Letter to All Service Committees of english-speaking congregations in the USA, 2000-01-01: Territory seldom worked
January 1,2000
TO THE CONGREGATION SERVICE COMMITTEES OF ALL ENGLISH-SPEAKING CONGREGATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES
Re: Territory seldom worked
Dear Brothers:
Enclosed please find a letter regarding territory seldom worked. It should be read to the congregation at the first Service Meeting after its receipt, and then it should be posted on the information board. We appreciate the assistance you have given the Society in the past by providing qualified Kingdom proclaimers to serve in territory seldom worked. These publishers and pioneers have performed a valuable work and should be commended for their efforts. As you process this year's applications, we encourage you to continue recommending spiritually qualified individuals and to assist them in any way possible to make the assignment a success.
As you review completed applications, pay particular attention to points 2-4. With regard to question 2, the Society will not give assignments to a publisher to work alone, to groups composed entirely of single brothers and single sisters (married publishers who will not be accompanied by their mates are viewed as single), or to individuals who are presently experiencing difficulties in their lives. Especially where these difficulties involve problems in the family, the elders will want to exercise discretion when considering a publisher who will not be accompanied by his or her mate. It is best not to submit any applications for persons with such problems. Do not leave it to the Society to inform them that they do not qualify. You should inform them.
In response to question 3, the total number of persons joining any one group should be limited to about 20, including minor children of publishers. Additionally, while two or more large groups may request the same assignment in order to work closely together, the Society usually is not able to fulfill such requests.
Please review with these publishers and pioneers their need for adequate funds in order to provide for their lodging, food, and transportation. This point should be emphasized even if the congregations surrounding their assignment offer assistance. Also, please verify that they will have adequate transportation to complete their assignment.
Once the publishers or pioneers in your congregation receive an assignment from the Society, it would be good if one of you would meet with them to determine whether further assistance is needed. If the group will be assisting a congregation, make sure the team captain communicates with the presiding overseer of the congregation at the time the group receives the assignment.
Members of your congregation who are part of one of these groups have the option of obtaining their literature or magazines through your congregation or, as a group, requesting such through the congregation of their team captain. If the literature and/or magazines are to be sent directly to the assignment instead of to your congregation, make sure the appropriate forms include only what these publishers are requesting. Please do not include publications requested for the congregation. Write across the top of the appropriate form for literature or magazines: "SPECIAL ORDER FOR TERRITORY SELDOM WORKED." Attach a letter to the form, stating exactly where the literature or magazines are to be sent. Any packing list(s) that itemize what has been shipped by the Society should be given to the secretary.
Members of the group who are motivated to contribute to the publishing and distribution of the literature, the building of branch facilities, the sending out of missionaries, and other expenses connected with the worldwide work should place their donations in any box marked "Contributions for the Society's Worldwide Work.—Matthew 24:14." Contributions received in the field for the Society's worldwide work should also be put in these contribution boxes. Again, it will be appreciated by all concerned if you would help the group prepare for the assignment and remind the team captain of the need to submit the information requested by the Society at the conclusion of the assignment.
We have received letters of appreciation for the groups assigned to assist various congregations. If your congregation has many territories that have not been worked in a year and you would like such assistance, let your circuit overseer know when he visits your congregation.
If your congregation borders unassigned territory and some of your publishers wish to accompany groups in field service, they should make inquiry of the captain of the group assigned to the territory so that he can inform them whether additional assistance would be appropriate. Otherwise, the group assigned to cover unassigned territory is expected to fulfill their assignment as best they can with the publishers within their group.
Again, thank you for any assistance you can offer in this campaign. After you have read to the congregation the letter addressed to the congregation, it should be posted on the information board for one month along with the list of counties. Thereafter, it should be placed in the congregation file along with this letter addressed to the service committees.
Your brothers,
Nachtower B. V. G. Society OF NEW YORK, INC.
Enclosures APPLICATION FOR TERRITORY SELDOM WORKED
For TEAM CAPTAIN only:
Please complete all unshaded portions of this application. Team captains will receive only one assignment during each campaign. Therefore, each group should be represented by a different team captain.
FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Date Received:
For PUBLISHERS who are not from the team captain's congregation:
Complete only the shaded box on the back of this application; the front of this application stays blank.
Captain application
Partner application
1) TEAM CAPTAIN: Race: Age: ___
(First name, middle initial, last name)
Check all Male Female
that apply: Single Married (Mate's full name: ___)
Elder Ministerial servant
Regular pioneer Baptized publisher
Full mailing address: ___
(Street address, or route and box) (City) (State) (ZIP code)
Telephone number: ___ (Area code, number)
2) How many of each of the following (including yourself) will make up your group? Give numbers here.
(Married publishers not accompanied by their mates should be viewed as single.)
Single brothers Single sisters ___ Married couples
Elders Ministerial servants Regular pioneers Auxiliary pioneers
3) What is the TOTAL number of persons (including yourself) who will be working with your group? ___
(Total number of group should be about 20 persons, including minor children of publishers.)
Please list below the name, race, and age of all (including yourself) in your group. If necessary use additional 8 1⁄2 x 11" sheets of paper.
Name
Race
Age
Name
Race
Age
4) Is your group prepared to bear all expenses, including transportation and lodging? Yes No 5) How many miles are you willing to travel from your home in order to work unassigned territory or to assist a congregation?
6) Please submit at least two possible starting dates and corresponding ending dates for the assignment requested, and state how long you will be there. (Maximum is two consecutive months per year.)
Preferred starting date: Preferred ending date: Number of days working in service: ___
Alternate starting date: Alternate ending date: Number of days working in service: ___
7) UNASSIGNED TERRITORY: List in order of preference the counties, along with the states they are in, that you are interested in working as given in "COUNTIES WITH UNASSIGNED TERRITORY." If these are unavailable, the Society may ask you to work another unassigned territory or to assist a congregation within the distance limits stated in Point 5. (If you can go anywhere, please write "ANYWHERE.")
8) ASSIST A CONGREGATION: In addition to what was listed above, please list other states where you are interested in working, even though no unassigned territory may exist there. (If you can go anywhere, please write "ANYWHERE.")
Only publishers NOT from the team captain's congregation should complete this shaded box. Thereafter, they should give this form to THEIR elders.
TEAM CAPTAIN: ___.
CONGREGATION SERVICE COMMITTEE'S APPROVAL
Please review this application to ensure that it is complete and accurate. Before signing it, please refer to the letter, addressed to the Congregation Service Committees, that accompanies this application. Do not submit this application if you do not approve of the individuals from your congregation. Rather, explain to them why they are not being approved for the work.
(Presiding overseer)
(Secretary)
(Service overseer)
Please send completed application to: