Our Kingdom Ministry

August 2006                       For United States of America km-E Us 8/06 Vol. 49, No. 8

• ¹ Almost everyone appreciates the sound of songbirds and the sight of a sunset. Many, however, fail to acknowledge that a loving heavenly Father created these things. We will have a unique opportunity to testify in behalf of Jehovah’s creatorship by distributing a special issue of Awake! (Isa. 40:28; 43:10) The September issue is devoted entirely to the subject “Is There a Creator?”

• ² In the Territory: If possible, arrange to share in the house-to-house ministry with the congregation each Saturday. Of course, feel free to offer the special issue at other times during the week. Teachers and others who work in the held of education should be particularly interested in this issue. Therefore, special arrangements may be made to visit such ones who are in your territory.

• ³ If Interest is shown, leave the person with a question that you will answer on the next visit. For example, you could raise a question about why a loving Creator would allow so much suffering. Then, on the return visit, you could feature chapter 1 or chapter 11 of the Bible Teach book. Or you may choose to raise a question about the Creator’s purpose for the earth and then to consider chapter 3 when you return.

⁴At School: If you are in school, why not present the special Awake! as a gift to your teachers and fellow students? Just putting a copy on your desk may prompt questions about our beliefs. You will likely have opportunities to use information from it when defending your faith in classroom discussions and when preparing reports. To assist you, this issue contains a “Young People Ask” article entitled “How Can I Defend My Belief in Creation?”

⁵ Jehovah deserves honor and glory for what he has created. (Rev. 4:11) We can honor our Creator and help others to do so by enthusiastically offering the September issue of Awake!

¹ In a vision, the apostle John saw an angel flying in midheaven declaring everlasting good news to people of “every nation and tribe and tongue and people.” (Rev. 14:6) Do we follow the angel’s lead by preaching impartially? Without realizing it, we could have views that are biased or prejudiced. Our attitude toward people we meet can affect the way we present the good news to them. Therefore, we need to demonstrate genuine loving concern when preaching to people of a different background.

• ³ Consider Your Territory: Are there immigrants or refugees living in your territory? They could easily be overlooked. Take the initiative to search out these ones and try to get to know them better. What are their needs and concerns, their likes and dislikes, their fears and prejudices? Endeavor to adapt your presentation of the Kingdom message accordingly. (1 Cor. 9:19-23) Like the apostle Paul, we should feel an obligation to share the good news with everyone in our territory, including those who are from a foreign country, those who have a different culture, those who speak another language, and those who are very wealthy.—Rom. 1:14, ftn.

• ³ How, though, can you witness to someone who speaks another language? Make good use of the booklet Good News for People of All Nations. You might also carry some tracts or brochures in the languages that are commonly spoken in your territory. (See the July 2003 Our Kingdom Ministry, p. 4, pars. 2-3.) In addition, some publishers have put forth the effort to learn a greeting and a simple presentation in other languages. People are often impressed to hear someone trying to speak to them in their own language, even in a very limited way, and this may attract them to the good news.

• ⁴ Imitate Jehovah: By reaching out to people of different backgrounds, we imitate our impartial God, Jehovah, “whose will is that all sorts of men should be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth.” •- 1 Tim. 2:3, 4.

  Service Meeting Schedule

  
  

Week Starting August 14

Song 163

15 min: Local announcements. Discuss “New Special Assembly Day Program." Announce the date of the next special assembly day if available. Using the suggestions on page 4 or other presentations appropriate for your territory, demonstrate how to offer the August 15 Watchtower and the August Awake! In one of the demonstrations, show how to handle the potential conversation stopper “I’m not interested in Jehovah’s Witnesses.”—See Reasoning book, pp, 17-18.

15 min: “Special Issue of Awake! to Be Featured in September.”* When considering paragraph 4, have a brief demonstration showing a teenager offering the September issue of Awake! to a teacher.

15 min: School Friendships —How Close Is Too Close? Talk and audience discussion based on pages 17-19 of the April 2006 Awake! Invite those in the audience who were raised in Christian households to comment on how their parents prepared them to face challenges and apply Bible principles at school. One or two comments may be arranged in advance.

Song 164 and concluding prayer.

Week Starting August 21

Song 62

10 min: Local announcements and selected Announcements from Our Kingdom Ministry. Discuss “New Circuit Assembly Program,” and announce the date of the next circuit assembly if known.

1 5 min: Benefiting From the Watchtower Study and the Public Meeting. Talk and audience discussion based on Organized to Do Jehovah’s Will, page 59 to the subheading on page 64.

