Your Service Meetings
WEEK STARTING JULY 31
20 min: Song 110. Announcements. Discuss benefits of field service. Ask audience, Why do you personally go out in the field service? How important do you feel it is? If territory is covered often, why do we keep on announcing the good news? Do you feel that you personally benefit by participating in the field service? Are there any Christian qualities that you develop by participating in field service? (Endurance, joy, self-control, fearlessness, love, and so forth) (Acts 13:48, 52; Phil. 1:14, 18, 19; Acts 5:42) Good news proclaimed; people in field thus benefit. Publisher who preaches is built up and encouraged, assisted to retain Scriptural information by repetition in field service. Congregation benefits, doing things together; improves spirit, more spirituality; a force for unity in congregation; new ones helped to grow to maturity.
20 min: Presenting Peace and Security book. Topic for Conversation on Luke 21 lends itself well to discussing hope for secure future. Get all publishers involved in consideration of experiences had last month in using this topic. What approach worked out well for you in the territory? Did you vary it somewhat for certain persons such as youths, businessmen, and so forth? Are there any local events that would tie in easily with this theme? Since many people give attention to world news, have you used current events in newspapers as an aid to reach a common ground for conversation on this subject? Ask publishers to relate points they find appealing in your kind of territory. Then consider how one might tie in topic with pages 82 and 83 in book. Also subheadings in Chapter 9 can well be used to show hope for future as promised by God. Ask publishers which points in book they think will be easy for them to use to reach minds of local people. All publishers should understand that they may use whatever points they find effective and easy to handle. The Youth book may also be offered during the month.
20 min: Organize for Evening Witnessing in August. (Elders should get together before meeting and prepare suggestions for evenings for service and places to meet.) Which evening is best for your congregation? for your book study? for your family? (Elders can take initiative to suggest a good evening.) Most families of publishers are together in evening—good opportunity for families to enjoy service together one evening during week. Many find house-to-house activity enjoyable at this time. Often many people are not at home weekdays, but can be found home evenings. People more relaxed, not rushed, many listen. Can also do street witnessing in evenings in safe areas where stores are open; people on the street can be approached and they often take time to talk. What is a good night for your group or family? Some pioneers find best time to talk to people at home is from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Find out by experience what is best time for evening witnessing in your territory. In addition to witnessing at usual hours, by witnessing evenings we may meet many people not previously contacted. If territory is covered frequently, group can follow up on not-at-home notations from House-to-House Record forms. With many people, at what other times do we see them? Take advantage of summer evenings, including Saturdays, witnessing in cities or rural areas.
Discuss how to approach people in evenings, in easy, neighborly way. Arrange in advance for those who have done evening witnessing to express themselves on pleasantness of it and what they did to reach the people at that time. Encourage publishers, families and individuals, to get together and make choice of evening during week for service. Try it out during August, see the good results, and you may want to continue into September and months to come. Those interested in evening witnessing in groups can meet with the field overseer at the platform after the service meeting. Song 107 and prayer.
WEEK STARTING AUGUST 7
15 min: Song 116. Accounts report. Announcements. Mention where evening meeting for service will be this week. Theocratic News and Question Box material.
20 min: “Presenting the Good News—With the Youth Book.” Discuss material with audience. Get their reaction to points in paragraph 2 and see if any have had good experiences talking to young people at the doors. Demonstrate paragraph 3, perhaps with adult speaking to a youth, and then with a teen-age publishers speaking to another teen-ager. Invite audience to comment on points in presentations they feel are effective. Include any local suggestions on finding young people and speaking to them, as remainder of article is handled.
25 min: “Cultivate the Ability to Speak.” Handle article with audience participation. Under subheading “Do You Pray for It?” also include comments on Colossians 4:2-4 and Acts 28:23, 24, if time permits. Under subheading “Do You Work for It?” emphasize that sisters and young publishers, as well as brothers, need to work hard to cultivate speaking ability. As Christians we all have responsibility to speak and should desire to speak well. (Prov. 25:11; 2 Tim. 1:13) We always improve in any endeavor as we work hard and spend time at it. The more we talk, the more we will enjoy it. So our mental inclination should always be to improve our ability to speak the words of truth so as to help others gain the knowledge that leads to everlasting life. (John 17:3) If time permits, speaker can refer to Aid (p. 1332) or “Make Sure” (p. 348) material. Song 117 and prayer.
WEEK STARTING AUGUST 14
18 min: Song 73. Announcements. Discuss Branch Letter with congregation. In this connection, review local congregation’s service report for the last four months. Did many share in auxiliary pioneer service? Are we increasing or decreasing our hours of service? How many conduct home Bible studies? How many studies are currently conducted? Who would like to have help to improve their field service? (Make arrangements through book study conductor or field overseer for some to work together, if desired.) Also encourage those who can, to be auxiliary pioneers in September.
18 min: “Families, Worship Jehovah Together.” Talk, with audience discussion of some points. Show value of Youth book to parents in helping their children. Parents themselves must be thoroughly familiar with book to use it well. Get expressions from parents and from children on how Youth book has helped to improve Christian living and handling of Christian responsibilities.
