Valid alternatives to the door to door preaching work? (page 2)

blondie

LDS/Mormons still call door to door in this area, the only difference is that now young women also participate in this part of their religious endeavors. We have been called on twice in the last 4 years by LDS. We have been called on twice by Lutheran deacons welcoming us to their church. No JWs though.

I do know that LDS sometimes will work on referrals, people who have contacted the LDS organization or been referred by a friend or relative but calling on people door to door is still the mainstay of their work. They are better trained to be people oriented, IMO.

Missionary work

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is actively involved in teaching the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. More than 60,000 volunteer missionaries throughout the world share the joy they have found in the gospel. Most of them are young, single people serving full time for 18 to 24 months.at their own expense.

http://www.mormon.org/learn/0,8672,1022-1,00.html

http://www.mormon.org/learn/0,8672,1584-1,00.html

purplesofa

"nobody else talking about the end of the world"

In the area I live, heavy bible belt in USA, the baptist talk very much about the end of the world.

I know I work with mostly baptist and everytime something BIG happens on TV, comments are made about the world coming to an end and better be ready!

And I have had many religions come to my door, even recently, inviting me to revivals and bible school, and even one church, came to discuss the bible........unfortunately I did not do to well at thier "attacks" and had a real fellow feeling for the householders we seem to attack.

purps

Oroborus21

Greetings:

To win this argument is really quite simple.

ASK HIM HOW MANY BIBLE STUDIES HE HAS GOTTEN FROM SUCH DOOR-TO-DOOR ACTIVITY, HOW MANY BIBLE STUDIES DOES HIS CONGREGATION HAVE (APPROXIMATELY), HOW MANY OF THESE NEW ONES ARE ATTENDING MEETINGS AND HOW MANY OF THESE HAVE BECOME JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES????

For a tactic that is supposed to the BEST and most EFFECTIVE it doesn't actually seem to WORK WELL does it? Sure there may be 1 or 2 NON-RELATIVES of JWS that gets baptized a year from a congregation, maybe.

But considering the thousands of hours that a single congregation puts in door-to-door or even street-corner work, the "dividends" sure do seem pretty meagre don't they?

Given these observable and fairly indisputable facts, you might ask: Doesn't it make sense to at least explore whether there might be a BETTER way?

Let's face it, the Door-To-Door work began with the Russell Colporteurs who were selling the books as a way of distributing Russell's teachings.

In the Rutherford era this activity was changed and expanded to everyone as a way of "weeding" out those that he considered weak and unfaithful to the Society and as a reinforcing and control technique.

Then in the Knorr era the whole thing was really driven home and "professionalized" and expanded internationally.

The bottom line is that the door-to-door work is part and parcel with the Organization's 20-Century Publishing Corporation model (paradigm) - a model/paradigm that is long overdue to change as we step into the 21st Century if the Organization wants to survive.

-Eduardo

EvilForce

Once upon a time the door to door preaching work was probably an effective tool. The 20's & 30's to family farms...everyone was home. The 40's, 50's and 60's in suburban and urband America / Europe there was probably a "stay at home" parent. Today? Two income families are the norm. The witnesses still spend most of their time in door to door service DURING the weekdays...wasting what 80% of their time?

But because they spent so much time talking about field service for so many decades it's tough to back away from. Also, it's an ORGANIZED activity then. To encourage others to talk to workmates, neighbors, and family members is an UNORGANIZED activity. The lose control that way.

So a 10 minute conversation with a neighbor would equal about 2 hours in field service. But because the goal is always HOURS not RESULTS...this is what insues.

carla

Mormons around here also go door to door as well as some Lutherans awhile back. Personally, I like to give out the 'Cease and Desist' letter (how to get on the jw do not call list) to friends and family. It is good for one year. There is also one for Mormons as well. The early church certainly did not go door to door. It would not have been respectable, especially knocking on a womans door when a male relative wasn't around. It seems to me the wt never considers the cultural or historical backround in many of their doctrines. Not to mention that not all people are cut out for door to door work. We all have different gifts. What if someone is terribly shy or just can't articulate well enough, how does that reflect on the org? carla

El blanko

Thank-you for all of your replies so far. I am taking note

As a side issue - he also added, that:

"... even though the response does not appear to be great in terms of time spent vs converts to the faith - the work is still relevant, due to a warning message being given to all nations."

