Informant, September 1943
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"More than conquerors through him that loved us.”—Rom. 8: 37
SEPTEMBER, 1943
BROOKLYN, N.Y.
Street Witnessing
Poster Emphasizes Your Being a Magazine Publisher
The Society's monthly field service poster for September emphasizes the street magazine work, and regularity in it, in connection with the month’s slogan, “Holding Forth the Word of Life.” And how fitting that is! For, in the most literal sense of the word, when we stand on the street corners with the Watchtower magazine in our hands, we are holding forth the Word of life to the people.
The conscientious publisher sees to it that he has a part in every phase of the witness work and gives each its proper share of his time. He does not neglect the house-to-house work because it is easier to stand on the street corner, nor does he avoid the street magazine work because of the reproach and scorn connected with being thus made a spectacle unto men. He realizes the purpose of the magazine work and the part it plays in giving the witness.
In going from house to house we are unable to reach many persons because of such human barriers as doormen, maids, etc. People living in hotels, institutions, and suchlike, also are out of reach of the house-to-house work. Then too, in many homes, the same one answers the door, which one may be prejudiced while others living in the home maybe interested. In the street magazine work all these are brought face to face with those who hold forth the Word of life. Kings and queens, political, financial and religious “big shots”, all use the streets and cannot fail to note the witness there being given.
By engaging in the street magazine work we are giving all of these the opportunity to come in contact with the message every week, and even several times a week. Like Jeremiah of old, who was assigned to the entranceway to the temple, and there sounded the note of warning, so Jehovah’s witnesses today stand in the chief place of concourse, and to the people of goodwill, as well as the simple, the scorners and the fools, sound the note of warning and point them to the Word of life.
REGULARITY
Now, street magazine work, to accomplish the most good, must be done regularly: for the effect is cumulative. Regardless of the number of magazines we place, if we are there regularly, in cold weather or hot, we are by repetition deepening the impression that Jehovah lias a “name people” in the earth. Let each one therefore give the magazine work its due place in his hour budget and then perform what he thus “vows”.
Saturday afternoons and evenings are good times for magazine work. Those living in the rurals. particularly, should always take their magazines and bags with them when they come to town, and ar-
This “Informant” had to be printed before the convention began and therefore can give no report on the convention itself, but mention is made of certain releases at the “Free Nation’s” Theocratic Assembly so that you can plan for the October work. The October “Informant” will cover the high spots of the “Free Nation’s” Theocratic Assembly.
“Defeat of Persecution” Testimony Period
Please Follow Instructions
It Is Necessary to Help Your Brother
The “Defeat of Persecution” Testimony Period, October, 1943, promises to be a period long remembered in the minds of the Lord's people. During that period it will be our privilege to use the new book “The Truth Shall Make You Free’’ and the new booklet Freedom in the Few World.
Freedom is the predominant issue before the people everywhere. Those who have no knowledge of the Lord’s provisions for humankind in the new world are also very much concerned about freedom. Among them are millions of people of good-will who are in dire need of a proper understanding of the Lord's provisions for them in this respect, and the Lord will supply their need through Christ Jesus.
To put on the above campaign by October 1 will be an almost impossible task. This new book and booklet will ha\ e to be prepared and shipped by the present slow-moving rail services, and so we shall try to get them to the brethren by that (late. In view of the many obstacles to the accomplishment of anything planned at the present time this appears like an impossible task. We could not hope to accomplish it if it were not for the fact that we know this is the Lord's arrangement and it is his provision for his people and the people of good-will and will have his aid and blessing and the full co-operation of all the brethren.
The “Free Nation's” Theocratic Assembly will have been over by the time you get this Informant. But all of us having attended some city of this Assembly will have received at the Lord's hand our personal copies of these books. We will have read and assimilated their range to spend an hour or two in the magazine work. Evenings during the week on which we do not have back-calls or book studies can likewise be used for street witnessing, particularly on nights that the local business places remain open. Keep in mind also service-meeting and book-study evenings. Often an hour can be spent in the magazine work before the meeting. And in engaging in the street work do not overlook those sitting in parked cars along the sidewalks.
