So the governing body likes to keep claiming incredible growth. at the same time they claim bible studies are way down. Are the finally admitting what we've known all along, that they can no longer recruit outsiders?
Jehovah's organization growing like never before: but bible studies are way down. Huh?
by kneehighmiah 32 Replies latest jw friends
-
-
Apognophos
Others have made this observation before me, but now that they mentioned it, I'm hearing it at my meetings too. When the friends are asked to relate encouraging experiences from field service, they're often of the form:
"The householder objected with X, but I responded with Y, and we had a good conversation. They didn't take anything, but it was a good conversation."
"The householder was an atheist so I asked him the question Q, which I prepared for any atheists I encountered. He still isn't interested, but maybe it got him thinking."
"We didn't talk to anyone today, but we had a good upbuilding conversation in the car group."
"...Well, at least people know that we're out doing the work that Jesus commanded us to do."
-------------
It's my theory of the moment that the Society sees the writing on the wall w.r.t. field service, and in order to continue to be able to boast about growth, they are moving towards other figures that they can reliably brag about, such as translation and web site statistics.
-
blondie
I understand that bible study report slips are no longer turned into the congregation service overseer just indicated numerically on the time slip?
In the olden days the slip had the name of the person, address, (phone number), day and time conducted and the name of the conducting jw, marking how many times that month it was held, what publication was being used. That way the service overseer knew how many were family studies and how many were with unbaptized people. The SO could then see what studies the CO could go on, see what "progress" was being made, could get easy time inviting himself on the study.
*** km 11/07 p. 3 Announcements ***
Publishers no longer need to submit a Study Report (S-3) for each home Bible study conducted during the month. However, they should continue to indicate the number of different Bible studies conducted in the appropriate column of the Field Service Report (S-4). Effective immediately, the S-3 form will be used exclusively to record congregation meeting attendance.
-
fulltimestudent
the governing body likes to keep claiming incredible growth.
Yes! Cant you see? The main centres keep growing new buildings. That's incredible.
Just don't look at the fringes, where the buildings are disappearing.
-
Hidden-Window
It's my theory of the moment that the Society sees the writing on the wall w.r.t. field service, and in order to continue to be able to boast about growth, they are moving towards other figures that they can reliably brag about, such as translation and web site statistics.
I would not be surprised if it emerges that they have found a way to count visitors to JW.org and the time those visitors spend on the site as hours of service and return visits.
Since they stopped publishing the statistics of the worldwide work on the Watchtower magazine (although it still appears on the yearbook) I suspected they were preparing for the day negative numbers start to appear.
-
insidetheKH
where do they claim that bible studies are way down?
-
EndofMysteries
the only growth is their coffers from selling the real estate and buildings built with donations and free labor, then demanding more free labor and donations to build because of the need, to then sell them for profit and rebuild again, etc,etc,etc,etc,etc,etc,etc,
-
berrygerry
where do they claim that bible studies are way down?
TOMO's "Tight Pants - The Sequel" spiel about 39:00 mark.
-
ScenicViewer
where do they claim that bible studies are way down?
AMIII explains that JWs will be blood guilty if they don't share in the "warning work."
Then he says,
The Branch Committee has noticed a downward trend in Bible study activity, the reporting of it. Now that could be, because some of you families, as we tried to simplify for you, you don't have to fill out a study report. You just mark on the field service report that you did conduct a study, [trying] to simplify it. Don't forget to do that. It could be some paperwork thing, that should help it.
He tries to explain away the "downward trend" in Bible studies by suggesting that some are forgetting to mark it on the report. That seems strange since the reports have been "simplified" now. Full Bible study reports are no longer necessary.
Then he explains there are others who don't want the responsibility of having a Bible study.
I think this is the video berrygerry was referring to. Listen from 39.00 or 40.00 to the end. Unfortunately the audio isn't very good on this copy.
-
kairos
Growing like never before, eh?
Just like the lead up to 1975? Not likely.