Informant, February 1949
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INFORMANT
FEBRUARY, 1949 "I . . . will yet praise thee more and more.”—Ps. 71: 14. BROOKLYN, N. Y.
“Blameless Ministry” Testimony Period Presentation of The Watchtower and Awake! Continues in Second Month of the Campaign
Preparation Essential for Blameless Presentation
Jehovah’s witnesses are living up to their commission to be ministers of the gospel, as proved by the results of their work. They have loved Jehovah their God with all their hearts and have loved their neighbors as themselves and thus have accomplished much in aiding those of good-will to learn the truth of God's Word and to advance true worship. Organized religion’s ministers cannot point to a blameless ministry with such God-honoring results. They are not without blame, but have been instrumental in turning many away from God. Jehovah’s witnesses alone stand out as true ministers “giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: but in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God”. —2 Cor. 6:3, 4.
Individually we desire to keep our ministry blameless, and as we progress into the second month of the Watchtower Campaign we wish to continue to offer to the people publications of the highest educational value, that they may learn the truth of God’s Word, repent of old world practices and begin to serve Jehovah. That is why, in harmony with Jehovah’s witnesses world-wide, we go to the homes of the people with the two magazines The Watchtower and Awake! with a premium of “Let God Be True" or some other bound book and a booklet, for $2.00.
Effective Presentation of the Offer
Carefully analyzing this offer, we quickly notice its comprehensive value. It is balanced spiritual food for those who are searching for the truth. It is our responsibility to show them the importance of receiving the complete offer, that they will not be deprived of information essential to their well-being. Show them how The Watchtower stands blameless by giving such needed Information on the Bible and explaining important Bible prophecies for the edification of all those who wish to know Jehovah’s purposes and share in the benefits thereof; and how the Awake! magazine furnishes timely articles on many interesting subjects along with the Important news happenings every two weeks.
The book “Let God Be True" or whatever volume is used for the premium will prove an added incentive for the householder to obtain the two subscriptions even though time may not allow a discussion of its contents. Many people will be glad to obtain this balanced diet of spiritual food when we tell them why it is offered: to aid them in knowing the truth and gaining everlasting life.
The efficient and blameless minister will be alert to use the training that he has received in the Theocratic ministry school. Tact should always be used in speaking with the people at the doors and on the street. Arguments should be avoided, but we should be alert and not overlook an opportunity to tactfully use refutation in order to aid those who are sincere in voicing objection to our work. A review of Lesson 53 of Theocratic Aid to Kingdom Publishers, on “Refutation in Gospel-Preaching”, will be quite appropriate at this time.
Appropriate demonstrations should be employed to illustrate the most effective ways of presenting the two magazines under different circumstances. For the benefit of those going in group work, a short demonstration or brief review of suggested talking points might be given before going into the field.
Publishers will, of course, be interested in knowing how the company is progressing toward reaching its quota. This information can be compiled and presented to the company from time to time so that additional effort can be put forth when necessary.
We are properly concerned with the progress of the Watchtower Campaign, yet we should not neglect other features of the service. Back-calls should be made on subscribers of the previous month, and throughout the campaign these should be called on and aided in their study of these publications. Public meetings should also be planned, and diligently supported by the publishers.
Blameless Ministry Means Regular Service
To be an effective minister of Jehovah and to demonstrate real appreciation for this great privilege, regularity in the service is essential. We may have to overcome obstacles along the way, but that is what ministers of Jehovah have always had to do in order to keep their ministry blameless. Disagreeable weather at times may present an obstacle; but by taking advantage of all days that will permit us to engage in the service we shall be able to overcome this obstacle. It is by regularly devoting time to the ministry, our primary occupation, that we grow to appreciate it more and become more and more effective in our presentation.
To see that our blameless ministry is bearing fruit, we have only to review the pages of the 1949 Yearbook. Proof is found also in other testimony the Society receives daily from the many subscribers for The Watchtower and Awake! who express their appreciation for these magazines. Of the many, let two of such speak for themselves: “I surely like your magazines; and I am
“From House to House”
Strive for an Effective Ministry
In the eyes of the religious world, Jehovah’s witnesses perform their ministry In a strange manner. They preach “from house to house” to persons of every race, creed, political belief, and walk of life. But Jehovah’s witnesses preach thus by divine command. They must go from house to house, to discharge a tremendous responsibility, that of informing ail mankind that old-world rule has ended, the Kingdom is here, and Armageddon is at hand. The eternal destiny of millions, as well as the vindication of God’s name, is tied in with their ministry at the homes. Hence every witness of Jehovah physically able to do so will take part regularly in this important, Christllke service, and preach “from house to house”.
