Our Kingdom Ministry

June 1999                         For United States of America km-E Us 6/99 Vol. 42, No. 6

'Under divine direction an international educational program now operates in 233 lands. Nothing this world has to offer can compare with it. Our Grand Instructor, Jehovah, is teaching us how to benefit ourselves now as he also educates us for eternal life.—Isa. 30:20; 48:17.

• ² Schools of Divine Education: Consider the schools currently in progress for the benefit of Jehovah’s people. The Theocratic Ministry School, conducted weekly in some 87,000 congregations, trains millions of Kingdom publishers to be effective ministers of the good news. Have you enrolled in it? Are you among the thousands who have attended the two-week Pioneer Service School? Perhaps the reduced hour requirement for regular pioneers will enable more to pioneer and qualify to attend this school. The two-month Ministerial Training School, now conducted in principal languages around the world, is equipping unmarried elders and ministerial servants to take on greater theocratic responsibilities. Periodically, all elders and ministerial servants receive specialized instruction in the Kingdom Ministry School.

• ³ Facilities at the Watchtower Educational Center in Patterson, New York, are being used to house three special schools, which provide advanced theocratic training. The five-month course of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead prepares ministers for missionary work in foreign fields. Branch Committee members from around the world attend a two-month course on branch organization. In May 1999 a new two-month course for traveling overseers began with a class of 48 students from the United States and Canada. All of Jehovah’s servants ultimately receive fine benefits from the training Jehovah is providing through these various schools.

• ⁴ Taught for What Purpose?

A member of the Governing Body stated: “Our current educational program is designed to bring all of Jehovah’s people everywhere into the fine condition of maturity described at Proverbs 1:1-4.” May Jehovah continue to give each one of us “the tongue of the taught ones.” —Isa. 50:4.

'As we conduct our public ministry, our first impression of some people may make us hesitate to share the good news with them. For example, how would you react if a fierce-looking man always eyed you suspiciously when you called on his neighbor who had shown interest in the truth? A pioneer sister who experienced this decided to approach the man and speak to him. He greeted her rudely. But, amazingly, he listened to the Bible’s message and with some excitement agreed to study. As a result of the sister’s not judging by outward appearances, the way was opened for this man and his wife to learn the truth.

• ² Another sister was initially frightened by the outward appearance of a long-haired young man but persisted in witnessing to him briefly whenever he came into the store where she worked. Her efforts bore fruit, and the young man is now a baptized Witness. What will prevent us from hastily concluding that such ones will not respond?

• ³ Imitating the Example of Jesus: Jesus knew that he would give his life for everyone. Hence, he was not put off by the external appearance of others. He realized that even those with unsavory reputations might be willing to change if given the proper help and incentive. (Matt. 9:9-13) He tried to help both rich and poor alike. (Matt. 11:5; Mark 10:17-22) May we not judge the people we meet in the ministry by their outward appearance, blinding ourselves to what might be a good heart condition. (Matt. 7:1; John 7:24) What can help us to imitate Jesus’ outstanding example?

• ⁴ Through our study of the Bible, we have come to appreciate that God’s Word has the power to change one’s thinking, conduct, and personality. (Eph. 4:22-24; Heb. 4:12) Therefore, while exercising due caution, we should keep a positive attitude and leave the rest in the hands of Jehovah, the One who reads human hearts.—1 Sam. 16:7; Acts 10:34, 35.

• ⁵ May our impartial sharing of the good news with all sorts of people, regardless of their outward appearance, contribute to the great harvest work in these last days.—1 Tim. 2:3,4.

  /ice Meetings for Jun

  
  

Week Starting June 7

Song 45

10 mln: Local announcements. Selected Announcements from Our Kingdom Ministry. Theocratic News.

15 mln: "We Are Taught by Jehovah.” Limit introductory comments to less than a minute, and follow with a question-and-answer discussion. Invite audience to relate some of the benefits they have received from the Theocratic Ministry School, Pioneer Service School, Kingdom Ministry School, and so forth. Stress how these have helped Jehovah’s people to become more effective in the ministry.

