00:01 While there is a lot of work to be done on a local level,
00:05 there is an unprecedented global effort
00:08 to provide spiritual food to all of God’s people.
00:11 Under the direction of the Teaching Committee
00:13 of the Governing Body,
00:15 the Audio/Video Services Department, or AVS,
00:18 takes the lead in producing audio and video publications.
00:23 It’s been said that if a picture
00:26 is worth a thousand words,
00:28 then a video is worth a million!
00:31 Videos stir our emotions, don’t they?
00:34 And they can be very powerful teaching tools.
00:37 Brother Russell recognized this fact.
00:40 Back in 1914, the small group of Bible Students
00:43 presented the “Photo-Drama of Creation”
00:46 to over nine million people worldwide,
00:50 and the response was overwhelming.
00:53 It was clear that Jehovah blessed their efforts
00:56 at spreading the Bible’s message in a visual way.
01:01 Well, over a hundred years later,
01:04 “the faithful and discreet slave” is producing videos.
01:07 And for many years, basically,
01:10 one large public-release video
01:13 was being released, or produced, each year.
01:17 For example, back in 2011,
01:20 the video Faith in Action, Part 2 was released.
01:24 And it required a tremendous effort to produce the video master,
01:29 the audio tracks, the graphics,
01:31 the music, the on-screen text for one video.
01:36 However, just five years later,
01:40 the work has grown from producing
01:42 an average of one video per year
01:45 to one video per day.
01:48 This is because videos are now a regular part of our website,
01:53 the broadcasts, our ministry, the conventions,
01:57 meetings, and other special events.
02:00 In 2016,
02:02 more than 350 videos were produced.
02:06 Under the direction of the Teaching Committee,
02:09 Audio/Video Services (AVS) has been entrusted with this work.
02:12 But with this rapid increase in the amount of videos produced,
02:17 how is all this accomplished?
02:20 Perhaps you’ve heard the expression
02:22 “it takes a village.”
02:24 In this case, it takes an entire globe.
02:28 Please enjoy the following video for a close-up look
02:31 at how audio and video work is accomplished worldwide.
02:45 To assist with the growing workload in Audio/Video Services,
02:48 the Governing Body has approved
02:50 11 full-time Regional Video Teams (RVT)
02:53 in branches around the world.
02:55 But it doesn’t stop there.
02:57 Bethelites, commuters, and remote workers in many other branches
03:01 also provide valuable assistance.
03:05 How do we work with all these teams?
03:07 After receiving direction from the Governing Body committees
03:10 for upcoming videos,
03:12 AVS then assigns each video to a capable team.
03:19 Once the team accepts the assignment,
03:21 we provide them with the necessary direction
03:24 as well as answer any questions they may have.
03:28 Then the team goes to work.
03:47 Because of being a small group,
03:49 each team member may have to wear multiple hats to get the job done.
03:53 From start to finish, they all work very hard
03:57 to deliver a completed, edited video
03:59 to us by the designated time.
04:02 Later, you may see these videos on JW Broadcasting,
04:06 jw.org, or other places.
04:15 Would you like to meet some of our RVT family?
04:23 It’s a privilege.
04:26 We meet friends who have suffered some hardships and trials,
04:31 but because of their trust in Jehovah,
04:34 they were able to overcome them,
04:36 and we see the results of their loyalty.
04:39 I think it strengthens our determination
04:42 to also stay loyal.
04:47 We are a joyful team
04:49 with a lot of humor,
04:52 and we work together very harmoniously.
04:53 You could say that we are like a little family.
04:56 We look forward to the next day when we go to work again.
04:59 It’s unbelievable how many dear brothers
05:02 and sisters we’ve gotten to know through these projects.
05:05 Close ties can develop,
05:07 and it is not uncommon that tears flow when the project is over
05:10 and it is time to say good-bye.
05:17 Sometimes we would film on private or state property,
05:20 and I would have to approach the manager
05:22 and let them know what we were planning to shoot
05:24 at the location.
05:26 This wasn’t easy for me because I’m not very good with words.
05:31 And many people in Korea tend to have a biased view of Jehovah’s Witnesses,
05:35 so this made it even harder for me.
