Informant, September 1945

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INFORMANT

SEPTEMBER, 1945

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

BROOKLYN. N. Y.

Watch Your Spirit in Theocratic Service

September Opens New Year of Joyful Service Privileges

Loyal Servants Put Theocracy First

The inflexible position of Jehovah’s servants in the issue of universal domination is continually being more forcefully demonstrated to them. It becomes increasingly apparent that there cannot be the slightest compromise with the enemy. ‘Treachery toward the wife of our youth’ automatically spells disaster, the only safeguard being a constant vigilance and watch over the spirit so that the Theocratic service occupies the first or highest place in life. For this reason, Malachi 2: 15 has been designated as our guiding text for September: “Take heed to your spirit, ami let none deal treacherously.”

The new service year thus opens up with a clearly defined course of action. A solemn warning to avoid the dangerous course of compromise, and admonition to wholeheartedly maintain loyal and faithful devotion to the cause we have espoused. The Jezebel enemy organization, in its last desperate struggle for survival, extends blandishments and inducements to Jehovah’s servants to forsake Zion. Watch your spirit! Flee from the old course, and give time, energy and loyalty to The Theocracy. Do not let the enemy get you stirred up and cause you to act foolishly. Remember, “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.” (I’rov. 25:28) Make your new service year, beginning with September, another year that will pass inspection by the “Commander to the peoples”.

Improvements for the New Service Year

Every feature of your activity can be increased during September by ‘watching your spirit in Theocratic service’. First of all is your desire for an increased number of publishers, helping the new ones to fall away from the old world and come into true worship of God. Newly interested ones are glad to sever connection with the old world because they see your good disposition or spirit and your zeal for Jehovah’s righteous cause, and therefore they soon start in new world service.

Not since April, 1943, has there been a peak of publishers in the United States, but by faithful pushing of the public meeting campaign and all other Kingdom activities a great increase will come. Publishers who are industriously pushing the public lectures and avoiding impure connections with this old world are not only finding much new interest, but increasing their service hours also, and rejoicing in the manifestation of God’s favor upon their efforts. They are making themselves known in the community, and directing men of good-will to The Theocracy. Many formerly irregular publishers are now regularly advertising the lectures, and the newly interested are joining with them in inviting still others. Let every company aim for at least one lively series of lectures during September, supported by the energetic co-operation of everyone associated with the company. Show the people that Jehovah’s witnesses are in their community, and extend to them the gracious invitation to come and hear the truth.

Increase in Back-Call and Book-Study Activity

September is an ideal month for calling back upon people of goodwill, and as an inducement toward increasing these revisits the Society has for distribution a good supply of the recorded lecture “Peace— Can It Last?” This entire lecture can now be obtained for only $2.00, and, together with recorded series that the companies now have on hand, they can be effectively used to arouse interest among many who are looking toward The Theocracy. These records can be loaned to the people for a week's time to be played at their own convenience. Their friends can also hear them, and upon calling back for the records in a week the publisher can quicken the interest aroused by arranging for a book study. Many records now possibly lying idle can thus be put to profitable use by loaning them out.

Back-calls and book studies, of course, are not established with the object of forming permanent calling places in certain homes, but to acquaint the people with the truth giving them true education and then to direct them to the company’s centralized activity’. The effort or prime objective fails if this is not done.

Bring such people with you to all company meetings. Help them to become associated in Theocratic service by completely breaking away from “old world” entanglements. To accomplish this you must watch your spirit. Be patient and kind. Concentrate on making the people acquainted with your local company. The work being done there actually represents the center of Theocratic activity in your vicinity, and the place to which you will gladly direct all men of good-will whom you meet.

Labor Day’, the main holiday of this month, can be profitably devoted to Theocratic service. All during September some of the rurals and country sections can be diligently worked, due to more gas for cars. Two booklets, The “Commander to the Peoples" and ‘The Meek Inherit the Earth’, and the book “The Kingdom Is at Hand”, is the offer- for the month. Other books or booklets can be substituted for these if the party already has one or more of such. This message of hope, assurance and blessing will be joyfully carried to the people by Jehovah’s servants and placed in combination on a contribution of 30c.

You favored servants of God, ‘watch your spirit.’ Make the glad service of The Theocracy your delight and chief objective. Aid the “other sheep” now, during this new service year 1

New Quotas for 1946 Service Year

As soon as the August report is complete, every company should immediately set new quotas for the coming service year, and place these figures in their proper places on the company chart. The Company’ Chart Instructions sheet, which was sent out last year with the chart, gives complete instructions on how to determine your new quotas. Here is a review of the general procedure.

