Plan Ahead—Pioneer

¹ Jehovah’s great invisible military force is ready and poised for action against Satan and his wicked system. What is expected of us just prior to this time when Jehovah sends out the rod of Christ’s strength to subdue the nations? Psalm 110:3 tells us: “Your people will offer themselves willingly on the day of your military force.”

² Tens of thousands of God’s people, displaying that willing spirit, frequently share in the auxiliary pioneer service. Would you like to be one of the large army who will be doing so during April? To succeed, you will need to plan ahead.

PLANNING NECESSARY

³ After prayerfully considering the prospect, one of the first things to do is to work out a schedule that will make it possible for you to devote 60 hours to the field service during the month. Without neglecting other Christian obligations, you might plan to use two hours each day in the field. Some prefer to devote perhaps five hours to the field service for three days each week, with the remainder of the week to care for family responsibilities. If you have a secular job and would like to be an auxiliary pioneer, you could schedule evening witnessing along with full weekends of field service. Determine what best fits your circumstances.

⁴ One sister says that at the start of each year she looks at the calendar and determines which months have the most holidays in them. She auxiliary pioneers during those months, effectively using the extra days. A traveling overseer in the United States reports that some publishers look for months that have five full weekends in them and then plan to pioneer during those months. For example, the months of September and December of 1979 have five full weekends. Youths in school can make wise use of spring vacation that usually is scheduled for March or April. If you find that you can meet the hour requirement, and if a willing spirit moves you to offer yourself in this way, now is the time to turn in your application.

⁵ When making your plans, consider not only reaching the goal of hours, but also how you will use that time in the field. You will find that your service will be more joyful and productive if you devote some time—perhaps as much as half of your service time—to making return visits and conducting Bible studies. Do you currently conduct a Bible study with an interested person? If not, make it your goal to start one during the month that you pioneer.

⁶ Here are a few other things that could be beneficial to do when making your plans: Talk to other members of your family and enlist their cooperation. Why not see if there is another publisher in the congregation that you can encourage to auxiliary pioneer along with you. Find out when meetings for field service will be held. Obtain territory in advance and order extra magazines and literature. Making these necessary arrangements shows that you are complying with the direction given at Proverbs 20:18, where it says: “By counsel plans themselves are firmly established.

SERVANTS CAN ASSIST

⁷ What can elders and ministerial servants do to assist? Proverbs 15:22 says: “There is a frustrating of plans where there is no confidential talk [or, consultation], but in the multitude of counselors there is accomplishment.” Thus it is important to coordinate efforts. Extra meetings for field service may be needed. Have arrangements been made to see that these meetings will have proper oversight and direction? Could an elder or a ministerial servant take the lead in overseeing these meetings for field service? When this is possible, it is greatly appreciated. Has sufficient territory been set aside? Remember that our objective is to make disciples. So, in addition to territory that may currently need working, would it perhaps be possible to provide territory that may be more productive and where interest is more apt to be found?

⁸ All appointed servants can be “aglow” with the spirit whether they can pioneer or not. Enthusiastically encourage auxiliary pioneering, knowing that it is God’s will that we have plenty to do in the work of the Lord and that our “labor is not in vain in connection with the Lord.”—1 Cor. 15:58.

Pioneers and Their Reports

A variety of questions involving pioneer service are received by the office in Brooklyn. We thought you would be interested in a few of them and the gist of the answers that we give. For example:

● Should auxiliary pioneers be counted as such if their application was approved by the elders but then they were not able to devote 60 hours to the field service? Yes.

● May coffee and lunch breaks be counted as field service time? The “Organization” book (p. 126) says that the time to be counted on our reports is what we spend actually in Kingdom-preaching and disciple-making, witnessing to persons who are not themselves baptized Witnesses. Are you witnessing to someone while you have your coffee or eat lunch? Then count such time. If not, it might be better to start counting time again when you make your first call after lunch.

● If a pioneer is ill or is involved in an accident, or serious family problems come along, and the individual wants to be given consideration so as to remain on the pioneer list without having to make up the time, who should write to the Society about the matter? The local elders.

A few other points that could save the office much time are these:

● Married sisters should show “Mrs.” and then their husband’s first name on their monthly report cards (e.g., Mrs. John Witness). If someone else makes out the card for the pioneer, it would be appreciated if the pioneer would check to be sure that the name is correct.

● When single pioneer sisters marry, they should supply the Society with the husband’s first and last name and the date of the marriage. Thereafter they should list their name as requested in the preceding point.

● Pioneers should inform the Society if they move from one congregation to another or if they are going to be away from their home congregation for more than three months.

● When anyone finds it necessary to stop pioneering for some reason, he should notify the elders in the congregation. They should then notify the Society, using the S-206 form. A brief explanation should be given as to why the individual has stopped pioneering and the form should be signed by the local service committee.