BREAKING NEWS | Adjustments to Field Service Reporting

[ChrisW]

5 hours ago, Stormswift said:

Remember too guys Tom and I got this huge table for you all to come to NZ in the New World.

Oh. How nice. Can't wait to see all of you in person. 🙂♥️  I'll let my husband know. This will be one of the many things to look forward to. 

[Tia]

8 hours ago, Tortuga said:

At least we aren't shaving our heads and laying in the street for 390 days...

Yep!  as usual - had my cup of coffee in hand - resting on my lap!  so glad I did not lose control!  

 

[molnarj]

[Lori]

On 10/7/2023 at 3:35 PM, Timl1980 said:

Thank you for bringing that to my attention, Rodejong! I had no idea that linking the website to the forum was the proper way to present this information. Thank you for letting me know, I'll be more careful in the future. Honestly, I was shocked and surprised by the announcement, and thought I would share it with everyone here. From now on, I will definitely be more careful as to what I share when it comes to our site. Please forgive me for my blunder, I simply didn't understand that piece of information. 

Thank you for sharing. 

[Almost there]

To be frank, a part of me always thought (privately, of course) that this is how it always should have been.  In my studies, it always seemed to me that counting time and placements was not something the early Christians were heavily concerned with. 

 

I'm glad for patiently waiting on Jehovah.

[jwhess]

30 minutes ago, Almost there said:

To be frank, a part of me always thought (privately, of course) that this is how it always should have been.  In my studies, it always seemed to me that counting time and placements was not something the early Christians were heavily concerned with. 

 

I'm glad for patiently waiting on Jehovah.

It is amazing what you see if you wait 2000 years...😄

[Luisabola]

30 minutes ago, Almost there said:

To be frank, a part of me always thought (privately, of course) that this is how it always should have been.  In my studies, it always seemed to me that counting time and placements was not something the early Christians were heavily concerned with. 

 

I'm glad for patiently waiting on Jehovah.

Yes me too, I would never have said anything and more than happy to follow direction. But can you imagine if I’d allowed it to fester and eventually took me out of the truth- not good.
 

Plus, I understood the logistics- that the only way to know the amount of time spent in the service meant we’d have to report our time, which is interesting to know. I just didn’t think it was mega important to Jehovah. 

[truce]

36 minutes ago, Almost there said:

To be frank, a part of me always thought (privately, of course) that this is how it always should have been.  In my studies, it always seemed to me that counting time and placements was not something the early Christians were heavily concerned with. 

 

I'm glad for patiently waiting on Jehovah.

The early Christians gave a report to Jesus  about their preaching activity.  The apostles gave reports of their witnessing activity in the book of acts. It led to joy among the brothers. I never took an exception with the way we reported our ministry in the past. That practice was for many practical reasons and the GB spelled those out in our publications. For example, the Organized Book. It was the logical thing to do for many years and served its purpose. I also do not take any exception with the adjustment that we just received. I love it! ❤️  However I take exception with comments that seem to indicate that our reporting hours and placements was an unscriptural practice. Not quite.

Edited October 9, 2023 by truce

[jwhess]

One side point to "counting" was the former procedure of asking for money for literature.  It had to be accounted for.  So we had procedures for counting the placements (magazines, Bibles, books, brochures/booklets and so on).

[truce]

3 minutes ago, jwhess said:

One side point to "counting" was the former procedure of asking for money for literature.  It had to be accounted for.  So we had procedures for counting the placements (magazines, Bibles, books, brochures/booklets and so on).

I want a reprint of the brochure: What Does God Require Of Us? A brochure like that would be a quick way to help many come into the truth quickly during the GT. 