I must scan in and print out the section in Christian Freedom regarding the ministry as well for him to read.

I think after all of this, I will let the issue go and move on to something else.

Glofishy

So...has anyone ever heard of a valid alternative to door to door preaching work? Hubby would like to get baptized someday...but he really can't bring himself to go door to door. It's completely out of his character. I was going door to door working on a political issue recently, and I can really appreciate how hard it really is to do. The subject that I was working on was gay marriage...which is probably comparable in popularity to JW's going door to door. I'm an outgoing person, so I know it is easier for me than for my hubby...so I can't imagine what he must have gone through in order to go door to door when he did a long time ago.

Any suggestions on alternatives he can offer? I just want him to be happy.

Oroborus21

Hey Glofishy:

Actually, I realized that I never did actually address the question of this thread so here goes. This is my "valid" alternative although I am not saying that JWs (yet) consider it to be valid. You, or rather your husband, must realize that until things change there are NO VALID alternatives to whatever the structure is or whatever the expectation is.

Even if your husband is engaging in informal ministry or otherwise accruing and "reporting" hours on his monthly service record, if he noticeably fails to support the formal door-to-door work of the congregation or his book-study he will a) get a "talking to" b) get "encouraged" with great frequency, c) never be "used" in any capacity within the congregation, d) may be ostracized informally by others and e) labelled as "weak" having a "Bad Attitude" or being "worldly" etc. etc.

So your husband should understand that from the get-go. If he doesn't mind all of that and just wants to serve Jehovah and feel good about his own conscience then I recommend the following:

1. BE AN EXEMPLARY PERSON. BE THE BEST CHRISTIAN AND KINDEST PERSON THAT HE CAN POSSIBLY BE and BE JOYFUL.

If he can be such as best as he can, and just simply try to let his "light shine" then there WILL BE others who find him attractive and WILL ASK him "hey why are you like you are?" "why do you have so much joy?" etc. etc.

2. THEN WHEN SUCH ONES ASK HIM OR APPROACH HIM, THEN HE WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO "WITNESS" to the person. He can do this by either inviting them over to your house to sit down and discuss it, to just set up a regular time to discuss it, or by offering to go visit them at their house.

You might show your husband the footnote to Acts 20:20 in the New World Translation REFERENCE BIBLE VERSION and point out to him that the Society correctly references the REAL translation of the Greek words there as to mean "IN THE HOUSES" not "house-to-house". In other words what you would be pointing out to him is that what the disciples did (upon occassion) was to actually visit and discuss the scriptures/teach about the Good News IN THE HOUSES and not house-to-house/door-to-door. (That is just silly, the disciples never worked end over end, visiting each house, the way that we Witnesses do today.) They taught in the synagoues, in the public squares, and when they found someone willing (like Paul and Cornelius) they went into the house and taught them and that is what your husband should learn to do as an alternative to door-to-door ministry.

-Eduardo

El blanko

Hi Glofishy

A brother in the local congregation a few years back refused to go door to door, as he claimed the teaching was not scriptural. The elders tried hard to persuade him and he simply "dug his heels in" and said "no!"

He maintained a moral code of conduct (to the best of my knowledge) and attended meetings, but was never really accepted due to the field service situation.

Eventually he just left the organization and moved on.

I think it is really hard to be a practising JW and refuse to go door to door.

His only way out really, is to play the "mental health" card and maybe informally witness to gain a few hours each month. I know a brother who was ill and got away with doing maybe 4 to 5 hours a month this way.

It's all a bit sad really.

Pleasuredome

yes, letting the stones themselves speak out.

Valid alternatives to the door to door preaching work?

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