“Be Ready for Every Good Work”
1 When Jesus began a new preaching campaign, he took time to prepare his disciples. (Matt. 10:5-14) Although all of us are busy, our taking even a few minutes to prepare before sharing in the door-to-door ministry will help us to reap fine results.—2 Cor. 9:6.
2 How to Prepare: Good preparation starts with becoming acquainted with the literature we plan to offer. We should also think about the people in our territory. What issues concern them? What religious beliefs are we likely to encounter? We can consult the sample presentations in Our Kingdom Ministry and Reasoning From the Scriptures for ideas.
3 Carefully listening to the demonstrations given on the Service Meeting will also help us. As we gain experience using our presentation, we will need less time to prepare. However, each time before we go in the ministry, if we give some thought to what we will say and continue to refine our presentation, we will be more effective. We should also take a moment to check that our witnessing bag contains what we will need.
4 What will help us remember our presentation? Practicing out loud is one way to fix in our mind what we want to say. Some enjoy having practice sessions during their family study. Others find it helpful to write a short summary of their presentation on an index card and glance at it just before approaching the door.
5 Why Beneficial: Being well-prepared increases our effectiveness and joy in the ministry. It helps us to relax and to be less nervous at the door. We are able to give greater attention to the householder instead of being preoccupied with what we are going to say. In addition, being familiar with the literature will help us to be more enthusiastic when offering it.
6 The Scriptures urge us to “be ready for every good work.” (Titus 3:1) What better work is there than that of preaching the good news? By being well-prepared, we demonstrate respect for the householder who agrees to listen, and for Jehovah, the God whom we represent.—Isa. 43:10.