BREAKING NEWS | House-to-House Preaching Will Resume on September 1, 2022

[Dustparticle]

17 minutes ago, jwhess said:

I am sure you are correct.  Many will be cautious.  But like the RC video, we need to be careful not to speak out to a group audience and state a personal decision as a group rule.  Do you remember the sister is in the backseat who seat, "Now WE won't be able to count our time."  She might not count hers but the sister sitting next to her might go ahead and count the time the other two were on their lengthy call starting a study.

 

So you might decide to always wear a mask (for your concern about your health), but if it is not required by the government nor by our organization directions then others might not follow your lead.  Learn to be patient with all the brothers who are doing their best in these troubled times.  As the apostles said..."Good heath to you."

All good points above. And believe me, it is not in my mind of taking the lead in the field. It belongs to Jehovah.

[jayrtom]

2 minutes ago, Dustparticle said:

In door to door, witnessing we will be going to them and they might wonder what is going on.

I'm convinced that unless we eliminate the use of masks on all places, like publiss witnessing and meetings, we also will have to wear masks on the house to house ministery

[Esined]

In the US in our cong most people use the KH address. 

Here I could see people still being encouraged to wear masks. The cool thing about the GB and the way our organization works is that they are so well-informed about circumstances that differ location to location and territory to territory. So we'll see! Staying tuned for more details! 

[jwhess]

3 minutes ago, Esined said:

In the US in our cong most people use the KH address. 

Here I could see people still being encouraged to wear masks. The cool thing about the GB and the way our organization works is that they are so well-informed about circumstances that differ location to location and territory to territory. So we'll see! Staying tuned for more details! 

We indeed need to wait for more directions.

 

Side point:  We can't use the KH address.  There is no mail delivery to this location.  Our KH mail is delivered to a brothers private mailbox.  We have lots of letters returned for various reasons as "undeliverable".  If they all went to the hall, how would the publisher who holds the territory get them to make corrections?

[Tortuga]

1 hour ago, jwhess said:

We indeed need to wait for more directions.

 

Side point:  We can't use the KH address.  There is no mail delivery to this location.  Our KH mail is delivered to a brothers private mailbox.  We have lots of letters returned for various reasons as "undeliverable".  If they all went to the hall, how would the publisher who holds the territory get them to make corrections?

Our congregation has a PO Box and the Service Overseer checks it regularly. He gives the returned letters back to each sender.

[jwhess]

1 hour ago, Tortuga said:

Our congregation has a PO Box and the Service Overseer checks it regularly. He gives the returned letters back to each sender.

Sounds like a good arrangement.  We don't even have a PO Box (our KH is outside of town).  Our official mail goes to one of the elders and our packages go to a store in town owned by a brother in another congregation. He get packages for 2 or 3 congregations.  Most of us just use our own addresses or our own PO Boxes for service.  Some single sisters use the address of a friend or the FSG overseer.

[Pabo]

When our congregation first started, it was announced to the congregation it was preferred that the congregation to use the KH address as the return address. My wife and I had done so until there was a letter that my wife wrote which had been returned personally by a resident who ripped the letter up and stuffed into the KH letter box in pieces. Since then, my wife and I decided to use our own address, as we can write down our street without using the number, but the mail person knows where we live in, as we live out in the rural's. So for someone to do such a thing, they would have to know which house to rip it up to put it in.

 

After about couple of months after the initial lock down, I was speaking with an a elder about setting up a PO Box for the congregation instead of using the KH, as I said that because the letters are not specifically not addressed to the householder, most that are being returned are not because of the mail person being lazy (which an elder and his wife made statement about), but perhaps if the householder looked that address up on Google, they will find out that it will be the KH. With a PO Box, it will be harder for those looking at the return address as a PO Box, as they would not know who it is, thus encouraging them to open it and read it the contents. Also the PO Box can double up for all the correspondence as well for bills etc, as some of the elders move around (such as himself) whereas the PO Box can remain constant which then any responsible brother can check on it without the need to redirect the bills etc when a brother moves. He thought that it was a great idea and he suggested that to the rest of the body. However, they didn't approve it, even though the CoBE really liked the idea, as it he thought it would be safer for all who wrote letters to have a some protection of privacy if they felt that they wanted that, especially after that ripped up letter incident as we have some sisters who are either aged and/or single. However, some elders thought that having the KH address was a witness as itself. However, the elder whom I suggested it to set up a PO Box just for himself and his wife to use, and also some within his group.