20 mln: “Make Your Time Count.” Discussion between a Congregation Book Study conductor and one or two experienced publishers who relate how they manage their time to share as fully as possible in the field service. They explain the importance of a workable schedule and stress the need for one. They tell how they avoid such time wasters as getting a late start, poor advance planning, or too much socializing during the ministry. Considering local circumstances, offer practical suggestions on how to make time count.

Song 48 and concluding prayer.

Week Starting June 14

Song 63

10 mln: Local announcements. Accounts report.

15 mln: Local needs.

20 min: “Can You Give a Helping Hand?" Audience discussion conducted by an elder. Include the suggestions given in the October 8, 1995, Awake!, pages 8-9, for helping single parents. Invite some to express their appreciation for the loving assistance that they have received from others in the congregation.

Song 53 and concluding prayer.

Week Starting June 21

Song 72

10 min: Local announcements. If the congregation has copies of the Young People Ask or Youth books in stock, show how they can be used to good advantage in the ministry during the summer months, when we are more likely to find teenagers at home.

17 min: Make Good Use of Videos and Sound Dramas. Could the 10 videos and 11 sound drama audiocassettes provided by the Society be put to better use? Have you and your family watched or listened to every one of them? Review several titles, pointing out how they can enhance our reading of the Bible, strengthen our spirituality, and give a fine witness to the truth. Play brief excerpts from two or three audiocassettes. Ask the audience to comment on which video or sound drama they found especially effective in encouraging their own family or in directing new ones to the organization. Relate some experiences showing good results. (See the 1999 Yearbook, pages 51-2.) Encourage all to make good use of the videos and sound dramas.

18 min: “Do You See Only the Outward Appearance?” Talk and audience discussion. Stress the reasons why we should not hastily form opinions about the people we meet. Briefly review the lesson Jehovah taught Jonah, who wrongly judged those whom he viewed as unworthy. (See the August 15, 1997, Watchtower, pages 21-2, paragraphs 17-19.) Invite audience to comment on the variety of people they have encountered in the territory, telling how they maintain a positive attitude toward them and leave judgment In Jehovah’s hands.

Song 77 and concluding prayer.

Week Starting June 28

Song 85

12 mln: Local announcements. Remind all to turn in field service reports for June. Review literature offer for July. Show the brochures that are locally available in good supply, and suggest one or two features that we can highlight in our presentations. Include a well-rehearsed demonstration. 13 mln: Why Does Jehovah Permit Persecution of His People? Talk by an elder, based on Jehovah’s Witnesses —Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom, pages 676-7. As Jesus foretold, we are ‘hated by all the nations.' (Matt. 24:9) We may face opposition when we share in the ministry, associate with worldly relatives, or deal with non-Witnesses in the workplace or at school. In a positive way, speaker explains why Jehovah permits such persecution or opposition and how our enduring It will ultimately lead to blessings.

20 mln: Go Where the People Are! A talk based on the 1997 Yearbook, pages 42-8. While we should continue sharing regularly in house-to-house witnessing, we eagerly look for opportunities to do informal witnessing— anytime, anywhere. Relate experiences from the Yearbook showing how others have done so with good success while riding a bus, walking on the street or beach, approaching parked cars, going to truck stops, using the telephone, and writing letters. As time permits, invite audience to relate some experiences of their own. Encourage all to take advantage of every opportunity to give a witness wherever the people are.

Song 75 and concluding prayer.

Theocratic News

■ Armenia: The December report showed 4,741 publishers averaging 16 hours each in the ministry. This new peak in publishers is a 17-percent increase over last year’s average.

■ Chile: The new hour requirement for pioneers was welcomed with enthusiasm, as evidenced by an all-time peak of 4,351 regular pioneers reporting in January. Also, 5,175 reported as auxiliary pioneers, by far the best figure for this service year.