05:40 So I prayed to Jehovah,
05:42 asking for his guidance and wisdom.
05:46 I was surprised to find that many were more than willing to help us.
05:53 These experiences help me to realize
05:57 that Jehovah always answers our prayers for strength and courage.
06:04 You have to balance your time around work,
06:07 around being the head of a family,
06:10 being an elder,
06:12 or other responsibilities that you have in the congregation.
06:16 That’s when you really see Jehovah’s hand
06:19 —when you see the mountain of challenge,
06:23 but you overcome it.
06:25 And you know it wasn’t you.
06:26 It was impossible for you to do it yourself.
06:30 When I put even half the amount of energy and effort
06:33 that I do into working for Jehovah into something secular,
06:37 I’m wiped out; I need a vacation.
06:40 But the more I put into working for Jehovah,
06:43 the more I want to work.
06:46 To know that you are offering your skills to Jehovah
06:49 —that is a blessing.
06:52 But, really, the blessing is seeing your relationship with Jehovah
06:55 thrive and become stronger,
06:57 and you can see that he does keep his promises
07:01 and that he supports you more than you’re supporting him.
07:06 Many of us aren’t able to be full-time Bethelites,
07:10 but commuting really helps us
07:12 get that small snippet of what it’s like
07:14 to be a Bethelite and realize what a privilege it is.
07:18 And if you’ve got a specific talent, use it.
07:21 One day in Paradise, someone is going to come to you
07:24 and say, “How did you use your talent?”
07:26 Maybe you’re a brilliant artist,
07:28 and you’re going to proudly turn around and say:
07:30 “You know what? I used it for Jehovah.”
07:33 Even if you’re young, you can learn skills
07:36 and you can really assist Jehovah’s organization
07:40 now and in the future.
07:43 And there is no better boss to work for than Jehovah.
07:47 My advice to young ones: Go for it!
07:50 And during this past year,
07:53 we were excited to add a new team to our AVS family
07:57 —located in Mira Loma, California.
08:03 All in this group have made themselves available
08:05 for video needs out there.
08:08 You’re able to take a person—
08:11 You’re able to take an individual that has dedicated their life to Jehovah,
08:13 and maybe they didn’t know at the time
08:15 that they were going to inspire somebody else
08:16 and have somebody
08:17 somewhere across the planet say:
08:19 “Wow! That’s exactly my life too.
08:21 “I’m so glad that this person
08:24 “was selected to be on here because that’s my life.
08:27 And that has triggered me to want to do more for Jehovah.”
08:33 You know it’s Jehovah’s holy spirit; he’s putting together a team;
08:35 he’s the Great Producer.
08:37 And what he really wants is he wants people who have the talent,
08:40 but he wants people who have the holy spirit more
08:42 and are willing to work for it.
08:44 But he gives you the ability, like Oholiab and Bezalel,
08:48 to be able to put your talents that you’ve learned to work for him.
08:51 As you can see,
08:53 we’re part of a beautiful, hardworking global team.
08:57 With so many hands helping the load in so many time zones,
09:02 we’re literally working on videos 24/7.
09:09 It’s a great privilege to work alongside our extended family.
09:12 We learn from each other.
09:14 Their willing spirit, humble attitude,
09:17 and contagious joy
09:19 inspire all of us here in AVS.
09:24 Additionally, we receive incredible support right at home too.
09:29 Virtually every department at Bethel
09:31 supports the audio/video work in some way,
09:34 and we are very, very thankful.
09:39 With everyone’s help, the Bible’s message is being spread visually
09:44 throughout the earth at unprecedented levels.
09:51 But how is any of this possible?
09:54 Brother Russell said it best:
09:56 ‘This is not man’s work. It’s God’s.’
10:01 Jehovah is certainly at the helm.
10:05 As he foretold at Haggai 2:7:
10:08 “I will shake all the nations,
10:11 “and the precious things of all the nations will come in;
10:14 and I will fill this house with glory.”
10:18 There is certainly
10:20 a great shaking taking place
10:22 worldwide.
10:24 And many of these precious ones are offering themselves willingly
10:28 to help Audio/Video Services accomplish this great work,
10:32 thanks to Jehovah God,
10:34 our Grand and Visual Instructor.
