Research project on Kingdom Halls - requesting assistance
by PharmacyStudent 13 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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PharmacyStudent
Hello,
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blondie
You realize that most of us are ex-Jehovah's Witnesses. There are a few who are still attending.
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shamus100
- Uses (what services is it used for, how often do people gather, etc.)
- Basic outline of the worship service
- Are there any requirements in order for the public to attend?
- Any significant architectural designs or general setup of the Kingdom Hall
- Typical components that one would find within Kingdom HallWhat, are you trying to bomb one?
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Titus
I am an active Jehovah's Witness. Please don't ask here about that.
Eventhough in the header of this site is
TITUS
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Elsewhere
PharmacyStudent,
Look in your phone book (or use the internet) to find the nearest Kingdom Hall, then go and visit and ask your questions.
Once you have that information, come back here and we will let you know what information has been skewed by the members in an attempt to put a positive spin on the religion. We will provide documentation to demonstrate how it is skewed.
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parakeet
pharmacystudent:
I would GREATLY appreciate it as I am looking to give an accurate
representation of this aspect of Jehovah's Witnesses to the rest of
my class. If you are willing to provide your name (or any name that I
can use to cite the information), I would appreciate it....
I can't provide my name, but if you look up these names in the archives on this site, you will find some great information:
Farkel
AlanF
Hillary_Step
Blondie
Lady Lee
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FatFreek 2005
Hi PharmacyStudent and welcome to our board,
A bit of information to go under your Basic History is this:
Certain posters here are correct when they say that "There is a big difference between JWs and ex-JWs". To say, however, that JW's are "very rare here" is hard to comprehend since the administrator publishes absolutely no statistics of such a ratio. Membership here -- yours, mine, everyone -- are all completely confidential. Well, mine is not since I sign my real name below many posts including this one.
You should also know that ones that post here, and at the same time remain as an active JW, are vulnerable to punitive action from the religion's leadership. If discovered posting here they would need to repent of such evil activity. This site is off limits to a Jehovah's Witness. If not, he would be disfellowshipped. That action would be announced from his Kingdom Hall's platform and all members will know from that moment on -- we must not have any association with him in any way. That includes family members -- children, parents, uncles, aunts -- who are also member of the Jehovah's Witnesses. It's okay, however, if a family member lives in the same household to associate with him on a limited basis -- ask a Jehovah's Witness to explain that unwritten law.
Len Miller
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yknot
Okie-Dokie ..... I am active
Basic history
- Uses (what services is it used for, how often do people gather, etc.)
KHs are used for public gatherings, mostly 'meetings' but occassionally a wedding or funeral (and that is it!)
We have many 'meetings', most of which the public is welcomed to attend.
There is a mid-week meeting that consists the 3 meetings held in succession. we start off with a song and prayer before proceeding to the (1)'Congregational Bible Study' (reviewing a book published by the WTS) along with accompanying questions found on each page of the book. Answers are 'encouraged' to be simple repetition of the paragraph, occassionally the CBS-Conductor will ask additional 'leading questions' but most of the time it is just a simple following of the book, (2) Theocratic Ministry School, which reviews a pre-selected set of scriptures, the school than begins by having a male present a short passage reading from the reviewed scriptures in an exercise designed to improve public reading, next two females will present a skit on how to 'witness' based on the WTS book "Reasoning With the Scriptures", last another male takes the podium in an exercise designed to prep and improve males for 'public speaking' by presenting a short talk also based on a selection from the "Reasoning" book..... than the school is dismissed and the last and final meeting of the night starts. (3) Serivice Meeting, 5 minutes are alotted for Announcements, A demonstration or presentation is next made using WTS suggest material, followed by a review of the "Kingdom Ministry" newletter's lesson....... BTW the schedule for the mid-week meetings are also found in the monthly KM.... the meting is ended with another song and prayer
Here is a uploaded copy of Britain's March "Kingdom Ministry" by poster Fokyc ..... usually all KMs are similar around the world minus local country stats.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/01ctuu
There are also 'other' meetings during the week such as 'Field Service' Meeting in which those going door 2 door preaching will meet up with the Coordinator and agree to cover certain areas of the WTS drawn 'territory'. A person has to be approved to preach in FS, though non-approved newbies can 'tag-along' if they are being introduced to the practice but they are not allowed to lead or knock so much as just observe. On Friday nights usually there is an 'Elders Meeting', only men of 'privilege' (ie position) are allowed to attend to discuss local congregational matters
Finally there is the "(4)Public Talk- 30 minutes and (5)Watchtower Study- 45 minutes, using the 'Study Edition of the WT, not the one that is passed out in field service" meetings.... usually held on Sunday
The meetings start with a song, prayer and introduction to the talk and speaker (all talks are derived from WTS published outlines, outlines that are 'encouraged' to be followed with little straying), another song follows and introduction and invitation to the WT-Study. The WT-Study includes a public reading of the WT paragraph by paragraph followed by the WT-Conductor's asking of questions from the bottom of the WT page. Answers to the questions have been 'encouraged' to be more or less regurgitations or word for word repeats of the paragraph until the end of the selected article. The event ends with an invitation to next weeks meetings and announcement for after meeting field service followed by a song and prayer.
www.jw.org has both audio and digital copies of WT material, we are currently using the Jan 15, 2010 WT for the WT-study. On the cover of the WT-Study Edition each article is listed with date of study and songs to be sung.
- Basic outline of the worship service
Sundays: Announcement of starting (be seated), brief meeting introduction, song, prayer,Public Talk (sermon), another song, Watchtower Study, invititation to come again, announcements, song and ending prayer.
Are there any requirements in order for the public to attend?
Nope, just show up.......but I would strongly suggest you dress in 'Sunday's Best' so as not to stick out like a sore thumb.
- Any significant architectural designs or general setup of the Kingdom Hall
Most have a 'stage', podium or platform, a set of chairs and table for demonstrations by women and microphones/sound system. They generally are 'stark' with only a scriptural text banner so as to avoid having 'idols'.
- Typical components that one would find within Kingdom Hall
A 'hall' has a foyer, 'second school' area which may double as the library but some KHs have a separate library too, both are used for extra seating areas for Sunday's meeting and for school activities during the mid-week meeting. There is a literature counter, contribution box, 'information board', separate bathrooms for males/females, some have cleaning supply closets, a sound system area (usually manned by teenager males) a main 'hall' with lots of chairs and stage. Some KHs have windows, but none in my district do.
Pecking order is as follows:(male only) Coordinator of the Body of Elders (COBOE), (male only)Elders which maybe given duties specific titles, (male only)Ministerial Servants who act more or less as grunts or Elders in training, (male/female) Pioneers (those who commit a specific amount of hours each month to preaching), (male/female) publisher (baptized or 'recognized unbaptized), (male/female) attendees (minors who are yet 'recognized', 'studies' (newbies in JW training) or off the street public visitors...(seriously off the street visitors rarely happen and can be 'awkward', especially during the mid-week meeting)
If you have any more questions....... just ask
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Titus
Miller, can you use somebody else as example? You know what I meant to say. Be polite, please.
