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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  HarryMac

  The informality of the Book Study was the appeal. Got to sit on a couch instead of a straight backed chair. Felt more like hangin' out with friends. If I was still a witness I'd be wishing the 'other' mid-week meeting had been cancelled. haha... fat chance.

  Also, at the risk of seeming militant... people wanting that time filled back up are having that feeling because their 'drug of choice' evaporated their life. ie: 'What am I supposed to do now? I'm bored!' The siren song of everybody when first getting over an addiction and getting a life.

  Should have always had a life. Damn reality.
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  steve2

  I suspect old timers would be thinking, "Back in my day we attended five meetings each week and it didn't harm us." If older JWs felt safe to talk about their thoughts on the "modern" organization....all hell would break loose. No, it's better to cut back any encouragement to meet in one another's homes where independent thought is more likely to emerge.
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  mP

  Perhaps the answer is also related to the fact its bloody hard to keep writing books. The more you write the more evidence you leave for redicule and examination. Its difficult to make false prophecies or observations which after a while are pathetic mistakes.
• 

  5go

  Really they had six now seven meetings, two are optional.

  Public talk

  Watchtower study

  Book Study

  TM School

  Service Meeting

  Field Service meeting (optional)

  Family Study (optional not really but no one notices)
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  HarryMac

  mP - Perhaps the answer is also related to the fact its bloody hard to keep writing books.

  They did seem to be suffering from writer's block if you look at how many times the Revelation book was studied. I'm so glad I left before going over it more than once (actually I think I did it twice...).

  How many times was that book covered?
• 

  ÁrbolesdeArabia

  I propose a Merger and Aquistion between the LDS and the WTS Churches.

  LDS will provide a good social activity and the JWs will provide the fear of not doing enough in the Field the Mormons can't seem to put into their rank-and-file!

  I have attended a Mormon Congregation and everyone came up and said "Hi" or "Hello". This does not happen at the Kingdom Halls anymore on this size of a scale. The Wall-Flowers are too busy holding up the Walls, the Elder-busy-heads are too busy walking around looking busy but actually not getting anything done.

  The new or first time attenders are left to walk out and look for a new Church were the people say Hello. So much for all the lies told in the Watchtower telling the reader "You will be greeted and taken care of if you show up to our Meeting, Wrong!"
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  yadda yadda 2

  They scrapped the wrong meeting!

  The home book study was the closest to the first century arrangement, which was private gatherings in homes. It was everyone's favourite meeting - it was short, in a relaxed, home, family-like situation, where often people shared a cuppa and bikkies after. They should have instead scrapped the boring and painful mid-week Theocratic Misery School and Slavish Meeting. Most everyone dreaded giving talks, and the Service Meeting is about as exciting as a marketing meeting at work but starting 8pm on a weeknight!

  What a rotten deal the poor JW's and their kids have to suffer when it comes to meetings, it blows my mind I endured it for upwards of 40 years.
• 

  Vidiot

  HarryMac - "How many times was that book covered?"

  Enough times for me to know Fred Franz's eschatology backwards and forwards.

  One of the reasons I found it harder and harder to accept WTS canon as I grew older; I had educated myself about the inner and outer workings of the UN and the democratic process, and barring some radical Black-Swan-type circumstances that would completely turn the global socio-political environment on its head, the events of WT canon just seemed less and less plausible the more I learned.
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  XBEHERE

  They cant go back. They have been absolutely hammering the "Family Worship Evening" at every single chance that they get. Assemblies, Conventions, CO visits, Service meetings, etc. This was the reason that they are touting as why the bookstudy night was disbanded and now they are in way too deep to backpedal now. In reality the comments in this thread are spot on, they realize now that the bookstudy was honestly the meeting most people liked the best because it was more relaxed and informal. They have created quite the "rock and hard place" now with the 2 meeting arrangement.
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  nonjwspouse

  X, actually in reality there isn't much at all they "can't do" according to those who are controlled enough to believe everything is true and good spiritual food coming out of the WT.

  It would likely be seen as advancement and proof they are in the last days! The twisting never ends.