MARCH, 1965

VOL. VIII NO. 3

FOR UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Do not become fearful of those who kill the body.”—Matt. 10:28.

T’uMisliws:

With the coining of March, we here at Brooklyn naturally turn our thoughts toward the April campaign. We know you are thinking about April too. It. is a month of special service to Jehovah, and we hope to see a 20-percent increase in the number praising him. That would mean a total of 350,782 publishers reporting in the United States. In December there was a substantial increase up to 310,027 publishers, but we see we have quite a way to go. How shall we go about it?

First of all, every one of us will need to make personal arrangements for sharing in the April campaign. But we will have to do more than that. We know there are some inactive ones and we would like to see them out in the service in April. Wouldn’t it be fine if we could reduce the number who have become inactive by helping them to share with us in the April campaign as praisers of Jehovah? Let’s all work to that end.

We also have the prospect of starting new ones in Jehovah’s service from among the 219.831 home Bible studies being conducted. One of the best ways to help the new ones ami the inactive ones to share in the service in April would be to get them to come to the special public talk “The Coming Banquet for All the Peoples.” If we can get them to the Kingdom Hall to hear that talk, it may stimulate a desire on their part to have a share in Jehovah's service. If they qualify morally to be publishers, we might be able to encourage them to share in magazine activity in April, because right after the talk we hope to have supplies of the special April 15 issue of 77te Watch tower on hand. We ought to invite everybody who is at the meeting to take five or ten copies. Also, copies of the April 8 Awake! should be available, for two magazines can be placed as easily as one. We can show those who qualify to be publishers that the magazine work is quite easy

• ¹ Just think how many good things we have learned in our study of God’s Word and through the pages of The Watchtower—and how much we appreciate the progressive revelation of truth Jehovah has given us! To show our appreciation to Jehovah and our love for our neighbors, we are glad to share the good news with others at every opportunity. That’s why we keep so busy in the ministry. Of course, not all our neighbors appreciate the message we bring from God’s Word. So we keep on examining ourselves and our teaching methods and pray that Jehovah will bless us so that we can most effectively share the good news.

• ² With the beginning of March we are at the halfway mark in the Watchtower subscription campaign. How have we been doing? If you are a congregation publisher, have you placed a subscription yet? Or have you placed ten subscriptions to do and invite them to go along with us. They can also share the good message with their family and friends and tell them something about: what they heard. We also will want to invite them back for the Memorial, and with the special Memorial invitations we should have good success in inviting many persons to share in this glorious season of Christian activity.

We are preparing our press schedules at Brooklyn so we can print a lot of extra copies of the special issues. The Bethel family are eager to supply all the extra copies that may be needed. Here at Brooklyn we are quite excited about the prospects for a wonderful April campaign. We think you are excited too. We all pray for Jehovah's rich blessing to be with us in doing everything we can to get ready for the happy spring increase, which Jehovah has given us each year.

Your brothers at

The Brooklyn Branch Office or fifteen if you are a pioneer or special pioneer? If not, let’s ask ourselves who there is to whom we haven’t as yet offered the subscription. How about those who were not home the first time we calletl and those who obtained single copies of the magazines to get acquainted with them, those with whom we conduct Bible studies, friends and relatives? We want to offer the Watchtower subscription to each of these and to those whose subscriptions have expired. Also, have you been carrying a copy of “Let God Be True"' in your witnessing case and offering it to those who do not accept the subscription? As we show ourselves generous in sharing the good news with others, we can show our appreciation to Jehovah for his goodness to us.

• ³ One of the finest opportunities to share good things with others is when we call back on them. Have you made arrangements in your schedule to spend at least half of your service lime in March calling back on interested people you locate? That would be a fine way to aid the many interested people we have met, wouldn't it?

