Minus 4 in this family Believer. Too much abuse in the org.
Meeting Attendance levels
by freddo 62 Replies latest jw friends
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Finkelstein
You can only lie and bullshit people for so long , even if you say Jah has approved the operations and you most likely wont be killed by him in the future .
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Dreamerdude
The hall near me had 4 congregations with an average 180 pubs each. One was recently eliminated, so there are now 3 congregations with an average of 240 publishers. Still there is a total of 720 publishers meeting at this one building.
Here is the explanation given to the r&f:
The seating capacity determined by the local fire department is 189. Therefore, seating was provided assuming 100% attendance, with some room for visitors or new ones. Now the idea is to size the congregation based on anticipated attendance of 60-70%.
Previously each congregation had about 100 on Sunday. The first Sunday after the reorganization saw 180 for one congregation, but I don't know numbers for the others. All came early to grab seats and see who they got as refugees from the disbanded congregation. I don't know how many were counted on phone lines.
My thoughts: Since they got 75% attendance on the first Sunday, they will probably be able to keep below the legal limit allowed by fire regulations. No one seems to be expecting growth, just hoping that no more than 80% show up. The most deluded that do show up will be sitting cheek by jowel. I will be a gentleman to stand up and go elsewhere to read what you good folks have to say. I might complain about my aching a** or seek out Freddo to rejoice in our apathy.
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freddo
Many of you seem to have built on my little phrase of "chronic apathy" in this thread.
For those of us that attend to keep the peace ...
As one poster alluded - apathy can reach the parts apostasy cannot reach.
Maybe we should just shrug our shoulders and grin when counselled by elders to:
Do more, give more, attend more, pre-study more, work on the hall more, answer up.
Maybe we should just shrug our shoulders and say "nah thanks! don't feel like it" when invited by the zealous to stand next to a cart or go on the ministry with them.
And when our family want us to go to the hall with them just shrug your shoulders and say "no thanks, can't be bothered". instead of feigning sickness.
Might be a plan, Stan!
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stan livedeath
Might be a plan, Stan!
yep--whatever's in your head Fred.
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sir82
Yesterday's midweek meeting (again, for a congregation of 125): 87
I roughly counted no more than 60 people actually in the auditorium. It seems incredible that there would have been ~30 people on the phone lines.
I wonder if the attendants are inflating the counts?
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steve2
If the organization provides acceptable alternatives to going to meetings such as allowing phone lines, the rank and file will take the line of least resistance. Years ago it was considered highly commendable to attend meetings even when under significsnt physical duress and suffering. Nowadays, missing meetings has virtually bdcome the norm - especially so when acceptable alternatives are available.
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freddo
@sir82 "I wonder if the attendants are inflating the counts?"
The scene: end of a CLAM meeting and a serious faced elder goes up to announce "Sister Y-shape has been reproved". Sister Y-shape sits red-faced at the back of the hall.
Attendant goes up to "serious faced elder" and asks quietly:
"Excuse me but I wonder if Sister Y-shape is pregnant? Of course I only ask because if she is then we can add another one to the meeting count. Actually, I could ask her if it's twins ..."
@A Believer
That's a true story that. About as true as the generation lies promoted by Watchtower turned out to be.
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sir82
If the organization provides acceptable alternatives to going to meetings such as allowing phone lines, the rank and file will take the line of least resistance.
Our normal count of phone attendance is 10-20, every meeting. But 30 seemed like a real stretch.
A couple years back a hyper-vigilant CO tried to rein in "unnecessary" phone tie-ins. It had no effect. There are still the same one or 2 dozen who prefer to listen in from home.
I suspect that similar things happen in every congregation.
If they go thru with their "master plan" of making every congregation big enough to fill all seats in the auditorium, thus making the whole meeting experience far more inconvenient & uncomfortable, I suspect many dozens more per congregation will find reason to stay home & just phone in.
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Skepsis
In my foreign-language congregation they have an attendance of 80% of publishers and it's considering it's a zealous one.
In my parent's congregation, they're 80 publishers on paper bu in the CLAM meetings there are 40-50 in attendance and 50-60 for the public meeting.
During winter, in some meetings there are 30-35 publishers as there are many brothers in their 70s and 80s with health problems.
According to my family, the elders want to merge their congregation with other meeting in the same Kingdom Hall but the CO doesn't want that because it would mean to recognise the situation in the circuit is a disaster and the JW religion is shrinking in the area.