Increase Praise Through Magazine Distribution
1 How happy we are to receive each new issue of The Watchtower and Awake! Through these magazines we are kept up to date on world happenings in the light of Bible prophecy and we are helped to appreciate our privilege of praising Jehovah.—Dan. 12:4; Heb. 13:15.
2 During this year, Awake! has supplied answers to such questions as “A Better Life—Just a Dream?” “World War III—Can Anybody Stop It?” and “Can Science Redesign Life?” The Watchtower has helped us to value our ministry, to go and make disciples, to appreciate the reality of the Kingdom, to be wise and conduct ourselves as lesser ones and to see how we can be hidden in the day of Jehovah’s anger. Such information motivates us to want to get out and share this news with others, helping them also to become praisers of Jehovah.
3 At our circuit assemblies held during the spring we had a fine part on the program entitled “Distribute the Timely Message in Our Magazines.” We were reminded that from 1976 to 1979 the circulation of our magazines dropped considerably worldwide, but in 1980 it showed an increase. In the United States the peak of magazine placements was reached in 1976 when over 115,000,000 magazines were placed during the service year. Last year 74,000,000 were placed, which is some 40,000,000 magazines under our peak year. What can we as individuals do to have a greater share in distributing magazines?
WHAT TO FEATURE
4 During October we will be offering to the public the opportunity to subscribe to either one or both of our magazines. If we think of how much benefit we derive from the magazines, no doubt we will be encouraged to offer the subscriptions. When people have both magazines coming regularly they have opportunities four times a month to read and learn information that is more valuable than any riches the world has to offer. (Prov. 2:4-6; 8:10, 11) Even if they have little or no interest in the Bible they might find Awake! a beneficial and instructive publication. Have you noticed how Awake! often includes a remark to get the reader’s attention turned toward the Bible or encourages the reader to contact Jehovah’s Witnesses? Of course, for those who are interested in the Bible, there is no magazine to compare with The Watchtower, the only magazine in the world devoted to announcing the “good news” of Jehovah’s kingdom.—Mark 13:10.
5 Subjects that have wide appeal are considered in a brief and interesting way. The October 1 Watchtower discusses whether we can believe the Bible today. In the October 15 issue there is an illustrated article under the heading “God’s Word Is Alive.” This too is something that can be featured in field service, as it is eye-catching and is explained in simple language for all to understand. The October 8 and 22 Awake! issues feature fine material on the brotherhood of man and how we can survive the sinking of this system of things.
WAYS TO PLACE MAGAZINES
6 There are various ways in which we can engage in magazine distribution. We want to offer the subscriptions as we go from door to door and when we make return visits on people who do not already subscribe. We may offer them in our informal witnessing too. Where the subscription is refused we may say something like this: “Although you do not wish to subscribe at this time, I believe you would enjoy this issue we discussed. We are leaving it with this companion magazine on just a 30-cent contribution. If you do decide to subscribe in the future you can let me or another one of Jehovah’s Witnesses know, or you may write the publishers.” Many magazines are placed in this way.
7 Oftentimes when we go from door to door, especially in city territory, we find difficulty in getting householders to open the door. When the householder says, “I am sorry, I cannot open the door now,” or “I am busy right now,” we can still ask through the door, “May I leave The Watchtower and Awake! with you on a 30-cent contribution?” It is surprising how many householders will ask you to wait a minute and then come out and take the magazines. Sometimes they will even keep the door open so that you may carry on a Bible-based conversation with them. Also it is good to make the offer of the two magazines when householders say in a half-hearted way, “I’m not interested.” Many times this is said just to cut the conversation short, but when the magazines are offered they are accepted. And, of course, once the magazines are in the home, we hope others, too, will read them, appreciate the fine information contained therein and thus be helped to praise Jehovah.
8 Magazines can be placed in store-to-store work by using a brief, pointed presentation. The most effective way to do street work is to approach people who are standing, or walking slowly. Have in mind the particular article that you feel is appropriate to highlight and ask if the person would like to read it. Magazine routes are also a fine way of increasing magazine distribution.
9 The psalmist invites us: “Praise Jah, you people, for it is good to make melody to our God; for it is pleasant—praise is fitting.” (Ps. 147:1) Yes, it is certainly fitting to praise Jehovah, and we can increase praise to Jehovah by distributing The Watchtower and Awake!