Ways to Expand Your Ministry
1 Over 40 years ago, an article entitled “Is Your Best Good Enough?” appeared in the January 15, 1955, Watchtower. It lovingly pointed out how it may be possible for Jehovah’s people to improve their individual effort in the ministry so that they may increase their Kingdom activity. That good advice also applies today, as we continue to make our best even better.
2 All our service should be motivated by the greatest commandment: “You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind and with your whole strength.” (Mark 12:30) We demonstrate our complete love for Jehovah by using to the full the opportunities that are available to us to advance his Kingdom work. Consider the following ways that you might expand your ministry.
3 Shoulder Your Responsibility: Dedicated brothers can strive to qualify as ministerial servants and then advance to serving as elders. The articles “Are You Reaching Out?” and “Are You Qualified to Serve?,” in the September 1, 1990, issue of The Watchtower, have motivated many brothers to make themselves available for congregation responsibilities. Inquire of your local elders for specific suggestions on how to reach out and qualify.
4 Elders and ministerial servants who are single are invited to think seriously about applying for the Ministerial Training School. You can familiarize yourself with this school by reading the references under “Ministerial Training School” in the Watch Tower Publications Indexes for 1986-1995, 1996, and 1997. Do you see that ‘large door of activity’ opening before you? (1 Cor. 16:9a) Many brothers who stepped through it never envisioned all the privileges of service on the other side. Today they enjoy serving at Bethel or in the field as special pioneers, missionaries, or circuit overseers.
5 Reach Out for Full-Time Service: Youths graduating from high school, housewives, and any who have reached retirement age should seriously consider pioneering. Review the July 1998 Our Kingdom Ministry insert, then talk to pioneers whose circumstances were similar to those in your own life. It may be that you will be motivated to expand your ministry by pioneering, as they are doing. (1 Cor. 11:1) What would it take to expand your activity to 70 hours a month and thus serve as a regular pioneer?
6 More than 17,000 brothers and sisters now serve in branch offices and Bethel homes around the world. The March 1995 Our Kingdom Ministry discusses what is required to apply for such service. Why not read that insert and see if you are one who might qualify for the unique privilege of Bethel service?
7 Serve Where the Need Is Greater: Do you live where the territory is worked quite often or where there are many brothers to share the load? Have you thought about expanding your ministry by moving to where the need is greater? Perhaps the move can be to a nearby rural area where more workers are needed. (Matt. 9:37, 38) This should not be done in haste. It merits prayerful consideration. (Luke 14:28-30) Discuss your situation with the elders and the circuit overseer. They will reason with you on whether it is wise to make such a move now or to prepare to do so in the future. If you wish to write to the Society for a suggestion as to where you could move, a letter signed by your Congregation Service Committee must accompany your letter.
8 Improve the Quality of Your Service: Likely we can all share more fully in the ministry by improving the quality of our field service. Are you involved in all features of the work, including house-to-house and informal witnessing as well as the return visit and Bible study work? If you are conducting a study, can you improve your art of teaching? It would be good to review the June 1996 Our Kingdom Ministry insert for suggestions that you can use to motivate your students toward dedication and baptism.
9 A more extensive discussion of ways to expand and improve our ministry is found in chapter 9 of Organized to Accomplish Our Ministry. Surely all of us should desire to do as much as possible in God’s service. Why not give serious thought to your spiritual goals? Do as 1 Timothy 4:15 recommends: “Ponder over these things; be absorbed in them, that your advancement may be manifest to all persons.”