“Work What Is Good Toward All”
1 “Preach the Word of God Fully” and “Be Rich in Fine Works” were the themes used in the February and March 2002 Our Kingdom Ministry inserts. (Col. 1:25; 1 Tim. 6:18) In those issues we were encouraged to put forth extra effort to help interested ones attend the Memorial, to help inactive ones become involved again in the congregation, and to help our children and qualified Bible students to begin publishing the good news. No doubt we have enjoyed some success as a result of our good efforts. Now, “as long as we have time favorable for it, let us [continue to] work what is good toward all.”—Gal. 6:10.
2 Invite Them to Attend Again: In the United States branch territory, over a million people who are not publishers of the good news attend the Memorial each year. Since their presence indicates a measure of interest, what must we do to stimulate those who are “rightly disposed for everlasting life” to become “believers”? (Acts 13:48) Encourage them to return to the congregation meetings as soon as possible.
3 Why not invite an interested person to attend the Congregation Book Study to enjoy an interesting discussion of Isaiah’s prophecy? If you are a relative or an acquaintance of the person and you are scheduled to give an upcoming talk on the Theocratic Ministry School, you might invite that one to come and hear your part. Keep him informed of the titles of the public talks that are to be given in the weeks ahead. (An up-to-date schedule should be posted on the information board.) Look for any opportunity to awaken in the person a desire to worship Jehovah. And of course, if he is not already studying the Bible with someone in the congregation, you can kindly offer him a study.
4 Keep Encouraging the Inactive: A number of those who attend the Memorial have already made a dedication to Jehovah. However, at some point they stopped actively preaching the good news. And yet, Paul exhorted us to “work what is good . . . especially toward those related to us in the faith.” (Gal. 6:10) Hence, the inactive ones should be of prime concern.
5 Perhaps some have already responded to the encouragement from the elders and others to get involved once again in the ministry. If you are assigned by the elders to work with a reactivated publisher, know that your own love for Jehovah and for the field ministry will build confidence in that one. Show him how you engage in the various features of the ministry so that he can find joy in it, will stick with the preaching work, and may experience Jehovah’s blessings.
6 Give New Publishers a Good Start: When a newly interested woman realized that she had found God’s true organization, she wanted to start in the service right away. After learning what was required of her, she said: “Let’s get busy with it.” If someone with whom you have been studying the Bible is now approved to begin sharing in field service, help him see the need to “get busy with it,” and so get the new publisher off to a good start. Help him develop a routine of preparing for and sharing regularly in the field ministry each week.
7 If it is your own child who has become a new unbaptized publisher, work with him to make progress according to his age and ability. With a little help from you, he may surprise you with how well he can engage someone in conversation, read from the Bible, and offer literature. When he has a good call in the field service, train him to make a return visit and follow up the interest.
8 Expand Your Own Ministry: Do your circumstances allow you to increase your share in the evangelizing work even beyond the Memorial season? Could you add an hour or two each week to what you usually spend in the service? Are you looking ahead on the calendar to when you can auxiliary pioneer again? Or can you arrange your life-style to enter the full-time ministry? All the effort we put forth in the ministry may help someone to accept the truth! (Acts 8:26-39) As we look to the days ahead, let us “always pursue what is good toward one another and to all others.”—1 Thess. 5:15.
[Box on page 3]
Continue to Assist:
□✔ Memorial attenders
□✔ Reactivated publishers
□✔ New unbaptized publishers