Keep in mind the purpose and importance of the street magazine work. Give it a place in your “hours” budget. Be a regulab magazine publishes, “Holding Forth the Word of Life.” contents. Therefore we are obligated before the Lord to shed forth that which we saw and beard at the Assembly and obtained as food that the Lord has placed on the table for our nourishment, so that others may discern the advancing purposes of Jehovah and take advantage of them. There is a real principle here which the Lord seems to have adopted in dealing with his organization at all times, and which is stated at Acts 2: 39: “unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off.'’ The Lord has abundantly fulfilled his part toward us. Now it is up to us to fulfill our part to those that are “afar off” by diligently ‘hunting’ and ‘fishing’ them out "from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the boles of the rocks” and make this nourishing food available to them. Very thorough and complete preparations will have to be made by every servant in the companies, and also by every publisher, so that each and every one may have the greatest part possible in this campaign.
In order to make this campaign effective it will be necessary for everyone to study the following instructions diligently, the company servants in carrying out the required preparations in detail and each publisher in the companies cooperating fully with those who are responsible for arranging the details. Because of the limited amount of time and the great shipping difficulties we have to contend with, only a two-month supply of this literature will be available to start with. Companies and special pioneers that are permanently located will receive a consignment; therefore these brethren will not order.
General pioneers are to send in their orders direct, but are to include only a two-month supply in their orders.
Companies
Company supplies will be consigned direct, if the company account justifies an additional charge. We shall try to have the supplies in your hands by October 1, if possible. If you should not receive your order of “The Truth Shall Make You Free” and Freedom in the Few World by October 1, do not sit down and wait for them. Push ahead with the campaign, using the book The Few World and Fighting for Liberty on the Home Front, or any other publications, if your supply is low or out, until your supplies arrive. Do not let the fact that we make this suggestion retard your plans for the campaign to commence at October 1. Make all
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Important “Inventory” Announcement
Company Servants and Stock Servants, Take Note Inventory Is Being Taken One Month EARLIER This Year
With this Informant are being sent two Inventory of Stock forms. These are to be filled out by the companies and pioneers, showing the stock on hand August 28, 1943, and mailed to this office no later than the evening of August 29, 1943.
Companies
Immediately upon receipt of this Informant the company servant and the stock servant will arrange to take physical inventory of the stock held by the company as of August 28. Then, together with the accounts servant, they should show in the spaces provided the value of literature listed, cash on hand (book money), value of literature in the hands of the publishers on credit, and the amount due Society for phonograph records sent to the company on credit. When listing the value of literature on hand no not include the value of foreign literature that the company has received free from the Society for the foreign literature campaign. Also be sure to compare the value with the statements from the Society and the accounts servant's records, to eheck the standing of the company account. Take care in filling out these forms and be sure they are complete and accurate, as such will greatly aid this office. The forms should then be signed by the company servant, the stock servant, and the accounts servant, and one copy forwarded to the Society on the 29th of August. The other copy should be kept on file by the company.
Pioneers
Pioneers should take physical inventory upon receipt of this Informant. fill out the form properly, and send it to this office no later than the 29th. In the case of general pioneers this may be enclosed with the order for the new book and new booklet in the envelope specially marked as covered in another part of this Informant. Companies and special publishers are being consigned the new literature, and hence will send in their inventory in the usual manner.
Send in August Report Early
The reports of the activity for the month of August, for all three classes of publishers—special publishers, pioneers, and companies— will be sent in a little earlier than usual. The report should be made up so as to include the activity for Sunday, August 29, and then be sent in to this oilice that evening. Do NOT ENCLOSE REPORT CARD IN AN envelope. Place stamp on card and
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Be Prepared and Then Go into Action
Book Studies Important
Today the people are perishing for lack of knowledge. Knowledge of what? Knowledge of Jehovah God and His purposes—“for this is life eternal, to know thee ...” And instead of seeking this all-important knowledge, those of the old world are bending all their efforts for that which is not bread, for that which satisfleth not. Through the very knowledge of Jehovah God and His purposes, which the old world ignores, real blessings are obtained.
The Lord’s people, however, are not to selfishly indulge in these lifegiving bounties from the Lord’s table; for there are many people of good-will who are not content to go the way of the world, but are ‘seeking after God if haply they might find him’. Therefore, having freely received, we must also freely give, by “holding forth the Word of life”. That is our slogan for the month of September, and during that month each publisher will be doing that very thing. How? By engaging to the fullest extent possible in every phase of the field service, from the street magazine work to the conducting of book studies.
