Kingdom Ministry, September 1957
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SEPTEMBER, 1957
“From day to day tell the good news of salvation by him.” —Psalm 96: 2, NW.
BROOKLYN, N.Y.
TRAINING ANO TEACHING IN 1958
Better and More Ministers Our*Goal
1 Christians know the value of goals. “I am pursuing down toward the goal,” said Paul. Fixing our eyes on the right kind of goals is a course of wisdom: “Wisdom is before the face of the understanding one, but the eyes of the stupid one are at the extremity of the earth.” Last year’s service year showed the wisdom of keeping goals before our eyes. We had seven of them. Their value is evident from the blessed results. What progress we made!—Phil. 3: 14; Prov. 17:24.
2 Now with the new service year we have a goal of immense importance. It is the twin goal of better and more ministers. The means of reaching this goal? Training and teaching in 1958.
3 This means training new ministers so that they are more effective in their ministry. Helping others to maturity is a right goal: “You must assist those who are weak.” Training in 1958 also depends on our individually living up to the command: “Be training yourself with godly devotion as your aim.”—Acts 20:35; 1 Tim. 4: 7.
4 To reach our training goal, then, we need to be willing to participate in the training program. Before coming to a knowledge of the truth, how many Kingdom ministers ever thought of being house-to-house teachers of the good news? Few Indeed. But no matter; we can train ourselves with godly devotion as our aim. It is not impossible to attain the maturity needed for freeness of speech, both in house-to-house and Bible study work. “For all things,” said Paul, “I have the strength by virtue of him who imparts power to me.”—Phil. 4:13.
“Adequately Qualified to Teach Others”
5 So that we can teach householders from house to house and through Bible studies we must become “qualified to teach.” How vital this is! We do not want to be like those of whom Paul said: “You ought to be teachers in view of the time.” Instead, we have this Scriptural objective in view: “The things you heard from me with the support of many witnesses, these things commit to faithful men who in turn will be adequately qualified to teach others.” (2 Tim. 2:24; Heb. 5:12; 2 Tim. 2:2) Do you know that only one third of the publishers conduct Bible studies now? Why not make it two thirds by December? Be a teacher in home Bible study activity.
Better Servant Leadership
6 We rejoice that there is a new program for better servant leadership. Its details are outlined in the article on “Congregation Organization.”
7 Much of the progress toward our twin goal hinges on better servant leadership. How will the new pro-
I Any bound book, 50c. In unassigned s ^territory, year subscriptions for “The ? ? Watchtower" and “Awake!” and six ?
| booklets, $2.
| THEME FOR SEPTEMBER | z Living True to Our Dedication
1 ^Ecclesiastes 5:4.
gram bring about better servant leadership? By providing closer cooperation between the congregation servant and his assistants. Some key features of the new program: (1) A special meeting; once every seven months the congregation servant will interview each servant. (2) Very close co-operation between the congregation servant and a particular servant during a whole month; besides the special meeting, they may talk and plan before and after meetings and at other times. (3) A special feature of Kingdom ministry will be highlighted each month, depending on which assistant is interviewed that month. (4) During the month the assistant servant will be on the service meeting, enabling the congregation to know the benefits of the interview, the plans made, the problems solved, etc. (5) The program is continuous; thus the second seven-month period will be even more profitable.
New Sermon Program and Assemblies
8 Another fine aid for our training and teaching in 1958 is the new sermon program; it is explained in “Presenting the Good News.” There will be a series of articles on vital qualities of sermons. Each month a special quality will be featured. We will learn about such vital qualities as a striking introduction, joining the householder in the conversation, adaptability and—in this issue—the Kingdom theme.
9 Then there is the new circuit assembly program starting this month. No one will want to miss it. The assembly theme, “Qualified to Teach,” will be a keen stimulus in our training and teaching goal. Here will be rich instruction to help us “preach the word,” as Paul said, “with all long-suffering and art of teaching.” There is no doubt about it: teaching persons of good will is an art. During the Saturday: evening program', “Be Qualified to Teach,” you will see this art in action. Do not miss any feature on this “training and teaching” program.—2 Tim. 4:2.
10 Climaxing the new service year aids is the event we are all looking forward to with earnest desire—the 1958 international assembly in New York city. Start your planning now.
11 So onward into the new service year! The twin goal of better and more ministers is before us. Use the new aids to the full, and may Jehovah bless our training and teaching in 1958, that he may be glorified.