 

Since that time we started to use our own address, we only had one letter returned since that time, and the elder only received only a couple himself. However, the KH mailbox usually gets about 10-12 a week that I pick up. A lot of these letters where originally because of there was "no such address". But after walking all around just the town confirming all the addresses about a year ago, this had minimised in how many came back, but still we get RTS even though the address is correct and there is a mailbox, but some are now requesting us not the send anymore.

 

With each of our town maps with system we are using (Lightbox/Deckhand), the brothers can download the listings of all the addresses listed per block for that map, and any other detail they need to know - whether it is a DNC, business premises or even a park or laneway. We have about 5,800 residential listings just in our town, and perhaps about estimated 2,000 in our rural maps.

 

We had originally had the addresses for all the rural maps which some of brothers had prepared over 20 years ago when the State Government started implementing REN (Rural Emergency Number) for each property (which is now referred to as Rural Addressing). The REN is based on the distance from the main intersection to the main access point to that property is where the distance is meters is divided by 10, and properties that were on the left were odds, and properties on the right were even numbers. So if the emergency services needed to attend to a rural property say 586 Smiths Road, so if they were entering in from a main road into Smiths Road, the property access point location is 5,860 meters (or 5,860 / 10 = 586) and on the right hand side. If the property's access location was directly opposite, their number would be either 585 or 587 (which is closest to the meters). Clicking on the "Rural Addressing" is an example how one council website explains how they implemented this.

 

Using this REN, we developed a simplified and safer method of doing our rural territory, where we split a map into sections (as if they were blocks on a town map) and each section has a list of all the addresses in the relative order of the houses that you will be doing in that section. Thus if were starting from the start of the main road, we had a general safety rule of working only your left side (we drive on the left side on the road here in Australia), and the number could be say 13, 75, 89, 125, etc. And if the section stopped and you needed to work back, with the number order would be going down and still working on the left so you may have the numbers going like 242, 188, 164, 132, 88 etc). We only allocated 2 cars per section, thus they were house over house with each other. So all you had to look was at the list of houses and where your buddy car was. You didn't have to focus on where you are on the visual map. The listing told you where the next house was and what was after it, or if you were instructed to turn around and start working back. Also we encouraged brothers if there was any newer homes, to please note them down on the actual map listing so they can be updated onto a master listing for the map. Sadly, this was never done when we had entered into a dark period of our congregation where the rural's was not being done.

 

However, about 5 years ago, one of the elders was in charge of the maps, thought that it would be best to place all the locations on the houses onto the map itself instead of having the listing of those addresses. I had warned the brother that this method was not best layout to plan mapping out our territory, as you cannot write and mark about 200 houses on a A4 sheet of paper (which he later found out, so he instead just put in boxes where the houses would be roughly). Also, as the congregation had been accustomed to the way we have been doing the territory for the last 15 or so years, you will have people lost on where they are, and as these maps were broken down into sections, these sections were designed specifically for them to be completed by 2 cars within a morning session of 2.5 to 3 hours. By not having sections or directions, the brothers will feel lost and confused. And if they happen to stop partway in a section, they could mark down where they got up to and also what they had done. Where having no sectional listing, you will only add confusion to those who go back to that territory. If there is anything to do, is that to update the listings for the maps, and possibly some sections as well.

 

However, he persisted with his method and when he passed on the map to the brothers, they asked where the listings were, and he just told them the houses where marked on the map. But many didn't like these new maps, as there was no "numbers" to look out for. Thus many of the brothers started to feel lost and started to not to do rurals, as they felt that they were getting confused when they were out, as the listing previously gave them the confidence and the ability to plan themselves and what was ahead. As we had a midweek rural group and once a month the congregation did a combine rural group, as I still had a copy of all the rural listings, everyone always wanted to work with either my wife (when she went on the weekday) and/or I on the weekend. It was like "old times" for them.

