Meetings to Help Us Make Disciples
WEEK STARTING APRIL 1
10 min: Song 118 and general announcements. Please encourage audience to read the portions in the book of Mark suggested in the chart under Announcements.
30 min: “Do You Appreciate What Jesus Christ Did for You?” Discuss article with good audience participation. The material in the article should be thoroughly covered, using the questions found in the paragraphs in an effort to help the audience make personal application. As a conclusion, ask the audience: What did you learn from this discussion? How should appreciation for what Jesus did affect our lives?
10 min: Have You Invited All to Come to the Memorial? Who should be invited? (Bible students, interested persons, relatives, neighbors, acquaintances, inactive publishers, people who have stopped studying) Invite brothers or sisters to demonstrate briefly how to reach these individuals. Have the audience comment on why the things said by the publishers could be helpful. Conclude by asking what might be done to reach those whom we cannot find at home.
10 min: Share points from latest magazines that could be used in field service. Do not merely call attention to the titles of the articles, but to specific points that might be helpful to the brothers. Publishers should have been encouraged to bring their own copies of the latest magazines for this part. Urge all to participate in the field service during the weekend. Song 32 and prayer.
WEEK STARTING APRIL 8
Elders may decide if a Theocratic School and service meeting should be scheduled for this week in view of the Memorial. If service meeting is held, you may include the article “Youths—Are You on the Road to Real Success?” in the April 1, 1979, issue of The Watchtower.
WEEK STARTING APRIL 15
10 min: Song 1 and general announcements. Comments on John 15:16 as it relates to fruitbearing, and what is meant by having our fruit remain. (Compare John 15:5, 6; w78 12/15, p. 22, ¶2, 3.)
10 min: Experiences from publishers on use of subscription offer. (Have one or two prepared ahead of time.) Display latest April magazines and comment on them, making local application to field service. Have well-prepared, qualified young publisher demonstrate offering two latest April magazines, using a simplified form of the Topic for Conversation and a particular article. Have audience comment on why it and others would be effective in your territory. Also, mention that the new paper used in The Watchtower has made the magazines more attractive.
20 min: “Is Your Witnessing Purposeful?” Discussion involving audience by means of thought-provoking questions. Highlight paragraphs 2 and 7 in article by reading them. Advise congregation of the number of return visits and Bible studies being conducted locally and the number of publishers sharing in these activities. As time permits, work in local experiences of those having success in Bible study work and get their viewpoint toward it. Are there any young publishers conducting studies? How do they enjoy it? Highlight throughout discussion that our purpose is not just to place literature, but to find and feed sheeplike ones.
15 min: “Presenting the Good News—Are You Effectively Covering Your Territory?” Read and thoroughly discuss each paragraph with audience. Stress point made that we are interested in making disciples, not just covering territory or placing literature.
5 min: Announcements on times and locations of meetings for field service, and current offer to be used. Be sure to bring your 1979 Yearbook to service meeting next week. Song 68 and prayer.
WEEK STARTING APRIL 22
8 min: Introduction, song 31 and general announcements.
15 min: What Are We Doing with What We Are Learning?
Work needs to be done on this part WELL IN ADVANCE. Many fine field points and suggestions to help in our everyday lives are considered at our meetings. Are we using what is being brought to our attention? On this part, use 5 minutes to consider special public talk and 10 minutes for the Theocratic School. Early in the month assign one or two book study groups to be prepared to cover each of these two meetings. Ask them to be alert to use points gleaned from the material discussed at these meetings. It may be that certain material will help them to make personal decisions, having something to use in informal or in house-to-house witnessing, when making return visits or in stimulating the interest of Bible students in our meetings. During the part, publishers from the groups can then tell their experiences, highlighting the value of what we have learned. This should not be a review of the material. Tell the congregation that we are going to do this again next month.
30 min: “Declaration of Our Faith.” (yb79 pp. 256-259) As time permits, elder handling this part should read material paragraph by paragraph, using the following questions as a basis for discussion: Pars. 1, 2: What is faith? What do we need to keep on doing respecting our faith?
Par. 3: What world developments convince us that “seeking first the kingdom” is the only right course? How do we demonstrate that this is what we are doing?
Par. 4: What are some of the sad consequences resulting from ignorance of the Bible? What proof do we have that living by the Bible produces marvelous results? How can we show that true faith has a wholesome effect on people’s lives?
Pars. 5, 6: Why can we be confident that Jehovah will grant success to our efforts to help others spiritually?
Pars. 7, 8: What hope do we have for the future, and why are we confident of its fulfillment?
Pars. 9, 10: What determination did we express in the “Declaration”? How do we show that this continues to be our resolve?
Pars. 11, 12: How can we continue to demonstrate that we have complete confidence in Jehovah God and in his Son?
Par. 13: Conclude with encouragement for all to continue thinking about what we have resolved and to live up to it.
7 min: Field service announcements, song 7 and prayer.