Service Meeting Schedule
Week Starting July 12
12 min: Local announcements. Selected Announcements from Our Kingdom Ministry. Using the suggestions on page 4, demonstrate how to present the July 15 Watchtower and the July 22 Awake! In one presentation, demonstrate offering a magazine to someone on the street who does not speak your language well.
18 min: “Imitate Jehovah’s Justice.”a As time permits, invite audience to comment on the cited scriptures.
15 min: The Bible—A Book of Reliable Predictions. Talk and audience discussion based on the brochure A Book for All People, pages 27-9. In our ministry, we often meet people who are interested in the future. The Bible provides reliable information outlining a bright future for obedient mankind. Consider some Bible prophecies that promote confidence in future Bible predictions. Have a publisher briefly demonstrate how Bible events can be used to help an interested person build his confidence in the Bible.
Song 16 and concluding prayer.
Week Starting July 19
10 min: Local announcements. Discuss the importance of maintaining a regular program of daily Bible reading, even when summer activities take us out of our normal routine. Include comments on the August 15, 2000, Watchtower, page 32.
15 min: Local needs.
20 min: “Conducting Progressive Bible Studies—Part 1.” A talk to be handled by the service overseer. Allow the audience to comment on material in the Proclaimers book, pages 572-4, outlining the development of the Bible study work in modern times. Build enthusiasm for the upcoming series of articles. Among the topics that will be considered are how to prepare to conduct the study, how to help the student to prepare, how much material to cover, how to use scriptures effectively, how to handle questions raised by the student, how to introduce prayer, and how to direct the student to the organization. Encourage all to apply the suggestions provided and to keep these articles for future reference.
Song 10 and concluding prayer.
Week Starting July 26
12 min: Local announcements. Accounts report. Remind publishers to turn in field service reports for July. Using the suggestions on page 4, demonstrate how to present the August 1 Watchtower and the August 8 Awake! In each case, show a different way to handle the conversation stopper “Why do you people call so often?”—See Reasoning book, page 20.
8 min: Question Box. To be handled by an elder. Read and discuss entire article.
25 min: “How to Preach in Business Territory.”b Mention local arrangements for working businesses. Briefly demonstrate the two presentations in paragraphs 4-5 or another approach that has been effective locally. As time permits, invite audience to share positive experiences they have had working business territory.
Song 173 and concluding prayer.
Week Starting August 2
8 min: Local announcements.
22 min: Do You Give Reasons? Talk and discussion based on the Ministry School book, page 254, paragraphs 1-2. When we explain and apply scriptures in the field ministry and from the platform, our teaching will be more effective if we give reasons for what we say instead of simply asserting that it is so. Using examples from the Reasoning book or others that are appropriate for the local territory, show how to (1) isolate and explain key expressions in a scripture text, (2) present supporting evidence from the context or from another scripture that deals with the subject, (3) use an illustration to show the reasonableness of what you have said, and (4) use questions to help the listeners reason on the matter. Highlight the benefits of using a reasoning approach.
15 min: Local experiences. Invite audience to relate some upbuilding experiences in connection with attending the district convention, auxiliary pioneering, or sharing in other spiritual activities thus far during the summer.
Song 32 and concluding prayer.
[Footnotes]
a Limit introductory comments to less than a minute, and follow with a question-and-answer discussion.
b Limit introductory comments to less than a minute, and follow with a question-and-answer discussion.