Meetings to Help Us Make Disciples
WEEK STARTING JULY 3
Song 80
10 min: Local announcements and Question Box. Outline service arrangements for second Saturday and briefly comment on talking points in current magazines.
20 min: “Let Your Kingdom Come.” Question-and-answer coverage of material. Have publisher prepared to demonstrate briefly paragraph 4. Also discuss presentation of the brochure as outlined in paragraph 6, especially showing how it can be helpful to young ones.
15 min: Encouraging talk on “Where Can I Turn When I Have Problems?” from July 8, 1983, Awake! Also remind brothers to bring along February 8, 1982, Awake! next week.
Song 74 and concluding prayer.
WEEK STARTING JULY 10
Song 18
12 min: Local announcements and accounts report. Also, consider “1984 Calendar.”
15 min: “Planning Summer Activities.” Question-and-answer discussion of material. As time permits, interview some families and individual publishers, including young ones, regarding their theocratic summertime goals. Are some planning to auxiliary pioneer? Mention various ways to witness informally while traveling.
10 min: Be Ready Always to Give an Answer. Audience discussion of question sometimes raised in field service: Do Jehovah’s Witnesses believe in miraculous gift of speaking in tongues, or other gifts of the spirit? How can we prepare to answer?
Elder leads discussion based on Aid, page 655 (Gifts of the Spirit) and page 656 (“Tongues”), also February 8, 1982, Awake! pages 7 to 11. Highlight the following: Gifts of the spirit served to establish early Christian congregation as having God’s approval. (Heb. 2:2-4) Gift of speaking in tongues enabled Christians at Pentecost 33 C.E. to reach foreign-speaking Jews. (Acts, chapter 2) Gifts of spirit transmitted only by an apostle chosen directly by Jesus. (Acts 8:18; 19:6) Thus, with death of the apostles the transmittal of miraculous gifts ceased. Paul foretold cessation of such gifts, including gift of tongues. (1 Cor. 13:8) Those speaking in tongues today usually not understood by others. Apparently not God’s spirit working through them. Identification marks of love (John 13:35; 1 Cor. 13:13) and separateness from world (John 15:19) not found in charismatics but in Jehovah’s Witnesses. Witnesses also show love for Jehovah (Matt. 22:37, 38) and continue with God-given work of making disciples. (Matt. 24:14; 28:19, 20) Thus prove they are true Christians.
8 min: Consider April service report and information on page 1 highlighting new peaks. Encourage congregation to press forward zealously with local activity.
Song 62 and concluding prayer.
WEEK STARTING JULY 17
Song 55
10 min: Local announcements and appropriate Announcements from Our Kingdom Ministry. Consider congregation field service report for June. Also encourage all to support magazine activity the fourth Saturday of July.
18 min: “Presenting the Good News—With Tact.” Discuss article with questions and answers. Read selected paragraphs and scriptures as time permits. Include comments from audience on how to deal tactfully with circumstances that may arise in the field ministry.
17 min: “How Can I Build My Self-Respect?” Talk by elder on article in April 8, 1983, Awake! Encourage young ones to build a good relationship with Jehovah. As time permits entertain comments from young publishers on what they can do to strengthen this relationship.
Song 112 and concluding prayer.
WEEK STARTING JULY 24
Song 17
7 min: Local announcements. Briefly outline offer for August using the Live Forever book or My Book of Bible Stories. Encourage publishers to get needed supplies for August field service.
18 min: “What Makes a Pioneer?” Question-and-answer discussion of article. Read some paragraphs and scriptures according to time available. Get comments from regular or auxiliary pioneers. How did they arrange their affairs to pioneer? What blessings have they enjoyed by pioneering? Many choose to start regular pioneering in September, so now is a good time to consider it. Get applications from presiding overseer or secretary.
20 min: “Benefiting From Theocratic Subjection.” Question-and-answer consideration of chapter 2 of Our Ministry book, pages 12 through 16.
Song 58 and concluding prayer.