Part 4—Helping One Another—To Start Bible Studies
1 Teaching others about Jehovah and his purposes is an expression of our love for him and for those whom we teach. Whether we are young or old, new disciples or experienced ones, we should be joyfully teaching others what we learn. Yet, at times some are heard to say: “I wish I could start a study,” or “I don’t know what my problem is. I can find interested persons but I can’t seem to develop a study.” Have you talked with someone either in service or informally that you feel would respond to further discussion of the Bible so as to know Jehovah? If you do not feel able to follow through on the interest, how can you receive help? On the other hand, you may not have any calls to make. If you desire to have a study, how can you receive help?
2 First, in your congregation book study group there may be someone who can help you to start studies. Your initial step may be to speak to the study conductor, who, with other conductors, now oversees the Bible study work. He may be able to help you personally. But to provide assistance for a period of time, he will likely ask someone with experience to assist you. The two of you will want to prepare together for making the return visit with the goal of starting a study. You can decide on the approach. Will you go right into the book, demonstrating the home Bible study arrangement? Or, do you see the further need to discuss points right from the Bible?
3 Whether you use the publication directly or just use the Bible, you and your partner can review how to assist the interested person to locate scriptures in his own copy of the Bible. It may be that you will decide that your service companion will handle the call and that you will do the assisting. On the other hand, after you have prepared together, you may want to handle the call and ask your partner to give you his observations on how things were handled.
4 While your goal is to start a study, use your judgment on how long to stay or how much material to cover. Observe the person’s interest. Generally it is best to allow him to absorb what is discussed and return later to discuss other scriptures or further paragraphs.
5 For following visits, prepare together which scriptures or paragraphs you will discuss with the person. If you decide to have your companion conduct the study for several times, plan together on ways that you can share. You might read and help the householder understand selected key scriptures. When you conduct the study with the householder, your partner can give helpful suggestions, such as when it is appropriate to ask auxiliary questions, how to keep the study lively, whet the appetite for the next study, and direct interest to the organization, and so forth.
6 By helping one another through the congregation book study arrangement, it may be that you, too, can enjoy the pleasure of conducting a regular Bible study.