You Are Warmly
Invited
PERHAPS you have passed a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s
Witnesses in your community and wondered what takes place inside. Did you know
that their weekly meetings are open to the public? Visitors are warmly
welcomed.
However, you may have some questions. Why do Jehovah’s
Witnesses meet together? What happens at those meetings? And what do visitors
who are not Jehovah’s Witnesses say about the meetings?
“Congregate the People”
Since ancient times, people have gathered together to
worship and learn about God. Almost 3,500 years ago, the Israelites were told:
“Congregate the people, the men and the women and the little ones and your
alien resident who is within your gates, in order that they may listen and in
order that they may learn, as they must fear Jehovah your God and take care to
carry out all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 31:12) Thus, in Israel young and old alike were
taught to worship and obey Jehovah God.
Centuries later, when the Christian congregation was
formed, meetings continued to be an important feature of true worship. The
apostle Paul wrote: “Let us be concerned about one another in order to promote
love and good works, not staying away from our meetings, as some habitually do,
but encouraging each other.” (Hebrews 10:24, 25, Holman Christian Standard Bible)
Just as family bonds are strengthened when family members spend time together,
so bonds of love between those who want to serve God are strengthened when
Christians meet together for worship.
In harmony with these Scriptural precedents, Jehovah’s
Witnesses meet together at their Kingdom Halls twice a week. The meetings help
attendees to appreciate, understand, and apply Bible principles. Where
possible, the program is the same worldwide, and each meeting has its own
spiritual objective. Before and after the meetings, those who attend enjoy an
“interchange of encouragement” by means of upbuilding conversation. (Romans 1:12) What happens at each of these meetings?
Bible Discourse
The meeting begins with a song from the
book Sing Praises to Jehovah. *
All who wish to stand and join in singing the song are welcome to do so. After
a brief prayer, a qualified speaker delivers a 30-minute discourse. (See box “ Practical
Discourses for the Public.”) His talk is solidly based on the Bible.
The speaker frequently invites the audience to look up pertinent scriptures and
to follow along as the verses are read. Therefore, you may wish to bring along
your own copy of the Bible, or you may ask one of Jehovah’s Witnesses for a
copy of the Bible before the meeting.
Practical
Discourses for the Public
Bible discourses are chosen from over 170 different
Scriptural themes, including the following:
·
The Origin of
Humans—Does It Matter What You Believe?
·
A Godly View of
Sex and Marriage
·
Ruining the
Earth Brings Divine Retribution
·
Coping With
Life’s Anxieties
·
Is This Life
All There Is?
Watchtower Study
In most congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses, the public
talk is followed by the Watchtower Study, a one-hour question-and-answer
discussion of a Bible subject. This meeting encourages those in attendance to
follow the example of the Beroeans in Paul’s day, who “received the word with
the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures.”—Acts 17:11.
Congregation Bible Study
Why is Bible-based literature used at the meeting? Back
in Bible times, simply reading God’s Word was not enough. “It [was] expounded,
and there [was] a putting of meaning into it; and they continued giving
understanding in the reading.” (Nehemiah 8:8) In recent years, publications discussing the
books of Isaiah, Daniel, and Revelation have helped those attending this
meeting to understand these portions of the Bible.
Theocratic Ministry School
Following the Congregation Bible Study is the Theocratic
Ministry School. This 30-minute meeting is designed to help Christians develop
the “art of teaching.” (2 Timothy 4:2) For example, has your child or a friend
ever asked you a question about God or the Bible and you found it difficult to
give a good reply? The Theocratic Ministry School can teach you how to give
encouraging, Bible-based answers to difficult questions. Thus we can echo the
words of the prophet Isaiah, who declared: “The Sovereign Lord Jehovah himself
has given me the tongue of the taught ones, that I may know how to answer the
tired one with a word.”—Isaiah 50:4.
Students are assigned to read a portion
of the Bible from the platform or to demonstrate how to teach a Scriptural
subject to another person. After each talk, an experienced counselor
commends the student on what he or she did well, basing his comments on the
textbook Benefit From Theocratic Ministry School Education. Later, in
private, he may give suggestions on how the student can improve.
This fast-moving part of the program is designed to help
not only the student but also all in attendance who wish to improve their
reading, speaking, and teaching skills. After the Theocratic Ministry School
concludes, a song based on a passage from the Bible introduces the Service
Meeting.
Service Meeting
The 35-minute program for the Service Meeting is outlined
in a monthly newsletter entitled Our Kingdom Ministry. Topics recently
considered include: “Worshipping Jehovah as a Family,” “Why We Go Back Again
and Again,” and “Imitate Christ in Your Ministry.” The program concludes with a
song, and a congregation member is assigned to offer a final prayer.
What Visitors Have Said
Congregations endeavor to make everyone feel welcome. For
example, Andrew had heard many negative stories about Jehovah’s Witnesses. But
when he came to his first meeting, he was surprised by the welcome he received.
“It was a delightful place to be,” Andrew relates. “I was so surprised by how
friendly the people were and how interested they were in me.” Ashel, a teenager
in Canada, agrees. “The meeting was very interesting! It was easy to follow
along.”
José, who lives in Brazil, had a reputation in his
community for aggressive behavior. Even so, he was invited to attend a meeting
at his local Kingdom Hall. “Those at the Kingdom Hall welcomed me warmly, even
though they knew of my past behavior,” he says. Atsushi, who lives in Japan,
recalls: “I must admit that when I attended my first meeting with Jehovah’s
Witnesses, I felt a little out of place. Even so, I came to appreciate that
these people are normal. They really tried to make me feel comfortable.”
You Are Welcome
As the comments above show, attending meetings at the
Kingdom Hall can be a very rewarding experience. You will learn about God, and
through the Bible-based instruction you receive there, Jehovah God will teach
you how “to benefit yourself.”—Isaiah 48:17.
The meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses are free, and no
collections are taken. Would you like to attend a meeting at the Kingdom Hall
in your community? You are warmly invited to do so.
LEARN MORE AT www.jw.org
No comments:
Post a Comment