Service Meeting Schedule
Week Starting September 13
12 min: Local announcements. Selected Announcements from Our Kingdom Ministry. If the suggestions on page 4 are practical for your congregation territory, use them to demonstrate how to present the September 15 Watchtower and the September 22 Awake! Other presentations may be used. After each demonstration, briefly highlight a positive aspect of the presentation.
15 min: “Keep Your Eye Simple.”a Use the questions that are provided. As time permits, highlight the cited scriptures.
18 min: Eyewitnesses of Our Fine Works. (1 Pet. 2:12) Talk and audience discussion based on the November 1, 2002, Watchtower, pages 12-14, paragraphs 14-20. Invite audience to comment on how people locally have been affected by observing our fine works.
Song 162 and concluding prayer.
Week Starting September 20
10 min: Local announcements. Review highlights of the branch letter, which appears on the front page of this issue of Our Kingdom Ministry. Include comments on the September 2003 Our Kingdom Ministry, page 4. Encourage all to read Numbers 16:1-35 and then watch the video Respect Jehovah’s Authority in preparation for the Service Meeting the week of October 4.
15 min: How Did We Do Last Year? Talk by an elder based on the congregation service report for the 2004 service year. Focus on positive aspects of the report, and commend the congregation for the good things accomplished. Highlight the hard work of the pioneers. Mention one or two areas that the congregation could give attention to in the coming year.
20 min: Enduring in Good Works. (Gal. 6:10) Interview two or three who are either regular pioneers or who auxiliary pioneer from time to time. What obstacles have they faced in their service to Jehovah, and how did they overcome them? What has helped them to endure in doing good toward others? How have their efforts in the Christian ministry benefited themselves and others? If applicable, include comments on what has been done locally to reach those who speak other languages with the good news. Commend all for ‘their faithful work and their loving labor and their endurance.’—1 Thess. 1:2, 3.
Song 103 and concluding prayer.
Week Starting September 27
15 min: Local announcements. Accounts report. Remind publishers to turn in field service reports for September. Demonstrate how the October 1 Watchtower and the October 8 Awake! can be offered.
10 min: Jehovah’s Word Is Alive. A talk. To help us benefit more fully from the program of weekly Bible reading outlined for the Theocratic Ministry School, a series of articles entitled “Jehovah’s Word Is Alive” have begun to appear in selected issues of The Watchtower. Using the September 15, 2004, Watchtower, pages 24-7, point out the features of these articles. After a general overview, the section “Scriptural Questions Answered” provides an explanation of some of the difficult Scriptural passages. The comments under “Lessons for Us” draw attention to the practical value of the information in the reading. Consider a few specific examples to illustrate how this series will help us gain a greater understanding of God’s Word. Encourage all to make full use of this provision as we begin reading the book of Deuteronomy next week.
20 min: “Make Good Use of the Bible.”b Use the questions that are provided. Base introductory comments on the Ministry School book, page 145, paragraphs 2-3. Include two brief demonstrations, one an initial call and one a return visit, showing how to apply the suggestions given.
Song 38 and concluding prayer.
Week Starting October 4
5 min: Local announcements.
15 min: Local needs.
25 min: “We Must Respect Jehovah’s Authority.” Read Jude 11, limiting introductory comments to no more than two minutes. Then get right into an audience discussion using all of the questions in the article. Highlight the point that to retain Jehovah’s approval, we must avoid Korah’s rebellious attitude and imitate the example of his sons, who let nothing take precedence over their loyalty to Jehovah.
Song 99 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.