Our kingdom ministry

AUGUST 2014

1914-2014

One Hundred Years of Kingdom Rule!

In 1922, J.F. Rutherford boldly proclaimed: “Behold, the King reigns! . . . Advertise, the King and his kingdom.” In this 100th year of Kingdom rule, his exclamation still fills us with excitement. Let us exert ourselves to make this August a historic month by helping others to learn about the Kingdom through our Web site!

Use the New Web Site Tract

The tract is entitled Where Can We Find Answers to Life’s Big Questions? Three questions are raised on the back of the tract. When an opportunity arises, ask a person which question interests him the most and direct him to BIBLE TEACHINGS > BIBLE QUESTIONS ANSWERED on the Web site to find the answer. There he will also find answers to the questions: What is the Kingdom of God? And what will God’s Kingdom accomplish?

Keep copies of this tract on hand to help people learn what the Bible says about our wonderful future under God’s Kingdom.

Improving Our Skills in the Ministry—Confidently Speaking Up About the Kingdom

Why Important: If we are to follow the clear direction given at 2 Timothy 1:7, 8, it is important that we confidently speak up about the Kingdom. How can we gain confidence to advertise the Kingdom?

How to Do It:

• • Have empathy for people. (Phil. 2:4) Many are distressed over world conditions or personal problems. Our having empathy motivates us to tell them about the Kingdom.

• • Before leaving the house, take a few tracts with you.

Try This During the Month:

• • Choose a person to whom you would like to witness. Pray to Jehovah for courage and the opportunity to speak up.

WEEK STARTING AUGUST 18

Song 78 and Prayer

Q Congregation Bible Study:

cl chap. 11 ^17-22, box on p. 116 (30 min.)

Q Theocratic Ministry School:

Bible reading: Numbers 10-13 (10 min.)

No. 1: Numbers 10:1-16 (4 min. or less)

No. 2: Why Faith Must Have Works—rs p. 359 ^2-5 (5 min.)

No. 3: Acts of Apostles—The Spectacular Beginning and Development of the Christian Organization—it-1 pp. 42-43 ^2 (5 min.)

Q Service Meeting:

Song 74

15 min: “A Century of Advertising the King-dom!”—Part 1. (Paragraphs 1-3) Discussion based on the first three paragraphs and the Proclaimed book, pages 259-260. After asking the question for paragraph 3, interview two publishers who are longtime Witnesses. Have them share some experiences about the preaching work when they first became publishers.

15 min: “A Century of Advertising the King-dom!”—Part 2. (Paragraphs 4-6) Questions and answers. When covering paragraphs 5 and 6, interview two pioneers about how they have made room for full-time service.

Song 103 and Prayer

A Century of Advertising the Kingdom!

¹ “Behold, the King reigns! You are his publicity agents. Therefore advertise, advertise, advertise, the King and his kingdom.” With those stirring words spoken by Brother Rutherford nearly a century ago, Jehovah’s people were encouraged to broadcast the Kingdom message far and wide. And that is what we have done! Like the early Christians, we have preached the good news of the Kingdom “in all creation under heaven.” (Col. 1:23) Looking back over the last century, what have we done to advertise God’s Kingdom? How can

• 1. What were Jehovah’s people encouraged to do nearly a century ago?

we continue to advertise it as we approach the 100th anniversary of the Kingdom’s birth?

• ² Looking Back: For decades, our literature has promoted God’s Kingdom. Since 1939 our principal magazine has had as its title: The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom. This magazine frequently discusses the Kingdom and what it will accomplish. The Awake! magazine also highlights God’s Kingdom as the only hope for mankind. How fitting that these two magazines are now the most widely translated and distributed magazines in the world!—Rev. 14:6.

• ³ Jehovah’s people have employed various methods to advertise the Kingdom. In the early days, we made use of sound cars, radio broadcasts, and portable phonographs. Those methods helped us to spread the good news to a wide audience at a time when there were relatively few Kingdom proclaimers. (Ps. 19:4) In recent years, we have published information on jw.org, thus proclaiming the Kingdom to millions—including those who live in lands where our work is restricted.

