30+ years of Field Service Observations

by Tulsi Das 30 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Xander

  Sleepy....I think you underestimate the 'motivational' impact of a dozen pioneers.

  See, the pioneers actually LIKE the service. The elders can't be shown up by a bunch of sisters when the CO comes through, so they are equally motivated. This becomes a horrible cycle that leads to the situation I described.

  FWIW, my hall was in NE Ohio.

  Xander F
  (Unseen Apostate Directorate of North America - Ohio order)

  A fanatic is one who, upon losing sight of his goals, redoubles his efforts.
  --George Santayana
• 

  Xander

  Incidently, I was out in service A LOT - I auxied for a while, and my mother was a regular pioneer. So, naturually, I got to see who went out and who didn't. I'd say about 1/5 of the congregation really went out regularly, and, of those (who went out regularly), they did seem to enjoy it.

  I suppose logic dictates that, to be a publisher in good standing, you had to turn in time - so the other 4/5 of the hall MUST've gone out at some point, but I never saw them (in fact, on the few times when everyone met at the hall on Saturday instead of their groups - it being a BIG social occasion and chance to get in the car with sisters from another bookstudy - I'd say about 75 of the 200 showed up).

  IOW, I'd change your observation, at least for the 3 halls I had a lot of exposure with - I think, of those that actually went out, many enjoyed it. I'd suggest, however, that a lot more than is suspected lied about their time or 'informally witnessed'.

  Xander F
  (Unseen Apostate Directorate of North America - Ohio order)

  A fanatic is one who, upon losing sight of his goals, redoubles his efforts.
  --George Santayana
• 

  desertflower

  spender
  you mention Calif. way of doing service. We always went to Burger
  King or McDonald's for our coffee breaks and stayed as long as
  we wanted too or until the next bunch came in and saw how long we
  had been there. I was with pineers one day and they were really
  draging their feet I kept trying to push them and finally they
  told me, you are today but we are here everyday so don't push.
  That was in Shasta Co. in northern Calif. Sounds like everyone
  did't want to go in service much. I really did not mind it until
  I realized I that telling them the truth and that really bothers me
  DERERTFLOWER
• 

  William Penwell

  The only reason why dubs go out in service is because of guilt and socializing with other dubs. Otherwise they would not go out. I think it was a complete waste of time. We used to do door to door witnessing for about an hour. Most of that time spent in the car waiting for the other couple to finish at a door. When you were out witnessing, you were either walking or standing there well the other person was talking. Then we would go to the coffee shop and by the time you got there and had your break, it would waste another 1/2 hour. After which we would then do a few return visits. A couple of dubs at the door for sometimes another half hour well the rest of the car group (someday this could be 2 to 4 dubs) sat in the car. So if there was a car group of 4 publishers and they would all be reporting 2 hours each, that would total 8 hours. When in actual time spent talking to someone would be a total of maybe 1 hour for the car group... I have even heard dubs commenting of how much time that is reported is actually spent in the preaching and not over inflated.

  How many people that take the rags actually read them? Most people file in the trash no sooner after the dub is half way out of their walkway. A funny story my son tells me about his mom, my ex. One Saturday morning she placed a couple of mags at a door. As she was walking out of their driveway, she was commenting on what a good call that was. All of a sudden the holy rags magically come flying out the window and landed on the front yard. My ex walked up and picked the mags up, dusted them off and put them back into her service bag...

  Will

  "I am quite sure now that often, very often, in matters concerning religion and politics a man's reasoning powers are not above the monkey's."
  Mark Twain
• 

  spender

  haha...i once met a hippie at the door who told me that she would accept the magazines, but that she would just recycle them :)
• 

  AlanF

  Tulsi, I agree with your observations, with the following caveats:

  In my experience there were around 5% or fewer who I could truly say liked the field ministry. A small percentage would actually admit to not liking it, but would find a way to excuse themselves. I could tell from the actions of the majority that they either didn't like it at all, or did it because of guilt, fear, social pressure or a pressured sense of obligation to "do God's will" despite their distaste for it.

  Given the migration of many rank & file JWs away from the older fanatical preoccupation with the "preaching work", and their obvious secularization, I'm sure that there are a lot fewer than 5% today who really like going in service.

  AlanF
• 

  William Penwell

  My brother tells me about the time a dub sister called on his door early Saturday morning. He answered door with nothing on but a smile. He said the sister took one look at him, turned around and got the Hell out of there. My brother says he didn't think she touch a step on the way down....

  Will

  "I am quite sure now that often, very often, in matters concerning religion and politics a man's reasoning powers are not above the monkey's."
  Mark Twain
• 

  one

  1Cor. 9:16 "...for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.

  17 For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me.

  a DO used to joke about "woe is me if i do not preach"

  As you know special pioneer and missionaries could have the $ allowance cut in half i they did not preach (or just write down the number on the piece of paper) for 150 hours every month.

  And elders could be dumped if they dont take the lead in selling and recruting, i mean preaching.

  Their system is very similiar to totalitarian gov., watching and keeping track of every activity.
• 

  JT

  you have well covered the wonderful world of Service

  everything you have stated well sums up the basic feeling of jw the problem is THEY CAN'T TELL ANYONE

  only the kids will tell you how much they hate it
• 

  one

  naked!!!

  HAHAHAHA

  at one time i was ruunning a business from home.

  a customer stepped in while i was taking a shower and my partner took care of him.

  then the customer started making noise and demanded to talk to me.

  i had not cloth with me just a towel at the bath room... so he insisted in seen me and i steped out of the bath naked and confronted the guy.

  I still crack (as i am doing now) every time my partner or myself recall the incident.