Our kingdom ministry

MAY 2015

monthly theme: Help all sorts of people come to an accurate knowledge of truth.—1 Tim. 2:3, 4.

WEEK STARTING MAY 11

Song 84 and Prayer

Q Congregation Bible Study:

cl chap. 24 ^11-17 (30 min.)

Q Theocratic Ministry School:

Bible reading: 2 Samuel 4-8 (8 min.) No. 1: 2 Samuel 6:14-23 (3 min. or less) No. 2: What Happens When Someone Dies? —nwt p. 22 fl1-3 (5 min.)

No. 3: Belshazzar—Theme: Learn Humility and Avoid Disaster—it-1 pp. 282-284 (5 min.)

Q Service Meeting:

Song 92

10 min: Help All Sorts of People Come to an Accurate Knowledge of Truth. Talk based on the monthly theme. (See The Watchtower, November 15, 2013, pp. 11-12, par. 8.) Read and discuss 1 Timothy 2:3, 4 and 1 Corinthians 9:1923. Preview some of the Service Meeting parts for the month, and highlight how they relate to the monthly theme.

20 min: “Improving Our Skills in the Ministry —Witnessing to Someone Who Speaks Another Language.” Discussion. Have a brief, realistic demonstration of a publisher using the Nations booklet to witness to someone he meets in the house-to-house ministry.

Song 105 and Prayer

Improving Our Skills in the Ministry—Witnessing to Someone Who Speaks Another Language

Why Important: Jehovah is interested in the spiritual welfare of people “in every nation.” (Acts 10:34, 35) Therefore, Jesus indicated that the good news would be preached “in all the inhabited earth” and “to all the nations.” (Matt. 24:14) Zechariah prophesied that people “out of all the languages of the nations” would respond. (Zech. 8:23) According to the apostle John’s vision, those who survive the great tribulation will include individuals “out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues [languages, ftn.].” (Rev. 7:9, 13, 14) In view of the foregoing, when we encounter someone in our territory who speaks another language, we should try to give him a witness.

How to Do It:

• • Be prepared. Carry in your witnessing case Good News for People of All Nations. Become familiar with the instructions entitled “How to Help Those Who Speak Another Language,” found at the beginning of the booklet. Anticipate the languages you may encounter, and download a video or a publication in those languages from jw.org to your mobile device. Consider using the JW Language app to learn a few phrases. If congregations of different languages preach in the same neighborhood, carry literature only in the language of your congregation when going from house to house. However, when engaging in public witnessing in multilingual areas, have literature in the languages of those you may meet.

• • When you encounter someone who does not speak your language, do your best to share “the magnificent things of God” with him in his own language. (Acts 2: 11) Direct him to jw.org for more information in his language. Continue calling on the interested person until he is contacted by publishers who speak his language.

Try This During the Month:

• • During your next Family Worship evening, have a practice session where you give a witness to someone who does not speak your language.

WEEK STARTING MAY 18

Song 50 and Prayer

Q Congregation Bible Study:

cl chap. 24 ^18-21, box on p. 249 (30 min.)

Q Theocratic Ministry School:

Bible reading: 2 Samuel 9-12 (8 min.)

No. 1: 2 Samuel 10:13-11:4 (3 min. or less)

No. 2: Benaiah (No. 1)—Theme: Be Faithful and Fearless—it-1 pp. 284-285 (5 min.)

No. 3: What Hope Can We Have for the Dead?

—nwt p. 23 fl1-3 (5 min.)

Q Service Meeting:

Song 73

10 min: How Paul Helped Greeks to Come to an Accurate Knowledge of Truth. Discussion. Have Acts 17:22-31 read. Consider how this account can help us in our ministry.

20 min: Jehovah Will Help You Be Bold. Discussion. Play the video Jehovah Will Help You Be Bold. (Go to jw.org, and look under BIBLE TEACHINGS > CHILDREN.) Invite comments from the audience on the lessons taught by the video. Ask school-age children to comment on how this video helped them to have the courage to witness to their schoolmates and teachers. Have a reenactment of an outstanding experience that one of the children had when witnessing at school.

Song 60 and Prayer

WEEK STARTING MAY 25

Song 56 and Prayer

Q Congregation Bible Study:

cl chap. 25 ^1-8 (30 min.)

Q Theocratic Ministry School:

Bible reading: 2 Samuel 13-15 (8 min.)

No. 1: 2 Samuel 13:34-14:7 (3 min. or less)

No. 2: What Does the Bible Say About Work?

—nwt p. 24 ^1-3 (5 min.)

No. 3: Bezalel (No. 1)—Theme: Jehovah’s Spirit Equips His Servants for Every Good Work —it-1 p. 307 (5 min.)

Q Service Meeting:

Song 121

10 min: Interview a Field Service Group Overseer. What does caring for your assignment involve? How do you endeavor to shepherd those in your group and help them in the ministry? Why is it important for publishers to inform you if their address or contact information changes? Why may the elders arrange for field service groups to meet separately for service rather than to combine at one location?

20 min: “Help the Blind Learn About Jehovah.” Questions and answers. Include a demonstration.

Song 96 and Prayer

Help the Blind Learn About Jehovah

• ¹ Jesus’ death was just days away. As he was departing the city of Jericho, two blind beggars cried out: “Lord, have mercy on us!” Although the trials that awaited Jesus weighed heavily on his mind, Jesus stopped, called the men to him, and healed them. (Matt. 20:29-34) How can we imitate Jesus’ compassion for the blind?

• ² Be Helpful: If you encounter a blind person, perhaps in public, introduce yourself

• 1. How did Jesus demonstrate compassion for the blind?