20 min: Plan Now to Auxiliary Pioneer! Talk and audience discussion. Encourage setting a goal to auxiliary pioneer at least one month during the new service year. (1 Cor. 9:26) Some may choose a month of special activity or a month that has a holiday or extra weekends. Ask the audience: “How have you overcome challenges in the past so as to auxiliary pioneer? What blessings result from auxiliary pioneering? If you have the desire but are unsure, why should you make it a matter of prayer? (Acts 4:29; 2 Cor. 4:7; Jas. 1:5) Why is it also good to discuss this with your family and others in the congregation, especially with those who have similar circumstances? (Prov. 15:22) When are you planning to auxiliary pioneer?”

Song 216 and concluding prayer.

Week Starting August 2B

Song 17

10 min: Local announcements. Read accounts report and donation acknowledgments. Remind publishers to turn in field service reports for August. Using the suggestions on page 4 or other presentations appropriate for your territory, demonstrate how to offer the September 1 Watchtower or the September Awake! while making a return visit on a magazine-route call.

15 min: You Can Be a Source of Encouragement. (Rom. 1:11, 12) Talk and audience discussion. Mention the number of regular pioneers in the congregation. Outline ways we can encourage them, such as by giving commendation, speaking positively of the pioneer ministry, working with them in service, sharing a meal, and assisting with travel expenses. Invite regular pioneers to comment on how they have been encouraged by others. If the congregation has no regular pioneers, discuss how we can encourage those who auxiliary pioneer.

20 min: Can You Start a Bible Study in September? Talk and demonstrations. During September we will make a special effort to start Bible studies on the initial call, using the Bible Teach book. This means that at the time we place the book, we will endeavor to discuss a few paragraphs with the householder. Using subjects that are appropriate for the local territory, have two demonstrations. In each demonstration, show how to make definite arrangements to return and continue the discussion. Song 37 and concluding prayer.

Week Starting September 4

Song 90

10 min: Local announcements.

15 min: Local needs.

20 min: “Show Personal Interest —By Preaching Impartially.”* When discussing Romans 1:14, cited at the end of paragraph 2, include brief comments on Insight, Volume 1, page 255, the first paragraph under the subject “Barbarian.” After discussing paragraph 3, review the three steps outlined on page 2 of the booklet Good News for People of All Nations, and demonstrate how to use the booklet with people in the local territory who speak another language.

Song 225 and concluding prayer.

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

Announcements

■ Literature offer for August: What Does the Bible Really Teach? When householders already have this publication, use an appropriate brochure that the congregation has in stock. September: What Does the Bible Really Teach? Make a special effort to start Bible studies on the initial call. Follow up all placements by making return visits with the objective of starting Bible studies. October: The Watchtower and Awake! magazines.

Where Interest is shown, offer the Keep on the Watch! brochure and seek to cultivate further interest in the Bible. November: Learn From the Great Teacher. If individuals say they have no children, offer the tract Would You Like to Know More About the Bible?

■ The presiding overseer or someone designated by him should audit the congregation’s accounts on September 1 or as soon as possible thereafter. If a separate checking account is maintained, such as for maintenance or construction, arrangements should also be made to audit this account. When the audios) have been completed, this should be announced to the congregation with the next accounts report.

■ Congregations should begin requesting the 2007 Calendar of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Examining the Scriptures Daily-2007, and the 2007 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses with their next literature request. A listing of the languages in which these items are available will appear in the monthly “Announcement to All Congregations.”

THEOCRATIC MINISTRY SCHOOL REVIEW

The following questions will be considered orally at the Theocratic Ministry School during the week beginning August 28, 2006. The school overseer will conduct a 30-minute review based on material covered in assignments for the weeks of July 3 through August 28, 2006. [Note: Where there are no references after the question, you will need to do your own research to find the answers.—See Ministry School, pp. 36-7.]

SPEECH QUALITIES

• 1. How does visual contact aid us in becoming better teachers? {Matt. 19:25, 26; Acts 14:9, 10) [be p. 124 par. 3-p. 125 par. 3]

• 2. Why is naturalness important, and what can help us to manifest it when engaging in the field ministry? [be p. 128 pars. 1-5, box]

• 3. Why should we be concerned with personal cleanliness? [be p. 131 pars. 1-3]

• 4. How should “modesty and soundness of mind” influence our dress and grooming? (1 Tim. 2:9) [be p. 131 par. 4-p. 132 par. 1]

• 5. What Bible principles should we apply to ensure that our personal appearance does not reflect a love of the world? [be p. 133 pars. 2-3]

ASSIGNMENT NO. 1

• 6. What is the greatest benefit that comes from reading? [be p. 21 par. 3]

• 7. What determines whether a person is wise or foolish? (Prov. 14:2) [w04 11/15 p. 26 par. 5]

