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00:00:01 For over 100 years, 00:00:03 Jehovah’s organization 00:00:05 has been producing books 00:00:06 to help us teach people Bible truths. 00:00:09 Do you remember when some of these study books were released? 00:00:13 “This Means Everlasting Life” 00:00:15 was released in 1950; 00:00:18 The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life, 00:00:20 in 1968; 00:00:22 You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, 00:00:24 in 1982; 00:00:26 and Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life, 00:00:29 in 1995. 00:00:32 What did those titles have in common? 00:00:35 They showed that it’s possible for a person to learn 00:00:38 what Jehovah requires to live forever. 00:00:41 And that’s why we keep searching for people 00:00:43 who are “rightly disposed for everlasting life” 00:00:45 and who are willing to study the Bible with us. 00:00:49 All of those books and several more that we published since then 00:00:52 have been instrumental in helping people 00:00:55 become believers in our wonderful hope for the future. 00:00:59 In 2021, we added one more book to the list, entitled 00:01:04 Enjoy Life Forever! 00:01:06 —An Interactive Bible Course. 00:01:09 This title adds another element: 00:01:11 that it’s possible not only to gain everlasting life 00:01:14 but also to learn how to enjoy life even now. 00:01:19 The title is taken from Psalm 22:26, which says: 00:01:24 “Those seeking Jehovah will praise him. 00:01:27 May you enjoy life forever.” 00:01:31 This newest study publication is very different 00:01:33 from all the others that we’ve produced. 00:01:36 In this broadcast, we want to explain 00:01:38 what went on behind the scenes 00:01:40 to produce Enjoy Life Forever! 00:01:44 Under the direction of the Governing Body, 00:01:46 hundreds of Bethelites around the world 00:01:48 worked very hard to make it possible 00:01:50 for us to have this innovative study tool. 00:01:53 However, they’ll be quick to say that all credit for this goes to Jehovah. 00:01:58 That’s why we can say 00:01:59 just as the prophet Isaiah said in ancient times of our great God: 00:02:05 “O Jehovah, . . . 00:02:07 everything we have done you have accomplished for us.” 00:02:11 We know that any success we enjoy 00:02:13 is because of Jehovah’s direction and blessing. 00:02:16 And so the theme of this presentation is 00:02:19 “See What Jehovah Has Done for Us!” 00:02:24 “The faithful and discreet slave” has always taken very seriously 00:02:27 Jesus’ command recorded at Matthew 28:19: 00:02:31 “Go, . . . and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them.” 00:02:36 And that’s what our Bible study activity aims to accomplish. 00:02:40 For decades, our method of conducting studies 00:02:43 was to study printed material paragraph by paragraph. 00:02:47 When answering the questions for the paragraphs, 00:02:50 some students would often just repeat what was stated in the book. 00:02:54 However, it was hard to know whether the truth 00:02:56 was really touching their heart. 00:02:58 With Enjoy Life Forever! we’re using a different method of teaching 00:03:02 that generates candid expressions by the students in their own words. 00:03:06 This is just what the Governing Body feels is needed 00:03:09 to bring new ones to dedication and baptism 00:03:12 during these urgent last days. 00:03:15 If you’ve begun conducting Bible studies with Enjoy Life Forever!, 00:03:18 you can appreciate how it’s adjusting our Bible study work. 00:03:23 Here’s what some longtime pioneers have said 00:03:25 after covering just one lesson on their studies: 00:03:30 “This was the most beautiful spiritual conversation 00:03:33 I have ever had with a student!” 00:03:36 “My student revealed things she had never told me before. 00:03:40 I felt as if I was hearing her heart for the first time!” 00:03:45 “It truly reaches the heart and motivates students to action.” 00:03:50 And one brother wrote: “I am so excited about this new Bible course 00:03:54 “that I am begging Jehovah to hear my prayers 00:03:57 to be able to conduct progressive studies.” 00:04:02 It was early in 2019 when the Writing Committee 00:04:04 took on the amazing project to produce a new Bible study tool. 00:04:08 They assembled a team of writers, designers, and consultants 00:04:12 to investigate whether we could improve the publications that we were then using. 00:04:18 At the very first discussion session, 00:04:20 everyone was encouraged to pray often about the task at hand 00:04:24 —to pray when thinking about it, when brainstorming with others, 00:04:28 and when working on it— 00:04:30 and to respond to the influence of holy spirit. 00:04:34 Why pray so much? 00:04:36 Proverbs 16:3 gives the answer: 00:04:41 “Commit to Jehovah whatever you do, 00:04:44 and your plans will succeed.” 00:04:47 The team was also encouraged to think outside the box, 00:04:51 which means to think outside, or beyond, 00:04:53 the way things have always been done in the past. 00:04:56 Times have changed, people have changed, 00:04:59 and the way that many prefer to be taught has changed. 