Announcements
◼ Literature offer for January: Any 192-page book published prior to 1987 that the congregation may have in stock. Congregations that have on hand Mankind’s Search for God may also offer it. February: Life—How Did It Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation?, Revelation—Its Grand Climax At Hand!, or any older 192-page book that the congregation has in stock. March: Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life. A special effort will be made to start home Bible studies. April: The Watchtower and Awake! magazines. Where interest is found on return visits, subscriptions may be offered. Offer the Require brochure, with a view to starting Bible studies.
◼ All baptized publishers present at the Service Meeting the week of January 14 may obtain the Advance Medical Directive/Release card and the Identity Card for their children.
◼ Starting in February, and no later than March 3, the new public talk for circuit overseers will be “Finding Security in a Dangerous World.”
◼ As announced at the 2001 district convention, the new book Benefit From Theocratic Ministry School Education will be made available beginning early in 2002. Starting January 1, 2002, literature requests for this book in English, Korean, and Spanish can be submitted through the congregations. Until it is available and shipments are made, it will appear as “Pending” on congregation packing lists. Additional languages will be announced later.
◼ Congregations should make convenient arrangements to observe the Memorial this year on Thursday, March 28, after sundown. Although the talk may start earlier, the passing of the emblems should not begin until after sundown. Check with local sources to determine when sundown occurs in your area. Although it is desirable for each congregation to hold its own Memorial observance, this may not always be possible. Where a number of congregations normally use the same Kingdom Hall, perhaps one or more congregations can obtain the use of another facility for that evening. Where possible, we would suggest a minimum of 40 minutes between the programs so that all may benefit fully from the occasion, allowing time to meet visitors and encourage newly interested ones. Consideration should be given to traffic conditions and parking, including the dropping off and picking up of passengers. The body of elders should decide what arrangements would be best locally.
◼ Researchers and others have contacted a number of brothers, seeking information about Jehovah’s Witnesses and our organization. They have requested that survey forms be completed, supplying answers to questions related to our beliefs and teachings. If such individuals approach a congregation publisher, he should provide the name of the presiding overseer. The elders can handle such inquiries and make an appropriate response based on a letter addressed to all bodies of elders, dated April 25, 2001.
◼ When the presiding overseer receives the New York Corporation Statement each month, he should see that all acknowledgments of contributions for the Society Kingdom Hall Fund and for the worldwide work are read to the congregation with the next accounts report.
◼ Awake! in Chinese and Simplified Chinese is being changed from a semimonthly to a monthly edition.
◼ Awake! in Cibemba is being changed from a monthly to a quarterly edition.
◼ The Watchtower in Armenian is being changed from a semimonthly to a monthly edition.
◼ Beginning with the January 2002 issues, The Watchtower (semimonthly) and Awake! (monthly) will be available in both Papiamento (Curaçao) and Papiamento (Aruba).
◼ Beginning with the January 2002 issue, The Watchtower will be available in Mauritian Creole as a monthly edition.
◼ Beginning with the January 1, 2002, issue, a large-print edition of The Watchtower will be available in Croatian and in Norwegian.
◼ Awake! in Zulu is being changed from a semimonthly to a monthly edition.
◼ New Publications Available:
Isaiah’s Prophecy—Light for All Mankind I—Indonesian, Macedonian
Isaiah’s Prophecy—Light for All Mankind I—Large Print—Chinese Simplified (Pinyin), French, Greek, Polish
New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—Afrikaans, Chinese, Chinese (Simplified)
◼ New Videocassettes Available:
The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived—On Videocassette, Volume 4—American Sign Language