To get your new quota of average number of publishers per month, first find the average number of publishers for the past year by’ adding up the “Pubs.” column of your chart and divide by 12. Then to this monthly average number of publishers for 1945 add 10 percent, or one-tenth, and this will be your new quota for publishers for the year 1946. For example, if your average number of publishers last year was 40 per month, your quota this year । would be 10 percent more than last year’s average, or 44.

To find the new quota for “Hours” for the company, first find the average number of hours of the entire company per month for the past year, then add 10 percent to that. For instance, if this company- of 40 publishers averaged 820 hours per month last year, the new quota for the company would be one-tenth more, or 902 hours per month.

To find the quota for “Av. Hours per Pub.”, divide this new quota of “Hours” for the company’ by the new quota of publishers. For example, in the above illustration, dividing 902 by the new quota for publishers, 44, gives a quota per publisher of 20.5 hours.

Likewise, find the average number of back-calls of the entire company per month during the past year, then add 10 percent to get your new quota of back-calls for the company. That is, if the company’ averaged 260 back-calls per month last year, the new quota for 1946 will be 10 percent more, or 286 back-calls per month.

■ To find the “Av. B-C. per Pub.”, divide the total quota for back-calls by the quota for publishers, which in the above case would be 286 divided by 44, making the “Av. B-C. per Pub.” 6.5.

The quota for “Av. Stud, per Pub.” will be 1 book study a week for each publisher. The total “Book Studies” quota will be the same figure as the new quota for company’ publishers, as each publisher’s quota will be one study per publisher.

Don’t forget to post the “Monthly Averages” at the bottom of the chart for the service year 1945.

Pioneering as a Full-time Vocation

In response to the Master's command, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men,” his faithful apostles “straightway left their nets, and followed him”. They’ quickly caught the spirit of their blessed privilege and shed all worldly’ ties and joyfully hurried out into the field for Kingdom service. True, they' had tiieir difficulties and other obligations, such as we have today, but they arranged their affairs so that the Lord's work received most of their attention.

The full-time pioneer service today is likewise by far the greatest privilege anyone can enjoy. It frees one from the destructive evil forces now running rampant in this world. No longer need you be open to the influence and temptations of worldly competitions and their desires, which lead one away from Kingdom blessings and crowd out the holy spirit of the Lord. As a pioneer your mind is kept occupied by’ clean, pure, life-giving spiritual food and the holy spirit can operate freely upon you without distraction and interference from other sources.

Pioneering is a full-time vocation. The pioneer work is not something that should be taken up only after you have made a failure at everything else, but It should take first place in your life. One requirement is faith. Yes, much faith is needed to serve the Lord as a pioneer. As a pioneer you learn to trust in Jehovah to provide everything you need, and you increase in faith and love and appreciation of your privilege to be His faithful representative on the earth at this time. “Without faith it is impossible to please God.”

A Joyful Occupation

The real joy and pleasure of Kingdom service comes with the satisfaction of having spent a good day honoring the name of the Lord and knowing you have His divine approval. Not only does the full-time pioneer service further insure your receiving the blessing of eternal life, but it also removes the misery’ and anguish suffered by many millions of people and makes life interesting and enjoyable even under the strain and pressure of oppositions.

There are many lands needing “this gospel” preached in them. As the Lord is opening up these many new fields for harvesting the Kingdom fruits, at Gilead he is training many of his faithful workers to push the Kingdom gospel into much hitherto unworked territory. Even if you don’t attend Gilead, there are many cities in this country which are still greatly in need of full-time pioneer servants.

If you are seeking a full-time vocation or occupation you can find nothing better than the full-time pioneer service. If you desire to enlarge your privileges and increase your blessings, then the pioneer service is what you need. If you really have faith in the Lord, then prove it by casting all your cares upon Him and letting the one occupation of preaching His kingdom absorb all your attention. There is a pioneer application blank waiting for you here in the Society's office. Write for it today!

“Jehovah Reigns” Testimony Period Best Time of Year for Vigorous Action

Effective Apartment-House Witnessing

Add Your Voices, Sing the New Song, “Jehovah Reigns!”

Like the sound of many waters, the glad song that “Jehovah reigns” rolls on in ever-increasing volume, and during October the opportunity swings wide open for every temple singer to join in the loud-swelling chorus with all his might. Consider the theme we have for our inspiration ! At the climax of the nations’ bloody struggle for supremacy, and the formation of a gaudily dressed world-wide organization for the perpetuation of Satan’s wicked rule, Jehovah calls upon them to meet His challenge of rulership. He sends forth His witnesses as an affirmation of the fundamental fact that He alone is God, and He challenges the enemy to either siiow that they have the ability to properly rule the universe or openly admit their failure and His supremacy.