00:05:03 These days they respond better to multimedia 00:05:05 that engages them and holds their attention. 00:05:09 The team was shown a puzzle 00:05:11 that illustrates what it means to think outside the box 00:05:15 —the nine-dots puzzle. 00:05:17 The challenge is to connect all nine dots 00:05:19 with just four straight lines. 00:05:22 Here are a few examples 00:05:23 of how some will try to solve the puzzle. 00:05:25 Notice that with each attempt 00:05:27 one dot is missed. 00:05:29 The problem is that our mind tends 00:05:31 to build a box around the dots, 00:05:33 and that instantly limits 00:05:34 what we can imagine. 00:05:36 The only way to connect all nine dots 00:05:39 with just four straight lines 00:05:41 is by going outside the box 00:05:43 and thinking differently 00:05:45 than we normally would. 00:05:49 The point was to show that novel, creative thinking 00:05:52 was needed to imagine something 00:05:54 other than the traditional way of studying the Bible with people. 00:05:58 With Jehovah’s spirit guiding fresh thinking, 00:06:00 it would be interesting to see what innovative ideas could be thought of 00:06:03 for how to teach the truth to Bible students. 00:06:07 And yet, it was felt that our brothers and sisters 00:06:09 would need to see some familiar features in the new publication. 00:06:13 That’s why the first part of each lesson 00:06:15 is designed similar to the Good News brochure. 00:06:18 It features numbered questions, 00:06:20 each followed by a paragraph 00:06:22 that briefly covers fundamental facts 00:06:24 about the topic. 00:06:26 Next, the “Dig Deeper” section 00:06:28 reasons on the topic, 00:06:29 shows how to apply what’s learned, 00:06:31 and discusses what the topic teaches us 00:06:34 about Jehovah. 00:06:36 It includes features found 00:06:37 in the Life and Ministry Meeting Workbook 00:06:39 —bulleted discussion points, 00:06:41 scriptures to read, 00:06:42 videos to play, 00:06:44 and viewpoint questions to answer. 00:06:47 And like the study articles in The Watchtower, 00:06:49 the last part of each lesson includes just three review questions. 00:06:54 It was decided that we could cover much less printed material 00:06:57 and let the Bible do the teaching 00:07:00 and that we need to draw out the student’s feelings 00:07:02 with well-worded viewpoint questions 00:07:05 and include videos and generous artwork. 00:07:09 We must help the student 00:07:10 to see Jehovah as a real Person 00:07:13 and to develop a warm relationship with him 00:07:16 and encourage the student to get into a routine 00:07:18 of regular Bible reading, prayer, and meeting attendance. 00:07:22 Does Enjoy Life Forever! provide what we need to accomplish all of that? 00:07:27 It certainly does! 00:07:29 The scriptures are the focal point of each lesson, 00:07:33 so the student is prompted to find answers in the Bible. 00:07:37 The questions draw out the student’s feelings about what he’s learning. 00:07:41 Early in the course, students are helped 00:07:43 to appreciate what Jehovah is like, 00:07:46 to feel his love for them, 00:07:48 and to see how to draw close to him as their Friend. 00:07:52 The beautiful artwork and motivating videos have real emotional impact. 00:07:58 This project to produce Enjoy Life Forever! 00:08:01 required the collaboration of six departments at world headquarters. 00:08:06 As directed by the Governing Body, 00:08:08 the Writing Department researched, wrote, 00:08:11 and proofread the text for each lesson. 00:08:14 These were then sent to hundreds of brothers and sisters around the world 00:08:17 to test them on their Bible studies. 00:08:20 The Writing Department coordinated the work with other departments 00:08:24 to keep the project on schedule. 00:08:27 Translation Services helped to simplify 00:08:29 the vocabulary and logic of what was written. 00:08:33 They identified any English text 00:08:35 that would be a problem for translators to render in their local languages. 00:08:40 As of right now, Enjoy Life Forever! 00:08:42 has been approved in upward of 700 languages. 00:08:46 The Art Department designed 00:08:48 the book’s layout and artwork. 00:08:51 Teams in several branches photographed models 00:08:53 to help the illustrators 00:08:54 create the many beautiful scenes 00:08:56 that appear in the book, 00:08:58 which contains over 600 images. 00:09:01 MEPS Programming developed new tools 00:09:03 so that the digital version of the book in the JW Library® app 00:09:07 would look similar to the printed edition. 00:09:10 This was the first publication 00:09:12 for which both print and digital formats 00:09:15 were designed simultaneously. 00:09:17 Text Processing Services composed the text and artwork 00:09:21 for both the print and digital formats, 00:09:23 transcribed the book into English braille, 00:09:26 and instructed the branches 00:09:27 on how to produce the book 00:09:28 in their languages. 00:09:30 Audio/Video Services produced several new videos and excerpts 00:09:34 of many existing videos from the jw.org website. 00:09:39 They also produced unique audio recordings of the book 00:09:42 that include various voices and sounds. 00:09:46 This was truly a collaborative effort! 