• ⁴ As we give a little thought to making back-calls, it becomes apparent that all of us can do it. Back-calls do not need to take ten or fifteen minutes. If you would like to make your call a short one, this will be perfectly all right. Above all, make your call a friendly one. Be warm and neighborly. Although the response of the householder is good, you will want to be careful not to stay too long. And what will you talk about? Well, perhaps you would like to tell them what you have been learning about the resurrection. This would be good. If you are new at making back-calls and feel you could do better if you read to the householder an interesting paragraph from one of the magazines, this will be all

(Continued on page 4, col. 1)

SECOND MEETING IN MARCH

Theme: Share Your Good Things. Song 34.

15 min: Introduction. Text and comments discussed by couple at table. As they conclude, knock comes on door and visitors come in. Individuals coming in are those who have applied for vacation pioneer service. They are excited about prospects of pioneer work. Couple inquire concerning how it is possible to arrange affairs to get into vacation pioneer service. Visitors explain how they did it previously and what they plan to do this April. Explain blessings enjoyed in this service. Urge couple to consider their possibilities. Talk about how they can work out a schedule to allow them to pioneer in April. State that congregation servant has application blanks or can get them quickly. Mention how many in local congregation are planning on vacation pioneering in April. (If at all possible, use actual vacation pioneer enrollees or those who have had vacation pioneer experience to take part of visitors.)

• 5 min: “Making Good Use of ‘Awake’’ ’’ A talk.

12 min: “Share Your Good Things’’ Questions and answers. Spend the full time on the article itself.

18 min: Friendly Visits. Back-call demonstrations. Publisher checks House-to-House Record to see where individual magazines were placed. Says he is glad he was encouraged to try calling back on all placements of magazines. Makes call, showing very friendly interest. Magazine published for whole family. Another member of family invited in to join conversation. Refer to magazine placed last week, tying in sermon with one article. After sermon get subscription, place “Good News’’ booklet. Make definite time arrangement for next back-call. (Objective: to get both husband and wife, whole family, involved in back-calls.) Afterward publisher leaves and, while walking, encounters another publisher. Relates good experience on back-call. Other publisher tells how he placed some magazines too but has not called back. Says he is not experienced enough, cannot give big sermon on back-call. Publisher encourages him to try making calls anyway, not making it too complicated for himself. It is still a back-call if he can share truth in some way. Can plan on reading a particular paragraph out of magazine placed to help him put thoughts across. They pick out paragraph. Then make call together, with timid publisher doing the talking, using paragraph as main point, saying, “Did you notice this very interesting thought in the magazine I left with you last week?” Reads paragraph. Looks up a text in Bible. Offers and places another magazine and one booklet. Makes arrangements for time of next call. Chairman concludes, explaining how all should try to make back-calls (referring to definition in “Preaching and Teaching” booklet, p. 15 H49), especially where literature is placed, and all can find a way to impart more of the good things Jehovah has revealed.

3 min: Accounts servant’s report for February, mentioning that accounts were audited early in March.

7 min: Comment on slogan at bottom of page 4, showing how six back-calls per month is a good goal. Announcements appropriate to congregation locally. Include “How Did We Do in

January?” and give local February report. Song 88.

THIRD MEETING IN MARCH

Theme: Succeed Through Planning Your Ministry. Song 64.

5 min: Introduction, text and comments.

20 min: Question-and-answer coverage of “Health, Transportation and the Pioneer Ministry.” (January “Kingdom Ministry” insert) To be conducted by congregation servant. Read all paragraphs.

