Did you ever try any of the awkward, and somewhat creepy suggestions in the KM for Informal Witnessing?

by miseryloveselders 39 Replies latest jw friends

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  miseryloveselders

  The August KM, has an article entitled, "You Can Witness Informally!" This week's Service Meeting will cover half of the 13 questions. Next week, congregations will finish the article along with a box full of several experiences with successful results from Informal Witnessing. When we went over this article on Tuesday, I couldn't help but find humorous and somewhat scary, the suggestions on how to initiate conversation. Look at these...........

  1. While waiting to see the doctor, you may spark a conversation by saying, "I'll be glad when I won't get sick anymore."

  2. If we observe a parent with well-behaved children, we might commend the parent and ask, "What has helped you to be a successful parent?"

  3. One sister takes note of the subjects discussed by others at work and then shares specific information based on what her coworkers are interested in. When she learned that a woman at her job was planning to get married, she gave her an Awake! that discussed how to plan a wedding. This led to further Bible discussions.

  4. Another way to start conversations is by reading our literature where others can see us. One brother opens The Watchtower or Awake! to an article with an intriquing title and quietly begins to read it. If he notices someone nearby looking at his magazine, he asks a question or makes a brief comment on the article. This often leads to a conversation and a witness.

  5. Simply leaving one of our publications where it is visible may arouse the curiosity of workmates or classmates and prompt them to inquire about it.

  6. While shopping at the market, one shy sister first makes eye contact and offers a friendly smile. Of the person smiles back, she makes a brief comment. If the person responds favorably , this gives her the confidence to converse further. She listens carefully and tries to discern which aspect of the good news would appeal to the person. Using this approach, she has placed much lterature and even started a Bible study.

  Articles like this give me some idea as to why nonJWs find JWs to be weird or nuts. I could never see myself doing any of this crazy stuff. Have any of you ever tried these suggestions or similar? Did you have any success? Now that you're not a JW or fading, do you see how crazy these suggestions are?
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  WTWizard

  This is an excellent suggestion--on how to make a complete dork out of yourself. The Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger is trying to squeeze every opportunity out of us to get people into the cancer, and most of them only successfully get one ostracized.
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  babygirl30

  I knew a sister that was bold - TOO BOLD for her own good! She took informal witnessing to the point of harassment - and it was embarassing. For instance, we would do 'parking lot' witnessing, and she would run UP to people's cars, knock ON the window, and then try to preach!! Mind you, the area we were in was 'hood' and these people would damn near slap her for even touching their cars, let alone roll up on them like that. I used to secretly PRAY someone would slap her...just so I could laugh!
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  Broken Promises

  Even when I was a full-on, believing JW, I didn’t witness at work. It just seemed inappropriate.

  If someone asked me a question, sure, I’d answer them. If it got into a discussion that went on for more than a few minutes, I think I’d suggest that we carry on the conversation at lunch.

  But I didn’t see the workplace as the right place to be preaching. I wouldn’t want a Catholic or born-again Christian preaching to me at work, so I didn’t either.
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  Mary

  Hey, I had my own version of how a loyal Dub can get those extra hours in when you're out shopping at the Mall. What you do is this:

  Go inside a stall in the washroom at a shopping mall and wait for a victim to appear. As soon as you hear them go into their own stall, wait 20 seconds and then dash out of your stall and start preaching to them, maybe by asking if they think mankind will ever be able to solve the problem of diarrhea. Giggle at their predicament, secure in the knowledge that they can't get away from you and have to pay "close attention" to what you're saying. Ignore their verbal threats by talking louder than them, shouting if necessary. If you think they're getting close to coming out, quickly shove the latest articles of the Watchtower and Awake! under the stall, and offer them a free bathroom bible study. For the truly daring, you might thrust your other outstretched hand under the stall and ask them if they would care to contribute to the world-wide preaching work. Keep it moving back and forth because they may, in their fury, try to stamp on your hand.

  When you're pretty sure that they are going to be coming out soon, tell them how much you enjoyed talking to them and try to make arrangements for a bathroom bible study, free of charge. On your way out, flick the bathroom light on and off several times, giving the room a "disco" effect. This will temporarily confuse and/or blind them, giving you a chance to get away.

  Head for the nearest coffee shop, waiting 10 minutes and then repeat above performance. Make sure you've got health coverage because you will have the living shit beat out of you at one time or another.

  Report each session as a Return Visit. I can't understand why this hasn't been announced in the Kingdumb Misery, as I first made this suggestion 8 years ago.
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  zoiks

  I knew people who would do all of that and more. Even then, I thought that they probably scared people with their way-too-forward demeanor and their overly-sincere, mile-wide smiles.
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  snowbird

  I used to do all that stuff - placed a lot of literature and inspired a lot of interest in the JW's that way.

  Down here, people don't mind if you approach them.

  Syl
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  blondie

  Typical sales pitches...a non-jw attended the school and service meeting with his jw wife and started laughing at these parts...he had to leave he couldn't stop.

  The goal seems to give a pitch but not seal the deal. jws get everlasting life if they help anyone in or not.

  I remember the days when you could not regular pioneer unless you had a bible study...the pioneers would loan you one until you were appointed.

  jws always need a captive audience.
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  Libelle

  Oh yeah, my The Mr does these alot, particularly 3-6. I just want to put abag over my head when we're somewhere together and he does it. And maybe this is one example for the extreme social awkwardness I notice among your average witness.

  Didn't realize it was a "direct order from above" but I guess most things they do are, huh?
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  Mary

  Blondie said: I remember the days when you could not regular pioneer unless you had a bible study...the pioneers would loan you one until you were appointed.

  OMG Blondie......I didn't know that........And um, what scriptural backing did they use for this decision?