 

Then COVID hit.

 

So when we finished writing letters to all the town maps, it then came to do the rural maps. When the brother assigned a rural map to a publisher, they asked where would they find the numbers? He told them that they would have to drive through the map and get the numbers themselves. When I found out that he was telling the brother to find the addresses on the rural maps, I asked the elder what happened to the map listings that we had previously before he produced his versions of the rural maps. He said he disposed of them as he thought they weren't needed at that time. I just sadly looked at him and said, "It took about 6 months in preparing and designing those maps and systems that we had in place since 2000. As you had not changed any of the border of these maps, and we really only had to do is update the listings, maybe change of few sections, and we could have just handed out these listings for the brothers to write to. There would be no need to send these brothers out to find numbers to these properties which we had originally. Let alone putting their lives at risk on roads which are now busier then they were 20 years ago. Also, these brothers are 20 years older and not as competent as they were 20 years ago to be driving on the roads looking out for these numbers and being a hazard to other road users. You could have just ask me for the listings that I had originally supplied you with when you took over the maps and we could have passed these onto the brothers. If anything, I would have went out myself with a couple of brothers to update the listings if need be, so as not to put the other brothers as they are either too old, or not familiar with the territory". He could see that I wasn't that impressed and he admitted he should have asked me first before sending out the brothers to find the addresses, as he knew that I still have a copy of the original listings of the maps. Even before COVID, he said felt that it was a mistake on how he changed the maps, especially when the brothers where constantly asking for the listings, as they relied on these so much.

 

So we are now looking at converting our back to our old rural map system, and now there is a another brother in charge, I am working with him so he can understand the layout of the territory and thus even feel confident in that when assigning brothers to certain rural maps (as some need to have 4WD due to the roughness of the roads), whether they have the necessary vehicles and brothers to do the territory.

 

 

Edited August 5, 2022 by Pabo

[jwhess]

58 minutes ago, Pabo said:

So we are now looking at converting our back to our old rural map system, and now there is a another brother in charge, I am working with him so he can understand the layout of the territory and thus even feel confident in that when assigning brothers to certain rural maps (as some need to have 4WD due to the roughness of the roads), whether they have the necessary vehicles and brothers to do the territory.

We have a lot of rural territory (it may not be as rural as yours).  We have most of one county and parts of 2 more counties.  Each count has an auditor and their own way of designating the mail addresses.  We used to be on a rural Route mailing system.  I was Route 1 Box 258E, then a Post Office in charge of our mail (with city and zipcode.

 

Then we changed to an actual house number, road number (or in some counties a name), then the Postal City and zipcode. So my address at the time changed to 8361 Road 230, etc.  The problem was that less than a mile from my house we changed counties.  The road continued but it changed to a name (Brenninger Road instead of a number.  And so the confusion goes on.

 

We use the 3 county auditors websites to locate the names and address (as officially listed) and then go through the territory to see if the houses are still lived in.  We check to see if a new house has been built or to see if they still have a rural mailbox for mail delivery. We have 1000 sq miles of territory with 6000 to 7000 names.  We have them all but they change quickly.  We go over every on each 6 months.  It has been a lot of fun but now we will go back to driving the roads.  We will take the names and numbers with us to try to keep up.  It helps with the return visits and Do-Not-Calls.

[Pabo]

@jwhess

 

That would be a pain in the posterior with having to changes to your address system. At least our have been static since they brought our system in. They basically introduced in first as a state as a trial where our local council was one of the first to implement it, then Australia wide. When we saw what they were doing, we immediately worked out how we can use this to our advantage.

 

Not exactly sure how big our territory is an area, as it is a basically like a elliptical shape with a few bulging out areas, but it basically 200km (130 miles) NE to SW, then about 60km (35miles) NW to SE. It is not a flat as you would think Australia is with it's desert plains. We are in a valley, so we have some territory "up in the hills" so to speak. But our territory is small compared to our neighbouring congregations, which we used to assist them by borrowing some of their maps which borders ours to help them out.

