Service Meeting Schedule
Week Starting September 8
10 min: Local announcements. Ask the audience which articles of the current magazines have had more appeal in the local territory. Ask them to relate which questions and scriptures they have used to introduce the articles. Demonstrate how each magazine might be offered.
15 min: Help Bible Students to Become Teachers. Talk based on the January 15, 2007, Watchtower, pages 29-30, paragraphs 14-20. Include a brief demonstration showing a publisher describing the public talk and Watchtower Study to a new Bible student and inviting him to attend.
20 min: Coping With Prejudice in Our Ministry. Talk by elder, based on published information on how prejudice may affect our ministry. Explain how such prejudice may be overcome. At times our own conduct, both in the field ministry and as we go about other activities of life, can do much to overcome the prejudice of observers and open their minds to the truth. So it is vital to watch our speech and conduct at all times. (1 Pet. 2:12; 3:1, 2) Relate a few selected local or published experiences that illustrate how prejudice may be overcome.
Week Starting September 15
10 min: Local announcements. Selected Announcements from Our Kingdom Ministry.
20 min: How Did We Do Last Year? Talk and audience discussion by the service overseer or other qualified elder. Review the congregation’s activity in the ministry during the past service year, focusing on the good things that were accomplished. Give appropriate commendation. Arrange in advance for one or two publishers to relate any outstanding experiences they enjoyed. Mention a point or two that the congregation can work on during the coming year, and consider practical suggestions for improvement.
15 min: How Can I Defend My Belief in Creation? Talk based on published information. Invite the audience to comment on how they have defended their belief in creation while in school, at work, or elsewhere. One or two comments may be arranged in advance.
Week Starting September 22
10 min: Local announcements. Read accounts report and donation acknowledgments. Discuss the branch letter, which appears on page 1.
20 min: There Exists a Reward for Your Activity. Talk based on the April 15, 2005, Watchtower, from page 28, paragraph 5, to the end of page 29. Include a brief interview of one or two zealous publishers regarding how Jehovah provided them with needed material or emotional support.
15 min: Prepare to Offer the October 1 Watchtower and the October Awake! Give a brief overview of the magazines, and ask the audience which articles may have more appeal in the local territory. What questions and scriptures could be used to introduce the articles? Demonstrate how a sample presentation from Our Kingdom Ministry might be used. Have one of the elders demonstrate a brief presentation that he has prepared based on an article that would fit the local territory.
Week Starting September 29
10 min: Local announcements. Remind publishers to turn in field service reports for September. Arrange in advance for one or two publishers to relate upbuilding experiences they had while witnessing informally in connection with the district convention, during a vacation, or on other occasions during the summer months.
15 min: Local needs.
20 min: “Special Tract Campaign October 20–November 16!”a If the tracts are available, distribute a copy to everyone in the audience. Briefly review the contents of the tract when considering paragraph 2. When considering paragraph 4, demonstrate how the tract may be placed. When considering paragraph 5, have a demonstration showing a publisher using the tract to start a Bible study when making a return visit.
Week Starting October 6
10 min: Local announcements.
15 min: Question Box. Audience discussion. Include comments on the June 15, 2005, Watchtower, pages 20-22, paragraphs 10-16.
20 min: “Teach Others to Love Jehovah.”b As time permits, invite audience to comment on the cited scriptures.
[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.