00:09:48 But there was a major problem 00:09:50 that could have stalled this project: 00:09:52 COVID-19. 00:09:55 When world headquarters and the branches were locked down, 00:09:58 60 percent of the project still needed to be completed. 00:10:02 And yet, the Governing Body had given it high priority. 00:10:06 The following video will give you some idea 00:10:09 of how the departments worked together to get their work done 00:10:12 despite the challenges they faced during the pandemic. 00:10:17 Everything about Enjoy Life Forever! 00:10:19 is different from any other publication 00:10:21 we’ve produced in the past. 00:10:22 And from the start of the project, 00:10:23 two things were critical: 00:10:24 good communication and good documentation. 00:10:27 But honestly, time and again, 00:10:29 the thing that proved to be the most important 00:10:31 was reliance on Jehovah. 00:10:32 The Writing Committee’s goal was to create 00:10:34 a first-class digital experience 00:10:36 that would engage Bible students. 00:10:39 The digital design system had to be completely remodeled 00:10:43 so that Enjoy Life Forever! would look uniform 00:10:45 whether it’s viewed in JW Library®, 00:10:47 on jw.org, or in print. 00:10:49 Right from the inception of this project, 00:10:52 the brothers looked for input 00:10:53 so that the study material would be 00:10:55 easily available in as many languages as possible. 00:10:58 And for that reason, a team from Translation Services 00:11:01 worked along with the writers. 00:11:03 A publication of this size would usually take 00:11:06 about two or three years to complete, 00:11:08 but the Writing Committee 00:11:09 was really interested in getting the Enjoy Life Forever! book 00:11:11 out there as soon as possible. 00:11:13 The Enjoy Life Forever! book 00:11:15 required an intense amount of collaboration. 00:11:17 Right from the beginning, 00:11:18 the Writing Committee 00:11:19 got all six departments together 00:11:20 so we could work unitedly through the production. 00:11:56 Our existing tool set didn’t have the ability 00:11:59 to style digital publications like we can with print. 00:12:02 We could do black text on a white background with gray boxes. 00:12:07 That was the extent of the functionality that we had available. 00:12:11 Enjoy Life Forever! is very interactive for the student. 00:12:14 When producing the audio for this publication, 00:12:16 we endeavored to maintain that feel. 00:12:18 So we added multiple voices, musical cues 00:12:22 and, in some cases, the audio track for the video 00:12:25 was reedited to teach the point effectively. 00:12:28 When we got to Lesson 32, 00:12:30 we felt that it might be too complicated 00:12:32 to build as a digital experience, 00:12:34 but that’s when the collaboration really paid off. 00:12:37 It took every tool that we had 00:12:39 and basically every trick in order to build 00:12:41 the digital version of that lesson. 00:12:44 As we were working on the prototype, 00:12:46 we would collaborate with the User Experience Group 00:12:48 to make sure that the look and feel of the digital edition 00:12:50 was the same whether it was on a large device 00:12:53 or a small device. 00:12:55 The entire chart is a visual aid. 00:12:57 So we wanted to be sure that all of our users, 00:12:59 especially those who are visually impaired, 00:13:01 would be able to understand the teaching point. 00:13:03 This required us to build the chart 00:13:06 so that screen readers could read the text 00:13:08 and that each picture would have a description for those who needed it. 00:13:13 Early in the concept stage, we understood that there would be 00:13:16 about 200 videos in this publication, 00:13:18 requiring thousands of hours of work: 00:13:20 eight brand new videos 00:13:22 and of the remaining videos, around 60 would need to be edited. 00:13:25 Just as eight new videos were entering their production phase, 00:13:29 COVID-19 hit, effectively halting 00:13:31 video production around the world. 00:13:33 This work stoppage continued until each branch could determine 00:13:36 how they could film safely 00:13:39 and still meet the deadline only nine months away. 00:13:42 Because of the pandemic, photo sessions here at headquarters 00:13:45 were completely stopped for four months. 00:13:47 Now, as things progressed, we were able to resume photography, 00:13:50 only by adhering to strict protocols. 00:13:53 For example, we had a family photograph themselves 00:13:56 while being directed by the Art Department here. 00:13:59 So everything that a Bible study conductor had been trained to do 00:14:02 —ask all the important questions, 00:14:04 develop love for Jehovah in their Bible students, show videos— 00:14:07 it’s all built into the publication. 00:14:09 So would the concept work with actual Bible students? 00:14:12 To find out, we did in-house testing. 00:14:15 And then at the same time, 00:14:16 we sent out the lessons around the world to publishers, pioneers, 00:14:20 missionaries, and circuit overseers. 00:14:21 And they used the lessons with actual Bible students. 00:14:24 We tested every lesson of the book this way. 00:14:27 And then the responses that we got back were analyzed, 00:14:29 and we made further refinements. 