30 Minute Public Talk-CONFIRMED

by stillajwexelder 112 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  gumby

  I imagine the Society will be sending out revised outlines for all 160+ talk outlines, pared down and with revised timing of sections.

  I thought the same thing....however. When I gave talks I could have easily gave them in 30 minutes and I usually had to do something to make them stretch to 45 Minutes. It may be true that they just want the details and the facts rather than giving a brother time to throw in his own material since the brothers are to strictly stick to the outline. Just leaving out some scriptures could easily reduce the time.

  Gumby
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  codeblue

  Very interesting!

  Wonder what the next "change" will be?

  Thanks for the "update" Stilla...

  Codeblue
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  drew sagan

  There is some strange plan to all of this, i just can't put my finger on it yet.
  
  Are they in the process of changing this religion again? First was the CT Russell Era, then the Rutherford Era, Knorr Era, Franz Area, and now we are in the leftovers era, soon to be who knows what.
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  Axelspeed

  Lengthy negative introductions about the state of the system of things/deep last days etc are to be heavily curtailed

  Was this point stated in the letter to the congregation or in a separate letter to elders only? Thanks in advance. If it was in a letter read out loud, I find it a little interesting.
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  Wordly Andre

  I think Bingo is next
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  neverendingjourney

  There is some strange plan to all of this, i just can't put my finger on it yet.

  I’m kind of torn about this. On the one hand, you have a bunch of GB members picked under the supervision of hardliners such as Ted Jaracz. It’s hard to imagine change coming from those individuals. On the other hand, these men are not idiots. I’m sure they see the writing on the wall. Their growth has been stagnant in the industrial world for over a decade now. Their growth is coming primarily from the developing lands and from immigrant populations in the developing world. They need to change and innovate or face going the way of the dodo.
  
  When I heard the news about the new JW-only version of the Watchtower, I immediately thought that they were planning to unload a bunch of “new light” upon their followers and were looking for a way to keep the damage control to a minimum. However, I later thought that this couldn’t be the case because of everything I’ve heard about the demeanor of the governing body. Everything I’ve read suggests that they are not amenable to change. Only the future will tell.
  
  One thing is certain. This isn’t the same religion I grew up in. When I was a kid, the religion was full of people that honestly felt that Armageddon was just around the corner. JWism was a temporary vessel to lead them to the new system of things. As of two years ago, when I stopped going to the meetings, I saw that few JWs actually believed and behaved as if the end was just around the corner. That saying became a simple slogan. JWism had morphed into a permanent way of life for the majority of the JWs I knew. It was about climbing the theocratic ladder to gain prestige and power. Perhaps the GB is finally going to adapt to the reality on the ground and shift the emphasis of the religion away from being an apocalyptic cult to a cult that focuses more on setting up a community system for their members with a focus on controlling their lives in order to keep them busy working for the religion’s best interests. We shall see how events unfold.
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  OnTheWayOut

  My wild speculation is:

  They want to try to look slightly (if ever so slightly) concerned about the length of the meeting
  interferring with service and association, but-

  The real reason for this- is to force elders to start from scratch on every talk so that
  they are less boring. If you stick to the outline and go a bit faster, the same-old same-old
  has some zip to it. If you manage to work in your stories and analogies, you have really
  put some effort into changing your talk, and it ain't as boring either way.

  How can college-aged kids who were denied the privilege to expand their minds at school
  stay interested in a talk they heard 20 times unless the talk changes?
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  seawolf

  It looks like the JWs will be beating the Baptists and Catholics for first spot in line at the restaurants for Sunday buffet.
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  steve2

  The talk could be reduced even further to one in which the entire basic message could be memorized by the audience:

  Good morning:

  We are deeper than ever into the time of the end.

  If you want to survive the impending Great Tribulation, obey us:

  Go to all meetings and go door-to-door with me right now.
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  Sassy

  dang.. I would have been tickled.. less time to be there.. and if I were still back in MN.. it would be time to rush home for football and not miss the beginning of the game!!