our Kingdom

May 2007                         For United States of America km-E Us 5/07 Vol. 50, No. 5

• ¹ All of us get tired from time to time. It may result not only from work or other physical activity but also from the challenges we face in these “critical times hard to deal with.” (2 Tim. 3:1) As servants of Jehovah, how do we acquire the spiritual strength needed to keep from slowing down in our ministry? We do this by relying upon the one who Is “vigorous in power," Jehovah. (Isa. 40:26) He is aware of our needs and has a genuine interest in helping us. —1 Pet. 5:7.

• ² Jehovah’s Provisions: Jehovah strengthens us by means of his holy spirit, the same irresistible force that he used to create the universe. God’s spirit helps us to “regain power” if we become weary. (Isa. 40: 31) Ask yourself, ‘When was the last time I specifically prayed for holy spirit to strengthen me to meet my Christian obligations?’ —Luke 11:11-13.

• ³ By daily reading and meditating on God’s inspired Word and being nourished spiritually by a regular study of our Christian publications, we will be like avibrant “tree planted by streams of water, that gives its own fruit in its season and the foliage of which does not wither.”—Ps. 1:2, 3.

• ⁴ Jehovah also uses fellow believers, who can be “a strengthening aid” to us. (Col. 4:10, 11) They strengthen us at congregation meetings by their upbuilding conversation, comments, and talks. (Acts 15:32) Christian elders, especially, provide spiritual help and refreshing encouragement—Isa. 32:1, 2.

• ⁶ The Ministry: If you feel yourself becoming weary, do not stop preaching! Unlike many other activities, regular participation in the ministry actually refreshes us. (Matt. 11:28-30) Sharing the good news helps us to focus on God’s Kingdom and to keep eternity and its blessed prospects in view.

• ⁶ There is much to do before this wicked system is destroyed. We have every reason to remain steadfast in our service, “dependent on the strength that God supplies.” (1 Pet. 4:11) With Jehovah’s help we will finish our work, for “he is giving to the tired one power.”—Isa. 40:29.

  Do You Champion God’s Word?

  
  

• ¹ In a world that often discredits the Bible, true Christians zealously advocate God’s Word. Convinced that “all Scripture is inspired of God,” we stand with Jesus Christ, who testified in prayer to Jehovah: “Your word is truth.” (2 Tim. 3:16; John 17:17) How may we effectively champion God’s Word?

• ² Learn Scriptures: Jesus no doubt applied himself to learning God’s Word. This enabled him to teach from the Scriptures throughout his ministry. (Luke 4:16-21; 24:44-46) How can we build up in our memory a helpful reservoir of scriptures? We do so by reading the Bible each day and then meditating on a verse that we found to be especially encouraging or helpful for the ministry. When preparing for meetings, we should look up and read the cited scriptures directly from the Bible and perhaps prepare a comment on them. When attending meetings, we should follow along in our Bible as the speaker reads scriptures. Learning Bible texts will prepare us to ‘handle the word of the truth aright.’ —2 Tim. 2:15.

• ³ Let the Bible Speak: While engaging in the ministry, we should let the Bible speak. For example, if circumstances allow, we should try to share a scripture with the householder. If he asks a question or raises an objection, it is best to use the Bible to give an answer. When the householder is busy, we may still be able to highlight a Biblical thought by saying, “Before I go, allow me to leave you with this one scripture.” Whenever possible, read directly from the Bible, allowing the listener to follow along as you read.

• ⁴ When one householder was shown scriptures to refute the Trinity, he exclaimed, “I have attended church all my life, and I surely didn’t know the Bible says this!” He readily accepted a Bible study. Jesus said that his sheep would listen to his voice. (John 10:16, 27) The best way for honesthearted ones to recognize the truth is to see it directly from the Scriptures. Let us therefore be champions of God’s Word of truth!

  Service Meeting Schedule

  
  

Week Starting May 14

Song 205

10 min: Local announcements. Using the suggestions on page 4 or other presentations appropriate for your territory, demonstrate how to offer the May 15 Watchtower and the May Awake/

20 min: Supporting Kingdom Activity Locally and Worldwide. Talk and audience discussion based on Organized to Do Jehovah’s Will, chapter 12.