[Californiamama]

I am reminding myself not to laugh when I get the objection "I can't talk, I'm positive for COVID". That is an objection none of us have ever heard at the door!  True or not, people are going to figure out it works better and faster than "I'm not interested" or "I have my own religion" to get rid of us. LOL

[jwhess]

13 minutes ago, Californiamama said:

I am reminding myself not to laugh when I get the objection "I can't talk, I'm positive for COVID". That is an objection none of us have ever heard at the door!  True or not, people are going to figure out it works better and faster than "I'm not interested" or "I have my own religion" to get rid of us. LOL

Sr. Jodie, this happened to our Service Overseer on Wednesday when he was making personal RV calls.  He went to an RV he had not called on since 2020 and the man came to the door and said, "Be careful, I have Covid."  

 

It is going to happen...👍

[Pabo]

14 minutes ago, Californiamama said:

I am reminding myself not to laugh when I get the objection "I can't talk, I'm positive for COVID". That is an objection none of us have ever heard at the door!  True or not, people are going to figure out it works better and faster than "I'm not interested" or "I have my own religion" to get rid of us. LOL

So what do we put down on the house to house record slip?

 

NAH - Nasal Affected Householder

DNC - Don't Nock COVID

CA - COVID Affected

FS - Flu symptomatic

 

Formerly known as

Not At Home

Do Not Call

Call Again

Foreign Speaking

 

[Pabo]

29 minutes ago, Californiamama said:

"I can't talk, I'm positive for COVID". That is an objection none of us have ever heard at the door!

You could overcome this conversation stopper by asking "Have you always felt this way?" 😉

[Tia]

2 hours ago, Pabo said:

You could overcome this conversation stopper by asking "Have you always felt this way?" 😉

love it!

[dove]

3 hours ago, Californiamama said:

I am reminding myself not to laugh when I get the objection "I can't talk, I'm positive for COVID". That is an objection none of us have ever heard at the door!  True or not, people are going to figure out it works better and faster than "I'm not interested" or "I have my own religion" to get rid of us. LOL

I've also said that to my pioneering daughter..that it would be easy to use that objection, but she reminded me of a CO who said after ringing the bell to stand back off the porch about 6 feet.

To leave literature step forward, put it in their hand, then back again. This also serves the purpose of them not being easily able to give it back; once they have it's their's.

[Pabo]

8 hours ago, Californiamama said:

"I can't talk, I'm positive for COVID".

Another conversation stopper question "Do you think COVID will be ever be cured?"

[LoneWanderer]

11 hours ago, Californiamama said:

I am reminding myself not to laugh when I get the objection "I can't talk, I'm positive for COVID". That is an objection none of us have ever heard at the door!  True or not, people are going to figure out it works better and faster than "I'm not interested" or "I have my own religion" to get rid of us. LOL

“Oh, I am sorry to hear that. Hope you will feel better soon. Do you need anything simple from the store? If not, I’ll drop by in a couple of weeks to see if you’re doing better.”

 

 

[Dages]

5 hours ago, LoneWanderer said:

“Oh, I am sorry to hear that. Hope you will feel better soon. Do you need anything simple from the store? If not, I’ll drop by in a couple of weeks to see if you’re doing better.”

 

 

I'm definitely going to try this.

[Esined]

Or you could just bust one of these out, hand them a magazine and say, “Well, here’s a little something to read while you’re in quarantine. I’ll come back in ten days to see if you had any questions!”

[Esined]

A total tangent but my mom and I decided that next time one of us gets a telemarketer phone call we’re going to say (in English), “I don’t speak English. I only speak American Sign Language” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Pabo]

6 hours ago, Esined said:

A total tangent but my mom and I decided that next time one of us gets a telemarketer phone call we’re going to say (in English), “I don’t speak English. I only speak American Sign Language” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

"I see" said the blind man to the deaf and while a man with no legs walked by.