23 min: “Preparation Brings Success.” Conducted by Bible study servant. Discuss points in article with dedicated local publisher who got truth through a home Bible study, with local publisher showing how study was started with him. Mention person who conducted study with publisher and, following discussion, say, “Let’s look in on him and see how he prepares himself for Bible study work.” Have publisher seated at table making his preparations for going into study work. Goes over literature, noting key points in “Good News” booklet that will strike local interest, all this in pantomime described by Bible study servant. Note how he checks witnessing bag to be sure all necessary items are there, Bibles, etc. Looks at address information, House-to-House Record forms. Plans where he will go. Bible study servant says. “When all prepared he has silent word of prayer, but prayer will not be demonstrated.” Show’ hotv preparation plus prayer make for confidence and enthusiasm. Pantomime ends with publisher going out in field. Then have him put on actual demonstration with another person, including hotv he overcomes one of your frequent local obstacles as he begins study in “Good News” booklet. Preparation helped overcome little obstacle: for example, carrying Catholic Bible helps in dealing with Catholics on calls. Follow up with two-minute summary by Bible study servant exhorting all publishers to work into Bible study activity by due preparation. Mention how’ literature is designed to make it easy for all to start studies and how we can start with paragraphs suited to interests of local people. Pray for Jehovah’s help, go in faith and a blessing will result.

12 min: “Watchtow’er” study servant reports on meeting with overseer, considering meeting attendance and participation plus suggestions for improving study. Concluding comments. Song 69.

FOURTH MEETING IN MARCH

Theme: Expanding Our Ministry. Song 22.

10 min: Introduction, text and comments. Consider how Theocratic News encourages us in expanding our ministry.

15 min: Demonstration based on material “Health, Transportation and the Pioneer Ministry” in January “Kingdom Ministry” insert. Bible study servant showing a publisher how to arrange affairs to be a regular pioneer and cope with health and transportation. Shows how’ the congregation will cooperate, etc. Encourages audience to consider matter. Committee will be glad to help them with their schedules. Try it out as vacation pioneers. Make use of schedule as congregation publishers.

10 min: Question Box. A talk. (Also see “Watchtow’er,” Nov. 15, 1964, p. 703.)

20 min: The Branch Letter. Committee discuss it. Everyone getting ready for April. Overseer asks study conductors What they are doing to prepare. Assistant congregation servant asks pioneers how they will help to reach 20-percent increase. Bible study servant asks two prepared publishers how they hope to help the congregation reach 20-percent increase, taking persons studying with them in the field. Each publisher will make effort to get out early in April. Committee will explain how they w’ill call on every known inactive person in territory during next week and invite them to attend special public talk. At end of public talk the magazines will be available so all present can be invited to take along five or ten copies to distribute to friends or from house to house. Therefore mature publishers will be assigned to greet and welcome all to special talk, befriend them, and at end of talk see if they would like to take along a few magazines. Suggest all publishers cooperate to aid new ones who qualify into service. Good to select most productive territory when taking new ones out so they will be encouraged to continue in service through seeing people take magazines. We can all have a part in expanding the ministry in April.

5 min: Concluding comments. Song 81.

FIRST MEETING IN APRIL

Theme: Help Nations to Come to God’s House of Prayer. Song 29.

5 min: Introduction, text and comments.

20 min: Presenting the Good News. Conducted by assistant congregation servant, questions and answers. If any in congregation learned truth through incidental witnessing, get them to tell experiences. If none, refer to “Yearbook,” pages 146, 147, 235. Thus, show’ how it actually succeeds well in helping nations to come to God’s house of prayer.

15 min: What We Did Last Year. Before meeting hand out Publisher’s liecord cards covering last April and first six months of this year. Magazineterritory servant calls attention to past reports of magazine placements by individual publishers, showing how’ reasonable it is to meet goals of 30 for publishers, 200 for regular pioneers and 300 for special pioneers. Good territory is available. Can work business, before studies, in organized groups on Magazine Day, organize midweek service, take new ones with you. If some local publishers first started witnessing with magazines, have them give experience to show benefits of starting new ones with the magazine work. Include two or three demonstrations of 30- to 60-second presentations of magazines, using latest issues. It is reasonable for all publishers to be out in April -with magazines.

20 min: Congregation servant gives talk on theme for April, showing w’hat local congregation can do to help people of the nations to come to God’s house of prayer. (See “Watchtower,” Apr. 1, 1965; Sept. 15, 1964.) Discuss public meeting arrangements. Mention use of easy sermon (John 11:25) by new publishers starting in April. Urge all to get into field service early in month and report not later than April 11. Concluding comments. Song 14.