• 8. Why is ‘knowledge an easy thing to the understanding one’? {Prov. 14:6) [w0411/15 p. 28 pars. 4-5]

• 9. What is study? [be p. 27 par. 3]

• 10. How should meditation on Jehovah’s creative works affect us? [w0411/15 p. 8 par. 4]

WEEKLY BIBLE READING

• 11. In ancient times, how did Jehovah ‘give the saying’ that resulted in a large army of “women telling the good news,” and how does this apply today? (Ps. 68:11)

• 12. What nearly caused Asaph to fall from doing what was right, and how was his thinking readjusted? (Ps. 73:2, 3, 17)

• 13. Why was the manna that was provided for the Israelites called “the grain of heaven” and “the very bread of powerful ones”? (Ps. 78:24, 25)

• 14. What is “the secret place of the Most High,” and how may we ‘dwell’ there? (Ps. 91:1, 2)             '

• 15. In what way is the death of Jehovah’s loyal ones precious in his eyes? (Ps. 116:15)

  New Circuit Assembly Program

  
  

The world would have us believe that the present system of things will last forever. However, God’s Word tells us differently. (1 John 2:15-17) It helps us to appreciate that ‘storing up treasures upon the earth’ is a vain pursuit. To fortify God’s people, the circuit assembly program for the 2007 service year will develop the theme “Store Up... Treasures in Heaven.”—Matt. 6:19, 20.

Materialistic thinking is included in what is referred to at Ephesians 2:2 as “the authority of the air, the spirit that now operates in the sons of disobedience.” Just as the literal air is everywhere, ready to be breathed in, so “the spirit of the world” permeates this system. (1 Cor. 2:12) Since its influence is

Empowered by holy spirit, the early Christians exercised the greatest vigor in giving the good news the widest possible proclamation. (Acts 1:8; Col. 1: 23) The special assembly day program for the 2007 service year, “Be Intensely Occupied With the Word,” will help us to imitate their excellent example. —Acts 18:5.

Commenting on God’s word, King David said: “The reminder of Jehovah is trustworthy, making the inexperienced one wise.” (Ps. 19:7) The carefully prepared program for the 2007 special assembly day will highlight the value of the Scriptures “for setting things straight” and will encourage us to use God’s Word to preach and to teach with a sense of urgency. (2 Tim. 3:16,17) The new program will show how we can avoid pitfalls and benefit ourvery potent, it is said to have “authority.” The new circuit assembly program will help us to avoid the world’s materialistic thinking and to keep sharply in focus our priorities. (Matt. 6: 33) In addition, the program will help us to rely on Jehovah as we carry out our ministry despite the pressures and trials we may face.

Make sure that you are present for both days and that you “pay more than the usual attention.” (Heb. 2:1) Take brief notes on points that you can apply personally in your life and in your ministry. By being present from the very beginning to the very end of this spiritually enriching program, you will be encouraged and strengthened to continue ‘storing up treasures in heaven’!

selves by applying Bible principles in daily life. It will also help us to use God’s Word to assist youths and new ones to make spiritual progress.

Make sure to be present when the program begins, and pay close attention. Take notes on points that you can apply personally. Show your appreciation for the instruction and reminders received, and reflect on how you intend to put into practice the things learned.

The special assembly day program will increase our appreciation of God’s Word, remind us to continue steadfast in preaching the Kingdom good news with zeal, and show us how to help others to do likewise. So be resolved not to miss out on any of the spiritual direction and instruction Jehovah provides in this way!—Isa. 30:20b, 21.

What to Say About the Magazines

'WATCHI’OWILR Aug. 15

ANNOUNCING JEHOVAH'S KINGDOM          *

“We would like your opinion on something that Jesus said. [Read Matthew 5:5.] When this promise comes true, do you think conditions on earth will be as they are now? [Allow for response.] This magazine shows from the Bible how Jesus will change the earth. It also explains who will inherit the earth.”

Awake! Aug.

“Do you think we will ever see our dead loved ones again? [Allow for response.] Notice Jesus’ promise about the dead. [Read John 5:28, 29.] This article explains from the Bible what happens when we die.” Feature the article that begins on page 28.

™W&6HTOWER® Sept. 1

“Many people today have lost interest in religion. Do you think that being religious helps one to be a better person? [Allow for response.] Notice what the Bible foretold that some people would be looking for in religion during the last days. [Read 2 Timothy 4: 3,4.] This magazine explains how true worship honors God and benefits us,”

Awake! Sept.

“Many people wonder whether it is scientific to believe in God. What do you think? [Allow for response. Then read Hebrews 3:4.] This special issue of Awake! examines the evidence that has led some scientists to believe in a Creator.”

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