The present arrangement will NOT be changed because...
the Governing Body "just love this arrangement".
There are 5 meetings a week? Who you kidding? By definition only.
Due to Ongoing Concern about Dwindling Meeting Attendances, IS THE BOOK STUDY ARRANGEMENT GOING TO BE RE-INSTATED NEXT YEAR?
by steve2 53 Replies latest jw friends
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blondie
In the past when the school and the service meeting were on the same night, considered one or two meetings? two
In the past when the public talk and WT study were on the same day, considered one or two meetings? two
So when another meeting is added to the night of the school and the service meeting, considered two or three meetings? Three
One night: 3 meetings
One day: 2 meetings
Equals still 5 meetings
If you have access to a KM, you will see that 3 meetings are scheduled and separate with a different program for each.
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hamsterbait
I loathed having to get dressed up, and travel to a measly 45 minute meeting that was scheduled partway through the evening so the whole night was trashed.
Also if people are not so close friends, they are more likely to be willing to inform on you to the secret police - elders, rather.
HB
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Mum
Do they still meet at the book study sites before going out in service, or does everyone report to the KH before service now?
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steve2
A lot of brothers and sisters in my area miss the Book Study Meeting dearly, as it was the only relaxed and laid back meeting there was, with a more intimate, close athmosphere, lending to a stronger bonding between people. While I don't miss having one extra night in my week screwed up, I personally do miss that meeting.
When I heard that the organization has continued to receive a lot of negative feedback on stopping the (separate, in-home) Book Study meeting, I imagined it probably would not be younger witnesses complaining or those with young families, but more likely older witnesses who are nostalgic for the way "it used to be". It seems that thought of older witnesses doing the complaining is shared by others here.
My mother reminded me that the Book Study was not a feature of her younger days in the organization (late 1920s-1930s), but it came in later.
I do know that the organization was taking a risk in stopping the separate in-home meeting because, despite their protestations otherwise, it did create the impression that things weren't so urgent as to necessitate going out to meetings so often during the week. Remember the way they used to thump the passage in hebrews about getting together more often as the day draws near? I guess the opposite is also true: Not meeting so often, given the end ain't near. Ooops.
One of my contacts told me that, in some congregations, older ones, and long-serving elders, were complaining that the witnesses do not socialise together so closely nowadays. Again, i don't see younger witnesses longing for spiritually-uplifting times together.
Whether it is reinstated or not, the Watchtower has a headache on its hands with low meeting attendances and lagging numbers of consistently participating publishers (apparently many congregations have significant numbers of publishers who put in a couple or more hours a month or less; in the past this would have been questioned, but so disengaged are a growing number of "publishers" that it is no longer questioned), to say nothing of the lack of new converts to study with and then baptise.
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Quarterback
Yes, Blondie. We still attend 5 meetings, but add Family Worship night, that equalls 6 meetings.
It doesn't matter to me about how they have sliced it, but it's a good point that some hamsterait has mentioned about not dressing up for one.
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scotoma
Watchtower Stupid Talk. We have 3 meetings on one night. In reality it is ONE (1) meeting with 3 sessions or parts.
A circuity assembly or special assembly day is One (1) meeting divided up into several segments.
They are good at that kind of thinking. They even have jesus coming in 1914 and then coming at armageddon.
They like those collective structures: Faithful and discreet Slave = All the annointed. Domestics = Indiviudal annointed.
They replaced that structure.
Don't forget the seven angels of the congregations in Revelation. They now refer to them as the seven "elder bodies" of the congregations.
So they love the grouping and re-grouping game.
They did that with the interpretation of Revelation 17:11. All the translations say that the eighth king is "one of" the seven. The Freddy interpretation says the eighth king "springs" from the seven so it fit with Watchtower interpretation that the eight king is really a Collective of all the Nations or The United Nations.
Their flip flop on the ten toes of the immense image is another grouping problem.
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prologos
In at least one developing country we had all weekly meetings done on Sunday with intermission, rotating over head sign or electronic message board like on a bus- route indicator showing what meeting was in progress.
Good points made here. why would bylaws be a problem at night, when the group is called a service/center and still clogs up the neighborhood on saturday mornings ?
The centralized book study errr "Bible" study stifles good discussion, because the same delusioned teachers monopolize the 30 second comment slots.
and if you think the Jeremiah book is a yawn, wait to gripe until you see what is coming down the pipe. to gripe.
In the old days, it was great to spring a surprise, but relevant comment on the conductor and see him and his supporters scramble to tie it back into WT speak.
if you dumb down a religion that wrongly prided itself on spirituality, even the deluded ones will shrink away.
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Lynnie
I had always thought that the reason they discontinued the book studies is because smaller groups of people starting discussing the inconsistancies of the WTBTS which led to people leaving the Kingdom Hall. Too much independent thinking going on in the early '90's that I recall and several people in the Lynnwood, WA congregation were doing too much research and were all in the same book study. They don't care about gas or expenses but they do care about independent thinking! So they want people to come to the KH to make sure everyone is getting the same info.
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metatron
If meeting attendance is going down, then it makes no sense to bring back this meeting, especially since it was poorly attended anyway.
Besides, they need to keep the Family Meeting going and not tire people out into abandoning it. Why?
Because Witness families are falling apart - to a degree that is nearly scandalous. By creating the Family Meeting, they can avoid getting blamed for their cold-hearted and uncaring attitude towards young people falling out of the truth. Emphasize guilt and the parents will blame themselves rather than the Society when their kids leave.
metatron