00:14:31 We had hundreds of team meetings, and we felt Jehovah’s holy spirit 00:14:35 equipping all of us after we opened a meeting with prayer. 00:14:38 When you collaborate, you get a better product. 00:14:41 It’s more direct, simpler, and easier to understand. 00:14:45 Also, thinking ahead 00:14:46 about potential translation problems and addressing them 00:14:49 helped expedite translation in hundreds of languages. 00:15:07 I feel that Jehovah helped us 00:15:09 accomplish this job in a shorter amount of time 00:15:11 and a quality that would have been very difficult 00:15:13 even under normal circumstances. 00:15:15 How amazing Jehovah is! 00:15:19 With the Governing Body wholeheartedly embracing the project 00:15:23 and everyone on the production team willingly giving their all, 00:15:27 we could see clear evidence of Jehovah’s backing. 00:15:31 Now that we’ve seen what Jehovah has wonderfully done for us, 00:15:35 what must we do for him? 00:15:38 Remember, Jesus’ command at Matthew 28:19, 20 00:15:41 applies to all Christians. 00:15:44 Regarding that command, note what the article 00:15:46 “Keep Busy During the Last of ‘the Last Days’” states 00:15:49 in the October 2019 issue of The Watchtower: 00:15:54 “As we conduct Bible studies, 00:15:56 “we have to try our best to ‘make disciples . . . , 00:15:59 “teaching them to observe all the things [Jesus has] commanded.’ 00:16:03 “We need to help people understand how important it is 00:16:07 “for them to take their stand for Jehovah and his Kingdom. 00:16:10 “This means trying to motivate people to make the truth their own 00:16:14 “by applying what they learn, dedicating their life to Jehovah, 00:16:18 “and getting baptized. 00:16:20 Only then will they survive Jehovah’s day.” 00:16:24 In most parts of the earth, 00:16:26 people are not waiting in line for Bible studies. 00:16:29 So we have to be proactive, trying our best to find people 00:16:33 with whom we can start and conduct progressive studies, 00:16:36 using our interactive Bible course. 00:16:39 We want as many righthearted persons as possible 00:16:42 to become Jehovah’s willing, loyal Witnesses. 00:16:46 Here are seven suggestions you can write down now and try later. 00:16:50 They really work! 00:16:52 The first and most important is: 00:16:54 Pray for a Bible study. 00:16:57 Never underestimate the power of prayer, 00:17:00 so be specific in your prayers and keep praying for studies. 00:17:05 Work in harmony with your prayers by offering studies at every opportunity, 00:17:09 including to your relatives and acquaintances. 00:17:13 (2) Show people the brochure. 00:17:17 Use the intriguing question on the back cover to pique their interest. 00:17:22 It asks: “Is it possible to enjoy life forever?” 00:17:27 Offer to cover the three introductory lessons in the brochure. 00:17:30 After that, the person can decide 00:17:32 whether to continue 00:17:33 with the rest of the Bible course in the book. 00:17:37 (3) Try the direct approach. 00:17:40 Introduce yourself as a Bible teacher, 00:17:42 and come right out and ask people 00:17:44 whether they would like to learn more about the Bible. 00:17:48 Explain that we have a most enjoyable and easy interactive Bible course 00:17:52 and that you have openings in your teaching schedule. 00:17:56 (4) Ask your studies for referrals. 00:18:00 You can do this while studying the first paragraph of lesson 01. 00:18:04 It asks: “Do you think that the Bible can help anyone you know?” 00:18:09 If your student mentions a friend, a relative, a neighbor, or a workmate, 00:18:14 offer to demonstrate the course to that person. 00:18:18 (5) Approach meeting attenders. 00:18:21 Don’t assume that interested ones you see at congregation meetings 00:18:25 are already studying. 00:18:27 Ask them, and if they are not currently studying, 00:18:30 offer to get them started. 00:18:33 (6) Ask non-Witness marriage mates. 00:18:38 When was the last time they were offered a Bible study? 00:18:41 Even if they had declined an offer in the past, 00:18:44 they might be interested now. 00:18:46 And they may prefer to study with someone outside their family. 00:18:51 And (7) talk to those who’ve studied before. 00:18:55 Did you study with someone years ago in one of our other publications 00:18:59 who did not make any progress? 00:19:01 Why not contact them, 00:19:03 explain that we have a new interactive Bible course, 00:19:06 and ask if they’d like to study again? 00:19:09 This may be just what they need now to act on what they learn. 00:19:15 A key principle that applies to the efforts 00:19:18 we put forth in the Bible study work 00:19:20 is found at Galatians 6:9, which says: 00:19:24 “So let us not give up in doing what is fine, 00:19:28 “for in due time we will reap 00:19:30 if we do not tire out.” 00:19:32 So may we never lose our enthusiasm in making disciples 00:19:36 nor relax our efforts. 00:19:39 With Jehovah’s rich blessing on our Bible study activity 00:19:42 using Enjoy Life Forever! 00:19:45 we’ll be able to say thankfully: 00:19:47 “O Jehovah, . . . everything we have done 00:19:50 you have accomplished for us”!
