Servants “Took a Hand”
1 When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem in 455 B.C.E. the walls of the city needed to be rebuilt. In just fifty-two days they accomplished this remarkable feat. (Neh. 6:15) One of the major contributing factors in the work’s being done so quickly was that Governor Nehemiah did not merely stand off at a distance and watch the reconstruction, but he “took a hand” in rebuilding it himself. Yes, he set the example.—Neh. 5:15, 16.
2 Servants today who are able to share in the vacation pioneer service and who take the initiative to do so are much like Nehemiah in the effect their example has on others. The results have been outstanding. For example, one congregation in Colorado enjoyed having 60 percent of all their regular, baptized publishers in the vacation pioneer service during this past April. Another congregation, in Illinois, was thrilled to submit fifty-nine vacation pioneer applications for the same month. We wondered how it was that so many could be encouraged to join in the vacation pioneer service in one month, so we asked these and other congregations what they did, and we know that you will be interested in reading some of their replies.
3 From Colorado came the answer: “The congregation servant, committee, and most of the servant body are setting the lead. It’s like a snowball gaining size and speed once the servants take the lead.” “It was the congregation committee that initiated applying as vacation pioneers. This was followed by the rest of the servants, then the publishers,” said the brothers in Illinois.
4 A congregation servant from Maryland wrote: “Six servants and their wives vacation pioneered together. . . . I’m ceaselessly thankful to Jehovah and his organization for the encouragement not only to vacation pioneer, but also, as congregation servant, to take the lead.” Help is needed to carry out the work as a vacation pioneer once one starts, so we were not surprised to hear the following from a congregation in Indiana: “The congregation servant and all the other servants in the congregation signed up to vacation pioneer in April; therefore, each book study group had someone to take the lead and encourage them to join in the work.”
5 How fine it is to see that when the servants who were able “took a hand” in vacation pioneering, many others in the congregation followed their example. (Heb. 13:7) Many have found that, with good planning, they are able to vacation pioneer in March and April. Now is the time to begin making preparations. If not for one or two months, perhaps you can be a vacation pioneer for two weeks. We will be pleased to have your application.