-k ‘How will they hear without someone to preach?’ Do you preach? *
Every service meeting should have a theme. This outline provides the theme for the first service meeting of the month. Congregations will select their own theme for the other meetings. How should a theme be selected? There are several ways. Is there a particular weakness in the congregation? A Scripture text or idea that suggests correcting that weakness might be made the theme. When a feature of Kingdom ministry is highlighted in your congregation, a theme in harmony with the stressed activity could be used. Another source of ideas is the daily text. The Scripture text or com
ment at the bottom of the front and back pages of Kingdom Ministry suggests theme ideas, especially for the meetings when comments are to be made on them.
Having a theme is of little value if the brothers on the program neglect it. It is most valuable when each participant says a few words about the theme, weaving it into his part, whether it be a talk, question-and-answer part or a demonstration. The introducing of the next brother on the program furnishes opportunity to weave in a brief statement on the theme.
FIRST MEETING IN SEPTEMBER
Theme: Living True to Our Dedication.
5 min: Welcome, text, comments.
8 min: Talk on “Living True to Our Dedication.” (See "Watchtower,” 9/1/57, p. 523, and 7/1/56, p. 396.)
7 min: New World News report.
10 min: Question-and-answer coverage of “Plan Your Activity.”
20 min: Talk on the article “Training and Teaching in 1958.”
10 mtn: Arrange locally. (Include comments on the text [Rom. 10: 14] at the bottom of page 1.)
SECOND MEETING IN SEPTEMBER
5 min: Welcome, text, comments.
10 min: Talk on “Pursuing My Purpose in Life.” Condense “Watchtower” articles of July 1 and August 1.
25 min: Demonstration on “Remaining in the King’s Favor.”
SCENE I (7 min.) The setting is in the home of a young couple who have given up the pioneer work and have become involved in worldly pursuits. Husband sitting in living room sympathizes with wife who is complaining about work in office and house being too much for her. Husband admits strain, but bills must be paid. He tells wife of a raise offered him, but it will require several nights a week of extra work. She brightens up and sees it as a means of paying off debts and getting few extras. She encourages him to take job and agrees to help him do his evening work.
Wife suddenly remembers this is service meeting night. It is late —7:15 p.m. Wife asks husband if he does not have a student talk to give. He says he was so busy that he asked the instructor to give it to someone else. Both decide to stay home. Husband tells wife that the congregation servant wanted to arrange for a book study in their home and was considering recommending him for study conductor. Asks wife what she thinks of the idea. She bemoans being tied down and reminds him that he would have to take the lead in all features of the work. Can’t see how he could manage and still keep up with his secular job. He admits it would crowd him. Wife consoles him with the thought that they are regular publishers, averaging three hours a week. Husband’s conscience is soothed with that, sits back to watch television.
SCENE II (13 min.) While enjoying TV there is a knock at the door. A young couple and their son whom the first couple helped to get the truth happen by. Since their service meeting has been changed to a different night they were out making back-calls. They saw lights on and decided to stop in. They have exciting news to tell, but are puzzled to find the first couple at home. These try to explain, but are obviously embarrassed. The second couple tell about their plans to pioneer, to work only two or three days a week and devote the rest to the service. They tell of the joy of having a congregation book study in their home and how the husband has been made conductor and how his group is making progress. His wife tells of so much interest that the only way to take care of them is to pioneer. They speak excitedly of the 1958 convention. The first couple say they could not spare the money. The husband says his wife could go but she thinks it selfish to go without him. The, other couple call attention to the article in the “Kingdom Ministry” urging all to attend. If one part of the family could attend it would prove more beneficial than none going. They tell how they had planned on getting a new car and color TV, but when the convention was announced they decided to go to it instead, and how happy they are that they so decided. They mention the rich young ruler and how he lost out because he was reluctant about giving up luxuries. They do not want to end up like him. They talk about the joy of presenting “The Watchtower” at the doors, of the excellent articles. The first couple had no time even to read them. The enthusiastic couple warmly discuss the ministry school and the tests and speak about the joy of knowing the truth.
SCENE III (5 min.) After their friends have gone, the first couple take a new look at themselves. They now see how far they have fallen behind. They are determined to do something about it. They plan to sell some of their extras to pay up the bills. The husband decides to reject advancement offer. Instead he will turn his house into a service center, and is determined to do his best if appointed as conductor. Their consciences feel better. They talk of re-entering the pioneer work. The scene closes with the brother saying he appreciates Jehovah’s waking him up.