Knowledge Used
Through much study Kingdom publishers have acquired a wealth of Bible knowledge, not to hoard it in their minds, but to use for the welfare of others. It is in house-to-house preaching, primarily, that this is accomplished. It is here, In direct touch with the public, hundreds and thousands of them, that Theocratic ministry schooling is applied in the fullest sense, and proves its worth. Extempore speech, warm, conversational delivery, choice words, good and varied sentence composition, proper oral emphasis, use of tact, refuting of arguments—all these desirable qualities are brought into play and steadily improved as the publisher speaks truth and brings hope and joy to more persons.
Making Your Service Effective
The objective of the publisher at each home is to stir up interest at
Old Phonograph Records
Old phonograph records no longer have any reclaim value to the Society. Any companies who may have been holding such records for an anticipated call to send them to the Society may dispose of them in any way they see fit.
grateful to the girl who took my subscription. Though I have forgotten her name, I remember her and thank her.” Another says, “I highly appreciate your kindness for The Watchtower you have been sending me the past several months, for it has brought me better understanding and a changed viewpoint from my past attitude toward life. Since I’ve been studying The Watchtower and several books I even feel better.” These are the “other sheep” expressing their appreciation for our keeping our ministry blameless I
Regularly, therefore, we will continue to carry The Watchtower and Awake! to the people during February, by engaging in all features of the service.
the outset, convey his message with understanding, and create desire to accept the literature offer. Thus the groundwork is laid for a future home Bible study. “But how can I witness at each door more effectively?” may be your query. Perhaps by answering briefly in your Introductory comments the unvoiced questions of the average householder, Who are you? why are you here? what do you have? This may readily be done through a “general presentation”, pleasingly delivered. Several introductory presentations may be prepared, to insure variety and freshness in your approach.
Get to the literature offer quickly, for the attention of the person will usually center on this. “Know” your offer for the month, its main points, the value of its features, the many questions of immediate interest to the householder it will answer. Speak with conviction. Have not the publications brought you knowledge more valued than all the gold and silver in the world? So will they bring to your “neighbors” truth of inestimable worth. Avoid “rushing” through your witness. Be calm, poised, courteous, and overcome unfounded objections as you are able. Do your best to witness effectively at the homes, and know that as you cultivate the gift of preaching the Most High will direct your steps, to His praise.
Seek to Improve
Many will not “hear”, regardless of your effort to speak effectively at each door. This should not discourage, for a division into the “sheep” and “goat” classes is purposed for our day. Not all listened to Jesus, like whom no other man ever spoke. Yet, through patience, kindness, friendliness and tact at every house, prejudice may be broken down, and a better spirit shown by misinformed persons on the next call. Remember that Paul was not always the apostle Paul.
Constant improvement in your witness work from house to house should be sought. Regular attendance at the service meeting and Theocratic ministry school, followed that same week in the field by an application of the counsel received through talks and demonstrations, will better your ministry. Discussion with fellow publishers regarding their methods of approach will help. And when arguments or questions not encountered previously are raised at the doors, think out a fitting response and be prepared for an effective reply when a similar situation arises again. Regular preaching in the field is the main requirement for a steady Improvement In your witness work.
Opportunities for sharing in the praise of God's name and pointing others to salvation through house-to-house work will soon end. Hence now is the time for all servants of God to take full advantage of their opportunities and identify themselves as true ministers by preaching regularly “from house to house”.
Gainful Godliness
Profitable Way to Contentment and Life
Whether it be wisdom, wealth or social position, the gains sought by this world bring no contentment. ‘The world by wisdom knows not God,’ their “riches are corrupted” and their positions of honor fade with the whims of imperfect humankind. How true it is that ‘all this is vanity’. Contentment comes only from acquiring knowledge of God and then carrying such information to others. This is a godly course, and “godliness with contentment is great gain”.—1 Tim. 6: 6.
Our Theocratic service is indeed gainful godliness. True, it does not bring financial gain to those who take part in it, but it does bring that which is of far greater value, both to the publisher and to the hearer, the opportunity to gain life everlasting. What greater gain could there be than this?
