Informant, August 1945

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INFORMANT

AUGUST, 1945 “Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations.”—Matt. 28: 19, A.S.V. BROOKLYN, N.Y.

“Stranger’s Right” Testimony Period

Assist Him to Exercise His Right

Show Him His Obligation

The Champion of the right of the "stranger”, the Theocratic Government, is now directing the proclamation of “this gospel" in all the earth, which gospel is preached for the gathering of the “strangers”, to the ultimate vindication of Jehovah’s name. The “stranger” has a right to hear the good news, and. after hearing it, has the right and obligation to tell it to others. For many years Jehovah’s faithful anointed remnant have witnessed to the peoples of ail nations that they too may have the right to witness, and they have devoted themselves to fighting the great oppressor whose one aim is to ‘turn the stranger from his right’. As a result of the Lord’s spirit’s operating freely through them, thousands of the "stranger” class have been shown their right and have taken on the obligation that is theirs, to say "Come” to others, preaching “this gospel” to all.

August. 1945, the “Stranger's Right” Testimony Period should be a month marked by the greatest influx of “strangers” into the Theocratic organization to date. To the end that this may be so, an organized effort should be made on the part of all company publishers, all companies, and all pioneers, to assist all attenders of back-call book studies which have been carried on for a reasonable time to have part in preaching “this gospel”. Take them with you to the public meeting contact point and let them distribute handbills. Show them that there is now “one ordinance” for them and those of the “congregation”, namely, preach “this gospel”.

When you bring the stranger to the public meetings, show him he is welcome. Make him feel at ease. Introduce him to other publishers in attendance, particularly those living in tiie book-study area where the “stranger” lives. Arrange for him to meet with the regular organized book study in that area. You can then initiate him into the house-to-house work by taking him with you in the booklet work for an hour or so prior to the book study, having him distribute a small combination of booklets, including the latest publication, The "Commander to the Peoples”, making it a point to leave a copy of this booklet, if nothing else, at the home of all who will read. Show him how to take note of the interest on the House to House Record form. By doing this you show him his right to publish and assist him to progressively become associated with the organization through the company organized book study. From this point the “stranger” will progress to the local company headquarters studies at the Kingdom Hall.

Back-Call Night

Beginning now, where not already instituted, each company should institute a back-call night. This can be worked in conjunction with the company organized book studies. As an example, suppose your organized book studies are conducted on Tuesday evening. For an hour or so before the study, those associated with it engage in the evening booklet distribution, from house to house. What better way can be had of assisting this interest found and of bringing up the new publishers right than by arranging for them to call back on the interest in a few days, say the following Friday evening? This night will afford a splendid opportunity for the study conductor and the regular publishers to assist the irregular and those weak in the back-call work to have a regular part therein.

The Presentation for August

The new booklet, The ’’Commander to the Peoples”, will be distributed witli the book, “The Kingdom Is at Hand”, on a contribution of 25c. All companies will have ordered their supply of this new booklet and most of them will have received their shipment. However, in cases where they have not yet been received use ‘The Meek Inherit the Earth’ until they arrive. Make it your business to leave a copy of the new booklet with all who will read it, stressing it in the evening booklet work from organized book studies as well as in the regular combination offer for August, listed above.

As depicted on the August service poster, the “fatherless and the widow”, the “hewers of wood” and the “drawers of water” are being shown their right to serve God. During August, the last month of the service year 1945, Jehovah's servants will make extended efforts to assist the “stranger” to exercise his right. Weather conditions will be favorable. Companies throughout the country’ are holding public meetings. Company book studies are becoming better organized for service. Publishers will make it a point to bring at least one stranger to the public meetings. Regular publishers, assist your weaker brethren! Visit the antitypical “fatherless and widow”. Show those who want to ‘hew wood’ and ‘draw water’ how they can do it. Through back-calls and book studies, “give the stranger his food rations.” Show him that his right and his obligation is to preach, preach, preach. As a servant and a fighter for the right of the “stranger”, keep before your mind’s eye the words of the service text for August, 1945: “I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against . . . those that oppress tiie hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts.”—Mal. 3: 5.

Consolation and Watchtower Renewals

The Society is encountering some difficulty with renewal subscriptions. In some cases the subscribers fail to give the correct address as it appears on the latest address label or wrapper on their magazine. It will help tills office greatly if everyone filling out renewal slips gives all the information requested: name, number and street, postal box, route and box number, city (post office), and state, as it appears on the latest address label.

