What did you seek to acccomplish going door to door?

by Noggin 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Noggin

  I am back

  This time I won't lead you to what I want to hear. Promise.

  Is the reason the JW's go door to door to find converts?

  What do they hope to accomplish by going door to door-- best case scenario? A new convert? a book sale? a chance to roar like a lion about the JW bible?

  **cringing** Is there any mystical force that you employed while engaging in non JW's about the bible?

  Did you ever felt impressed by Jehovah's spirit to go down a different street than the one you were about to because someone there needed to hear your message? Did you ever feel "guided" to someone's door?

  Noggin
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  under_believer

  Is the reason the JW's go door to door to find converts?

  There are two overtly stated reasons. A) Because Jesus commanded it and it is part of the worship. B) To make disciples. These two reasons are independent of each other. Often in territories that have been dead for decades (like most urban/suburban territories in the US) the first reason is played up more--even if we're not getting results, we should still be out there knocking because Jesus commanded it and it is part of our service.
  
  You see how that works, right? Even if it is complete waste of time, resources, money, it's still encouraged. It doesn't help the Society out one bit if people have free time, they might start reading and thinking and that will lead to people falling away.
  
  

  What do they hope to accomplish by going door to door-- best case scenario? A new convert? a book sale? a chance to roar like a lion about the JW bible?

  Best case scenario for one day's work is to start a Bible study. Best long term scenario is to "bring someone into the truth," i.e. make a convert. Sales are no longer an issue since literature in the US and many other lands is no longer sold, it is given. Hint: Can't give the stuff away, either. See part A) above--while these are the hopes, they are not the only goal.
  
  

  Is there any mystical force that you employed while engaging in non JW's about the bible?

  This is not what you mean, based on your previous posts, but Witnesses do teach that angels guide the field ministry work and bring people to doors they might not otherwise have gone to where "sheeplike ones" are "sighing and crying."
  
  

  Did you ever felt impressed by Jehovah's spirit to go down a different street than the one you were about to because someone there needed to hear your message? Did you ever feel "guided" to someone's door?

  No. Never. Not one single time in my entire life.
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  blondie

  Many JWs are not very effective at the door, they keep poor records of who they placed literature with (or conversed with), they wait too long to call back, they don't prepare ahead of time how they will build on what they said initially (assuming they took notes or even remember after 2 or more weeks), and some even don't want the time commitment that comes with studying with someone on a weekly basis.

  In the final equation, JWs are assuring their own salvation, because regardless of whether they "convert" anyone, or even place literature, they are assured life everlasting on a paradise earth.

  The WTS reminds them that even if no one listens or no one is home, that people seem them out and that is a "witness."

  Personally, I enjoyed talking about the Bible, didn't care if I placed a thing, and had many "Bible" studies that did not follow the WTS design.

  That should have told me something about what I thought of the WTS, but I am a slow learner.

  Blondie
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  plmkrzy

  What did you seek to acccomplish going door to door?

  Exercise. Then lunch.

  Other then that...nothing. I hated it. I knew people didn’t want to be bothered and I hated bothering them. I was always relieved when no one answered the door. I do remember a few really good conversations though with some folks about religion in general.

  plm
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  theinfamousone

  well, i looked forward to coffee break... and i wanted to please my ass hole parents... and i also was hoping beyond hope that i would not encounter anyone i knew...

  the infamous one
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  EAGLE-1

  Ditto plmkrzy--------
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  Highlander

  Other than the fanatic dubs that were truly trying to convert everyone, I believe that most dubs merely paid lip-service to the notion of 'field service'

  In other words it was merely peer pressure that motivated the regular dub to go preaching. This is why the 'coffee-breaks' last 1.5 hours and that everyone trudges slowly down the

  street so as to waste as much time as possible before that precious 'coffee-break' And then ofcourse after the looooooooooooooooong coffee break at mcdonalds, the second half

  of the morning service was for driving long distances to a return visit that conveniently isn't home.

  But hey, at least I had some good coffee and bagels!
• 

  trevor

  I was hoping to save my miserable skin but decided it was not worth saving.
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  KW13

  personally i found that while my friends were having fun, it always seemed to be me and my family or someone with me spending longer on doors and ministry. come summer, hot weather in a suit got a bit boring.
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  Lapuce

  I hated it, and only did the minimum to please others not for me, I was scared to death when I encountered someone that I knew... I only liked coffe break as Iike Tim Horton's.