00:00:01 For over 100 years, 00:00:03 Jehovah’s organization 00:00:05 has been producing books 00:00:06 to help us teach people Bible truths. 00:00:09 Do you remember when some of these study books were released? 00:00:13 “This Means Everlasting Life” 00:00:15 was released in 1950; 00:00:18 The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life, 00:00:20 in 1968; 00:00:22 You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, 00:00:24 in 1982; 00:00:26 and Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life, 00:00:29 in 1995. 00:00:32 What did those titles have in common? 00:00:35 They showed that it’s possible for a person to learn 00:00:38 what Jehovah requires to live forever. 00:00:41 And that’s why we keep searching for people 00:00:43 who are “rightly disposed for everlasting life” 00:00:45 and who are willing to study the Bible with us. 00:00:49 All of those books and several more that we published since then 00:00:52 have been instrumental in helping people 00:00:55 become believers in our wonderful hope for the future. 00:00:59 In 2021, we added one more book to the list, entitled 00:01:04 Enjoy Life Forever! 00:01:06 —An Interactive Bible Course. 00:01:09 This title adds another element: 00:01:11 that it’s possible not only to gain everlasting life 00:01:14 but also to learn how to enjoy life even now. 00:01:19 The title is taken from Psalm 22:26, which says: 00:01:24 “Those seeking Jehovah will praise him. 00:01:27 May you enjoy life forever.” 00:01:31 This newest study publication is very different 00:01:33 from all the others that we’ve produced. 00:01:36 In this broadcast, we want to explain 00:01:38 what went on behind the scenes 00:01:40 to produce Enjoy Life Forever! 00:01:44 Under the direction of the Governing Body, 00:01:46 hundreds of Bethelites around the world 00:01:48 worked very hard to make it possible 00:01:50 for us to have this innovative study tool. 00:01:53 However, they’ll be quick to say that all credit for this goes to Jehovah. 00:01:58 That’s why we can say 00:01:59 just as the prophet Isaiah said in ancient times of our great God: 00:02:05 “O Jehovah, . . . 00:02:07 everything we have done you have accomplished for us.” 00:02:11 We know that any success we enjoy 00:02:13 is because of Jehovah’s direction and blessing. 00:02:16 And so the theme of this presentation is 00:02:19 “See What Jehovah Has Done for Us!” 00:02:24 “The faithful and discreet slave” has always taken very seriously 00:02:27 Jesus’ command recorded at Matthew 28:19: 00:02:31 “Go, . . . and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them.” 00:02:36 And that’s what our Bible study activity aims to accomplish. 00:02:40 For decades, our method of conducting studies 00:02:43 was to study printed material paragraph by paragraph. 00:02:47 When answering the questions for the paragraphs, 00:02:50 some students would often just repeat what was stated in the book. 00:02:54 However, it was hard to know whether the truth 00:02:56 was really touching their heart. 00:02:58 With Enjoy Life Forever! we’re using a different method of teaching 00:03:02 that generates candid expressions by the students in their own words. 00:03:06 This is just what the Governing Body feels is needed 00:03:09 to bring new ones to dedication and baptism 00:03:12 during these urgent last days. 00:03:15 If you’ve begun conducting Bible studies with Enjoy Life Forever!, 00:03:18 you can appreciate how it’s adjusting our Bible study work. 00:03:23 Here’s what some longtime pioneers have said 00:03:25 after covering just one lesson on their studies: 00:03:30 “This was the most beautiful spiritual conversation 00:03:33 I have ever had with a student!” 00:03:36 “My student revealed things she had never told me before. 00:03:40 I felt as if I was hearing her heart for the first time!” 00:03:45 “It truly reaches the heart and motivates students to action.” 00:03:50 And one brother wrote: “I am so excited about this new Bible course 00:03:54 “that I am begging Jehovah to hear my prayers 00:03:57 to be able to conduct progressive studies.” 00:04:02 It was early in 2019 when the Writing Committee 00:04:04 took on the amazing project to produce a new Bible study tool. 00:04:08 They assembled a team of writers, designers, and consultants 00:04:12 to investigate whether we could improve the publications that we were then using. 00:04:18 At the very first discussion session, 00:04:20 everyone was encouraged to pray often about the task at hand 00:04:24 —to pray when thinking about it, when brainstorming with others, 00:04:28 and when working on it— 00:04:30 and to respond to the influence of holy spirit. 00:04:34 Why pray so much? 00:04:36 Proverbs 16:3 gives the answer: 00:04:41 “Commit to Jehovah whatever you do, 00:04:44 and your plans will succeed.” 00:04:47 The team was also encouraged to think outside the box, 00:04:51 which means to think outside, or beyond, 00:04:53 the way things have always been done in the past. 00:04:56 Times have changed, people have changed, 00:04:59 and the way that many prefer to be taught has changed. 00:05:03 These days they respond better to multimedia 00:05:05 that engages them and holds their attention. 