15 min: “He Is Giving to the Tired One Power.”* As time permits, invite audience to comment on the cited scriptures.

Song 1 and concluding prayer.

Week Starting May 21

Song 41

10 min: Local announcements. Review Question Box.

15 min: You Can Learn Another Language! Talk based on the Awake! of March 2007, pages 1012. Highlight the value of learning another language for the purpose of furthering the good news. 20 min: “Do You Champion God’s Word?”* Include comments on the boxes on pages 143-4 of the Ministry School book. Song 202 and concluding prayer.

Week Starting May 28

Song 46

1O min: Local announcements. Read accounts report and donation acknowledgments. Remind publishers to turn in held service reports for May. Using the suggestions on page 4 or other presentations appropriate for your territory, demonstrate how to offer the June 1 Watchtower and the June Awake!

20 min: Feature Either the Creator or the Family Happiness Book in June. Point out some of the timely features of the books, and demonstrate how to offer each book, using presentations that would be effective in the local territory. As time permits, invite the audience to comment on the good results obtained from using these publications with acquaintances or family members.

15 min: Field Experiences. Relate experiences enjoyed by auxiliary pioneers and other publishers who worked hard to increase their field activity during March, April, and May. Also relate experiences of those who followed up on magazine placements with the goal of starting a Bible study. One or two outstanding experiences may be reenacted.

Song 21 and concluding prayer.

Week Starting June 4

Song 99

10 min: Local announcements. Selected Announcements from Our Kingdom Ministry.

15 min: Local needs.

20 min: “Teach Your Children to Praise Jehovah.”* When discussing paragraph 4, include comments on the July 2005 Our Kingdom Ministry, page 3.

Song 169 and concluding prayer.

* Limit introductory comments to less than a minute, and follow with a question-and-answer discussion.

January Service Report

Av. Av. Av. Ay.

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

Sp'IPios.       376 108.1 66.8 41.7

Pios.     102,720 63.6 36.8 20.7

Aux.PiOS.   24,024  49.1 31.3 13.5

Pubs.    905,460   9.2  7.S  3.5

TOTAL 1,032,580 aaptized: 2,334

Announcements

■ Literature offer for May: The Watchtower and Awake! magazines. When making return visits on interested people, including those who attended the Memorial or other theocratic events but who are not actively associated with the congregation, concentrate on starting Bible studies using the Bible Teach book. June: Is There a Creator Who Cares About You? As an alternative offer, you may use The Secret of Family Happiness. July: Keep on the Watch! Where genuine interest is shown, offer the Bible Teach book, making a diligent effort to start Bible studies. August: Worship the Only True God. If a Bible study is started, it is recommended that the Bible Teach book be studied before the Worship God book.

■ Donations for the worldwide work that are made by check at district conventions and those sent to the branch office should be made payable to “Watch Tower.” The branch office’s financial address is Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, c/o Treasurer’s Office, 25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, NY 11201-2483. ■ Bodies of elders should review the July 6, 2006, letter regarding disaster preparedness and ensure that they have up-to-date contact information for each publisher. In disaster-prone areas, additional emergency contact information should be obtained. Of course, in addition to emergency situations, it is helpful when publishers communicate with their Congregation Book Study overseer or another elder if they will be away for extended periods, such as when traveling on vacation or business, during a hospital stay, and so forth. ■ Individuals confined to prisons, jails, substance-abuse facilities, or state hospitals should receive literature and spiritual assistance under the direction of the congregation assigned by the branch office as the contact for the facility. Publishers should not contact the branch office to request literature or visits for such individuals. Rather, those confined should initiate requests for visits or literature through publishers approved to visit their facility or by writing directly to the branch office. This allows the individual to give evidence of his genuine interest and may assist publishers in being granted access to the facility.

Question Box

■ How should the opening song of the Theocratic Ministry School, the Service Meeting, the Public Meeting, and the Watchtower Study be introduced, and by whom?