• ⁴ Jehovah’s people have also engaged in special initiatives to spread the Kingdom message. For example, beginning in the mid-1990’s, we made an effort to augment our house-to-house work by witnessing in public parks, in car parks, at ports, and at businesses. Recently, we have organized special metropolitan public witnessing in large cities around the world. In addition, many congregations are participating in public witnessing in their local territory by using literature carts and tables that are set up near high-traffic areas. Of course, we keep the house-to-house work as the mainstay of our Kingdom-preaching activity.—Acts 20:20.

• ⁵ Looking Ahead: With the start of the new service year in September, many will begin serving as regular pioneers. Could you join

• 2. How has our literature promoted God’s Kingdom?

• 3. What are some of the methods we have employed to advertise the Kingdom?

• 4. What special initiatives have we engaged in?

• 5. What opportunities will the new service year offer for many of us?

  © 2014 Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Our Kingdom Ministry is printed monthly by Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Britain, The Ridgeway, London NW7 1RN (Registered in England as a Charity).

  
  

them? If not, can you enroll as an auxiliary pioneer from time to time? Whether you are able to pioneer or not, Jehovah will surely bless you for any sacrifices you make in order to have a full share in advertising the King-dom.—Mal. 3:10.

• ⁶ The month of October 2014 will mark

• 6. Why will the month of October 2014 be special?

WEEK STARTING AUGUST 25

Song 112 and Prayer

Q Congregation Bible Study:

cl chap. 12 ^1-8 (30 min.)

Q Theocratic Ministry School:

Bible reading: Numbers 14-16 (10 min.)

Theocratic Ministry School Review (20 min.)

Q Service Meeting:

Song 96

• 5 min: Local Experiences. Have one or two experiences reenacted that show a publisher confidently speaking up about the Kingdom. Briefly discuss Hebrews 6:11, 12, emphasizing the importance of being industrious when it comes to advertising the Kingdom.

• 10 min: Explaining the Kingdom—Part 1. Talk by an elder based on the Ministry School book, page 280, paragraphs 1-4.

• 15 min: Explaining the Kingdom—Part 2. Discussion based on the Ministry School book, page 280, paragraph 5, to page 281, paragraph 1. Include a demonstration of a publisher reasoning with a person to prove that the Kingdom is a real government.

Song 101 and Prayer

Theocratic Ministry School

Review

The following questions will be considered at the Theocratic Ministry School during the week beginning August 25, 2014.

• 1. How can Leviticus 18:3 help us to avoid developing a twisted sense of right and wrong? (Eph. 4:17-19) [ July 7, w02 2/1 p. 29 par. 4]

• 2. What does the command at Leviticus 19:2 teach us, and why should we strive to obey it? [ July 7, w09 7/1 p. 9 par. 5] the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Kingdom. Fittingly, the public edition of The Watchtower that month focuses on God’s Kingdom. Why not make an effort to get this issue into the hands of as many as possible? As we look to the future, may each of us continue “declaring the good news of the Kingdom of God” to all who will listen.—Acts 8:12.

• 3. What does the principle behind the ancient law on gleaning teach us today? (Lev. 19:9, 10) [July 7, w06 6/15 pp. 2223 par. 13]

• 4. Why can it be said that the law of “eye for eye” did not promote personal revenge? (Lev. 24:19, 20) [July 14, w09 9/1 p. 22 pars. 3-4]

• 5. Under what circumstances would it be wrong for an Israelite to charge interest on a loan, but when would the charging of interest be allowed? (Lev. 25:3537) [July 21, w04 5/15 p. 24 par. 3]

• 6. Why is reference generally made to the 12 tribes of Israel when there were actually 13? (Num. 1:49, 50) [July 28, w08 7/1 p. 21]

• 7. What lesson regarding showing consideration to older ones can we glean from the account about Levite compulsory service recorded at Numbers 8:25, 26? [Aug. 11, w04 8/1 p. 25 par. 1]