There are cases where not all this information is given, and this delays the renewal of the magazine. Follow the procedure indicated on the latest address label on your magazine, to insure prompt service. Where there has been a recent change of address the old, as well as the new address, should be given in the propel’ spaces on the renewal blank. The zone number should always be included. If you are in doubt about the zone number, do not guess at it. Ascertain what the correct number is and put it down.

Renewals should be forwarded to the Brooklyn office as soon as conveniently possible, preferably through the company organization, to insure quicker and safer handling. Use the regular renewal slip found in your magazine. Do not become alarmed if a second notice is received. This is just a friendly reminder to those who have not renewed. Those who have renewed should ignore the second notice.

Be Careful

Certain brethren in Florida have been the victims of theft of property and money from their homes by a person who claims to have been in the armed forces of the United States; other times as a Catholic forced out of his home because he took a stand for the truth. Putting on a false front with many kinds of lies and of zealous field service, telling beautiful stories about how he came to a knowledge of the truth and was persecuted therefor, and using a hard-luck story concerning his financial situation, he gained confidence of the brethren who invited him into their homes. He is very clever. This notice is given so that the brethren elsewhere may guard themselves against such persons’ wicked and sly devices.

Must Have Recommendation

Commencing immediately, all pioneer applicants must submit a letter signed by the local company servant, assistant company servant or the school servant of the company with which the applicant has been working, or one signed by the servant to the brethren in the area. In such cases the brethren signing the letter will advise the Society how

Pioneers Responding to the Call

June Sees Peak Enrollment

In the early part of the year the Lord called to the attention of all company publishers the privileges and blessings of full-time service, and in recent months the vacationpioneer opportunity. Clarion-clear was this trumpet call, and as a result the pioneers, both vacation and year-round, are coming forward in encouraging numbers.

During the month of June alone 541 pioneers enrolled! This is an all-time peak as regards pioneers enrolling during any one month. How our pioneer list would grow if they would keep enrolling at that rate! It would double in less than a year.

Nor is that all. During the same month 322 vacation pioneers enrolled, making a total of 863 new workers entering the full-time service in one month. And so far we have enrolled 518 vacation pioneers, which also is a new peak, being far above last year’s total of 392, and the number is daily increasing. The Lord's blessing will certainly be upon these zealous youngsters who show their love for Him so early in their life.

The appreciation of Jehovah’s tender mercies as manifested by such increased pioneer enrollment should be a stimulus to all Kingdom publishers to increase their activity as well as be a good example for other company publishers who could do likewise. Let the number of pioneers keep increasing; for more than ever the words of Jesus apply: “The harvest indeed Is plenteous, but the labourers are few.” Let each company publisher who lias not already sent in his pioneer application ask himself, “Can I also adjust my affairs so as to be a full-time publisher?”

June Report

PREVIOUS ALL-TIME PEAKS

Publishers Av. Hrs. Av. B-C

Sp’l Pios. 1,580 2/43 178.0 3/42 67.7 3/42 Gen. Pios. 5,322 8/43 151.3 5/44 39.4 1/45 Co. Pubs. 66,079 4/43 20.3 6/40 4.6

June 1945 Jone 1944 Av. Av. Av. Av.

Pubs. Hrs. B-C Hrs.

Sp’l Pios. 1,243 168.4 59.1 172.0

Gen. Pios. 3,325 143.3 36.0 149.9

Co. Pubs. 59,781 16.5 3.6 15.9

PUBLIC MEETING CAMPAIGN

Number of meetings

Total attendance 125,758

long the applicant has been engaging in door-to-door witnessing and what has been his average in hours for the previous year, and also give a general idea of his effectiveness in placing literature, making back-calls and conducting book studies, and any other information regarding his qualifications that would aid the Society in determining the applicant’s qualifications for pioneer service.

Watch Your Spirit in Theocratic Service

Public Meeting Activity

Keep Your Eye on Kingdom Service

With the final battle of Armageddon speedily drawing near and Satan desperately exercising all of his deceptive powers to stumble the ‘meek of the earth’, it becomes very essential for all of Jehovah's faithful witnesses to take heed to their spirit, that is. their mental disposition. The wickedness of this old world has gone to seed anil lawlessness runs rife throughout the earth. The spirit of evil, selfishness, lust for money and personal pleasures holds sway and seeks to penetrate with its deadly influence and dominate the minds of all creatures. By taking heed to his spirit and constantly being on the alert to blot out all tendencies to lean in that direction the Christian can be pleasing to the Lord and provide a proper example to people of good-will and maintain his integrity.