00:05:09 The team was shown a puzzle 00:05:11 that illustrates what it means to think outside the box 00:05:15 —the nine-dots puzzle. 00:05:17 The challenge is to connect all nine dots 00:05:19 with just four straight lines. 00:05:22 Here are a few examples 00:05:23 of how some will try to solve the puzzle. 00:05:25 Notice that with each attempt 00:05:27 one dot is missed. 00:05:29 The problem is that our mind tends 00:05:31 to build a box around the dots, 00:05:33 and that instantly limits 00:05:34 what we can imagine. 00:05:36 The only way to connect all nine dots 00:05:39 with just four straight lines 00:05:41 is by going outside the box 00:05:43 and thinking differently 00:05:45 than we normally would. 00:05:49 The point was to show that novel, creative thinking 00:05:52 was needed to imagine something 00:05:54 other than the traditional way of studying the Bible with people. 00:05:58 With Jehovah’s spirit guiding fresh thinking, 00:06:00 it would be interesting to see what innovative ideas could be thought of 00:06:03 for how to teach the truth to Bible students. 00:06:07 And yet, it was felt that our brothers and sisters 00:06:09 would need to see some familiar features in the new publication. 00:06:13 That’s why the first part of each lesson 00:06:15 is designed similar to the Good News brochure. 00:06:18 It features numbered questions, 00:06:20 each followed by a paragraph 00:06:22 that briefly covers fundamental facts 00:06:24 about the topic. 00:06:26 Next, the “Dig Deeper” section 00:06:28 reasons on the topic, 00:06:29 shows how to apply what’s learned, 00:06:31 and discusses what the topic teaches us 00:06:34 about Jehovah. 00:06:36 It includes features found 00:06:37 in the Life and Ministry Meeting Workbook 00:06:39 —bulleted discussion points, 00:06:41 scriptures to read, 00:06:42 videos to play, 00:06:44 and viewpoint questions to answer. 00:06:47 And like the study articles in The Watchtower, 00:06:49 the last part of each lesson includes just three review questions. 00:06:54 It was decided that we could cover much less printed material 00:06:57 and let the Bible do the teaching 00:07:00 and that we need to draw out the student’s feelings 00:07:02 with well-worded viewpoint questions 00:07:05 and include videos and generous artwork. 00:07:09 We must help the student 00:07:10 to see Jehovah as a real Person 00:07:13 and to develop a warm relationship with him 00:07:16 and encourage the student to get into a routine 00:07:18 of regular Bible reading, prayer, and meeting attendance. 00:07:22 Does Enjoy Life Forever! provide what we need to accomplish all of that? 00:07:27 It certainly does! 00:07:29 The scriptures are the focal point of each lesson, 00:07:33 so the student is prompted to find answers in the Bible. 00:07:37 The questions draw out the student’s feelings about what he’s learning. 00:07:41 Early in the course, students are helped 00:07:43 to appreciate what Jehovah is like, 00:07:46 to feel his love for them, 00:07:48 and to see how to draw close to him as their Friend. 00:07:52 The beautiful artwork and motivating videos have real emotional impact. 00:07:58 This project to produce Enjoy Life Forever! 00:08:01 required the collaboration of six departments at world headquarters. 00:08:06 As directed by the Governing Body, 00:08:08 the Writing Department researched, wrote, 00:08:11 and proofread the text for each lesson. 00:08:14 These were then sent to hundreds of brothers and sisters around the world 00:08:17 to test them on their Bible studies. 00:08:20 The Writing Department coordinated the work with other departments 00:08:24 to keep the project on schedule. 00:08:27 Translation Services helped to simplify 00:08:29 the vocabulary and logic of what was written. 00:08:33 They identified any English text 00:08:35 that would be a problem for translators to render in their local languages. 00:08:40 As of right now, Enjoy Life Forever! 00:08:42 has been approved in upward of 700 languages. 00:08:46 The Art Department designed 00:08:48 the book’s layout and artwork. 00:08:51 Teams in several branches photographed models 00:08:53 to help the illustrators 00:08:54 create the many beautiful scenes 00:08:56 that appear in the book, 00:08:58 which contains over 600 images. 00:09:01 MEPS Programming developed new tools 00:09:03 so that the digital version of the book in the JW Library® app 00:09:07 would look similar to the printed edition. 00:09:10 This was the first publication 00:09:12 for which both print and digital formats 00:09:15 were designed simultaneously. 00:09:17 Text Processing Services composed the text and artwork 00:09:21 for both the print and digital formats, 00:09:23 transcribed the book into English braille, 00:09:26 and instructed the branches 00:09:27 on how to produce the book 00:09:28 in their languages. 00:09:30 Audio/Video Services produced several new videos and excerpts 00:09:34 of many existing videos from the jw.org website. 00:09:39 They also produced unique audio recordings of the book 00:09:42 that include various voices and sounds. 00:09:46 This was truly a collaborative effort! 