September should see every publisher fired with zeal and enthusiasm because of the many wonderful blessings received from the convention just ended. Each publisher will have come from that assembly with an increased appreciation of the Lord’s goodness and liis privilege of holding forth the Word of life. Each one will also have come from that feast with a greater determination than ever before to keep covenant and thereby maintain integrity in spite of all that the Devil and his organization can bring against him; and more alert than ever before as regards the encroachments of the abomination of desolation, be that by allurements or by pressure.
September should see every publisher putting into practice his individual budget or plan of hours, in harmony witli the suggestions made in the August Informant under the title of “Hours! Hours! Hours!” for such counsel is not just to be read and then forgotten, but to be made of practical application in our lives. If we hear (or read) and do not, we are like the foolish man who built his house upon the sand. 2k budget or plan is absolutely necessary if we would be accounted faithful in our obligation and trust to ‘hold forth the Word of life’.
September will feature the book The Hew World and the booklet Tighting for Liberty on the Home 1'ront. During this month let us give these wonderful instruments another big “push”, by placing as many as we possibly can in the hands of the people. The fact that we shall have had a preview of newer and doubtless better instruments should not cause us to lose sight of the fact that these still are the best instruments that we have ever had the privilege of placing with the people. Particular attention should be given to any territory that has not been thoroughly covered with The Hew World and Fighting for Liberty on the Home Front; also check up on the “not-at-homes”, on our S-15 forms, and bring them up to date. In the typical Theocracy there were gleaners who followed after the reapers. During September, let us do a thorough gleaning work, so that the field will be ready for the coming campaign.
“Holding forth the Word of life” also means to follow through: for if they obtain the book but do not read it, or read it and do not get its import, they still are without the Word of life, as regards their hope of life eternal. Therefore we must make back-calls; the importance of which cannot be overstated. As Organization Instructions so well expresses it: “The most important work today is that of properly feeding the ‘other sheep' and seeing that they get the necessary instruction which leads to life.” Nearly every company publisher and general pioneer could be and in fact should be making more back-calls. Back-calls lead to book studies; and at book studies, more than anywhere else, we are “holding forth the Word of life”.
Not only shall we be busy in all phases of the witness work during September, but this month will also see a great deal of activity in preparation for the coming big “push” with our new instruments in the coming "Defeat of Persecution” campaign. Every publisher should carefully and diligently study the new book "The Truth Shall Make You Free” so as to be fully acquainted with it when the October campaign begins. This is the first time that the Society has released the question booklet simultaneously with the book, ’fake the book in one hand and the question booklet in the other, and you will not miss a single important point. And as you go through the two in this manner make notes in the margin of those points which you will want to use in the field. Particular preparation will be required by the territory servant, as all territory will be virgin soil for the new offer. Details regarding this campaign tire elsewhere in this Informant.
Having clearly in mind our work for September, let us go forward in faith and with joy, knowing that our labor (activity in holding forth the Word of life) will not be in vain in the Lord.
(Continued from page- 1, column 4) send it in. Brethren living over 1,000 miles from Brooklyn should send their report by air mail. Simply place stamp on the card and mark “Air Mail”. The assistant company servant should have all of the report totaled beforehand, and then add to that the activity for the 29th, and immediately send the card that evening. Do not wait for a few straggler reports. The remainder of the reports should be included in the September report. Pioneers and special publishers, also, will make up their reports early and send them in the same as companies. Be sure you get reports from the publishers attending the “Free Nation's’’ Assembly.
Previous All-Time Peaks
Comp'y Pubs. Pioneers Pubs. 66,079 Apr. '43 6,616 May
Av. Hrs. 20.3 June'40 138.2 July
Av. B-C 4.6 Oct. '40 39.3 Apr.
June 1943 June 1942 Av. Av. Av. Av.
Pubs. Hrs. B-C Hrs. B-C
Company 56,846 14.9 3.1 15.8 3.2 Pioneers 6,486 129.5 30.3 137.5 38.1
July 1943 July 1942 Av. Av. Av. Av.