■ Ukraine: Of the 100,129 publishers reporting in January, 12 percent were in some form of full-time service. Ukraine reached 5,516 regular pioneers—the 27th consecutive peak—and an additional 6,468 publishers reported as auxiliary pioneers.

Number of:              Hrs. Maos. R.V. Bi.St.

Announcements

■ Literature offer for June: Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life. July and August: Any of the following 32-page brochures may be used: Does God Really Care About Us?, Enjoy Life on Earth Forever!, Should You Believe in the Trinity?, The Government That Will Bring Paradise, What Happens to Us When We Die?, What Is the Purpose of Life—How Can You Find It?, and When Someone You Love Dies. The brochures A Book for All People, Our Problems —Who Will Help Us Solve Them?, Spirits of the Dead—Can They Help You or Harm You? Do They Really Exist?, and Will There Ever Be a World Without War? may be offered where appropriate. September: Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life.

■ The presiding overseer or someone designated by him should audit the congregation’s accounts on June 1 or as soon as possible thereafter. When this has been done, make an announcement to the congregation after the next accounts report is read.

■ Since the Gilead graduation will be held on Saturday, September 11, 1999, no tours will be conducted that day at the Society’s facilities at Brooklyn, Patterson, and Wallkill, New York. Any who have planned to visit on that Saturday should reschedule their visit to another convenient time. No congregation literature requests will be processed for shipment or for pickup that day.

■ The Society has a supply of ENGLISH bound volumes of The Watchtower for the years 1951 to 1955, 1958, 1959, 1969, 1989, 1995 to 1997, and the Awake! for the years 1989 and 1994 to 1997. Also, ENGLISH editions of the Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses for 1987 as well as for the years 1992 to 1998 are available. Featured in the 1987 Yearbook are such countries as Puerto Rico, Switzerland, and Trinidad; in the 1992 Yearbook, Kenya, along with other East African countries, and the Solomon Islands; in the 1993 Yearbook, Denmark, Honduras, and Malaysia. Any publishers or new congregations that desire these publications may now request them through the congregation literature servant. (See Our Kingdom Ministry, April 1997, Question Box; The Watchtower, November 1,1994, pages 28-31.)

■ Beginning with the June 1, 1999, issue, The Watchtower will be available in the Tiv language as a monthly edition.

■ New Publications Available: Apply Yourself to Reading and Writing                —Spanish

Comfort for the Depressed (Tract No. 20)            —Armenian

Enjoy Family Life (Tract No. 21)

—Armenian Jehovah—Who Is He? (Tract No. 23)

—Armenian, Croatian Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life        —Cambodian, Tatar

The Secret of Family Happiness

—Armenian Watch Tower Publications Index 1996 —Italian, Swedish What Does God Require of Us?

—Hausa, Kazakh Who Really Rules the World? (Tract No. 22)            —Armenian

■ New Audiocassettes Available: Why Respect Theocratic Arrangements? (Drama, single cassette)

—Japanese ■ New Videocassettes Available: Jehovah’s Witnesses Stand Firm Against Nazi Assault —Portuguese Noah—He Walked With God

—Japanese The Bible—Its Power in Your Life

—German

‘The apostle Paul admonished congregation members to “have the same care for one another.’’ (1 Cor. 12:25) Hence, we should show a personal interest in one another and be willing to render loving help when it is needed. As one example, some of the spiritual sisters in our midst are raising their children in the truth single-handedly. These sisters are carrying the full load of responsibility for the spiritual training of their offspring. Certainly they are worthy of our kind encouragement and practical assistance “according to their needs.” (Rom. 12:13a) Can you give them a helping hand?

• ² Ways You Might Help: Offering rides to meetings and assemblies to those who must rely on public transportation may result in considerable financial savings for that family. Helping a mother care for her small children at meetings may mean, that she can benefit more fully from the program. Likewise, offering to assist her when she takes the children out in field service may provide her some relief. Displaying a genuine interest in the children—befriending them—can do much to influence our youths in a positive way. Occasionally inviting a single-parent family to sit in on your family study would provide a refreshing spiritual lift.