00:09:48 But there was a major problem 00:09:50 that could have stalled this project: 00:09:52 COVID-19. 00:09:55 When world headquarters and the branches were locked down, 00:09:58 60 percent of the project still needed to be completed. 00:10:02 And yet, the Governing Body had given it high priority. 00:10:06 The following video will give you some idea 00:10:09 of how the departments worked together to get their work done 00:10:12 despite the challenges they faced during the pandemic. 00:10:17 Everything about Enjoy Life Forever! 00:10:19 is different from any other publication 00:10:21 we’ve produced in the past. 00:10:22 And from the start of the project, 00:10:23 two things were critical: 00:10:24 good communication and good documentation. 00:10:27 But honestly, time and again, 00:10:29 the thing that proved to be the most important 00:10:31 was reliance on Jehovah. 00:10:32 The Writing Committee’s goal was to create 00:10:34 a first-class digital experience 00:10:36 that would engage Bible students. 00:10:39 The digital design system had to be completely remodeled 00:10:43 so that Enjoy Life Forever! would look uniform 00:10:45 whether it’s viewed in JW Library®, 00:10:47 on jw.org, or in print. 00:10:49 Right from the inception of this project, 00:10:52 the brothers looked for input 00:10:53 so that the study material would be 00:10:55 easily available in as many languages as possible. 00:10:58 And for that reason, a team from Translation Services 00:11:01 worked along with the writers. 00:11:03 A publication of this size would usually take 00:11:06 about two or three years to complete, 00:11:08 but the Writing Committee 00:11:09 was really interested in getting the Enjoy Life Forever! book 00:11:11 out there as soon as possible. 00:11:13 The Enjoy Life Forever! book 00:11:15 required an intense amount of collaboration. 00:11:17 Right from the beginning, 00:11:18 the Writing Committee 00:11:19 got all six departments together 00:11:20 so we could work unitedly through the production. 00:11:56 Our existing tool set didn’t have the ability 00:11:59 to style digital publications like we can with print. 00:12:02 We could do black text on a white background with gray boxes. 00:12:07 That was the extent of the functionality that we had available. 00:12:11 Enjoy Life Forever! is very interactive for the student. 00:12:14 When producing the audio for this publication, 00:12:16 we endeavored to maintain that feel. 00:12:18 So we added multiple voices, musical cues 00:12:22 and, in some cases, the audio track for the video 00:12:25 was reedited to teach the point effectively. 00:12:28 When we got to Lesson 32, 00:12:30 we felt that it might be too complicated 00:12:32 to build as a digital experience, 00:12:34 but that’s when the collaboration really paid off. 00:12:37 It took every tool that we had 00:12:39 and basically every trick in order to build 00:12:41 the digital version of that lesson. 00:12:44 As we were working on the prototype, 00:12:46 we would collaborate with the User Experience Group 00:12:48 to make sure that the look and feel of the digital edition 00:12:50 was the same whether it was on a large device 00:12:53 or a small device. 00:12:55 The entire chart is a visual aid. 00:12:57 So we wanted to be sure that all of our users, 00:12:59 especially those who are visually impaired, 00:13:01 would be able to understand the teaching point. 00:13:03 This required us to build the chart 00:13:06 so that screen readers could read the text 00:13:08 and that each picture would have a description for those who needed it. 00:13:13 Early in the concept stage, we understood that there would be 00:13:16 about 200 videos in this publication, 00:13:18 requiring thousands of hours of work: 00:13:20 eight brand new videos 00:13:22 and of the remaining videos, around 60 would need to be edited. 00:13:25 Just as eight new videos were entering their production phase, 00:13:29 COVID-19 hit, effectively halting 00:13:31 video production around the world. 00:13:33 This work stoppage continued until each branch could determine 00:13:36 how they could film safely 00:13:39 and still meet the deadline only nine months away. 00:13:42 Because of the pandemic, photo sessions here at headquarters 00:13:45 were completely stopped for four months. 00:13:47 Now, as things progressed, we were able to resume photography, 00:13:50 only by adhering to strict protocols. 00:13:53 For example, we had a family photograph themselves 00:13:56 while being directed by the Art Department here. 00:13:59 So everything that a Bible study conductor had been trained to do 00:14:02 —ask all the important questions, 00:14:04 develop love for Jehovah in their Bible students, show videos— 00:14:07 it’s all built into the publication. 00:14:09 So would the concept work with actual Bible students? 00:14:12 To find out, we did in-house testing. 00:14:15 And then at the same time, 00:14:16 we sent out the lessons around the world to publishers, pioneers, 00:14:20 missionaries, and circuit overseers. 00:14:21 And they used the lessons with actual Bible students. 00:14:24 We tested every lesson of the book this way. 00:14:27 And then the responses that we got back were analyzed, 00:14:29 and we made further refinements. 