• ¹ Are you experiencing the joy of conducting a home Bible study? Hundreds of thousands of happy publishers are conducting them. Age is no barrier, for brothers from nine years to ninety conduct studies.

• ² Did you ever think about it from this standpoint? Presently, about 42 percent of us conduct home Bible studies. If all of us did, it would mean at least 175,000 more persons being studied with here in the United States.

• ³ Some have tried to conduct studies and have not been successful. Is this your situation? Is it possible that advance preparation would help?

• ⁴ The very first step in personal preparation is to have the mental attitude of wanting to study with someone. This will make us think “Here is a prospective study’’ when we place literature or someone shows interest. It is best to keep an accurate record of interest. Having in mind what the people believe or what they are interested in will help you to talk with them on a common level. Select in advance specific paragraphs in the publication you expect to use to create interest and hold attention. Be ready to show a person “how to get the benefit from the publication.” (You might disturb him if you talk about “a study.”)

• ⁵ Some say they are fearful of trying to start a study, as the people may “ask questions I can’t handle.” If this is your thinking, remind

  Ann o uncemen ts

  
  

♦ The overseer should meet with the Watchtower study servant and work with him early in March. He will consider how to improve meeting participation and attendance.

♦ It is suggested that congregation servants schedule a meeting for all study conductors March 28 or as near as possible to that date. Prior to the meeting the congregation servant should make a list of irregular and low-hour publishers who need assistance and see that definite assistance is given each publisher needing help. Also, arrange for all inactive publishers to be visited and encouraged to attend April’s special meetings and to share in field service. The Bible study servant should make known to study conductors publishers who have been conducting studies a long period of time and how such publishers might be encouraged and assisted to start new qualified ones. Midweek service will be planned for all vacation and regular pioneers and publishers who can support it during April.

<► On April 4, 1965, in most countries throughout the world there will be a public lecture entitled “The Coming Banquet for All the Peoples.” It would take more than one hour to read the entire manuscript. Speakers should time themselves beforehand. If necessary, speakers may omit paragraphs two through nine in The Watchyourself of how little Bible knowledge you had when you started. There are more people in the territory just like you were.

• ⁶ If you are a youngster, what about studying with other youngsters in your own class at school or those you may meet from door to door? Perhaps yours is a language problem. Then study with people in the language you speak. The question is, Are we prepared to study with others?

• ⁷ Often people we meet in our house-to-house work say they already have our literature. Our first thought should be, “A prospective study I” Pick out a point that is of special interest to them and help them to see the value of discussing it together.

• ⁸ Do not give up easily. Did you read about the publisher in St. Helena who started a study while standing in the yard of an interested person? Six months later they were on the veranda, ami in an additional three months the study was inside the home. The results? The woman with whom the study was started is dedicated and baptized, and the whole family is sharing in publishing the good news.

• ⁹ Always offer prayer to Jehovah before you go to your home Bible study. This too is part of preparation. The work we do is not our own. We need God’s spirit, direction and blessing. Prepare well and you may soon have the joy of conducting a home Bible study.

tower in order to read the material in one hour.

♦ Accounts servants will list on slips of paper the names and addresses of all subscribers shown on the Subscription Record sheets since January 1964. Each slip should show the name of the publisher obtaining the subscription. The slips should be given to the study conductors at the special meeting on March 28. Study conductors will see that publishers receive them and call on all subscribers, inviting them to attend the Memorial.

O Pioneer meal tickets for regular pioneers who have been on the list since January 1 will be sent with the March 15 check-up letter. Treat the ticket as money. Do not lose it, for no replacements are available.