Jehovah leaves no doubt as to the outcome of the issue. He will now settle it for ever, with victory for His cause. Therefore, people or servants of Jehovah, take up the glad song. During October ask yourself, ‘How can I possibly keep silent in this all-important and crucial time?’ Decide now that, by the Lord's grace, nothing shall keep you silent or prevent you from saying among the nations that ‘Jehovah reigns’. This you can do by taking part in all features of Kingdom service during the whole month.

How Everyone Can Join In the Testimony

All regular witnesses, of course, will be right in the center of October’s activity; but in order to assist others, make it your objective to take new and inexperienced publishers with you. Co-operate with the servants in assisting these. In so doing they not only will learn how to effectively present the message to the people, but will become regular in their activity, too. October’s literature offer of two bound books and two booklets is especially suitable in this connection. The change it provides from the regular offer will open up the way for many a discussion of the issue involved, thus providing for revisits and the arrangement of future book studies. Any two books and two booklets may be included in the combination and placed on a contribution of 50c. This will be a splendid opportunity to supply people in rural sections with a good combination for winter reading, and also in city territory the offer is such that many will avail themselves of it. Where companies have an overstock of older books, they can use this provision and dispose of them by using one of these along with a later book. Enthusiastic presentation of the combination will put the literature where it belongs, in the hands of the people, and off the stockroom shelves.

From all angles, therefore, October shows up as an ideal time for very extensive field activity. Weather conditions are good for either country or city work, we have unlimited choice as to the variety of literature to use in the various territories, the field lies before us ‘white unto harvest’, and the proclamation to be made is the triumphant new song “Jehovah reigns”. Since the beginning of the public meeting activity this year, there has been a decided increase of publishers, and there will be a still greater gain if all irregular publishers will now see their privilege of becoming a regular publisher. The issue of universal domination never slumbers, neither can the song of Jehovah’s praise ever cease; hence there is no such thing as irregularity for those deeply concerned with the honor of Jehovah’s name. Add your voice continually to those supporting Jehovah's side of the issue and cause the song to grow louder and louder.

Those who are now inactive, arise! If the cares of this world have heretofore prevented you from singing the new song, make this Testimony Period the turning point. By adding your voices you, too, will swell the ever-increasing chorus.

No Limit to Service Privileges

In addition to door-to-door activity, you can stand forth boldly on the city streets displaying the Watchtower and Consolation magazines. Combine this with handing out invitations to the public meetings, and see to it that whoever shows interest is given all possible aid in attending. The public meeting activity cannot be overemphasized ; and wherever companies have not yet started, by all means make provisions now for giving the lectures. Get speaker aid from other companies if necessary, and go into every district publicly announcing the message of the Kingdom. Show men everywhere that ‘the people for the issue’ are determined to proclaim the glad tidings that Jehovah reigns. .

When men of good-will respond to the proclamation by desiring to join in singing the new song with the temple singers, its full beauty is realized, and here is where the back-call and book-study activity comes in. During weekdays and evenings supplement your week-end activity by caring for the new interest in making back-calls on them and arranging book studies. In so doing you will become an all-round publisher, giving full proof of your ministry by taking part in all features of service. While you thus increase your Kingdom privileges you will be helping those to whom you minister to increase also, and in due time they will join with you in singing the new song to Jehovah’s praise. In all features of service there is unlimited opportunity of action.

Thus the whole picture for October sets forth the wonderful prospect before us. God’s people have a new song, ‘Jehovah reigns, let heaven rejoice and let the earth be glad !’ Soon that happy song shall fill the whole earth. No one who now loves God can possibly keep silent. Let October be a month of praise.

July 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 10/40

July 1945 July 1944 Av. Av. Av. Av.

Pubs. Hrs. B-C Hrs.

Sp’l Pios. 1,230 163.1 57.0 169.4

Gen. Pios. 3,334 146.6 37.0 150.7

Co. Pubs. 59,100 16.4 3.5 16.8

PUBLIC MEETING CAMPAIGN Number of meetings

Total attendance 132,216

New Publications

“The Meek Inherit the Earth,” ............................ Spanish

Religion Reaps the Whirlwind..........................Polish

Overcoming Obstacles Theocratically

As the work of ‘discipling all nations’ goes forward the servants of the Most High become more and more skilled in carrying on the work. Because of heeding the admonitions to be wise as serpents, as harmless as doves, and without fear, they have won many legal decisions which have made more and more “land” the undisputed territory of the witnesses of Jehovah.