00:14:31 We had hundreds of team meetings, and we felt Jehovah’s holy spirit 00:14:35 equipping all of us after we opened a meeting with prayer. 00:14:38 When you collaborate, you get a better product. 00:14:41 It’s more direct, simpler, and easier to understand. 00:14:45 Also, thinking ahead 00:14:46 about potential translation problems and addressing them 00:14:49 helped expedite translation in hundreds of languages. 00:15:07 I feel that Jehovah helped us 00:15:09 accomplish this job in a shorter amount of time 00:15:11 and a quality that would have been very difficult 00:15:13 even under normal circumstances. 00:15:15 How amazing Jehovah is! 00:15:19 With the Governing Body wholeheartedly embracing the project 00:15:23 and everyone on the production team willingly giving their all, 00:15:27 we could see clear evidence of Jehovah’s backing. 00:15:31 Now that we’ve seen what Jehovah has wonderfully done for us, 00:15:35 what must we do for him? 00:15:38 Remember, Jesus’ command at Matthew 28:19, 20 00:15:41 applies to all Christians. 00:15:44 Regarding that command, note what the article 00:15:46 “Keep Busy During the Last of ‘the Last Days’” states 00:15:49 in the October 2019 issue of The Watchtower: 00:15:54 “As we conduct Bible studies, 00:15:56 “we have to try our best to ‘make disciples . . . , 00:15:59 “teaching them to observe all the things [Jesus has] commanded.’ 00:16:03 “We need to help people understand how important it is 00:16:07 “for them to take their stand for Jehovah and his Kingdom. 00:16:10 “This means trying to motivate people to make the truth their own 00:16:14 “by applying what they learn, dedicating their life to Jehovah, 00:16:18 “and getting baptized. 00:16:20 Only then will they survive Jehovah’s day.” 00:16:24 In most parts of the earth, 00:16:26 people are not waiting in line for Bible studies. 00:16:29 So we have to be proactive, trying our best to find people 00:16:33 with whom we can start and conduct progressive studies, 00:16:36 using our interactive Bible course. 00:16:39 We want as many righthearted persons as possible 00:16:42 to become Jehovah’s willing, loyal Witnesses. 00:16:46 Here are seven suggestions you can write down now and try later. 00:16:50 They really work! 00:16:52 The first and most important is: 00:16:54 Pray for a Bible study. 00:16:57 Never underestimate the power of prayer, 00:17:00 so be specific in your prayers and keep praying for studies. 00:17:05 Work in harmony with your prayers by offering studies at every opportunity, 00:17:09 including to your relatives and acquaintances. 00:17:13 (2) Show people the brochure. 00:17:17 Use the intriguing question on the back cover to pique their interest. 00:17:22 It asks: “Is it possible to enjoy life forever?” 00:17:27 Offer to cover the three introductory lessons in the brochure. 00:17:30 After that, the person can decide 00:17:32 whether to continue 00:17:33 with the rest of the Bible course in the book. 00:17:37 (3) Try the direct approach. 00:17:40 Introduce yourself as a Bible teacher, 00:17:42 and come right out and ask people 00:17:44 whether they would like to learn more about the Bible. 00:17:48 Explain that we have a most enjoyable and easy interactive Bible course 00:17:52 and that you have openings in your teaching schedule. 00:17:56 (4) Ask your studies for referrals. 00:18:00 You can do this while studying the first paragraph of lesson 01. 00:18:04 It asks: “Do you think that the Bible can help anyone you know?” 00:18:09 If your student mentions a friend, a relative, a neighbor, or a workmate, 00:18:14 offer to demonstrate the course to that person. 00:18:18 (5) Approach meeting attenders. 00:18:21 Don’t assume that interested ones you see at congregation meetings 00:18:25 are already studying. 00:18:27 Ask them, and if they are not currently studying, 00:18:30 offer to get them started. 00:18:33 (6) Ask non-Witness marriage mates. 00:18:38 When was the last time they were offered a Bible study? 00:18:41 Even if they had declined an offer in the past, 00:18:44 they might be interested now. 00:18:46 And they may prefer to study with someone outside their family. 00:18:51 And (7) talk to those who’ve studied before. 00:18:55 Did you study with someone years ago in one of our other publications 00:18:59 who did not make any progress? 00:19:01 Why not contact them, 00:19:03 explain that we have a new interactive Bible course, 00:19:06 and ask if they’d like to study again? 00:19:09 This may be just what they need now to act on what they learn. 00:19:15 A key principle that applies to the efforts 00:19:18 we put forth in the Bible study work 00:19:20 is found at Galatians 6:9, which says: 00:19:24 “So let us not give up in doing what is fine, 00:19:28 “for in due time we will reap 00:19:30 if we do not tire out.” 00:19:32 So may we never lose our enthusiasm in making disciples 00:19:36 nor relax our efforts. 00:19:39 With Jehovah’s rich blessing on our Bible study activity 00:19:42 using Enjoy Life Forever! 00:19:45 we’ll be able to say thankfully: 00:19:47 “O Jehovah, . . . everything we have done 00:19:50 you have accomplished for us”!
