Presenting the Good News—By Happiness in Giving
1 You remember Jesus’ assurance that “there is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving,” don’t you? (Acts 20:35) It is for this reason that so many publishers find great joy in the back-call and Bible study work. It gives them such a fine opportunity to give spiritually to others—to people who have shown interest before and who may be willing to take a few moments to talk about spiritual things again. Are you sharing regularly in the back-call and Bible study work? Could you have a fuller share?
2 In the Kingdom Ministry many helpful suggestions have been given to aid us in making back-calls and trying to start studies. It may be that a review of some of these will be helpful to you. Observe the suggestions made on page eight in the January Kingdom Ministry and those appearing on page two, column one of the October issue.
3 But another suggestion: Who are the brothers and sisters in your congregation who do well in the back-call and Bible study work? You may find it helpful to talk to some of them. They may have good ideas to share. You may be able to go along with them in the field service and observe firsthand how they introduce themselves on the back-call, how they overcome objections, get the study started and conduct it in a most instructive way. With their aid, could you too begin to share increased joy through having a greater part in giving in the back-call and Bible study work?
4 Sometimes discerning persistence is needed to get a study started. Many have found that when the weather is bad, it is a good time for back-calls because people are at home. A sister in Iowa called many times to talk to a woman who had taken single issues of The Watchtower and Awake! One cold, wintry day when the sister called, she was invited in because of the bad weather. In the course of the conversation, the woman asked why our sister kept calling. Answering the question led to a discussion of material in the “Good News” booklet, and a Bible study was started. In the course of time, friends and relatives sat in and enjoyed the study too. The result was that seven additional studies were started and this, of course, brought joy to our sister and to those who are now learning the truth.
5 One of our brothers in Virginia visited some of the unbelieving husbands of sisters in the congregation in an effort to get better acquainted. In one afternoon he started three studies in the Truth book with these men. Is there someone like this with whom you might study?
6 When you conduct a study, are you alert to invite all members of the family to join you? By all means do. A woman in Ohio called our sister to cancel the study one day when her husband was home. Later the sister asked the woman if she had thought of inviting her husband to join the study. She replied: “I sure wish I had.” During the week her husband told her: “I stayed home just to hear what this Bible study business is all about. I’ve always wanted to know something about the Bible. We’re just not getting anywhere in the church we attend.” Of course, the husband was invited to join the study. Within a month the whole family was attending meetings at the Kingdom Hall. And now all in the family are Kingdom publishers.
7 The 1972 Yearbook shows that year 310,449 home Bible studies were conducted each week in the homes of the people in the United States. This is almost 15,000 more studies being conducted each week than during the preceding year. Will you have an increased share in the back-call and Bible study work this year?