The continued offer during March of subscriptions for The Watchtower and Awake! with a bound-book premium will be especially helpful to those seeking godliness with its gains. We can greatly increase the interest of the people, whether we are calling upon them for the first time or are calling back on those who have already subscribed, by directing attention to the actual contents of The Watchtower or Awake! Try this in your ministry. Fix two or three important points in mind from a recent Watchtower, ask the householder questions on these points, and then show how to obtain the answers from the magazine. Do the same with A wake! This will create a desire to look into the publications further, either to subscribe or to gain more from publications previously obtained.
Servants Take Lead
The gains of godliness are most manifest where servants actively take the lead in Kingdom service. This they can do by making definite service arrangements well in advance and by assisting others to share in the work. This is an obligation which they will delight to assume at all times. If a servant faithfully shows up for group witnessing, even though at times he might be the only one in the “group”, his godly course will bring gain to himself and to those to whom he witnesses, and others will be moved to follow his example and join him in regular gainful service.
Am I regularly taking the lead in Kingdom service? Am I constantly on the lookout for ways to help my brethren improve in gainful godliness? These are questions which each servant might well ask himself continually. Affirmative answers will be a sure indication of future gains' in the company.
Questions for self-examination, however, are not for servants alone. By March this eleventh Watchtower subscription campaign will have been in progress for two months. Each publisher might therefore ask himself: Have I reached my quota of one subscription? If not, is it because I am not following the course of gainful godliness as diligently as I should? How can I improve? Do I study each issue of The Watchtower and Awake! thoroughly? and understand them well enough to explain their contents to others? In the street work do I follow up the inter-
Theocratic Ministry School Suggestions
Evidence of the keen appreciation that the brethren have for the written reviews was seen in the joy with which they greeted the news of their continuance with the taking up of the study in Theocratic Aid to Kingdom, Publishers. That all may receive the greatest possible benefit from the reviews as well as from the other features of the school, some of the questions that have arisen will here be considered and suggestions offered.
Written review information confidential. The nature of the questions and their answers is strictly confidential, and no one, aside from the school servant, should have information regarding them before the taking of the test. Any other course would defeat the very purpose of the written review, which is to encourage study and not merely to get a high grade. Since the questions appearing in the written reviews are limited to the material covered in the lesson and questions appearing at the end of each lesson, there no longer seems to be any reason for even the ones giving the instruction talks to be given in advance any Information on the written review in order to properly present the lesson. By making sure to cover and high-light the points raised in the questions in the textbook, all of those giving the instruction talks will be doing their part to properly prepare the brethren for the written reviews.
Stimulating interest in the written reviews. Both the company servant and the school servant should be alert to note ways in which they can increase interest in the school and the written reviews. Service meetings, for example, can include demonstrations which show the practical value of the material in Theocratic Aid to Kingdom Publishers for use in field service; the right and the wrong ways to study the weekly lessons and prepare for the reviews; or other points that need attention in the company. Interest in the school can also be enhanced by starting on time, keeping the school lively by having the talks, including the instruction talks, within the allotted time, and by making the counsel brief and to the point.
New student talks. In meeting the problem of determining the main points in their assignments, students will find it helpful to consult the questions prepared by the Society on the material, where provided, such as the question booklet on The New World, etc. These questions high-light the main point or points est I find and try to arrange for subscriptions or back-calls? Do I actually follow up all interest found in the field? Am I going out in group witnessing regularly? Can I profitably take out an individual territory where I can work at odd times? Do I truly make godly service the outstanding feature of my daily life? This self-examination Is profitable if we sincerely desire to follow a course of gainful godliness.
Let each of us, then, utilize this mid-point in the eleventh Watchtower Campaign to examine what we have accomplished during January and February, ascertain the reasons for those Instances wherein we have come short and profit from what we have done well. Contentment is assured for those who thus faithfully serve Jehovah, and “godliness with contentment is great gain”.
Public Meetings Provide Wide Witness
New Talks to Begin in April
Public Bible talks are one of the major means employed by Jehovah’s witnesses in preaching this gospel of the Kingdom. During the past service year, as revealed by the 1949 Yearbook, the tremendous total of 133,634 such meetings were held throughout the world. That means that for every day of the year more than 366 Bible lectures were held— over 15 meetings every hour, day and night, for the entire year I
The pleasures of these past accomplishments, however, give way to even greater future joys as we learn that this excellent means of making known God’s name and purpose is to be continued throughout the coming year with a new series of talks beginning in April. The titles of the new talks are:
“Peace on Earth”—When?
