Service Meetings for December
Week Starting December 7
10 min: Local announcements. Selected Announcements from Our Kingdom Ministry.
15 min: “We Must Call Again and Again.” Questions and answers. Briefly comment on Ezekiel 3:17-19, emphasizing our responsibility to keep sounding the warning message.
20 min: “Offering the New World Translation.” A brother discusses the article with two or three capable publishers. Include a few pertinent points from the “All Scripture” book, pages 327-31. Demonstrate how the offer for December might be presented and how the donation arrangement can be mentioned.
Song 176 and concluding prayer.
Week Starting December 14
10 min: Local announcements. Accounts report. Offer suggestions on how to respond tactfully to worldly holiday greetings. If the congregation has copies of the Greatest Man or Great Teacher books in stock, show how they can be used to good advantage in the ministry during the Christmas holidays. Outline special field service arrangements for December 25 and January 1.
15 min: “Overseers Taking the Lead—The Watchtower Study Conductor.” A talk by the Watchtower Study conductor. He explains his responsibilities and how all in attendance can help make the study lively, informative, and spiritually upbuilding.—See Our Ministry, page 67.
20 min: “They Can See That We Are Different.” Questions and answers. Briefly review each characteristic that makes us unique. Point out how this information can be used in directing interested ones to the organization and in showing them how the truth produces Christian qualities in those who live by it.
Song 146 and concluding prayer.
Week Starting December 21
8 min: Local announcements. If your congregation will change meeting times for the new year, give kind encouragement urging all to maintain regular attendance with the congregation at its new times. Remind publishers to inform Bible students and other interested ones of any changes. Encourage all publishers to save their personal copies of Our Kingdom Ministry, especially the inserts. Likely we will be referring to them in the future. Remind all to bring the January 1999 Our Kingdom Ministry insert to next week’s Service Meeting.
12 min: Local needs.
25 min: “Build Your Life Around Jehovah’s Service.” Questions and answers. Interview an unmarried person and a family head who have been successful in maintaining a consistent, regular schedule in the field ministry each week. Have them tell what personal organization is needed in order to give priority to spiritual interests.
Song 119 and concluding prayer.
Week Starting December 28
10 min: Local announcements. Remind all to turn in field service reports for December. Show older books published before 1985 that are available for the January literature offer. Encourage publishers to pick up some for distribution this weekend.
10 min: “Benefit From the 1999 Theocratic Ministry School Program.” A talk by the Theocratic Ministry School overseer. Have some publishers tell about the benefits they have derived from keeping up with the “Supplemental Bible-Reading Schedule” each week. Encourage all to read God’s Word daily.
25 min: Prepare to Attend the 1999 District Convention. Secretary handles question-and-answer coverage of convention information in January 1999 Our Kingdom Ministry insert. First, read December 15, 1998, convention assignment letter. Then, after considering paragraph 3 of article, read opening and closing paragraphs of Recommended Lodging List. Emphasize the Scriptural principles for following the Society’s direction in rooming matters. Commend the brothers for cooperating with the Society’s arrangement.
Song 195 and concluding prayer.