All future blessings of life and happiness are based on love for Jehovah and his Theocratic law, and a sincere effort to comply with his requirements. In order to avoid being ensnared one must diligently employ all of his faculties and his time, attention, and resources to the Kingdom service. He must keep his ‘eye single’ by having it directed entirely to advancing the Kingdom interests. Only by having this spirit is it possible to accomplish the work set out before us and maintain our integrity until the end. For that reason the prophet, at Malachi 2: 15, admonishes us, “Take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously.”

While the spirit is invisible to human sight, yet if one has a proper Theocratic spirit it makes its presence known by producing clearly visible results. It moves the Kingdom proclaimers to serious concern over their Kingdom interests. It impels them to go on busy streets with magazines and handbills, or hustle from house to house with their literature and other equipment. The result is that the servants of the Lord joyfully expound the Kingdom gospel to the people they meet.

To maintain one’s privileges he must constantly watch his spirit and see that he is not being guided by any hastiness of spirit which seeks to crowd out proper Theocratic reasoning and dominate his course of action. This can come only from study and application of the Lord’s Word. Under all circumstances, and particularly those of an unsettling nature which tend to upset mental balance and a calm mental disposition, the publisher will exercise control over and watch his spirit. (Prov. 25:28) He will always be on the alert to see that his every thought and action is the result of a proper Theocratic spirit, and he will try to cultivate and enlarge this spirit and enhance its free operation in his daily activity.

New Service Year Beginning

September marks the beginning of a new service year for the Kingdom publishers. The offer for this month will be the two booklets The “Commander to the Peoples’’ and ‘The Meek Inherit the Earth’ and the book “The Kingdom Is at Hand’’, on a contribution of 30c. This offer, of course, is to be followed immediately with the presentation of an invitation to attend the nearest public lecture.

While thousands of people are squandering their time parading and celebrating one of their many so-called “holidays”, Labor Day, this offers a splendid opportunity for the Kingdom publisher who is watching his spirit to devote this entire day to Theocratic activity to the honor of Jehovah’s name.

September will also be a good month to keep your eye on Kingdom service by engaging in evening work with booklets, magazines, and other literature. Invite new interest to go along and also have a part in the work of publishing the Kingdom gospel. Advertising of the public lectures should be well organized and pushed by all publishers.

Proper Care of New Interest

Now that much of the company territory has been thoroughly covered with the public lectures, much interest has been manifested and many people have attended these lectures. However, there still are on the back-call files names of many persons who have not yet attended any of these lectures; and there are many who have attended the lectures whose names do not appear on the back-call files.

The back-call servant can do much to increase the attendance at the public meeting by putting forth a definite effort to have every person whose name is in the back-call file interviewed by the publishers who hold the territory or by group back-call witnessing on the regular back-call night, and invite these people to attend the public lectures. It is easy to make back-calls in this manner, as you have a good reason to call and many good talking points can be brought out in connection with the public lectures.

The back-call work will also be greatly stimulated if the brethren make sure they get the names and addresses of all newly interested persons who attend the public lectures and then call on them in their homes with phonograph records, more literature, or just a friendly visit to talk over the blessings of the Kingdom. Always endeavor to start a study in the latest book.

Examine Your Spirit

‘Take heed to your spirit’ and examine yourself carefully in the light of the Scriptures and see if you are keeping your eye focused wholly on your Kingdom privileges of service. “Let none deal treacherously” or be unfaithful to their sacred commission.

Portuguese Magazines

The publication of the Portuguese Watchtower and Consolation magazines is suspended until further notice. No more subscriptions should be taken for them until the Society so directs through the Informant or some other Society publication.

Notice

Enclosed with the September Informant companies and pioneers will receive their regular yearly report forms, with the exception of the yearly inventory forms, which are being included with the August Informant. All forms are self-explanatory. Please follow directions.

“Peace—Can It Last?” Series Reduced

The Society has quite a large stock of the records “Peace—Can It Last?” on hand. In order to get these into the hands of the publishers so that they may be used immediately, the Society is reducing the cost of these seven records to $2.00 a set. This message is very timely and should be presented to the people as soon as possible. Order now, including it with an order for literature.

Opportunity Now Wide Open for All to Have a Share

Where the public meeting activity has been persistently and faithfully advanced, the results have been beyond original expectation. These meetings and the extensive advertising connected with them have certainly proved to be the Lord’s provision for bringing His people into association with the "other sheep”. An increase is now coming to many companies who are properly availing themselves of the full use of this gracious arrangement.