10 min: Talk on “Pioneering—A Blessed Privilege of Service.”
10 min: Arrange locally.
THIRD MEETING IN SEPTEMBER
5 min: Welcome, text, comments.
10 min: Cover “Make Sure of All Things” material on Life, from “Adam and Eve Had Conditional Right ...” on page 244 to Luke 20: 38, page 246. To be handled as a talk.
10 min: Question-and-answer coverage of “Congregation Organization.”
25 min: Demonstration on “Analyzing Our Offering to God.”
This demonstration is to be handled by the congregation servant. On the platform should be a model publisher’s record showing the actual averages month by month of a publisher with, the congregation, as figured from the congregation Progressive Report Sheet. The card should be large enough for all to see. Individual publishers will be given their cards before this meeting part so they can analyze their activity with that'of the congregation averages.
(8 min.) The congregation servant will review the month-by-month campaigns and in doing so consider averages shown on the model card. For example, the offer for September was books. After stating the monthly offer (review “Kingdom Ministry” for monthly offers), encourage publishers to compare their activity with the average publisher activity shown on the model card. If figures for the average publisher are above the national averages outlined in “Kingdom Ministry,” commend them for their good effort. Where averages are below the national average, encourage the brothers to do better.—John 15: 8.
(15 min.) On completing the analysis the congregation servant will ask the service center study, conductors up front as a panel to give mature comments and observations how the record could be improved. These brothers should prepare beforehand. They can offer suggestions as how to increase book, booklets and subscription placements; also how publishers might improve hours, back-call, Bible study and magazine activity. Congregation servant can then give the audience opportunity to make suggestions, after which he can offer comments.
(2 min.) Congregation servant will then summarize the value of analyzing our offering to God from time to time. He will encourage publishers to increase their praise. Before closing the meeting all record cards should be gathered and returned to the assistant congregation servant.
10 min: Arrange locally. (Include comments on the text [2 Tim. 2: 15] at the bottom of page 4.)
FOURTH WEEK IN SEPTEMBER
5 min: Welcome, text, comments.
10 min: Question-and-answer coverage of the article “Devote More Hours to Preaching.”
20 min: “Presenting the Good News.” School servant to discuss points with congregation and illustrate them.
25 min: Arrange locally. (A service talk on “Alive to New World, Dead to the Old World” may be considered if further material is desired; see “Watchtower,” June 15, 1957.)
CONGREGATION
New Program for Better Servant Leadership
1 Each servant has an important role to play. Unless he takes the lead and regularly fulfills his Scriptural responsibility, the congregation will make little progress. To give each congregation better servant leadership a new program has been arranged. It will result in greater maturity in the congregation, a speedier ingathering of the other sheep and for each one of us a fuller appreciation of the apostle’s words: “Keep watching the ministry which you accepted in the Lord, that you fulfill it.”—Col. 4:17.
2 The heart of the new program is : The congregation servant’s working more closely with each of his assistants. He will work more closely with each of the servants for one month out of seven. Following is the schedule for the next seven months, giving the month, the servant or servants who receive special attention and the activity that is to be stressed that month.
3 October: Assistant congregation servant; regularity in Kingdom service. November : Bible study servant; back-call and Bible study activity. December: Magazine-territory servant ; magazine work and proper territory coverage. January: Literature and accounts servant; placement of
Order New Booklet Right Away
The new booklet Healing of the Nations Has Drawn Near is now available. It is to be featured as one of the three booklets given to new Awake! subscribers during October. All congregations should order an adequate supply right away.
Reporting on Unassigned Territory Work
Unassigned territory work for the summer ends this month. Be sure a report on the work done in such territory is sent to the Society. Besides reporting territory coverage, placements, experiences, etc., be sure to send in the names and addresses of definitely interested persons as well as of those who should be on the isolated publisher list. It would be helpful if the names and addresses were submitted on individual slips of paper, three inches by five inches. Give further aid to these interested persons by corresponding with them. Encourage further Bible study. This privilege might be extended to brothers who are infirm but yet mature, and this work should be supervised by the congregation servant.
ORGANIZATION
literature. February; Watchtower study servant; meetings and meeting attendance. March: Ministry school servant; use of sermons. April: Congregation book study conductors; increase, maturity and the training program.