[Luisabola]

11 minutes ago, truce said:

The early Christians gave a report to Jesus  about their preaching activity.  The apostles gave reports of their witnessing activity in the book of acts. It led to joy among the brothers. I never took an exception with the way we reported our ministry in the past. That practice was for many practical reasons and the GB spelled those out in our publications. For example, the Organized Book. It was the logical thing to do for many years and served its purpose. I also do not take any exception with the adjustment that we just received. I love it! ❤️  However I take exception with comments that seem to indicate that our reporting hours and placements was an unscriptural practice. Not quite.

No we’re not saying it was unscriptural at all. It was just one of those things like, why are we doing this. It never sat well with me. Jesus never (as far as we knew) took a count of how many hours each disciple was doing in the preaching work. They just described their experiences, which is sooo encouraging when we do the same. 
 

Like I said I understood the reason why logistically that the gb wanted to know how many hours we spent in the field, and per publisher to know averages, but I didn’t think it was important for our salvation to meet an hour target. Like say for example, getting to double digits. We saw that with the wisdom of the allowance of counting 15 minutes for elderly and infirm. 
 

This just seems like an amazing decision from the GB, indeed from Jehovah. Thank Jehovah for these refinements. 

[Dages]

24 minutes ago, jwhess said:

It is amazing what you see if you wait 2000 years...😄

I love how this sentence can work so well for us when we get eternal life  

[truce]

1 hour ago, Luisabola said:

No we’re not saying it was unscriptural at all. It was just one of those things like, why are we doing this. It never sat well with me. Jesus never (as far as we knew) took a count of how many hours each disciple was doing in the preaching work. They just described their experiences, which is sooo encouraging when we do the same. 
 

Like I said I understood the reason why logistically that the gb wanted to know how many hours we spent in the field, and per publisher to know averages, but I didn’t think it was important for our salvation to meet an hour target. Like say for example, getting to double digits. We saw that with the wisdom of the allowance of counting 15 minutes for elderly and infirm. 
 

This just seems like an amazing decision from the GB, indeed from Jehovah. Thank Jehovah for these refinements. 

It's all good. Peace and Love. ❤️ 

[Eejay]

5 hours ago, Luisabola said:

that the only way to know the amount of time spent in the service meant we’d have to report our time, which is interesting to know. I just didn’t think it was mega important to Jehovah.

 

Jehovah knows exactly where we are in the stream of time, but we don't. And nor did many out there who only came to be aware of the full detail of the "sign" (Matt.24:3) after coming in contact with our various presentations of cumulative facts. But we don't need much statistical proof now that the good news of the kingdom is being preached in "all the inhabited earth" along with all the other aspects of that sign. Just look in the top bar of the website under Languages. In fact, thinking of the first century, despite some areas not having received a witness, didn't Paul acknowledge that, relatively, all the known earth had received the good news (Col.1:23)? And that was some 9 years prior to the end of the Jewish system. Anyway this shifts the focus to people and their needs within the congregation, the same way we have shifted our focus in connection with those we preach to. 

Edited October 9, 2023 by Eejay

[Pjdriver]

7 hours ago, Luisabola said:

No we’re not saying it was unscriptural at all. It was just one of those things like, why are we doing this. It never sat well with me. Jesus never (as far as we knew) took a count of how many hours each disciple was doing in the preaching work. They just described their experiences, which is sooo encouraging when we do the same. 

 

Yes exactly! The concept probably never entered their minds. We generally know if a person is spiritual minded or not,  if you seen them in the ministry regularly or rarely etc.....without knowing their precise hours.  (If the brother or sister is handicap and couldn’t participate door to door.... they will likely be active in the groups that do letters and calls. We should try to be visibly active to the extent that we can. 

 

Years ago when I was young  I recall I was assisting a book study and the conductor ask me to take attendance each week. However, he didn’t just want to count heads, he wanted me to also keep track of who misses a meeting. He had a specific attendance sheet with each publishers name.

 

One young brother who was a partaker, seen it and made a ruckus about keeping track of his personal attendance. I told the conductor, “I don’t think we need to keep track of any individual's weekly attendance.” Of course that brother  missed a lot of meetings, so he was perhaps, a little defensive. 