• 8. After their miraculous exodus from Egypt, why did the Israelites develop a complaining spirit, and what vital lesson can we learn from this account? (Num. 11:4-6) [Aug. 18, w95 3/1 pp. 1516 par. 10]

• 9. What can we learn from the way that Moses responded when Eldad and Medad began acting as prophets? (Num. 11:2729) [Aug. 18, w04 8/1 p. 26 par. 4]

• 10. What valuable principle can we learn from the command given to the Israelites to “make for themselves fringed edges on the skirts of their garments”? (Num. 15:37-39) [Aug. 25, w04 8/1 p. 26 par. 7]

WEEK STARTING SEPTEMBER 1

Song 46 and Prayer

Q Congregation Bible Study:

cl chap. 12 ^9-15 (30 min.)

Q Theocratic Ministry School:

Bible reading: Numbers 17-21 (10 min.)

No. 1: Numbers 17:1-13 (4 min. or less)

No. 2: How We Know That There Really Is a Devil—rs p. 361 ^2-p. 362 ^2 (5 min.)

No. 3: Acts of Apostles—The Accuracy of the Book of Acts—it-1 p. 43 fl3-p. 44 ^2 (5 min.)

Q Service Meeting:

Song 98

10 min: Offer the Magazines During September. Discussion. Start by demonstrating how the magazines may be offered using the sample presentations on this page. Then analyze each sample presentation from beginning to end.

10 min: How Did We Do? Discussion. Invite publishers to comment on how they benefited from the part “Improving Our Skills in the Min-istry—Confidently Speaking Up About the Kingdom.” Ask the audience to relate personal experiences about the challenges of speaking up about the Kingdom. How were they able to overcome such challenges?

10 min: Report on Our Special Campaign. Talk by the service overseer. Summarize main points from this issue of Our Kingdom Ministry concerning the need to continue advertising the Kingdom. How did the congregation respond to this direction? What were some of the highlights of the work accomplished during the campaign?

Song 45 and Prayer

Announcements

■ Literature offer for August: Special campaign distribution of the new tract Where Can We Find Answers to Life’s Big Questions? September and October: The Wa tch tower and

Awake! magazines. November and December: What Does the Bible Really Teach? or one of the following tracts: (T-30) How Do You View the Bible?, (T-31) How Do You View the Future?, (T-32) What Is the Key to Happy Family Life?, (T-33) Who Really Controls the World?, (T-34) Will Suffering Ever End?, or (T-35) Can the Dead Really Live Again?

Sample Presentations

To Start Bible Studies on the First Saturday in September

“Many people believe in angels. Do you? [Allow for response.] As spirit creatures angels are very powerful, but do you think they can help us? The Bible tells us how they assist mankind today.” Show the back of the September 1 Watchtower, and consider together the material under the first question and at least one of the cited scriptures. Offer the magazines, and arrange to return and discuss the next question.

WAT4HTO6I7 September 1

Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom         ■

“Do you feel that man is ruining the earth beyond repair? [Allow for response.] Although man is not capable of repairing the damage he has done, the Bible tells us that God can and desires to do so. We have this assurance at Psalm 65:9. [Read.] This issue of The Watchtower discusses how God will care for the earth and how we can enjoy these future blessings. May I leave it with you to read?”

!"#$ September

“Many feel that they are overworked by their employer and see no way to escape the pressure. Experts say that work overload can lead to burnout, which can cause physical and emotional harm. What do you think can help a person maintain a balanced life? [Allow for a response.] Here’s a thoughtprovoking Bible verse. [Read Ecclesiastes 4:6.] This magazine explains four practical ways that we can adjust our priorities and deal with workplace burnout.”

Field Service Highlights

It is pleasing to note that both Britain and Ireland had further new peaks of regular pioneers. Britain reported

12,214 and Ireland 756. Many new home Bible studies were reported for March—61,055 for Britain and a new peak of 3,647 for Ireland.

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