Your Service Meetings
WEEK STARTING JULY 30
12 min: Song 102. Discuss highlights of Branch Letter. Announcements from page 3 and local announcements.
20 min: Enjoyable Theocratic Family Projects.
(2 min:) Talk. What does your family do together that is enjoyable and relaxing, yet wholesome and beneficial? Could be damaging spiritually just to let things happen, with no planning, each one seeking out own diversion. Isn’t it true, too often family ends up in front of TV? Children enjoy projects where there is parental guidance but not total domination. This permits initiative, creativeness. Project should fit age of child. Should not be allowed to get out of hand, become too expensive, time consuming.
(16 min:) Audience discussion. Why could projects, such as the following, be good for families? (1) Father goes over songs for Sunday’s Watchtower study, helping children get full import. All sing. (2) Galatians 5:22, 23 read at breakfast table. One child prints name of “fruit” selected on card. Father has children watch for opportunities to show that fruitage throughout the day. At evening meal all give experience. Repeat each day or each week covering nine “fruits.” (3) Using map, a country is selected on which to report. Children take turns telling of brothers there, customs, obstacles to witnessing, ratio of publishers. (4) Family arrange trips to museum, zoo, planetarium, park, and so forth. Relate things seen to Bible. (5) Children make scrapbook from pictures in back issues of study copies of The Watchtower, if these are available. Learn to explain pictures to parents. (6) Select various features of “sign” of “time of the end.” Children collect news items as proof and store in labeled boxes. (7) Family shares project to help with future trade or homemaking, such as carpentry, cabinetmaking, auto repair, cooking, dressmaking, and so forth.
(2 min:) Summarize by highlighting importance of doing wholesome things together as a family.—Ps. 127:3-5.
28 min: Talk, with some audience discussion, on article “Joy Comes in Talking About Jehovah.” Use 10 minutes to discuss and demonstrate how suggested Topic for Conversation might be used effectively in presenting offer of older books as outlined under Announcements. Also mention alternative offer of any pocket-size book for contribution of 35c. Song 101 and prayer.
WEEK STARTING AUGUST 6
12 min: Song 70. Theocratic News, including brief comments on local accomplishments. Local announcements.
30 min: This time is allotted for use in reviewing highlights of international convention, if congregation attended one in July or first part of August. Otherwise, time can be devoted to discussing local needs of congregation.
18 min: “Now Is the Especially Acceptable Time”! Audience discussion of article on page 1. Conclude by encouraging all to share in the service arrangements over the weekend. Song 66 and prayer.
WEEK STARTING AUGUST 13
18 min: Song 52. Family discusses article “Circuit Assemblies Supply What We Need.” Father discusses with family what they have done to apply what they learned from past program, thus building anticipation for coming program. Include local announcements and accounts report.
25 min: “By Their Fruits You Will Recognize Them.”
(3 min:) Jesus set forth principle that person is identified by attitude and conduct—fruitage produced in his life. (Matt. 7:15-20) His disciples are to be identified by the love they manifest toward one another.—John 13:35.
(20 min:) Audience discussion. Ask audience to give spontaneous expressions on how they would define the attitudes and types of conduct mentioned in the Bible as outlined below. The first Scripture text after each word gives an instance where word is mentioned in Bible; the second gives contrasting quality. As time allows, Scriptural examples and suggestions may be given to indicate how wrong attitude or conduct may be avoided or overcome. (One handling part must be familiar with Bible texts used and be able to explain meaning of words. Discuss those that may be most helpful to your congregation. You may be able to cover only three or four.)
Anxiety (Mark 4:19; 1 Tim. 6:8); Contentiousness (Jas. 3:14-16; Rom. 12:18); Egotism (Gal. 5:26; Phil. 2:3); Laziness (Prov. 21:25; Rom. 12:11); Revelries (Rom. 13:13; Phil. 4:8).
Chastity (2 Cor. 11:3; Eph. 5:5); Encouragement (Rom. 1:11, 12; 1 Cor. 10:10); Hospitality (1 Pet. 4:9; Heb. 13:5); Reasonableness (Phil. 4:5; 1 Pet. 2:15).