Looking back, it’s kind of like being the spiritual police.  The elder’s know if someone misses many meetings and what their circumstances are.....not need to micro manage the flock. 

[Stormswift]

Just thinking too, (I do that occasionally) ... with the recent emphasis on declaring Jehovah’s Day of Vengeance as part of the 'Good News' urgently ... that should spur us on to be very visible in the preaching work, within each of our circumstances that is. I'm very excited to focus on this angle of the Good News.

[Stormswift]

21 hours ago, shali said:

I trust Jehovah. He is doing this for a reason(s) and at this point in time, it's the right thing to do or we wouldn't be doing it this way. Don't bog yourselves down with the "what if's", just make a resolve that despite this change it won't diminish the zeal you have to help others. We don't need to worry about what someone else does or does not do in the ministry from this point on. I know plenty of older ones who only get in maybe an hour at the most a month but they're the most faithful coming to in-person meetings and commenting. That one hour is a 100 in Jehovah's eyes. 

Big hi to you Shali to see you still here in full force, loveya

[Life4u]

On 10/9/2023 at 10:06 AM, truce said:

A brochure like that would be a quick way to help many come into the truth quickly during the GT. 

Please, has there been any updates as to this statement? Am I wrong for believing that after the GT starts, the time for salvation will no longer be available? Please help me understand! Thanks in advance.

[Landon1285]

3 minutes ago, Life4u said:

Please, has there been any updates as to this statement? Am I wrong for believing that after the GT starts, the time for salvation will no longer be available? Please help me understand! Thanks in advance.

All will be clearer November 6th 

[jwhess]

31 minutes ago, Life4u said:

Please, has there been any updates as to this statement? Am I wrong for believing that after the GT starts, the time for salvation will no longer be available? Please help me understand! Thanks in advance.

A simple answer is yes an adjustment has been made.  Are you wrong for believing that salvation opportunities end at the start of the GT?  That is now old information, not current understanding (as of Saturday Oct 7th).

 

Help you understand? Well, you will need to sit through the Annual Meeting (probably coming Jan 1st) or get what tidbits com from next month's broadcast.  You could start through the Annual Meeting "Spoilers" thread (it is 35 pages long).  Or simply wait until it is discussed in next years Watchtowers.

Edited October 12, 2023 by jwhess

[Dustparticle]

3 hours ago, jwhess said:

A simple answer is yes an adjustment has been made.  Are you wrong for believing that salvation opportunities end at the start of the GT?  That is now old information, not current understanding (as of Saturday Oct 7th).

 

Help you understand? Well, you will need to sit through the Annual Meeting (probably coming Jan 1st) or get what tidbits com from next month's broadcast.  You could start through the Annual Meeting "Spoilers" thread (it is 35 pages long).  Or simply wait until it is discussed in next years Watchtowers.

I assuming it will be around of May 2024 edition.

[truce]

6 hours ago, Life4u said:

Please, has there been any updates as to this statement? Am I wrong for believing that after the GT starts, the time for salvation will no longer be available? Please help me understand! Thanks in advance.

Yes.... We have had some adjustments in our teaching.  Wait till the January Broadcast. 

[Luisabola]

2 hours ago, truce said:

Yes.... We have had some adjustments in our teaching.  Wait till the January Broadcast. 

That patience convention is coming in very handy 😂

[DancesWithWife]

Our meeting MWM, was cancelled due to a large power outage in the area. Was there any announcement read at the meeting about the new field service arrangement? 

[Landon1285]

Just now, DancesWithWife said:

Our meeting MWM, was cancelled due to a large power outage in the area. Was there any announcement read at the meeting about the new field service arrangement? 

I thought there would be an announcement as well but no announcements were made during the midweek meeting this week. More than likely we'll get more info on Nov 6th broadcast and GB updates.