♦■Literature offer: In June the offer will be New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, “All Scripture Is Inspired of God. and Beneficial” and two booklets for $2. Place orders soon. ♦ At all service centers on Sunday mornings, study conductors will consider the following themes: March 14, “Are You Ready to Make Two Back-Calls Today?” March 21, “Are You Prepared to Start a Study Today?” March 28, Arrange for calls after regular field service on potential April publishers, inviting them to special public talk for April 4. April 4, “Everyone Bring Someone to the Public Meeting.”

• If one were working for and being paid by a religious organization at the time of his dedication and baptism, would rebaptism be necessary?

If a person works full time or part time directly for and is paid by a false religious church, then what he is doing amounts to apostasy. Surely, we cannot imagine Jehovah accepting the dedication of anyone doing, at the time of baptism, what would result in the disfellowshiping of a dedicated person. He would have to make a valid dedication to Jehovah and be rebaptized. If he is still thus employed, an adjustment would have to be made in his employment before he could be a publisher or make a valid dedication. If objectionable employment began after a valid dedication and baptism but before one correctly understood the matter, rebaptism need not take place but an adjustment in employment would have to be made within three months for a good standing to continue.

Should a servant in a congregation learn that his dedication is invalid for the above reason, could he continue to serve? If his present employment would not be termed apostasy, and he had made a valid dedication at least a year ago, he could be rebaptized and continue to serve. But, if his present employment would not allow for a valid dedication, then he w^rould have to be removed. Such persons have until now been “unequally yoked” and not properly representing the organization. One must be validly baptized at least for one year in order to qualify for appointment as a servant. (“Kingdom Ministry.” June 1959, page 3; “Watchtow’er,” February 15. 1964, pages 121-127)

Of course, today religious organizations have formed corporations to carry on businesses, such as schools or hospitals, and these may be owned or controlled by religious organizations. One may have been employed by a religiously owned organization of this kind at the time of dedication and baptism. Or, one might have been employed by a worldly, commercial firm or contractor that was doing work directly on false religious churches at the time of dedication and baptism. What then? While one would not want that kind of secular work, still one would be regarded as immature rather than an apostate under such conditions and so rebaptism need not take place. (See “The Watchtower,” June 1, 1962, page 333 and November 15, 1964, page 703.)

JANUARY SERVICE REPORT

Public Meetings Held: 29,343

UNITED STATES GOAL FOR 1965 321,550 Publishers

HOW DID WE DO IN JANUARY?

Though most parts of the country had more than the usual amount of bad weather, it was a pleasure to have over 300,000 publishers for the fourth time. Only in December (1964) and April (1963 and 1964) were we over the 300,000 mark. Undoubtedly personal assistance contributed to this fine report. Keep up the good work. And how did we do in obtaining new subscriptions? We had 132,974, which is the highest January report on record.

Put Seed Where It Can Grow

• ¹ Jesus did it. The apostles did it. Many modern-day Christians do it. Do you? Do what? Incidental witnessing. As ministers, we should be ready at all times to plant the seed of truth in fertile hearts where it can grow and produce. Doesn't the parable of the sower encourage us to do incidental witnessing? Where did the sower sow seed? “Alongside the road . . . upon the rocky places . . . among the thorns . . . upon the fine soil.”—Matt. 13:19-23.

• ² Since the seed of truth is to be sown everywhere, there is a need for us to make opportunities for incidental preaching. We can do this in several ways: Using initiative and not waiting for those with whom we may travel, work associates, schoolmates, neighbors or others to approach us on a religious subject. We want to take the first step by tactfully starting a friendly conversation, then skillfully turning it into a Bible discussion. It is not good to be preachy and, remember, knowing when to stop is as important as knowing when to start. Preparation is also required. We may not always have our Bible handy, but we can have an adequate Scripture vocabulary of basic Bible teachings ready. Carrying some literature to leave for reading is helpful. Tracts are a handy aid: they cover subjects that are topics of daily conversation. The Watchtower and Awake! magazines too have a variety of subjects that will stimulate interest.