(2 min:) Conclude with brief discussion of Galatians 5:22-24, emphasizing need to give holy spirit free flow in our lives so as to be pleasing to God.
17 min: “What Draws You to God?” Talk based on article in May 15, 1978, issue of The Watchtower. Song 82 and prayer.
WEEK STARTING AUGUST 20
15 min: Song 74. Local announcements. Talk on article “Are You Lovingly Interested in People?” in July 22, 1978, issue of Awake!
25 min: Looking Ahead to the New Service Year.
(5 min:) Talk. Reflecting on the service year just ending, it is appropriate to ask: “How much have I grown spiritually during the year? What was I able to accomplish?” Perhaps you set some personal goals by which to measure your spiritual progress. What were the results?
(15 min:) Interview publishers who made some noticeable progress during service year. Suggestions: Ones who started pioneering, shared in auxiliary pioneer service, started Bible study, progressed to baptism, enrolled in Theocratic School, started going from house to house, started commenting at meetings, improved meeting preparation, conducted regular family study, improved shepherding work (on part of elder), and so forth. Get comments from group on following points: Did you accomplish all you projected for yourselves during the year? What obstacles got in the way? What encouragement can you offer others as to the value of setting personal goals? (Make suggestions practical, realistic.)
(5 min:) Summarize by pointing out the value of having personal goals. They can be an aid to progressive spiritual improvement, but should not cause discouragement or the feeling that Jehovah is never satisfied with our progress. Additional suggested goals: Keeping up with Bible reading in Theocratic School; becoming more effective in using Bible to give a witness; participating regularly in field service; attending all meetings and commenting; fellowshiping more, before and after meetings, and so forth. (May suggest other goals that represent points needing attention in your congregation.)
20 min: Audience discussion on need for endurance, using following references: Heb. 10:36; 12:1-3; 2 Pet. 1:5-8; Jas. 1:2-4, 12; Luke 21:19. Song 63 and prayer.
WEEK STARTING AUGUST 27
18 min: Song 79. Field Overseer reviews with audience service arrangements of congregation: weekend; midweek; evening. May wish to get comments from audience to see if arrangements might be better supported if adjusted. Discuss benefits of supporting group arrangements; also, what arrangements the elders and ministerial servants have made to give loving assistance to those who need some help in becoming better proclaimers of the good news. Include local announcements.
25 min: Problems Children Face in School. If possible, assign to mature father getting good results with children.
(5 min:) Talk. In starting to school soon, our children will be spending many hours each day in the presence of worldly children. This sometimes brings problems, temptations. How can we parents, elders and others help them to face these successfully? How can children fortify themselves spiritually?
(17 min:) Elder interviews group made up of two families with school-age children. (Rehearse ahead of time. If another problem prevails in your area, may substitute.) (1) When schoolmates ridicule us as Jehovah’s Witnesses, what should we do? Is this persecution? How would recalling Jesus’ words at Matthew 5:10-12 help? How are we protected by letting students know that we are one of Jehovah’s Witnesses right from the start? What may help ridiculers to have more respect for us? Are we losing anything if we don’t gain friendship of ridiculers? (Prov. 17:17) How will ridiculers react if they see they are provoking us? If they see it doesn’t bother us? What could it lead to if we give in when ridiculed? What outcome does the Bible foretell for ridiculers? (2 Pet. 3:3, 7) (2) Use of drugs and tobacco. Is it a problem where you attend school? Why would other children want to get you started on drugs? Could we give any Bible principles that would be violated by the use of drugs, including tobacco? (2 Cor. 7:1; Matt. 22:39; 1 Pet. 1:13; Mark 15:23) So how would God feel about one of his servants taking drugs or smoking? (3) Maintaining neutrality. What is done in your school that tests a Christian’s neutrality? What is the strongest reason you can think of to remain neutral? (Ex. 20:4, 5; John 17:16; 18:36)
(3 min:) Conclude with brief exhortation for youth to remain faithful. Jehovah will help them and reward them for their faithfulness, just as he also holds them responsible for their conduct.—Eccl. 11:9, 10.
17 min: ““Presenting the Good News—With the Youth Book in September.” Demonstrate suggested presentations for offering the Youth book. Discuss how these can be adapted to your territory. Song 51 and prayer.