praise to Jehovah God and for participating in the work Jehovah purposed to be done at this time. The need for such activity should be explained, pointing out how it benefits not only those who listen but also those who do the preaching. Some field experiences could be related from time to time—personal ones as well as some from the Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The spiritual lamb will benefit from hearing how persons like himself in other parts of the world are successfully engaging in the ministry. So the ministry should not be viewed by the unsteady lamb as being impossible for him.

18, 19. (a) Explain how a new person can be helped to get started in the ministry. (b) Why should a person not be invited into the ministry until he has made progress in his study of the truth?

¹⁸ After a time the mature minister can invite the new sheep to accompany him on a Bible study. He can encourage him to make comments by asking for his opinion on something about which the minister knows that he has previously expressed himself. After taking him on this study for a few times the mature minister can suggest, while on the way home, that they make a call on an interested person. By gradually increasing the number of such calls after a study, the new person becomes acquainted with the great importance of calling back on interested persons, and he sees firsthand how the ministry is benefiting others.

¹⁹ After a time the person can be invited to go with the minister from door to door to observe how the ministry is carried on in that fashion. His being invited into the ministry should not be done until he has made progress in the truth and shows evidence that he is in full accord with the truths he has been learning. It would be improper to invite someone to engage in the Christian ministry who is not in harmony with what Jehovah’s organization teaches. How could he be a representative of it? He must first learn and believe before he can preach. Jesus did not start in the ministry persons who were not in full harmony with his teachings.

20. Explain how help can be given to another person in delivering a sermon at the doors.

²⁰ The mature minister should aid the new one to progress to the point of giving a sermon at the doors of other people. This can be done by helping him to prepare a short sermon and by rehearsing it with him until it is well in mind. As they preach from door to door, the mature minister can give kind counsel to the new one on the way he delivers the sermon. The most effective way to counsel is to mention only one weakness at a time and then demonstrate the counsel given. As the person makes progress, he can be encouraged to try giving the sermon at a door by himself. In this patient and loving manner persons can be taught to be more than silent worshipers of God. They can be aided to be public praisers of him and thus helped to walk closely in Jesus’ steps.

ACCOMPLISHING THE PURPOSE OF THE MINISTRY

21. How is the preaching being done by Jehovah’s witnesses accomplishing the purpose of the Christian ministry?

²¹ The preaching being done worldwide by the thousands upon thousands of ministers in the New World society is accomplishing, in these last days, the purpose of the Christian ministry. Jehovah’s name is being made known throughout the world; his judgments upon the present wicked system of things are being declared; the good news of the Kingdom is being proclaimed as a witness to the nations; people held captive to religious falsehoods are being released and their eyes opened wide to the revealing truths of God’s Word; and multitudes are being gathered into Jehovah’s theocratic organization. This grand work could not be done on such a scale if mature ministers did not unselfishly aid weak ones to grow to maturity. Aiding them is just as important in accomplishing the purpose of the ministry as is the bringing of new sheep into the fold.

22, 23. (a) Why are more mature ministers needed in the New World society? (b) What are the results when mature ministers aid others?

²² More and more mature ministers are needed to help the growing multitudes that are becoming part of the New World society. By all mature ministers aiding new and weak ones to maturity, the organization will have a steadily growing number of mature ministers capable of giving assistance to still others. In this manner it will be able to maintain a generally high level of maturity despite the continual influx of new people.

²³ To Jehovah’s true worship these multitudes are now streaming from out of the nations, just as the prophet Isaiah foretold. (Isa. 2:2, 3) They are the good fruit of the Christian ministry. Associating with the anointed ones of Jesus’ congregation, they are forming an immense flock of Christian sheep who are joyfully saying: “Salvation we owe to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb.” (Rev. 7:10) As they are trained in the ministry, they are turning to others and saying as Isaiah foretold: “Come, you people.” With the help they receive from mature ministers they grow up to be strong and vigorous praisers of Jehovah God. By attaining maturity themselves, they are able to form the strong framework of new congregations and to fill responsible positions of oversight in Jehovah’s organization. Here we see the good results that come from the aid that mature ministers give to others.

24. What should every mature minister in the New World society consider?

²⁴ All who are mature ministers in Jehovah’s organization must carefully consider what they are doing to help others. Are some avoiding that responsibility and leaving it for a few to bear? By doing this are they not hindering rather than helping Jehovah’s organization to fulfill the purpose of the ministry? Are they not failing to follow Jesus’ steps closely? Each of these mature ministers has the responsibility not only of preaching but of aiding those who have responded to the Kingdom message. That is a vital part of the Christian ministry. Happy indeed are those mature ministers who recognize this and who humbly obey Jesus’ command: “Feed my lambs. . . . Shepherd my little sheep.”—John 21:15, 16.

Trained from Infancy

◆ A Brazilian witness of Jehovah who has ten children and whose husband is not a believer reports how her efforts to teach her children have been blessed: “Some of my children are zealous, being regular publishers, and others are very small; but even so I ask the blessing at mealtimes and consider the daily text with them. I also study with them every week. One of the greatest blessings that Jehovah has granted me is that my children already have the truth in their hearts. One day my husband took one of our daughters to the open market in the town of Cabo. At lunch time he decided to eat a delicacy, the well-known haggis, which is made of blood. The little girl who was with him is very bright and knows what haggis is, that it is made of blood. Do you know what happened? When her father gave her a plateful of haggis, the little girl said: ‘Daddy, this food contains blood. I can’t eat it, because Jehovah doesn’t like people to eat blood.’ The child is only four years old.” Truly, such a mother trains her children ‘according to the way for them.’—Prov. 22:6; Acts 15:20, 28, 29.