Posts by jwfacts

117

2017 Yearbook released

by bohm in

jw
friends

i saw this on reddit:.

https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/5mlgsm/2017_yearbook_of_jehovahs_witnesses/.

overall the numbers are better than last year (1.8% growth compared to 1.5% last year -- as i predicted ;-) ) with an increase in all major figures including 1300 more congregations (i assume this is not physical kingdom halls?).

jwfacts

I have updated the articles at http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/memorial-partakers.php and http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/statistics.php with the latest figures. After slimboyfat's comment on congregations, I have included a graph on congregation growth. This does move in line with publisher growth rates, though at a lower figure, as the average number of publishers per congregation has grown from 50 to 68 over the last 50 years.

I particularly like the following graph, as it shows what an incredibly small number of bible studies progress to baptism.

Whilst JWs feel it looks great how much hours of preaching continue to grow, baptisms have fallen from their peak 20 years ago, so this is becoming more and more ineffective.

16

How the Watchtower Could Grow In Numbers

by Sour Grapes in

if i were running the watchtower there are things that i would do to increase the numbers and increase donations.

since so many older witnesses are realizing that the false hope they had of not growing old and not having to die is fading away like a frost on a sunny autumn morning, the watchtower needs to shift gears.. as it has been stated on this forum, the emphasis needs to shift from not dying to the glorious hope of the resurrection, the gateway to paradise.

they need to deemphasize armageddon and emphasize "the way of life" that witnesses have.

jwfacts

shift from not dying to the glorious hope of the resurrection, the gateway to paradise.

I have made this point before. However, if they admit they will die, then rotting in a grave for who-knows-how-long is not a great hope, so they need to make paradise heavenly. When you die, you are raised to heaven in the blink of an eye. Basically, they need to teach what every other Christian religion teaches.

29

Will Governing Body stop preaching work?

by neat blue dog in

at this year's annual meeting (2016), david "mark" sanderson asks the audience the question, "are you determined to keep on preaching with us until we say the work is completed?

" to which they respond with applause.

do you think that stopping the preaching work will ever be a part of the gb's long range plan?

jwfacts

Watchtower always has been a sales organization. To get rid of the sales force/preachers would be to fundamentally change the core of what Watchtower is.

29

"While I love my two children very much, I feel today I should never have had them."

by running_away in

this is interesting:.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-38145118.

"a whole lot of the time, i just don't like being a mother, and i generally don't fit well into this role.".

jwfacts

A lot of parents need to chill out, and just enjoy their children. I have such a close bond with my son he is like part of me, so there is no stress having him around, just the joy of his companionship. With children there is not much that food, sleep and lots of cuddles don't solve. Parents scream at and hit their children, then wonder why the children are difficult. Try being kind and understanding and they react very differently. (Of course, there are some children that may have certain illnesses that this does not apply to, but comments on the link are more from parents that have little excuse for their attitude.)

There is no reason to "party" before you have a child, with some sort of attitude that life ends with parenthood. Ever since my son was an infant we have traveled the world together. If you are relaxed, so is the child. There is little I have not been able to do without taking Zac along. I still go to parties with my son, where he is the only child, because all my other friends that became parents just seemed to give up. My son loves my single friends and they love him. The main thing you cannot take a child to is a bar late at night, but there are grandparents, other parents and babysitters to help.

Children add so much to life, and it is a pity when some parents lose focus that they are the issue, not the children, for not being able arrange their lives to be better for having had them.

15

Daily text for 12-7-2016 Gods promises "Dynamic"?

by NikL in

jw
friends

wife read me the daily text this morning out of the blue this morning and a couple of sentences stuck out in my head.. all of jehovah’s promises are dynamic, not static, because he is constantly working toward their fulfillment.

(isa.

46:10; 55:11) once a person realizes this about jehovah’s word, what he reads in the bible can exert a powerful force in his life.. .

jwfacts

That paragraph is like some motivational meme that sounds impressive but is vague and meaningless. Watchtower should start writing horoscopes.

19

Looking for a bit of advice in a difficult situation

by Oversteer in

jw
friends

i'm looking for a bit of guidance here and not really sure where to turn.

maybe someone has been in a similar situation and can help me out.. currently i'm an awake, baptized jw.

have been for a few years.

jwfacts

You should not be risking your life for a person that does not value theirs in the same way that you value yours.

22

The uptake...

by Thisismein1972 in

with recent events pointing at watchtower growth, i felt compelled to say a few words.. if the figures turn out to be true, then we should not be discouraged.

after 9/11 there was a surge in, not only the watchtower, but other demonisation of organised religion.

whenever there is a a paradigm shifting event that puts fear into others, this tends to have a life changing affect on an individual.. now let us zoom to the present.

jwfacts

Vulnerability is a target for vultures like the watchtower!

Great sentence.

OP is very pertinent. The sad lesson from Brexit and the US election is how ignorant large portions of the population are, and easily swayed by the hype rather than facts. There are plenty of vulnerable people for Watchtower vultures to prey upon, and just fortunate that the GB are so out of touch that overall the numbers that fall for them are comparably small.

193

Great Tribulation and Trump

by TakeOffTheCrown in

please, let's discuss this subject without attacking one another.. it appears that trump has won a victory that no one expected.

is it possible that trump may play a part in the great tribulation?.

there are some who believe trump is one of the most unqualified of men to ever be elected president of the united states.

jwfacts

I have run jwfacts for 11 years and any time something interesting happens I get emails that the end is about to occur. It never does. As Simon said, it is conceited to think what happens in the US is relevant at all to prophecy.

Even the worst case scenario in the US would not take us back to the normal living conditions of Jesus day.

6

New Midweek meeting visual aids

by neat blue dog in

starting this week the midweek has visual aids throughout the meeting such as sing along lyrics that scroll smoothly, images from the publications being used and the year text displayed in between.

does anybody have the files that were used or have they been leaked?.

jwfacts

I've been threatening my 8yo son to take him to a meeting, so he can understand how boring my upbringing was. With all this, he won't be able to appreciate just how tough meetings were to sit through.

24

"Keep in touch as a family." He said.

by Darkknight757 in

well today was the big day.

we finally let the cat out of the bag to the in-laws about watchtower.

previously there were unknown rumors being spread about me and today i found out why the wife and i are being shunned.

jwfacts

Bible not historically accurate or scientifically accurate, the name "Jehovah and it's use in the NT, resurrection promise, paradise earth unfounded in scripture, quote mining , child abuse and the "two Witness rule.

In light of the evidence you presented, it is fairly clear who are blinded.