Because of the wide scope of service opportunities involved, every willing servant of Jehovah now has ample occasion to take part in at least some feature of this activity, and this alone should result in an ever-increasing number of publishers. Where companies have not yet done so, by all means let them now do everything possible to deliver the public lectures in their vicinity. Do the best you can with the material available, trusting in the Lord as to the results.

The resourcefulness of many companies has shown itself in overcoming various difficulties and obstacles. Where halls have been denied or canceled, park pavilions and outdoor meetings have been substituted. Knowing of interested people that could not come to lectures because of transportation difficulties, buses have been hired to bring them to the meeting places. Ohl stores and buildings have been hired and used only after much expenditure of time and energy to make them presentable for an assembly. Police and official prejudice has been overcome by tactfulness and the Lord’s spirit. Where the determination to hold the meetings has been persisted in, the Lord’s blessing and approval have been manifested. The barriers have been pushed aside, and reports pour in from all over the country of happifying results from diligent public meeting activity.

How to Make the Best Use of AH Occasions

Small companies with 10 or 12 publishers have had as high as 50 or 60 attending their meetings.

Sending Remittances with Orders

In the lower left-hand side of the order blank is a remittance form, reproduced below in part, which is to be used each time money is sent with an order for supplies. The servants of all companies should clearly understand and correctly use this remittance form. When money is sent with your order, this form should always be used and filled out properly. Do not send in the small separate remittance form when ordering literature, as the one remittance form printed on the order blank is all that is required. Use the small separate remittance form only when sending in remittances without orders.

(a) The total amount of money enclosed should appear in this space.

(b) The amount enclosed only for supplies considered as “cash items” should be written in here.

(c> Only the amount of money being sent for campaign literature or to apply on the company’s stock account should be listed in this space.

(d) After the amounts for “Cash items” and “Stock acc’t” are filled in, add the

Sometimes audiences have increased ; at other times, decreased. Regardless of apparent results, however, do not cease this feature of activity, but continue on with new series and the Lord will reward your persistency. If the same speaker has to be used on various occasions do not stay away because you have heard him before. Likewise, if a ‘good speaker’ is coming, that should not be the occasion for all to tloek to the lecture only to leave the hall deserted when someone ‘not so able’ has to be used. The success of the meeting depends on the united efforts of everyone in the company, and therein lies the hope of Increase and prosperity.

People of good-will who started coming to the public meetings when first commenced have now progressed to the point of association with the companies in many cases. They are showing their desire to invite others to hear, and can be taken into the field to advertise the lecture by handbills and literature distribution. Many are the expressions of gratitude from those appreciating the Kingdom lectures, and God’s people everywhere will be on the alert to welcome and aid them in becoming Kingdom announcers

Proper advertising, of course, requires care and efficiency. Let all companies give careful attention to the material used in this feature. Where it is necessary to use a mimeograph or stamp to insert information on handbills, please see to it that the work is neatly done. Be very careful to avoid untidy lettering or smearing. Try to make the handbills look like those furnished by the Society.

If placards are available they may also be used extensively, and the need of neatness and clear printing applies here also. Where companies of several units wish to use placards, the units can possibly arrange to order a uniform placard through the company servant if he is able to obtain printed placards, as the Society does not supply these In such case follow in general the pattern of the Society’s handbills Be sure to show thereon that the meetings are under the Society’s direction.

two amounts together and write the sum in the space marked “Total”.

(e) and (f) Amounts for Watchtower and Consolation magazine accounts should always be shown separately in these spaces.

(g) and (h) Amounts for Watchtower and Consolation subscriptions enclosed with the order should always be shown separately and in these spaces.

(1) After all necessary blank spaces are filled in. total up the entire column and place the grand total in its place. This grand total should equal the amount of check or money order enclosed.

These instructions are for pioneers and companies alike. In the ease of companies, each remittance form should be checked thoroughly by both the accounts servant and the company servant.

EXAMPLE:

Find enclosed $ (a) 100.00 and please credit the following accounts:

Cash items $ (b) 10.00 I Total $ (d) 5() 00

Stock acc t $ (c) 40.00 \ T

Watchtower magazine acc’t .....— (e)

Consolation magazine acc’t ........ (f)

Watchtower subscriptions .......... (g)

Consolation subscriptions ............ (h)

GRAND TOTAL ...... (i) 100.00

THE GRAND TOTAL SHOULD EQUAL THE AMOUNT OF CHECK OR MONEY ORDER ENCLOSED.