Question Box

◼ Is it still appropriate to conduct a home Bible study with an inactive brother or sister at the direction of one of the members of the Congregation Service Committee?

The elders have the responsibility to shepherd the congregation, including any members who have become inactive. They visit such ones and determine what personal assistance is needed. Where appropriate, this could include offering the inactive one the benefit of a personal Bible study. Organized to Accomplish Our Ministry, page 103, explains that the Congregation Service Committee would decide who might benefit from such a provision.

The service overseer determines who could best provide the assistance, what subjects should be studied, and which publication would be the most helpful. Perhaps the one who originally studied with the person or someone he has known and respected would be in a good position to help. A capable and mature sister may be asked to assist an inactive sister. Usually it would not be necessary for another publisher to accompany the assigned conductor. When assigned, the publisher conducting the study may count the time, the return visits, and the study.​—See November 1987 Our Kingdom Ministry, pages 1-2.

Since the student is a baptized person, generally the study need not be continued for a prolonged period of time. The goal is to assist the inactive one to resume attendance at all congregation meetings and to become a regular publisher of the good news. The service overseer will monitor the progress of such studies. The result of this loving assistance should be that these brothers and sisters will be able to shoulder their own load of responsibility before Jehovah and become firmly “rooted and established” in the truth.​—Eph. 3:17; Gal. 6:5.