Can We Reach More People?

¹ In many places it is becoming increasingly difficult to reach people with the good news. Many are not at home when we call. Do you find that to be true in your territory? What can we do to reach more people with the Kingdom message?—1 Tim. 2:3, 4.

² For a moment, think about what you customarily do when you are out in field service. As you walk from one house to the next, do you stop to converse with people who may be working in their yards, with men who may be cleaning their car in the street out front, with those who may be sitting on the steps of an apartment house? Or are there times when you find yourself walking past people who are readily accessible and then ringing doorbells at homes and apartments where no one answers? Why not make it a point to converse with everyone who is accessible and thus reach more people in your field service?

³ When householders are not at home, we probably make note of that fact, but do we persevere in our efforts to reach these people? For example, during the past month, have you spent at least some of your service time in following up your not-at-homes? Is effort made to call a second and even a third time to reach the householder if at all possible? In other words, are we really endeavoring to reach the people in our assignment, or are we simply covering territory?

⁴ Recently, a New York publisher group visited homes in a certain territory and found very little interest, but during the next week two of the publishers followed up on the not-at-homes and had several fine discussions, placing literature with appreciative householders.

⁵ The days are getting longer now, and some of us may be able to take advantage of this for evening witnessing during the daylight hours. This is “prime time” for finding people at home. Often the majority of ones who are not at home at other times can be reached at these hours, and many people seem to be in a good frame of mind at this time of day. Too, you may contact members of a household whom you would not likely find at another time. Some have found they can reach as many people in an hour of evening witnessing as in several hours on a weekend. Of course, evening hours may not be your regular time for field service, but could you make an adjustment if it would enable you to reach more people? The elders in your congregation may be able to arrange for group witnessing on one or more evenings during the week from now until fall.

⁶ So, in addition to setting aside time to devote to field service and covering the territory assigned to us, let’s give increased thought to reaching people—sharing the good news with them wherever we find them and on every appropriate occasion.