4 How much time will the congregation servant spend with his assistant during the month? There is no definite number of hours except for this: One evening, as early in the month as can be arranged, will be set aside for a special meeting.
5 Make arrangements for the meeting in a way that seems most suitable. One way would be for the congregation servant to invite the assistant servant to his home or vice versa; then that evening they can talk over the problems.
15 The congregation servant and his assistant will try to enlarge the Kingdom ministry in the department of service where they are working. They will make plans for that department’s expansion and efficiency for the next six months. A series of articles in Kingdom Ministry will outline key points to be discussed. These will show what problems can be worked out, what records should be checked and how plans can be made for the future, to the end “that the word of Jehovah may keep moving speedily.” —2 Thess. 3:1.
Service Supplies
Congregations and pioneers are being sent their monthly report cards for the 1958 service year.
“Watchtower” and “Awake!” Bound Volumes
Orders may now be placed for the 1957 bound volumes. These, should be in the Society’s office by November- 1, 1957. Please order through the local congregation. The cost for each volume is $2.00. Remittance must accompany orders. If your address changes before order is filled, be sure to advise the Society.
JULY SERVICE REPORT
iv Av Av Av
Pubs. Hrs. B-C Bi. St. Mags.
Sp’l Pios. 351 115.3 44.4 7.2
Pioneers 5,863 86.4 29.3 4.9
Vac. Pios. 2,627 88.8 18.3 2.3
Pubs. 181,868 9.4 2.8 .5
TOTAL 190,709
Public Meetings Held: 10,262
UNITED STATES QUOTA FOR 1957 186,819 Publishers
Pioneering
—a Blessed Privilege of Service
1A door to a new life with bountiful blessings stands before you. Can you open it? Perhaps you can if you try. The door is pioneering, and it is the same door that the apostle Paul stepped through. He said: “A large door that leads to activity has been opened to me.”—1 Cor. 16: 9.
2 He overcame the obstacles opposing him. Nothing could hold him back from expressing his joy.
3 Do you have this same abounding joy for the truth? If you do you will want to follow Paul’s example and not “put out the fire of the spirit.” (1 Thess. 5:19) Let it flame up within you. Let it move you.
4 Like Paul you can travel to isolated territory, and perhaps even to a foreign land and there, like a luminary, radiate the truth that has brought joy to your heart. Think what a blessing you would be to the good-will persons there.
5 Of course, if you are unable to work in territory where the need is great, that does not mean the door to pioneering is closed to you. Not in the least. You can work with a congregation, perhaps your own.
6 Even those who are unable to pioneer can experience the joy pioneers have of working isolated territory or with small congregations who need help. They can find work in such territory and move there.
7 But whatever your age, whatever your circumstances, consider pioneering. Perhaps you can follow Paul’s example by opening its door and enjoying its blessings.
DEVOTE MORE HOURS TO PREACHING
1 Often a new or immature publisher will want to stop after an hour of telling the good news, but the mature companion should encourage him to keep on. In one country where the mature and full-time publishers are doing this the average for congregation publishers is from twelve to thirteen hours a month. It is a case of the strong helping the weak ones.
2 To help increase hours let congregations arrange for weekday group witnessing, not overlooking afternoons for those unable to get out in the morning. You pioneers can help, especially by taking the lead in weekday morning house-to-house witnessing. And you mature publishers who regularly tell the good news in the evening, encourage weaker ones to work with you.
3 The more hours we devote to the service the more praise to Jehovah.
Essential Qualities of Sermons
1 It is written that “the tongue of the wise ones does good with knowledge.” (Prov. 15: 2) How much good are you doing? You have a tongue; you have knowledge; you have territory. Here are the means for doing much good. But perhaps you feel that more good should come from your efforts. It can. And Kingdom Ministry is going to show you how. Beginning with this issue Kingdom Ministry will consider twelve essential qualities of sermons. Here is a wonderful opportunity to increase your productiveness.
2 The first essential quality of a sermon is a theme—a Scriptural Kingdom theme. That means you must choose one simple point to stress in your sermon. It may be Jehovah’s name or world peace or world unity or something else. But the point you choose must be the point you talk on and around which you build supporting arguments and proofs. Without a theme your sermon will have little more effect than if you spoke to the air. “For truly, if the bugle sounds an indistinct call, who will get ready for battle? In the same way also, unless you through the tongue utter speech easily understood, how will it be known what is being spoken? You will, in fact, be speaking into the air.” (1 Cor. 14 : 8, 9) Use a theme and be understood.
