11-13) As a result, we enjoy godly contentment along with many other blessings.

• ⁵ Imitate the Faith of Others: A single parent who was raising her daughter in the way of the truth simplified her life progressively. Although she enjoyed the comforts of her home, she moved to a smaller house and later to an apartment. This enabled her to reduce her work hours so that she could devote more time to the ministry. After her daughter was grown and married, the mother took an early retirement, even though this meant a further reduction in her income. Our sister is now in her seventh year as a regular pioneer and has no regrets concerning the material sacrifices she has made to put Kingdom interests first in her life.

• ⁶ An elder and his wife pioneered for many years while bringing up three children. As a family, they learned to be content with satisfying their needs rather than indulging their wants. The brother comments: “We had to live more simply. Though we’ve had some difficult times, Jehovah has always provided what we needed. .. . When I see my family putting spiritual interests first like this, I feel that everything is as it should be, and I have a sense of accomplishment.” His wife adds: “When I see [my husband] busy with spiritual matters, I feel a deep inner contentment.” The children too are glad that their parents decided to serve Jehovah full-time.

• ⁷ For all those who choose such a course of godly devotion over the pursuit of material things, the Bible promises rich blessings both now and in the life to come.—1 Tim. 4:8.

What to Say About the Magazines

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“"Watchtower June 15

Announcing Jehovah s Kingdom

“Do you think that we will ever see an end to problems like these? [Read opening quotation of first article, and allow for response.] God’s inspired Word reassures us that such problems will soon end. [Read Psalm 72:12-14.] This issue of The Watchtower explains how this will be accomplished.”

Awake! June 22

“Do you think that real freedom will ever be possible for everyone on earth? [Allow for response.] Notice this beautiful promise of God. [Read Romans 8:21.] For that promise to come true, all slavery would have to end, wouldn’t it? This issue of Awake! shows how that will come about.”

"Watchtower July 1

“Millions of people use images or icons in their worship, while millions of others think that doing so is wrong. Have you ever wondered what God thinks? [Allow for response. Then read John 4:24.] These articles show how the use of icons got started and what the Bible says about image worship.”

Awake! July 8

“The Bible prophesied that there would be difficult times during the last days. [Read 2 Timothy 3: 1, 3.] All over the world, crime rates give evidence of this. How much worse conditions would be if there were no police! This issue of Awake! discusses the challenges that the police face worldwide.”

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Limit introductory comments to less than a minute, and follow with a question-and-answer discussion.