24 min: Serving as a Family. Discuss with audience the following:
(1) Jehovah is the Originator of family arrangement. He established the first human family. (Gen. 2:22-24; 5:1-5) In ancient Hebrew society the family was the basic unit. It was also a ‘small government,’ with the father as head being responsible to God. Today same arrangement prevails in Christian congregation. The family is the basic unit of Christian society with the father as head. (1 Cor. 11:3) Christian parents, particularly fathers, with assistance of mothers, have responsibility to train children in discipline and mental-regulating of Jehovah. (Eph. 6:4) Children, in turn, are to obey and respect their parents. (Eph. 6:1-3) Parents train children through family and congregational meetings for Bible instruction, like Hebrew parents. (Deut. 6:6, 7; 31:12, 13; Neh. 12:43) Also must train in witnessing, teaching them to speak out truth to others they meet. This, too, is an important part of our Christian worship. (Matt. 28:19, 20; Rom. 10:10, 13-15) Philip the evangelizer, a good example. He had four daughters who prophesied; thus, must have trained them well in public service of Jehovah.—Acts 21:8, 9.
(2) Christian families today should appreciate need to work together in field service. How are you doing in field service as a family? (You are welcome to consult your Publisher Record cards after the meeting.) Working together is a fine way to strengthen the family unit and relationship of one member to the others, especially parents to children. It is best for parents to shoulder their responsibility and try to avoid sending children in field service while they remain at home, unless circumstances warrant such. Get comments on the following questions: What do you do to make your service as a family enjoyable? Do you do anything special for younger children in particular to help them enjoy and appreciate field service? What local opportunities are there for families to enjoy service together? Would evening witnessing be a good time for entire family to work in service together? Or, if Sunday morning meetings are held, could entire family work together in service some Sundays for a while after the meeting?
(3) Include one or two experiences of families who have worked together on a regular basis. How is it arranged? When? What are the benefits to the family? Do you recommend this for other families? Conclude with encouragement to all elders with families to be sure they spend time with their own families in the service, helping them as well as others. All families should appreciate need to work together in all things, including field service, in order to keep strong spiritually in this time of the end. (Phil. 3:16, 17) Song 60 and prayer.
WEEK STARTING AUGUST 21
10 min: Song 55. Announcements. Mention that experiences from evening witnessing will be on program next week.
25 min: Pay Attention to Teaching. (1 Tim. 4:16) Audience discussion of material.
On what is faith built? (Rom. 10:17)
Want to build with fire-resistant materials. (1 Cor. 3:13-15)
Teach foundation is Christ Jesus—must build on him as Ransomer and King. (1 Cor. 3:10, 11; 1 John 5:9-13)
Responsibility to “preach the word,” God’s message. (2 Tim. 4:2; 1 Thess. 2:13)
Avoid preaching own opinions, speculating on world events, sensationalism. (1 Tim. 1:3-7; Titus 3:9)
Draw attention to context to show reason for explanation:
Who were the bad associates Paul had in mind when he wrote words of 1 Corinthians 15:33? (See verses 12, 32, 34.)
From what are we to ‘buy out the opportune time,’ as stated at Ephesians 5:16? (See verse 11.)
When Paul wrote, at Titus 2:14, that we are to be “zealous for fine works,” to what works did he refer? (See Titus 2:1-10; 3:1.)
Explain Scriptures by using other texts.
What is meant by Jesus’ words at John 10:30 that ‘he and his Father are one’? (John 17:20-23)
Does 2 Peter 3:7 show that the literal earth is going to be destroyed by fire? (Ps. 104:5; 37:29; Matt. 5:5)
Prove the truth for ourselves and others with God’s Word.
Good to put teaching to test as Beroeans did. (Acts 17:11)
Be sure the students we teach see how scriptures apply.
Paul reasoned from Scriptures. (Acts 17:2)
Always stick to what the Bible says. (1 Thess. 2:13)
Want people to continue in faith, need the Scriptures. (2 Tim. 3:14-17)
Personal study and preparation necessary to teach Word of God.
Be patient as teacher, take time to look up scriptures.
Use the Bible well and be a good teacher.
25 min: Prepare locally for benefit of congregation. Song 49 and prayer.
WEEK STARTING AUGUST 28
20 min: Song 57. Announcements. Evaluation of evening witnessing campaign. (This part might be handled by field overseer.) Experiences related by publishers. (Prepare in advance.) Did you find advantages? What were they? Could families participate well together? In what territory was best response seen? Bring out methods found successful. Can continue using evenings in September.
15 min: Discussion with congregation of points in article on “Mourning and Funerals—For Whom?” from June 1, 1977, Watchtower.
25 min: “New Arrangement for Tract Distribution.” Before meeting, hand out copy of new tract to all in attendance. Discussion of definite arrangements made for campaign. Then consider how to use points in tract when conversing with different kinds of people. Demonstrate how one might direct attention from tract to chapter in Truth book, either starting with the beginning of the chapter or using points that are appropriate to the householder, based on his response to subject and his own interest in family life. Following demonstration, ask questions of audience about method used; analyze it. If time allows, add suggestions for other ways of transition into book. Song 62 and prayer.