Service Meetings for January
Week Starting December 30
5 min: Local announcements and appropriate Announcements from Our Kingdom Ministry.
25 min: “1992 ‘Light Bearers’ District Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses.” Question-and-answer consideration of insert by secretary. Read December 15, 1991, convention assignment letter. After considering paragraph 3, read opening and closing paragraphs of Recommended Lodging Locations list from convention. Read paragraphs 4-6 and 12-14 of insert. Emphasize need for all to select accommodations from Recommended Lodging Locations list even if attending a convention outside the assigned area, as noted in paragraph 12. Stress the Bible principles of honesty, obedience, loving concern for others, and so forth, from the article even if it appears that no one will be using motel rooms. Commend those cooperating with the Society’s rooming arrangement. Congregations that have deaf ones in attendance should highlight paragraph 15 for them.
15 min: “Let All Know That Worldwide Security Is Near.” After brief introductory comments, consider each transition and demonstrate its use by well-prepared publishers as time allows. If practical, it would be good to have a youth demonstrate Transition No. 2. Transition No. 3 allows the publisher to leave at least an interesting Scriptural thought in the mind of the householder. Warmly encourage brothers to use one of the suggested introductions on page 8 and one of these transitions.
Song 30 and concluding prayer.
Week Starting January 6
5 min: Local announcements.
10 min: “A Practical Approach to Preparation for Field Service.” Discuss article with audience, and then call on three or four publishers previously assigned to make specific comments on ways in which this approach can benefit them. For example, they may comment on variety of presentations, ways material can be adapted to local territory, flexibility, or that this approach allows publishers to select material they feel comfortable in presenting. Encourage publishers to bring their copy of Our Kingdom Ministry with them to meetings for field service.
18 min: “Introductions to Get Householders to Listen.” Briefly consider makeup of local territory. What issues are important to householders? Focus on introduction and presentation most likely to be successful locally. Have well-prepared publisher demonstrate this presentation and offer Worldwide Security book. Publisher should make presentation as outlined in article. Then a school-age youth can demonstrate same presentation and conclude by offering magazines to interested person. Encourage all to try this method in field service.
12 min: An Improved Medical Document. Secretary has new, improved Advance Medical Directive distributed to baptized members of the congregation and thoroughly considers October 15, 1991, letter on medical document for baptized publishers and Identity Card for unbaptized minor children of Witness parent(s). In preparation, review letter of January 1, 1990, for pertinent points suited to local needs. Emphasize that the two who sign as witnesses should observe as the document is being signed and then sign it themselves. Reason with audience on why instructions should be followed carefully in order to make cards serve most effectively for our protection.
Song 130 and concluding prayer.
Week Starting January 13
10 min: Local announcements and Theocratic News. Include accounts report and donation acknowledgments.
15 min: Is the Pioneer Service for Me? In this country about 7 percent of all publishers are regular pioneers. Give local figures for comparison. Can more of us, including young people soon to graduate from high school, make room for full-time service? Interview three regular pioneers, preferably a young person, a housewife, and a retired person. (If regular pioneers are not available, auxiliary pioneers or publishers who have pioneered may be used.) Consider finances. What types of part-time work are available in your area? How does each one make ends meet? What changes in spending habits have they made? Consider schedule to meet required hours. Do any have health problems? How do they cope? What other challenges have they successfully met? Interviews should be positive and encouraging. Make warm appeal to audience to consider personal circumstances to determine whether more can undertake full-time service.
20 min: How Single Parents Can Help Their Children. Brief introduction followed by demonstration of mother with two children preparing for the field service. More single-parent families in the organization today than ever before. Way in which Timothy’s mother and grandmother instilled the truth in him provides a fine example for all parents to follow. (2 Tim. 1:5; 3:14, 15) Demonstration: Mother, teenage daughter, and younger daughter seated at table in kitchen, having finished supper. Mother says that before doing the dishes they will go over their presentations for service and that she will be the householder. Younger daughter picks an introduction from page 8 of Our Kingdom Ministry and presents it to her mother. Mother warmly commends her for a job well done and asks her to read scripture the Society has suggested. Younger daughter quickly looks up Isaiah 9:6, 7 and reads it. Mother then asks older daughter how she will offer the book. Daughter selects a transition from page 1 of Our Kingdom Ministry and presents it to her mother. Mother commends her and then encourages both girls to practice the introduction and the transition in order to offer the book in field service. Daughters are told that they will practice a while longer and then they will have to get the dishes done. Elder concludes part by encouraging all families in the congregation to provide loving assistance to their children.
Song 183 and concluding prayer.
Week Starting January 20
15 min: Elder to handle local announcements and consider local needs. As time permits, discuss various talking points from the latest magazines. Select one that will tie in nicely with one of the suggested introductions and transitions in this issue of Our Kingdom Ministry. Then have a well-prepared publisher make a full presentation using the introduction and the transition, offering the magazines to an interested person. Point out that by engaging people in conversation and using suggested presentations, it is not difficult to identify interested persons.
18 min: “Accept the Responsibility of Return Visits.” Questions and answers. Warmly encourage all to share fully in making return visits. Encourage all to return next week when Service Meeting will discuss what to say on return visit.
12 min: Discussion of “Abortion” from Reasoning book, pages 25-6. After a brief introduction to the subject, showing how it is in the news today and of great concern to millions of people, introduce the setting of a sister conducting a Bible study. The new Bible student advises the sister about her deep concern over being pregnant. She explains how worried she is, since the family’s financial situation is not good. Her worldly relatives are urging her to have an abortion right away. Sister suggests they turn to the Reasoning book and research the Scriptures to see how Jehovah views the life of an unborn child and whether he considers an abortion to be proper. They first consider the definition of abortion. Then they discuss the questions, scriptures, and other comments on pages 25-6. The sister should help the student to reason and to appreciate the sacredness of life.
Song 164 and concluding prayer.
Week Starting January 27
10 min: Local announcements. Encourage publishers to make plans now to auxiliary pioneer in March and April. Encourage families, as well as young publishers who will be on vacation during March or April, to see what arrangements they can make to have a greater share in the field service activity.
20 min: “What Will You Say When You Return?” Discuss with audience and have publishers prepared to demonstrate suggestions in paragraphs as they are considered. These brief demonstrations should be rehearsed ahead of time.
15 min: “Lending Money to Fellow Christians.” Talk by elder on article from October 15, 1991, Watchtower, pages 25-8.
Song 147 and concluding prayer.