Pubs. Hrs. B-C Hrs. B-C Company 68,804 16.0 3.2 16.0 3.2 Pioneers 6,761 131.1 32.4 138.2 38.7
Your Responsibility
Follow Up on Convention Witness
Considerable interest will have been aroused at convention cities as a result of the door-to-door witnessing, brethren staying at the homes of the people and giving them a personal witness by that means, and the thousands of names that were received at the public meeting. All of these received a verbal witness and some literature. These should be given particular attention immediately.
The local organization should organize for one or more evenings of back-call work as well as such daytime back-call work as is possible to be organized, so that these people may get proper attention immediately. At many convention points pioneers will be staying over for some time. These brethren should co-operate with the local company organization in caring for this interest. Back-calls should be made upon them and an additional witness given.
This is very responsible work, and each one should undertake it prayerfully and diligently before the Lord.
(Continued from page 1, column 3) arrangements with full faith in the Lord to supply the literature on time. The above suggestion is made so that in any isolated case where literature does not come to hand they will know how to act. The consignment will be sufficient to cover two months’ activity. Therefore no company orders for these two publications will be filled during the months of September or October. Do not re-order more literature to replenish your supply until after November 1.
Special Pioneers
Special pioneers who are permanently located will receive a consignment of GO books and 400 booklets for their two-month supply. The same arrangement outlined for the companies will apply to the special pioneers also. Only one shipment will be made to a special pioneer group, and they will divide the literature among themselves on the basis of 60 books and 400 booklets each. The charges are being made on the special pioneer accounts on 1 that basis. Therefore, whoever receives the shipment is to see to it that the literature is properly distributed.
General Pioneers
General pioneers will send in their orders immediately for this literature, observing the following points:
1. Order only a two-month supply. If you order for other pioneers too, please write on the order the number of pioneers; otherwise your quantities ordered may be cut down.
2. Mark the outside of the envelope containing this order conspicuously, “October campaign order.”
3. Include in this envelope only the following:
Order for the new book “The Truth Shall Wake You Free” and the new booklet Freedom in the Hew World, and any No. 10 Bibles that you may require. You may also enclose your 1943 Inventory sheet, but nothing else.
4. Send your remittances separately and in the usual manner.
5. Pioneers living west of the Mississippi would do well to send in their orders by air mall.
If these simple points are observed and adhered to we can handle these However, all should also go forward with full confidence in the Lord to direct the issue so that they may be a real aid and blessing to these people of good-will. This is going to require very careful organization and much hard work on the part of all concerned, but the field is ripe and the interest is already created to a great extent among these people, and it should not be left to cool off because of indifference or because of the difficulties that it may present to us in reaching the people. Every publisher in the company should feel a personal responsibility in this respect and arrange to have one or more evenings a week for this work until it is finished. Newly interested may be taken along also to aid in such back-calls. Many times the newly interested who hai e attended a few meetings and a few back-call studies themselves will do more to stimulate and aid other newly interested ones than the more advanced publishers whom the people look upon as full-fledged Jehovah’s witnesses and whom they feel are much ! farther advanced than themselves.
orders rapidly and can try to get the literature to you on time.
The fact that the Lord has seen fit to designate this campaign the “ ‘Defeat of Persecution’ Testimony Period" implies that this equipment is going to contribute greatly to the defeat of persecution and should be accepted and used with that end in mind.
Everyone should endeavor to devote as much time as possible to the field activity during the month of October. Everyone associated with the companies and those attending back-call meetings and book studies should be told about the importance of this campaign and the privilege of having some part in it by taking the message to their neighbors and friends or joining with you in the house-to-house witnessing. The Devil pushes his agents to oppose the work and dishearten the workers. However, the “Defeat of Persecution” Watchtower, of July 15. 1942, has this to say:
"Worldly governments, in dealing with Jehovah’s faithful witnesses, are being forced to learn that they are coping with those in whom Almighty God has put the spirit of unbreakable love for The Theocracy as expressed at Romans 8 : 31, 35-39: ‘If God be for us, who can be against us? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor [political] powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God [the Great Theocrat], which is in Christ Jesus our Lord [the King of The Theocracy].’ Such ones ‘more than conquer’ because, besides gaining a personal triumph over the alms of the enemy, they serve for the vindication of Jehovah’s name and foil the Devil’s plot to use them in support of his challenge.”
Will you be a ‘more than conqueror through him that loves you’?