Do they prepare for preaching or do they socialize?

by never a jw 12 Replies latest jw experiences

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  never a jw

  My brother (a JW for 30 years) and I purchased a duplex. He lives in one house, I live in the other, Our common area separating both houses is the backyard. We both can see each other's house across our common backyard. About a year ago he moved from a Spanish congregation to an English congregation and few weeks later he made available his house to meet before Sunday's preaching, from his side of the backyard, under a gazebo with curtains that block my view of the congregants, but not my hearing. I don't think I exaggerate if I say that 4/5 of the time is socializing and 1/5 is for the leader to do his dissertation, or whatever is called. Good for them. Has it been always like this?

  Next week I am going to clock the time they spent socializing versus the time of the preparation for preaching.

  I have to guess, based on what I see in my neighborhood, that the actual preaching is even worse. Perhaps 90 % socializing?
  
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  Iown Mylife

  That's nice, you and your brother live nearby each other, that seems like it would be pleasant.

  I got an idea - the next time before they meet, take a bunch of goodies over there for him to serve. Make the meeting 100% socializing! LOL!

  Marina
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  Saename

  When I was still active in my congregation, we met on Saturdays for field service in groups. I noticed that it had always been this way as you describe it. We would socialise for most of the time. We'd talk for 10 minutes, then have the 5-minute meeting, and then socialise for 10 more minutes. I always hated it because when I moved to a new congregation, I didn't know that many people. I would usually be left alone, and they would talk about people that I have never met. It also bothered me because a few months ago, maybe even a year ago now, there was a part in the Kingdom Ministry which informed us of a new arrangement for Saturday field service meetings. The part also encouraged everyone not to spend time socialising, but I noticed that nobody cared about that. They'd still socialise. And socialise. And then preach. This was also true of the elders—quite hypocritical, eh?
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  ZAPPA-ESQUE

  The trick is to d e l a y the entire event as much as possible - usual human reaction when we face issues our minds are rebelling against ! [like going to the dentist]

  Now how would you handle the gathering ?
  
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  steve2

  Add Starbucks to the mix and little wonder the current breed of JWs do not cover the territory anywhere near as intensely and frequently as JWs did in more recent decades!

  Yet, I would expect that, as the end is so very, very near (according to the hyped up message), they'd be doing the preaching work with some focused urgency. No. The sense of actual doorstep urgency has long gone, leaving behind a few stragglers who mix socializing and Starbucking with a bit of lame door-knocking.
  
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  Magnum

  I second what steve2 said.

  So the end of the world is imminent and JWs are about to have to enter bunkers for protection, and the current preaching work is sufficient in quality, quantity, logistics, etc.? The lame door knocking, the lame website, the lame literature, etc. are going to keep JWs from being bloodguilty???
  
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  blondie

  When I was a regular pioneer my bookstudy group would meet at 9 and wait 15 minutes for the late people, then visit and wait for the people who came at 9:30 then spend 5 minutes on the day's text. Another half hour talking before making up car groups and another 15 minutes visiting. 1 hour and 20 minutes before anyone moved to go out the door. My partner and I started not meeting on Saturday mornings because we were losing too much time, that we needed to make our monthly goal of 100 hours. We would start at 7 a.m. at the airport, do a bible study at 8 a.m., door to door from 9:30 to 11:30 and not at homes in the territory for the opposite end.

  Did I say these same people would stop at 11:00 for a long breakfast and make an rv on the way home and count 3 hours.
  
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  Saename

  blondie - Did I say these same people would stop at 11:00 for a long breakfast and make an rv on the way home and count 3 hours.

  That's how it was... I always tried to count my time genuinely, so, while also attending school, I'd get maybe barely 10 hours a month. I was often afraid that an elder would approach me about my time... If I said to him that it was because of how the other publishers wanted to socialise instead of actually preach, I'd probably be told to also go out on other days... And then I'd have to remind him that I have school, so Sundays are fine for meetings but not also preaching because I'd need to study... And then he'd say how good it was that I was just finishing high school, so I could focus on preaching then instead of university or college...

  Their brains are wired in a weird, unknown-to-me way.
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  never a jw

  Blondie's description sounds quite close
  

  Saename
  

  If my estimates help me right, it wasn't 10 minutes before the text, it was more like 1/2 hour of socializing, then the elder speaks about new literature to offer, and something about how ladies and men do things differently (couldn't hear exactly what), then about 3/4 or more of laughs and lively conversation (not Armageddon definitely)

  Next weekend I will try spying and recording with my cell phone. And perhaps send the recording to Warwick for some input.

  Marina,

  JW's are usually quite pleasant, as long as they don't turn on their doom-and-gloom-for-everyone-but-us switch. I actually will consider bringing some nice pastries filled with apostate poison.

  Steve,

  It wasn't long ago that I saw the same zeal in my brother and other old timers. Now my brother spends a lot of time helping his adult children with their coffee business and does lots of home projects. I don't think he even has a Bible study with anyone anymore. Commonly he had two or three at a time and religion occupied most of his spare time..

  When I question his religion' doctrines and beliefs, instead of defending the JW position he evades the subject by saying

  "we have nowhere to go" or

  "nobody is disfellowshipped for attending university" or

  "to prove 607 bce I am not interested in what archaeology or astronomy have to say, just the Bible" or

  "regarding the Flood, I am not interested in discussing it"

  "i am not interested in the Australia Royal Commission investigation, it must be persecution. People have accused us of being Russian spies"

  etc, etc.
  
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  Darryl

  The whole goal in meeting for field service every Saturday morning is to make it to 12:00 with as little of actual door to door ministry as possible. So yes socialize for 15 to 20 minutes before loading up the cars. Hopefully someone in your car group just remembered that return visit of theirs works nights and it's best to catch them as early as possible before they go to bed. But it's way on the other side of town so let's hit this one very nice talkative person who's not interested but very close to the meeting spot first so we can get our time started. They're home they're in a talking mood 20 min later we're on our way mission accomplished. To the other side of town 25 min drive, return visit doesn't answer (we knew they wouldn't) let's get to the territory. But first who wants some coffee stop at the coffee shop 15 min later we're on our way to the territory. The best scenario is you have a territory that your car group is working by themselves that way there's not a zealous, goody two shoes, pioneering on my way to bethel, prick wondering where the hell you are and why you're not preaching as he commanded as the field service coordinator taking the lead. Anyway on the way to the territory wait sister so and so just remembered that call she had who's really interested and might be willing to start a bible study. That's another 15 min in the direction we just came from lets turn around and head over there. The only problem is that very interested sheep has moved and sister so and so kind of knows that because the last five times she's been there the house looked abandoned but let's not let that stop us it's 11:20 and once we get to that house and knock, leave a mag or tract and get back in the car there's no need to go to the territory because everybody said when asked how long they planned to be out this morning "12:00" We are back in the car it's 11:40 might as well head back to the meeting spot maybe stop by another very nice but not interested person to round it off. By the way has there ever been anyone in history who was not aux or reg pioneering that when asked that question-how long did you plan on being out this morning responded "At least till 2:30 3:00."