On This Day...

[James the Less]

Allow me to say first of all by 'this day' I mean January 1, even though where I am currently it is January 2 

 

Let me first explain the purpose of this post. Whether we have been in the truth for one year or 50+ years, we have seen numerous organisational adjustments. It is true that Jehovah's people have a very rich spiritual heritage. In commenting on the need to preserve and pass on our spiritual heritage, one member of the Governing Body said, "To know where we are going, we have to know where we have come from." To that end, I have researched the dates of several important milestones in our theocratic history (using the Proclaimers book and the 2001 Calendar of Jehovah's Witnesses) and thought it would be nice to post throughout this year on the dates of theocratic importance and use it as an opportunity to reflect on how far we've come from and/or what effect a particular theocratic milestone has had on us personally.

 

So let's start with the First of January  Several things have happened on the first of January over the past few decades. For example...

 

• 1956: Zone visits to branches (now called branch visits by headquarters representatives) begin. For many years, zone/branch visits were not a regular thing here in Australia. Yet, since 2012, we have had a branch visit nearly every year. In 2012, all congregations in Australia were tied in via audio link to hear Brother David Splane give an encouraging talk. In 2013, for the first time, we had a video tie-in Australia-wide to hear Brother Geoffrey Jackson. In 2015, we had a brother from the London branch office (I have forgotten his name), and last year we had Brother David Schafer from world headquarters. We have not yet had announced if we will have a branch meeting streamed to us this year, but if we do have one this year, it will probably be in March or April (that's when they always have been in the past for us). Is anyone anticipating a branch meeting this year? What zone visits/branch meetings have you attended or stick out in your mind?
• 2008: The first issue of the public edition of The Watchtower is published. What benefits have you noted from having a public edition of The Watchtower? Do any feature articles from the public edition of The Watchtower over the past 9 years stick out in your mind?
• 2009: The Congregation Bible Study, Theocratic Ministry School, and Service Meeting are combined into one midweek meeting. Did you like the combination of the book study with the midweek meeting when it first happened? What aspects of the Congregation Book Study do you miss? (for me it was the supper that we occasionally had afterwards!) What features of this change did you appreciate when it happened? Having a night free for Family Worship has been such an encouraging blessing, I have found.
• 2016: Our midweek meeting is completely redesigned into Our Christian Life and Ministry Meeting. After one whole year of our new midweek meeting format, what do you especially like about it? Which meeting(s) have stood out for you as being particularly encouraging/enjoyable?

 

Looking forward to everybody's comments. I'll add some more to my own when I have some time later and after a few others have posted  

[Joey]

I really miss the Book Study in the homes.:-(  With that said 

I like having one meeting per week and having a family worship night.I am not quite adjusted to the Life and Ministry meeting yet.I don't like standing at the mike for parts and I miss the announcements in between.I love the videos shown during meetings .

 

 

 

 

[Sepie93]

In the Netherlands we are having two "headquarters representative visits". Two visits in two months.. I wonder.... why......🤔

Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-G903F met Tapatalk

[Alexa]

2008 I thought end is coming I remember the provision of witnesses to be fed andthe things will be from watchtower study because public would not read it anymore  

2009 We are absent in home book study, iwas just enjoyed in bible teach  

[DarinS]

What I like about the new meetings this past year.CLAMM

-smaller bite sized pieces - easier to prepare - deliver and digest

-pace - the faster pace keeps me more engaged - with various parts videos  and chairman - someone is always moving

 

THANK YOU JEHOVAH