• ³ Be Discreet: We should be careful not to force our help upon one who does not feel the need for it. Nor would we want to intrude into a person’s family affairs while rendering needed help. Of course, sisters and married couples would be in the best position to come to the aid of a sister who is in need.

• ⁴ All Christians are encouraged to “follow the course of hospitality” toward one another. (Rom. 12:13b) Giving a helping hand to our spiritual brothers and sisters is one of the many ways we show the Christlike love that we have among ourselves.—John 13:35.

• ¹ Everyone has the same amount of time at his disposal each week. The portion that we devote to spreading the good news is especially valuable because it is time spent in a lifesaving work. (Rom. 1:16) We show our appreciation for this by preparing well for the service planned, arriving at meetings for service on time, and leaving promptly for the territory. We would rather be preaching than waiting. Since Jehovah has taught us that “for everything there is an appointed time,” we need to make the time that we have set aside for the ministry really count.—Eccl. 3:1.

• ² Manage Your Time Wisely: Many blessings come to us when we steadfastly hold to a schedule that allows for regular participation in the field ministry. Naturally, the good results that we achieve in the ministry should be proportionate to the amount of time spent in the service. With some slight adjustments to our routine, could we devote more time to the field service? For example, after magazine activity on Saturday, could we take some additional time to make a few return visits? If we have been in the field ministry for a while on Sunday, could we spend some time also making return visits or conducting a Bible study? Would it be possible to supplement our house-to-house activity with some street witnessing? In these or other ways, we may be able to improve in our service.

• ³ When we are out in the ministry, we can lose valuable time if we are not careful. Of course, when weather conditions are severe, a short break will refresh us and help us to keep going. Be balanced, however, since such breaks may not always be necessary.

• ⁴ In recent years it has become increasingly difficult to find people at home. To cope with this situation, many publishers do their door-to-door witnessing at a different time of day. Why not try witnessing in the late afternoon or early evening?

• ⁵ It is better if we do not visit with one another while engaging in street work. Instead, stand apart from one another and approach the people so as to start conversations with them. Thus time will be managed more effectively and greater joy will be derived from the work.

• ⁶ Seize Opportunities to Witness: When a householder said that she was not interested, a Witness asked if there was anyone else in the house with whom she might talk. This led to a conversation with the man of the house, who had been ill for many years and was largely confined to bed. The hope set out in God’s Word renewed his interest in life. He was soon out of bed, attending meetings at the Kingdom Hall, and sharing his newfound hope with others!

• ⁷ A teenage sister applied the suggestion to engage in field service during the hour before the Congregation Book Study. At her first door, she met a 13-year-old girl who listened intently and took literature. The next day at school, the young sister saw this same girl. Soon thereafter, she offered to study the Bible with her, and the girl accepted.

• ⁸ Make It Quality Time: Having a regular share in field service helps us develop our skills in presenting the good news. Can you improve your ability to start a conversation at the door by using a more effective introduction? Could you become a more skillful teacher when conducting a home Bible study? By doing so, you can truly make your time in the service count and make your ministry more productive.—1 Tim. 4:16.

’Since “the time left is reduced,” our lives should be filled with Christian works. (1 Cor. 7:29) Allotting time for the preaching activity should be high on our list of priorities. Let us have a healthy, zealous share in the ministry. Time is a wonderful asset that Jehovah has given us. Always use it wisely and make it count.

Consider These Suggestions:

■ Arrive at meetings for service on time.

■ Within reason, keep witnessing groups small.

■ Avoid delays in getting to the territory.

■ Work territory when most people are at home.

■ Work alone at times if it is safe to do so.

■ Make return visits nearest to the door-to-door territory.

■ Keep busy in service when others in the group are delayed at a door.

■ Whenever possible, depending on circumstances, stay out longer than an hour.

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