Opening song selections for each week of the Theocratic Ministry School are listed in the Theocratic Ministry School Schedule that constitutes the October Our Kingdom Ministry insert. Opening and closing songs for each week’s Service Meeting are indicated on page 2 of Our Kingdom Ministry. Likewise, song numbers for the weekly Watchtower Study are found on page 2 of each issue of The Watchtower. The songs assigned are considered part of the unified whole of the meeting and should thus be introduced by the brother conducting the meeting rather than by the chairman of the preceding meeting.

For example, the Theocratic Ministry School overseer will welcome the audience, introduce the opening song, conduct the school, and then invite the first speaker of the Service Meeting to the platform. The brother with the Service Meeting part is the one who should call for the song that opens the Service Meeting.

In like manner, the Public Meeting will be called to order by a chairman. He will warmly welcome all in attendance and invite them to join in singing the opening song selected by the speaker. The chairman (or perhaps another qualified brother assigned in advance) will open the meeting with prayer. He will introduce the speaker and state the subject of his discourse. After the talk the chairman, while not summarizing what the speaker just said, will make a brief expression of appreciation for the instruction. He will announce the title of the public talk for the following week, and then he will invite all in attendance to remain for the Watchtower Study. There is no need for the chairman to ask if the audience would like to send love and greetings to a visiting speaker’s congregation. Next, the chairman will invite the Watchtower Study conductor to the platform.

The Watchtower Study conductor will introduce the first song to be used in conjunction with the study. He will conduct the study in harmony with published instructions and then announce the concluding song. The Watchtower Study conductor will usually call on the brother who gave the public talk to offer the closing prayer.

Observing these general guidelines will help to ensure that our congregation meetings are conducted in a unified manner.

Teach Your Children to Praise Jehovah

• ⁴ Progressive Training: Involve your children as you share in the ministry. Perhaps they can ring the doorbell, hand the householder a tract, or read a scripture. This will add to their enjoyment and help them to gain confidence in their ability to share the Kingdom message. As they grow older, their participation in the ministry should increase. Therefore, help them to be progressive and to give thought to spiritual goals.

• ⁵ Speak to the elders as soon as you feel that your children are qualified to become unbaptized publishers and when they express a desire to become such. Becoming a publisher will impress upon them their personal responsibility to praise Jehovah. Keep in mind that a child does not need to know as much as baptized adults before he can qualify. Does your child understand basic Bible teachings? Does he adhere to the Bible’s moral standards? Does he desire to share in the ministry and to be identified as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses? If so, the elders may then determine that he is qualified as an unbaptized publisher.—See Organized to Do Jehovah’s Will, pp. 79-82,

• ⁶ Teaching children to praise Jehovah from their heart requires work. However, few things cause greater joy for parents than seeing their children make spiritual progress. More important, Jehovah is pleased when children tell about his wonderful works.

• 4. What does it mean to train children progressively?

• 5. What is needed for a child to qualify as an unbaptized publisher?

• 6. Why is it worthwhile for parents to train their children?

■'WrCHTOWI’.R May 15

Announcing Jehovahs Kingdom           “

“How would you answer this question? [Read question on cover. Then allow for response.] The Bible gives us a reason for hope. [Read Matthew 6:9, 10.] This magazine explains how God’s Kingdom will cause God’s will to be done on earth.”

Awake! May

“Do you think that our actions and final destiny have been predetermined by God? [Allow for response.] According to this Bible verse, God allows people to choose how they will live their lives. [Read Deuteronomy 30:19.] This article shows what the Bible says on the subject.” Feature the article that begins on page 12.

"Watchtower® June 1

ANNOUNC/NoJEHOVAH'S KlNGPOM

“Almost every day we hear news of those who carry out evil acts. [Cite a current example known locally.] Have you ever wondered if there is an unseen sinister source influencing people? [Allow for response. Then read Revelation 12:12.] This magazine explains how we can protect ourselves.”

Awake! June

“I would like to have your opinion on what this says. [Read 1 Timothy 6:10.] Do you feel that those who live for money and material acquisitions really suffer as a result? [Allow for response.] This magazine explains the bad effects of pursuing riches.”

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