• ³ Incidental witnessing can be done by all publishers. A personal

Share Your Good Things (       )

right too. As another possibility, if you are calling back on a person you met in the magazine work, you can give him your regular house-to-house sermon on the resurrection, as he hasn’t heard this yet. Some of us will be able to take out one of the booklets and start a study in it. The way you handle the call is up to you. But during March let’s call back on at least six interested people we have met and share some more of the good news with them.

• ⁵ As things stand now, 66 perterritory is not. needed. Jesus said: “As you go, preach.” (Matt. 10: 7) People that lend themselves to this type of witnessing are found in business contacts, traveling companions on buses, trains, airplanes, cars, subways, when stopping at filling stations, restaurants, hotels and motels. An excellent time for witnessing by those engaged in secular work is at lunch time. If you are a housewife, you can talk to salesmen, deliverymen, mailmen and others calling at your home. You schoolchildren can witness to your schoolmates at lunch time, during recesses and on the way to and from school. When writing letters, why not include a tract? When talking on the telephone to your friends and relatives, mention the Kingdom hope.

⁴ You will find many rewards and blessings from incidental witnessing. Would you have liked to have the following experience? A member of the Bethel family who was a missionary for twelve years until becoming partially paralyzed did incidental witnessing to a lady while in a hospital waiting room. Three years later he received a letter from her that read: “1 have been dedicated for one year now and my husband intends to be baptized at the next assembly. My four children are being raised in the truth. I decided to let you know about this and to thank you for speaking to me.” Many are in a receptive frame of mind when we speak to them informally, as this brother did. Let’s use these opportunities to present the good news.

cent or close to 200,000 publishers in the United States have made back-calls in the past six months. How tine it would be if, during March, all 310,000 publishers in the United States made friendly back-calls to share the good news with others I Why, if each of us made six back-calls, it would make over a million eight hundred thousand back-calls in the month of March alone. What a kindness to our neighbors this would be and what a wonderful evidence to Jehovah that we appreciate the good things he has given us!

THEOCRATIC NEWS

♦ On January 24 Brother Knorr returned Io Brooklyn after serving the brothers in Hawaii, Guam, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, Papua and Fiji. Then on February 9 Brother Milton Henschel left for a zone trip through Central America. S? Leopoldville, Congo, branch had a 15-percent increase in December; now 3,255 publishers. All of them are safe, despite difficulties in the country.

Puerto Rico, with 3,000 publishers, reports that 6,703 copies of the “New World Translation" were placed there during December.

♦ A circuit servant reports: “During the week’s visit in Rock Hill, N.C., following up magazine placements was emphasized. All our back-calls on Friday were on people who had taken magazines only. That afternoon we made 7 back-calls, placed 2 ‘Babylon’ books and started 3 very promising studies."

▼ Japan reports a new peak of 3,550 publishers—a 1 3-percent increase. Eleven percent of those reporting in December were pioneers.

Making Good Use of “Awake!”

• ¹ When you receive a new issue of Awake!, do you ever leaf through it asking yourself who there is in your territory that might be especially interested in the articles in that particular issue? Many publishers have done this, and then called on those for whom certain articles seemed to hp designed, and they have had good results.

• ² For example, look at the March 8 issue. It has a fine article on “Tracing That Fault in Your Car.” Now, who would especially benefit from that? Any car owner would— particularly the monand those who work at gas stations would appreciate it too. Also, might not the article “Understanding Mental Illness” be appropriate for doctors and social workers concerned with this problem? If you make it a point to reach these people with this issue, you may find that many of them will be glad to get the magazine. At the same time you are getting them acquainted with a magazine that can do much to build up their faith in Jehovah God and his purposes.

• ³ If you are the magazine-territory servant in your congregation, perhaps you can offer suggestions to the publishers along these lines as they obtain their supplies of each new issue. They will appreciate the help.

Can you make six back-calls in March?

Published monthly by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., 117 Adams St., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11201 Second-class postage paid at Brooklyn. N.Y. Printed in U.S.A.

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