Meetings to Help Us Make Disciples
WEEK STARTING SEPTEMBER 5
10 min: Local announcements. Appropriate Announcements from Our Kingdom Ministry and “Provision for Pioneers.” Encourage magazine activity for second Saturday of month. Suggest appropriate talking points as time allows.
20 min: “Presenting the Good News—With the Creation Book.” Questions and answers. Include brief demonstration on how you would offer Creation book to a youth. Also, briefly demonstrate key points from paragraphs 4-6. (Start demonstrations after last scripture in Topic has been read.) Conclude with local experiences on placing Creation book.
15 min: Youths—Could You Conduct a Study? To be handled by an elder. Inform congregation how many publishers under 20 years of age there are in congregation and how many of these are conducting studies. Consider room for improvement. Teenagers may be able to start studies with classmates, using Creation book or Youth book. May assign exemplary youths to relate experiences. Select just a few that seem most appropriate. (See yb88 p. 53 pars. 1-3; w84 4/1 p. 30 par 4; yb71 p. 150 par. 1.) Younger ones may be able to start studies with other youngsters in either Bible Stories or Great Teacher books. (See yb75 p. 13 par. 4; km 8/73 p. 4 par. 6; yb70 p. 93 par. 2.) Youths can try to start studies with people they contact in service. (See w82 1/1 p. 24 par. 7; yb71 p. 264 par. 2.) If local experiences are available, use these to illustrate points.
Song 221 and concluding prayer.
WEEK STARTING SEPTEMBER 12
12 min: Local announcements. Accounts report. Mention acknowledgments of donations to Society. Read and comment briefly on “Hospital Information Services.”
18 min: “Set Personal Goals for the New Service Year.” Question-and-answer coverage. To show progress made, you may wish to ask if some began commenting at meetings, started conducting Bible studies, auxiliary pioneered for the first time, or took up regular pioneering during the past year.
15 min: Our Congregation’s Activity. Presiding overseer discusses with congregation the work accomplished during the past service year. Use Congregation Analysis Report (S-10) as basis for pointing out where progress was made and what needs attention. Tie in appropriate points mentioned by circuit overseer during his last visit.
Song 166 and concluding prayer.
WEEK STARTING SEPTEMBER 19
5 min: Local announcements. Encourage all to share in magazine work on fourth Saturday of month.
17 min: “Start Bible Studies—Now Is the Opportune Time.” Audience discussion of article. In connection with paragraph 3, have capable publisher give brief demonstration of second introduction under “Home Bible Studies” on page 12 of Reasoning book. After considering paragraph 5, begin another demonstration with householder politely refusing literature offer. Publisher then asks whether householder has ever wondered if the earth will be destroyed in nuclear war and allows response. Publisher then offers to return and discuss subject. Suggests householder write down certain scriptures and read them later but before the next visit. Brother handling part should be warm and enthusiastic, inviting all to share in Bible study work.
13 min: How Are We Doing in Bible Study Activity? Discussion of congregation’s activity by service overseer. Give number of Bible studies being reported. Source of joy to see interested ones respond to truth. (Acts 11:18; 15:3) Subtract number of family studies reported to show how many studies are being conducted in territory. Compare magazine and literature placements with number of return visits reported. Is this an area where Bible studies could be cultivated? Compare the average number of Bible studies (including family studies) per publisher with national average. Give appropriate commendation and encouragement. Can include experiences about starting and conducting Bible studies.
10 min: Conduct Family Studies. To be handled by respected family head. Remind parents of God-given responsibility. (Eph. 6:4) Helpful suggestions offered in The Watchtower, August 1, 1986, page 28, and November 1, 1986, page 24. Explain how family study with unbaptized children may be reported. (km 6/83, Question Box, par. 2) Interview parent who has had good results from regularly studying with his or her children.
Song 168 and concluding prayer.
WEEK STARTING SEPTEMBER 26
12 min: Local announcements. Theocratic News. Prepare for subscription offer that starts this coming weekend. Demonstrate tie-in of offer with Topic for Conversation. Encourage all to offer subscriptions on first Sunday of month.
10 min: Joys of Pioneering. Interview some regular pioneers who have been to Pioneer Service School as to how the school benefited them. (If there are no regular pioneers in congregation who have been to the school, may ask for field experiences from pioneers or those who have auxiliary pioneered recently.)
13 min: “Report Field Service Accurately.” Congregation secretary handles discussion with audience.
10 min: Local needs or talk on “Becoming an Ordained Minister—God’s Way!” from The Watchtower of June 15, 1988, pages 28-31.
Song 196 and concluding prayer.