3 A theme gives value to your words, and when associated with the Kingdom and Scriptural quotations your words become like “apples of gold in silver carvings.” (Prov. 25; 11) It is important that you associate your theme with the Kingdom, for the Kingdom is our hope. It is what we yearn for and pray for. The thrilling blessings it will bring gives our sermons strong appeal. It gets listening ears.
4 Carefully select pointed scriptures to support your theme, and then read them from the Bible each time you give your sermon. What better way can we impress upon people that what we say is not our own opinion but what God’s Word says? By reading from the Bible you encourage people to be like the Be-roeans who examined “the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so.”—Acts 17:11.
5 As you repeatedly work youi- territory with pointed messages from the Bible, the people will come to respect what you say. For persons of good will your tongue will be like the tongue mentioned at Proverbs 10: 20: “The tongue of the righteous one is choice silver.” But this will be only if you put your thoughts across, if you make yourself understood. You cannot be understood if you say too much. Be satisfied to put one simple point across, a point they will remember. That point is your Scriptural Kingdom theme.
6 Now that you know what the first essential quality of a sermon is you will want to think about it. Examine your sermon. See if you have it. Make use of it at the doors, watching carefully that you do not wander from it. Keep to it as to a fixed point. Its use is the first step toward reaping more good from the use of your tongue.
OFFER FOR OCTOBER J “Awake!” magazine subscription and ( three booklets on a contribution of $1. j
THEME FOR OCTOBER |
Keep Abreast with the New World < Society.—1 Corinthians 11:1. I
PLAN YOUR ACTIVITY
1 What do you plan for September? Surely not an ordinary month, not after the summer’s stirring assemblies. Let us show by activity our appreciation for assembly blessings. Give “thanks always for all things to our God and Father.” —Eph. 5 : 20.
2 The second day is a holiday. It can get us off to a good start. How about making it a special day of magazine activity? In fact, we will want to make September a magazine month, as it features the special distribution of the September 15 issue of The 'Watchtower with the assembly talk “Healing of the Nations Has Drawn Near.”
3 But this should not conclude our plans. What about back-calls and Bible studies? With the assemblies and vacations in back of us this would be the time to really concen
NEW WORLD NEWS
At Southampton district assembly 8,731 attended public talk; 128 baptized. At Southend assembly 8,200 at public meeting; 160 baptized. Munich had 27,668 at public meeting. Final attendance at Denver was 14,50]; 245 baptized. Seattle had 16,417 with 289 baptized; Milwaukee rejoiced with 30,671 and 527 baptized. Edmonton attendance was 9,824, with 223 immersed, and Los Angeles soared to 48,742 with 827 immersed.
4^ Gilead graduates 29th class at South Lansing. 5,406 attend. 103 graduates assigned to serve in 19 lands.
Ethiopia opposes work. Branch servant from there writes: “I left Addis Ababa by plane. The director of Public Security was at the airport in Addis to make sure I actually left. Before leaving I was able to find out that our letter had been presented to the Emperor but that he chose not to intervene.” Officials admit the Ethiopian Orthodox clergy instigated move.
Japan reports; “In our February 'Kingdom Ministry’ we asked the question ‘How soon 1,000 publishers in Japan?’ In the few months since then the total has increased from 645 to 841, more than halfway. 54.8-percent increase this service year.”
First circuit assembly held in Pago Pago, American Samoa, where 250 enjoyed showing of the film.
Two special pioneers in Tanganyika now have 23 publishers reporting. 3,059 enjoy film at circuit assembly there.
Work under way on new branch home in Auckland, New Zealand.
trate on them. It is the means for reaching our goal of ten-percent increase by December.
4 Your plans for September will certainly include the children. Encourage. them to keep up the good work they did during the summer months. When they get occupied with schoolwork it is for some easy to let theocratic activity drop off. In the past some have even become irregular publishers during this month. This is not good.
6 By planning we can make September a glorious month filled with joyful activity in the work of the Lord. “Consequently, my beloved brothers, become steadfast, unmovable, always having plenty to do in the work of the Lord.” (1 Cor. 15: 58) What better way to start off the new service year?
X- D© you ssd© your utmost t© present yourself approved to God”? *