Do less meetings each week =
less indoctrination=
the WT loses its grip?
Less meetings= ?
by JimmyPage 30 Replies latest jw friends
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Mickey mouse
That pretty much sums up my on the ground observations.
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drew sagan
Not at all. The amount of material a JW must keep up with is still more than most people have time for. I know so many JWs that were months behind on reading all those magazines, and had very little time for all the meetings. This gives them the opportunity to be a bit more "caught up" with their weekly JW activities (and possibly boost moral, but most likely not by much).
The grip is still tight. Two meetings a week plus field service is three structured activities per week the JW is required to attend in addition to personal reading, not to mention the extra time those in leadership roles have to give.
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undercover
In reality, yes...that's what will happen.
In theory though, I think they hoped that by dropping a meeting night, it would help increase the time spent in the rest of the activities, namely field service.
They had to do something; they didn't have enough elders to carry the load of all those meetings and parts. By combining them, it eases up their work load. It was a catch 22 though...help the elders and free up time for all or keep the load heavy on the elders, burning them out even more but keeping the sheep busy.
It will backfire on them. Give people a night off, they're not going to spend it in studying WT publications. They're going to watch TV, go out, get together for fun...whatever, but it will be another instance of the Society losing its grip on the flock.
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sacolton
Less is more.
I seriously doubt most JWs are utilizing "study night" on their free Tuesday evenings. This will help loosen the mental bond.
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Mickey mouse
Not at all. The amount of material a JW must keep up with is still more than most people have time for.
Do you really imagine more than a handful read any of it? The vast majority are going through the motions and doing the bare minimum. For people who missed 1 in 3 meetings anyway, it's just another meeting they don't need to make an excuse for not attending.
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carla
Has anyone notice their jw's being cranky & restless on what used to be a meeting night? Maybe mine just does not like change in routine, ready for summer so he can go outside and play with the dog or something!
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sir82
I'm still convinced that the compacted meeting schedule was done primarily to help the transition from full-time COs to the "CO-lite".
If (when?) COs are eliminated and there are the local elders who serve as a quasi-CO (CO-lite) making their congregation visits, the congregation can move their mid-week meeting night to Friday evening. The CO-lite can meet with the congregation Friday night, go out in service with them Saturday morning, have elder & pioneer meetings Saturday afternoon, and again meet with the congregation for the Sunday meeting.
Thus, the CO-lite can work 40 hours a week at a secular job and not rely on the Society for a single penny, eliminating the direct link between him and the Society (i.e., he's not an "employee" of the Society - not a member of the "Special Order of Full Time Servants").
I'd wager that the Society is willing to loosen their grip on the flock (by eliminating one meeting night per week) for the greater gain of reduced legal liability. They will begin their pounding guilt-trips on the importance of "family study night" soon enough, in an effort to maintain some of that lost control.
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JimmyPage
people who missed 1 in 3 meetings anyway
I think that statement is very true.
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Mickey mouse
I agree sir82 and I've heard again recently that the change in meeting schedule is designed to facilitate "further changes to come".
They are not done yet with rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic.