God’s Day of Rest
Can Religion’s Divided House Unite?
Why the Bible Has Endured Humanity at the Crossroads Victory over Death
Palestine in Prophecy
The Two Great Commandments of Life
This announcement is now made so that companies can arrange to start the new series in April. No series of the old talks should be
Field Service Report
MONTHLY QUOTAS
Pubs.
Av. Hrs.
Av. B-C
Av. Bk. St.
Sp’l Pios.
} 4,557 {
175.0
50.0
6.5
Gen. Pios.
120.0
32.6
4.5
Co. Pubs.
75,682
13.2
3.4
1.0
December Report
Pubs.
Av. Hrs.
Av. B-C
Av.
Bk. St.
Sp’l Pios.
164.8
57.9
7.0
Gen. Pios.
4,619
106.8
31.6
4.3
Co. Pubs.
72,875
11.7
3.3
.4
PUBLIC MEETING CAMPAIGN
Public Meetings Held 3,670
in each paragraph, and by comparing their outline with these questions students can make sure that they have covered the main points.
Since the student talks now are based on the bound books and magazines, students may read scriptures directly from the Bible if they so desire, which they were not encouraged to do when the epitomes were on parts of the Bible itself. How-, ever, the same principle still applies, that is, the student should not read from the book or magazine he is assigned to epitomize.
Preparing for, and taking, the written review. Publishers can benefit more from taking the written reviews if they will observe these points: Prepare effectively by being able to answer the questions on each lesson each week in your own words without referring to the textbook. Note particularly what are the basic, main points. Review before the written review. Discuss the lessons with others. If you fully understand the lessons you will have little difficulty with the questions in the written review.
When taking the review, make sure, first of all, that you fully understand the question, before trying to answer it. Read it over twice. Then make sure that your answer is directly to the point and that it does not apply to another question instead. Be sure that it does not started after April 1, although those in progress may be completed. In every company where speakers and suitable meeting places can be arranged, a public meeting should be scheduled for April 17, the week-end following Memorial, whether it is one of the talks of the old series which may yet be in progress, the circuit servant’s public talk or one of the talks of the new series shown above. In circuits where assemblies are scheduled, the companies will, of course, support the circuit assembly that week-end as usual. Further details covering the activity for this week-end following Memorial will appear in the March Informant.
With this Informant are three sets of outlines for the new talks for each company and one set for each male pioneer. One of the company sets should be kept in the Theocratic ministry school library and the other two be distributed among the brethren who are assigned to prepare the different talks of the series.
We cannot foresee what the total number of public meetings for this service year will be. We can be sure, though, that it will depend upon the activity of each company throughout the world. Make plans now so that your company can contribute to the greatest extent possible toward an even greater public meeting witness in 1949.
Publications Now in Stock
“Be Glad, Ye Nations” —Chinese “Let God Be True” —Finnish
“The Kingdom Is at Hand”—Finnish “The Truth Shall Make You Free”
—Finnish
Permanent Governor of All Nations —Finnish
The Joy of All the People—Finnish ‘The Meek Inherit the Earth'
—Finnish
Kingdom Service Song Book
■—German “Let God Be True” —Greek
‘The Meek Inherit the Earth’—Greek The Coming World Regeneration
—Ilocano
simply restate the question in other words, and that it gives a reason. Should you finish early, look back over the questions and your answers, noting where you can improve them.
Grading the papers. It will greatly encourage the brethren to take the written reviews if the school servants use good judgment in grading the papers. If the brethren have expressed the idea and it appears that they know the answer, credit should be given even though they may not have expressed themselves exactly as indicated in the answer sheet. Due to the general nature of much of the information now being studied, it is not possible to list on the answer sheet all of the possible answers. Therefore credit should be given if the brethren answer the question correctly even if their particular answer does not appear on the answer sheet. It would also be well to give partial credit to partially correct answers even though it may not be a two- or four-part question. When in doubt, grade in the student’s favor. It is better to be too generous than too exacting.
By all the brethren observing the above points to the extent that they apply to them Individually, they will be helped in receiving the fullest possible benefit from the ministry school in their efforts to ‘yet praise Jehovah more and more’.