Your Service Meetings
NOTE: The service meeting, including both songs and the final prayer, should be no more than 60 minutes in length. If some part has run overtime, it is requested that, if possible, the brother who follows cut his material so that the meeting will end within 60 minutes.
WEEK STARTING JANUARY 30
Share Fully in Preaching and Teaching
13 min: Song 94. Stimulating discussion of “New Method of Conducting Watchtower Study.” (See Watchtower, February 1, 1977.) It will go into effect this week. Point out benefits; have some in audience prepared to comment on these aspects: (1) Will encourage all to benefit more from the reading of paragraphs instead of looking ahead for answers; (2) By refreshing our minds on details, should encourage fuller discussion; (3) Will make it easier for some to comment. Emphasize value of continuing to study lesson in advance, in line with Watchtower of August 15, 1976, page 506, paragraph 10.
12 min: Talk on developing reliance on Jehovah’s spirit. Use Luke 12:11, 12. Refer to Holy Spirit book, pp. 97, 98, pars. 36-38, pp. 157-159, pars. 39-42.
15 min: “Why We Preach and Teach.” Question-and-answer discussion. Include brief interview of new publisher and one who has published for many years. Ask them why they feel it is important to preach and teach. Field service announcements.
20 min: “Presenting the Good News—With the Holy Spirit Book.” Discuss and develop each presentation with the audience so all will be prepared for field activity, having something definite in mind to say. Following each presentation, after prepared publisher demonstrates the approach, let audience state how they feel presentation would appeal to people locally. Encourage all to prepare thoroughly the presentation they prefer and that would enable them to have a Scriptural discussion. Offer Holy Spirit book where interest is shown. Remind audience to bring “Make Sure” next week. Song 89 and prayer.
WEEK STARTING FEBRUARY 6
8 min: Song 74 and local announcements.
10 min: Talk on Branch Letter. Include expressions of appreciation for auxiliary pioneer arrangement from publishers who have shared in it.
20 min: Practical use of “Make Sure” book. Chairman encourages all to let “Make Sure” help them in field service and personal study. Chairman reads paragraph 1 on page 8. Then asks publishers to imagine themselves talking to interested person in his home, using procedure outlined to answer his questions. (May use subheading and one scripture underneath it in answering, or more if time permits) Based on pages 53 to 55.
1. Why do Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse blood transfusions?
2. But wouldn’t it be all right to accept blood in the event of an emergency?
3. Isn’t life precious and shouldn’t it thus be preserved, even by a blood transfusion?
4. How can our lives be saved?
Encourage all to get better acquainted with “Make Sure” and to make practical use of it. Material in it shows briefly what the Bible teaches on any subject.
22 min: Aiding Each One to Share in Giving a Witness. Chairman introduces the following demonstrations with warm two-minute talk about need to share in giving a witness. (He will make sure the following demonstrations are lively and well rehearsed.)
SCENE I. (3 min.) Field overseer and book study conductor meet to discuss activity of book study group. Conductor is surprised to observe from cards several are irregular in service, others in need of assistance. They discuss together Romans 10:9, 10 so as to have the right Scriptural foundation for aiding ones needing assistance.
SCENE II. (5 min.) Book study conductor and field overseer call on sister who has become irregular in service. She relates her husband is indifferent to the truth, uncooperative, makes it difficult for her to go out on weekends; she is discouraged. They discuss 1 Peter 3:1-4 and offer to make effort to get better acquainted with her husband. Sister is encouraged and they make definite arrangements for her to share in witnessing with a sister on a weekday morning each week.
SCENE III. (4 min.) Conductor calls on irregular brother, with copy of Our Kingdom Service. They discuss together a few points in the article “Why We Preach and Teach.” Brother states he has no one to share companionship with in field service, would like assistance. Conductor explains field service arrangements through the book study group, including weekend field service. He arranges to accompany him in field service on weekends.
(8 min.) Chairman encourages all to help one another share in field service. Book study conductors can arrange for publishers to accompany those who need help. Field overseer will be alert as to those whose activity indicates need for encouragement and pass the information on to study conductors who, in turn, will arrange for assistance. Never scold the brothers but build them up and help them to appreciate Jehovah’s loving-kindness, and their privilege. Encourage all to share fully in field service activity, thus providing zealous example for all others. (John 2:17) Have full share in this weekend’s activity. Song 68 and prayer.
WEEK STARTING FEBRUARY 13
8 min: Song 105 and announcements. Remind all to bring Aid book next week and to prepare to participate in discussion “Jehovah, the Incomparable God.”
25 min: “Make Disciples.” Question-and-answer coverage. Ask questions of audience after having each paragraph read aloud.
12 min: “Help Your Brothers to Preach.” Encouraging talk slanting the information to local circumstances. The field overseer will supply the one handling this part with figures on the number who share regularly each month in field service, the number of irregular publishers and the number who have become inactive during the last year. Speaker will encourage families to share together in the field service, commend regular and auxiliary pioneers for their lead in field service, and encourage all who can to take part in midweek service as well as weekend activity.
15 min: Experiences from using the presentations discussed the week of January 30. Encourage all to use presentation that they feel is most effective for them. Song 103 and prayer.
WEEK STARTING FEBRUARY 20
15 min: Song 104. Announcements. “Offer for March—Any 50c Book”; emphasize booklets will be used to start studies.
25 min: JEHOVAH, THE INCOMPARABLE GOD. Better appreciation of Jehovah, his personality, standards and ways aids us to serve him acceptably, to be fully motivated to do all we can. (Matt. 22:37) After two-minute introduction encourage audience to comment freely on following questions, based on Aid. Conductor will keep the part moving.
1. How is Jehovah “King of eternity”? (P. 889, pars. 4, 5; 1 Tim. 1:17) 2. How can his presence be described? (Par. 6; Ex. 24:9-11) 3. Why is Jehovah spoken of as having eyes, ears and a face? Is this to be taken literally? (Pars. 7, 8; Job 37:23, 24) 4. God revealed himself to man in Eden to be what kind of person? How? (P. 890, pars. 4-6; Ps. 139:14; 104:8-24) 5. How can man know God has standards? (Pars. 7, 8; Gen. 1:3, 4; Deut. 32:3, 4) 6. How important are God’s standards in nature? (Pars. 9, 10; Eccl. 1:5-7) 7. Why are God’s standards so important to the enjoyment of life? (Pars. 11-13; 1 Tim. 1:9, 10; Rom. 6:15-18) 8. Who is the Supreme Standard for all the universe? (P. 891, par. 1; Mark 10:17, 18; Matt. 19:17)
Truly Jehovah is an incomparable God. Knowing and loving him motivates us to declare good news, aiding sheeplike ones to enjoy warm relationship with him.
20 min: Field overseer presents encouraging, warm, lively Scriptural talk dealing with the needs of the local congregation. These may be meeting attendance, field service, Bible study work, encouraging more to share in regular and auxiliary pioneer service or a combination of local needs. Song 110 and prayer.