Announcements

◼ Literature offer for December: Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life with the New World Translation. January: Any 192-page book published prior to 1986 that the congregation may have in stock. Congregations that do not have a supply of such books may offer Life​—How Did It Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation? or You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth. February: The Secret of Family Happiness. March: Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life. A special effort will be made to start home Bible studies.

◼ Since the Gilead graduation will be held on Saturday, March 11, 2000, no tours will be conducted that day at the Society’s facilities at Brooklyn, Patterson, and Wallkill, New York. Any who have planned to visit on that Saturday should reschedule their visit to another convenient time. No congregation literature requests will be processed for shipment or for pickup that day.

◼ Congregations should begin requesting bound volumes of The Watchtower and Awake! for 1999 with their December literature request. The bound volumes will be available in Chinese, Croatian, English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, and Spanish. Until the bound volumes are available and shipments are made, these will appear as “Pending” on congregation packing lists. Bound volumes are special-request items.

◼ The presiding overseer or someone designated by him should audit the congregation’s accounts on December 1 or as soon as possible thereafter. When this has been done, make announcement to the congregation after the next accounts report is read.

◼ The Memorial for the year 2001 will be on Sunday, April 8, after sundown. This advance notice is given so that brothers may make necessary reservations or contracts for available halls when there are several congregations using the Kingdom Hall and other facilities must be found. The elders should have an agreement with the management ensuring that there will be no disturbances from other activities in the building so that the Memorial observance can proceed in a peaceful and orderly manner. Because of the importance of the occasion, in assigning a Memorial speaker, the body of elders should select one of the more qualified elders instead of simply taking turns or using the same brother every year. An exception will be made if there is a capable elder of the anointed who can give the talk.

◼ New Publications Available:

Does God Really Care About Us?​—Tigrinya

How to Find the Road to Paradise (for Muslims)​—Gujarati, Nepali

New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures​—Shona

Questions Young People Ask​—Answers That Work—​Persian

Revelation​—Its Grand Climax At Hand!​—Yoruba

The Guidance of God​—Our Way to Paradise—​Arabic

What Does God Require of Us?​—Sorani Kurdish

◼ New Audiocassettes Available:

What Does God Require of Us? (single cassette)​—Quechua

When Someone You Love Dies (single cassette)​—English

September Service Report

Av. Av. Av. Av.

Number of: Hrs. Mags. R.V. Bi.St.

Sp’l Pios. 144 119.2 100.6 52.7 4.4

Pios. 90,955 67.7 49.4 21.1 1.6

Aux.Pios. 29,012 50.8 38.6 13.2 0.8

Pubs. 810,133 9.2 8.0 3.4 0.3

TOTAL 930,244 Baptized: 1,791

The August Our Kingdom Ministry set a goal of 90,000 regular pioneers to be enrolled by September 1. We are happy to report a new peak of 90,955 regular pioneers for the month of September. This is an increase of 11,679, or nearly 15 percent, over the previous peak of August 1999. We look forward to future service reports.

The Theocratic Ministry School for 2000

¹ The Theocratic Ministry School has proved to be a rich blessing to Jehovah’s people. Over the past 50 years, it has helped millions to develop their abilities as public speakers and teachers of Bible truths. (Ps. 145:10-12; Matt. 28:19, 20) Can you see how the school has helped you? It can continue to do so during 2000 if you share in it fully and apply the counsel that is given.

² Instructions about assignments and the publications that will be used are listed on the first page of the school schedule for 2000. The time allotted for each part, the source material, how the material is to be presented, and other details are considered. Please take the time to read the instructions carefully and apply them.

³ Weekly Bible Reading: There are two separate programs for weekly Bible reading listed on the school schedule. One is the standard reading program that covers about five pages of the Bible. Bible highlights are based on this reading. The other reading program is supplemental and covers twice as much material. By following this program, you will be able to read the entire Bible in three years. It is understood that some may want to read more than is scheduled in the supplemental program, and others may not be able to keep up with it. Rather than comparing yourself with others, rejoice in what you can accomplish. (Gal. 6:4) The vital thing is to read God’s Word daily.​—Ps. 1:1-3.

⁴ To enroll in the Theocratic Ministry School, you should speak with the school overseer. Please take your assignments seriously, and do not cancel unnecessarily. Appreciate the school as a provision from Jehovah. Prepare well, become thoroughly familiar with the assigned material, and express yourself from the heart, thus benefiting to the full from this unique school.