However, the apartment house is a stronghold of enemy resistance which still remains. If the Devil can succeed by threats, intimidation, police action, or violence in keeping the ministers of the gospel from preaching the Kingdom message in apartment houses he will have succeeded in depriving the “strangers” living in them of their right to hear the truth and to worship the only true God.

Sagacity Required

In carrying on apartment-house activity it should be borne in mind that the hallways are provided for the use of tenants and persons calling on them and no one has the right to prohibit such use. Apartment-house managers sometimes wrongly suppose that they have the right to exclude Jehovah’s witnesses and threaten police action against those who insist on visiting the tenants. While doubtless this issue could be forced in nearly every instance, yet to save time and expense it would seem that sagacity (see Matthew 10:16, Diaglott) and Theocratic tactfulness should be depended upon rather than inflexible “push”.

In going into apartment houses where one is expecting difficulty or has previously experienced trouble it would be well to be fully prepared. Have copies of Consolation Nos. 624 and 671 with you, which give the verdicts of the supreme courts of Massachusetts and Min-

Relax Not Your Vigil in the Back-Call Work

In some individual companies throughout the country there appears to be a tendency toward relaxing the vigil that has been kept in regard to back-call and bookstudy activity. This, of course, should not be; and, to the end that all publishers may progress in this feature of the service properly, the following information is given:

Each company, as well as each individual publisher, should be well organized for the back-call and book-study work, even more so since January of this year. Let none arrive at the mistaken conclusion that the public meeting work is in any sense to replace the back-call or book-study activity. The people of good-will cannot be discipled entirely through public meetings. “Let all things be done unto edifying,” say the Scriptures. Therefore, let publishers engage in all features of the Kingdom service to edify the people of good-will.

It is a fact that from 75 to 90 percent of the publishers reporting do not make effective back-calls and conduct studies. Something is required to remedy this.

An effective remedy is to use good service meeting demonstrations. These should be lively, practical, and not a show; for our job is to instruct, not entertain.' Get the most active in this work on the program and have them demonstrate how they really do it.

Another way to organize for bringing up the back-call feature of the service is to work through the organized company book studies. nesota. It would also be well to enter not too obviously laden with supplies and equipment And also by giving particular attention to appearing neat and clean one will add weight to the fact that he is a minister of the gospel and not an itinerant peddler. If the householder is not interested, do not needlessly press him, but proceed to the next door.

There are times when it would be best for one to go to the superintendent first and explain our work, while others would enter, one at a time, until there is one worker on each floor, such having been assigned in advance. The one chosen to call on the superintendent should kindly explain the nature of our work, pointing out that we are not peddlers or canvassers in any sense of the word, but are ordained ministers of the gospel; that we have a commission from Jehovah; and that it is a matter of life or death as to whether or not we carry out our commission, and that not only to ourselves but also to those to whom we would bring this message.

When interrupted and ordered out, one should remember that “a soft answer turneth away wrath”, and that, therefore, it is of the utmost importance for one to watch his spirit, even as called to our attention in the text for the month. Doing so we shall more likely be able to reason with the one interfering and thus gain our point to continue the preaching work in the building.

As the weather turns cooler the attention of the publishers is directed more to the cities. To thoroughly witness to these cities the apartment houses must also be worked. Therefore let all take hold of this feature of the evangel work so that there will be no by-passed apartment-house territory in our assignments, but that all living therein may have an opportunity to hear the gospel.

Yearbooks and Calendars

There are a number of 1945 Yearbooks and Calendars in stock that could do a great deal of good in the hands of the brethren and the people of good-will. In order to place these with the brethren as quickly as possible the rate is reduced to half, that is, the Yearbooks to 25c each and the Calendars to 10c each. Orders for this material should be sent in with your orders for literature. While this supply lasts we shall be glad to supply you with the above Y’earbooks and Calendars at this special rate.

Individual publishers should fully support these studies. Each of the larger companies should be divided up into study groups of from eight to fifteen publishers each, each group being assigned to one study. Arrange for evening work from house-to-house just prior to the study each week, and have the strong take along the weak, showing them how to do the work. Then, on another evening during the week, meet at the contact point and the same group can call back on the interest previously found, talking back-calls and book studies all the time, leaving handbills for the coming public meeting and arranging to call back and take them to the meeting. Take the question booklet along and try for a study; if you are not successful the first time, try, try again.

If all publishers, servants, and companies take steps to this end, organizing for advertising and assisting the interested hearers, we shall have a peak in back-calls. Did you know our present peak of 4.6 is five years and three months old?