• 2. How may we be able to give a witness to a blind person we meet in public?

and offer to provide assistance. Since such ones are often taken advantage of, the person may be suspicious at first. However, your genuine friendliness and sincere interest may put him at ease. Keep in mind, too, that there are different degrees of blindness, and this may determine how much help needs to be rendered. After you have rendered assistance, perhaps you can mention that you are involved in a Bible education work. Offer to read him a scripture, such as Psalm 146:8 or Isaiah 35:5, 6. If he is able to read Braille, ask if he would like to have a Braille publication that will help him learn more about the Bible. You could also help him obtain audio files from jw.org. If his computer has a screen reader program that audibly reads text from the screen, he may even appreciate the printed articles on jw.org along with the publications that can be downloaded in RTF (Rich Text Format).—See the box “When Helping a Blind Person . . .”

• ³ Search Out the Blind: We seldom meet blind people in the house-to-house ministry because many of them do not feel comfortable talking to strangers who come to their door. Therefore, it takes real effort to “search out” such ones in order to give them a witness. (Matt. 10:11) Do you have a workmate or a schoolmate who is blind? Take the initiative to speak to him. If your territory has a school for the blind, offer some of our Braille publications for the school library. Do you know someone who has a blind family member? Does your territory have organizations that provide helpful services for the blind or have assisted living facilities with blind occupants? Explain to the family member, the receptionist, or the director that Jehovah’s Witnesses are very interested in helping the blind, and offer to bring Braille literature or audio recordings. Show him the Bible’s promise that God will soon eradicate blindness permanently. You may also wish to show the video from jw.org entitled “Without It, I Would Feel Lost,” which relates the experience of a blind man who has benefited from having the Bible in Braille. By explaining the purpose of your visit, this may open up the way for you to make contact with blind individuals.

• ⁴ A blind sister named Janet visited a facility that has residents who are blind. She started a conversation with a young woman. Janet told her, “Jesus healed blind people to show what he will do for all who are blind.” They considered Revelation 21:3, 4 together, and Janet explained how this promise would be accomplished by God’s Kingdom. The woman got quiet and then said: “I’ve never heard this from a blind person’s point of view. Most people who can see believe that people are blind because of something

• 3. How can we search out the blind in our territory?

• 4. What lessons does Janet’s experience teach? they or their ancestors did.” Janet e-mailed the woman a link to the Bible Teach book, and now they are studying the Bible together twice a week.

• ⁵ Of course, we cannot heal people of their blindness as Jesus did, but we can help all those whose minds have been blinded by the god of this system of things, including the physically blind, to understand the truth of God’s Word. (2 Cor. 4:4) Jesus healed the two men near Jericho because he was “moved with pity” for them. (Matt. 20:34) If we demonstrate similar interest in the blind, we can enjoy the privilege of helping some to learn about Jehovah, the one who will end blindness forever.

• 5. Although we cannot heal the blind as Jesus could, our demonstrating interest in the blind will bring what blessings?

When Helping a Blind Person ...

• • Speak directly to him, but do not raise your voice. The blind cannot see, but they can usually hear quite well.

• • Bend your arm, and allow him to take your arm just above the elbow if you are guiding him. He will be ableto follow as you walk a half step in front of him. When you see a curb, a pole, a step, or another obstacle, it is important that you alert him.

• • Feel free to use words that refer to vision, such as “see” and “look.” The blind also use them. They “see” with their other senses, even creating mental images of what is being described.

• • Have your discussions in a quiet place. The blind often do not feel comfortable in places with loud background noise, as it is difficult for them to know what is happening around them.

• • Tell him when you leave his presence. This will save him the embarrassment of speaking to someone who is no longer there.

WEEK STARTING JUNE 1

Song 13 and Prayer

Q Congregation Bible Study:

cl chap. 25 V9-16 (30 min.)

Q Theocratic Ministry School:

Bible reading: 2 Samuel 16-18 (8 min.)

No. 1: 2 Samuel 17:14-20 (3 min. or less)

No. 2: Boaz, I—Theme: Be Morally Clean and Accept Scriptural Responsibility— it-1 pp. 347-348 (5 min.)

No. 3: How Can You Manage Your Assets?—nwt p. 25 p-4 (5 min.)

Q Service Meeting:

Song 36

10 min: Offer the Magazines During June. Discussion. Start by demonstrating how the magazines may be offered, using the two sample presentations provided. Then analyze the sample presentations from beginning to end.

10 min: Local needs.

10 min: How Did We Do? Discussion. Invite publishers to comment on how they benefited by applying points from the article “Improving Our Skills in the Ministry—Witnessing to Someone Who Speaks Another Language.” Ask the audience to relate positive experiences.

Song 25 and Prayer

Announcements

Sample Presentations

“34HTO6E7® June 1

Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom ^r

“We’re visiting our neighbors briefly to stimulate interest in the Bible. Many people feel that modern science has proved the Bible to be inaccurate. What’s your opinion of the Bible? Do you think it can be trusted? [Allow for response.] Notice this interesting example of the Bible’s scientific accuracy. [Read Job 26:7.] This magazine examines how science and the Bible harmonize and complement each other.”

!"#$ June

“Since many of our neighbors are battling illness, we are visiting briefly to share this encouraging Bible verse. [Read Isaiah 33: 24a.] If we never got sick, how do you think our lives would be different? [Allow for response.] Until this prophecy is fulfilled, there are five basic things that we can do to improve our health. This magazine explains.”

Field Service Highlights

■ Literature offer for May and June: What Does the Bible Really Teach? or one of the following tracts: Can the Dead Really Live Again?, How Do You View the Bible?, or How Do You View the Future? July and August: Good News From God! or Was Life Created?

We are pleased to report that a grand total of 13,788 reported as regular pioneers in December in Britain and Ireland. This represents an increase of well over 9 per cent compared to the same month of the previous year. Are you able to join them?—Ps. 96:2.

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