Announcements
◼ Literature offer for September: The Secret of Family Happiness. October: Individual copies of The Watchtower and Awake! Where interest is found on return visits, subscriptions may be offered. Starting in the latter part of the month, Kingdom News No. 35 will be distributed. November: Distribution of Kingdom News No. 35 will continue. Congregations that complete their territory by reaching householders in each home or dwelling with a copy of Kingdom News No. 35 may offer the Knowledge book. December: New World Translation with the book The Bible—God’s Word or Man’s?
◼ The presiding overseer or someone designated by him should audit the congregation’s accounts on September 1 or as soon as possible thereafter. Make an announcement to the congregation when this has been done.
◼ U.S. Selective Service regulations require that all men register at the post office when reaching 18 years of age. All those required to do so should take care of the matter promptly, viewing it as a Christian’s obligation to the superior authorities. Elders will want to have this in mind and give appropriate reminders to young brothers nearing the age of 18. Questions as to the young Christian’s responsibilities in this regard may be answered by the elders.
◼ The elders are reminded to follow through on instructions given on pages 21-3 of the April 15, 1991, Watchtower, regarding any disfellowshipped or disassociated persons who may be inclined toward becoming reinstated.
◼ It is important that groups of 30 or more persons planning to visit the Society’s facilities first correspond by mail with the Central Tour Desk at 100 Watchtower Drive, Patterson, NY 12563-9204. The Central Tour Desk will care for groups that will be visiting Brooklyn Bethel, Watchtower Farms at Wallkill, the Watchtower Educational Center at Patterson, or the Jersey City Assembly Hall. Please provide information on the number coming and the dates and times for visiting each location. The Society will provide a description of the tours that are available as well as a map giving directions to each location. LODGING INFORMATION HAS BEEN SENT TO THE CONGREGATION ELDERS AND MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE CONGREGATION SECRETARY.
◼ Those associated with a congregation should send all new and renewal subscriptions for The Watchtower and Awake!, including their personal subscriptions, through the congregation.
◼ The Society does not fill individual publishers’ requests for literature. The presiding overseer should arrange for an announcement to be made each month before the congregation monthly request for literature is sent to the Society so that all interested in obtaining personal literature items may advise the brother handling literature. Please keep in mind which publications are special-request items.
◼ Congregations may now begin submitting requests for The Secret of Family Happiness—On Videocassette (Volumes 1 through 6) in American Sign Language. They will appear as “Pending” on congregation packing lists until the videocassettes are available. Efforts will be made to ship each videocassette in time for the material contained in it to be considered at the Congregation Book Study. These videocassettes should be requested only for those familiar with American Sign Language.
◼ When making literature requests, congregations should keep in mind that the Society’s CD-ROM is not to be distributed indiscriminately. It is primarily for the use of publishers.
◼ The May 1997 Our Kingdom Ministry “Question Box” recommended that we be cautious about working in the ministry with publishers of the opposite sex. There are good reasons for all to use good judgment in this matter. This does not mean that traveling overseers or even other brothers cannot work in the field ministry with sisters. Rather, the thought was expressed that it is not wise for a brother to be spending time regularly alone with the same person of the opposite sex to whom he is not related.
◼ New Publications Available:
A Book for All People—Chinese, Chinese Simplified, English, French, Greek, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese
Enjoy Family Life (Tract No. 21)—Lithuanian
Enjoy Life on Earth Forever!—Tibetan
Hellfire—Is It Part of Divine Justice? (Tract No. 74)—Arabic
How to Start and Continue Bible Discussions—Gujarati
Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Twentieth Century—Vietnamese
Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life—Bulgarian, Myanmar
Should You Believe in the Trinity?—Persian
The Bible—God’s Word or Man’s?—Slovak
The Divine Name That Will Endure Forever—Arabic
The Secret of Family Happiness—Turkish, Urdu
Watch Tower Publications Index 1996—English