THREE DAYS OF SPIRITUAL REFRESHMENT - APRIL K/M
1 In this spiritually scorched land that is Satan’s
world, Jehovah continues to refresh
his servants. (Isa. 58:11) One provision Jehovah
uses to invigorate us is the annual
district convention. As the convention for
this year approaches, how may we prepare
to receive and impart spiritual refreshment?
—Prov. 21:5.
2 If you have not already
done so, take time now to arrange
your personal and secular
work schedules to be
present for all three days of
the convention. Have you
calculated the time that you
will need to travel to the convention
site each day so that you can
arrive and locate seating well before the
programme begins? We would certainly
not want to miss any of the invigorating
spiritual meal that Jehovah has prepared
for us! (Isa. 65:13, 14) Have your arrangements
for accommodation and transport
been completed?
3 What will help you to keep your mind
from wandering during the sessions? If possible,
get plenty of rest each night during the
convention. Focus your eyes on the speaker.
Look up every scripture in your Bible. Take
brief notes. Families do well to sit together
so that parents can help their children to
pay close attention. (Prov. 29:
15) Perhaps you can discuss
highlights of the programme
each evening as a family. So
that your family can continue
to be refreshed even after
the convention, time could
be allotted during your Family
Worship evening to consider
specific points for your family to apply.
4 Help Others Gain Refreshment: We
want others to receive spiritual refreshment
too. Are there elderly publishers or others in
the congregation who need assistance in order
to attend the convention? Are you in a
position to help them? (1 John 3:17, 18) Elders,
especially group overseers, should see
that such publishers receive the needed assistance.
5 As in the past, three weeks before the start
of our convention, we will share in a campaign
to invite others to attend. Congregations
should set a goal to distribute their allotment
of invitations and cover as much of
their territory as possible. Invitations that
your family has left over at the end of the
campaign should be brought to the convention
for you to use when witnessing informally.
Further information on this will be
provided during the programme on Friday.
Invitations that your family does not expect
to use while in the convention city should be
given to an attendant when you enter the facility.
Please keep one copy for yourself, as
you will need to refer to it during the last talk
on Sunday.
6 Good Manners Refresh: At a time when
many people are “lovers of themselves” and
show a lack of regard for the feelings of others,
how refreshing it is to be around fellow
Christians who endeavour to display good
manners! (2 Tim. 3:2) We show good manners
by entering the building in a calm and
orderly way when it opens at 8:00 a.m. and
by saving seats only for those travelling in
our vehicle or living with us, as well as those
with whom we are currently conducting a Bible
study.We follow the chairman’s direction
when he requests that we go to our seats to
listen to the musical interlude introducing
each session. It shows good manners to set
our mobile phone or pager so as not to distract
others during the programme. We also
display goodmanners by not talking, texting,
eating, or roaming the corridors needlessly
during the programme.
7 Refreshing Association: Conventions
give us extended opportunities to enjoy our
refreshing Christian unity and
brotherhood. (Ps. 133:1-3) Why
not take the initiative to “widen
out” and meet brothers and
sisters who are present from
other congregations? (2 Cor. 6:
13) You might make it a goal
to get to know at least one
new person or new family each
day. Themidday break affords a
good opportunity to do this. So bring a light
lunch and enjoy eating and associating with
others on the premises rather than leaving to
purchase food or to eat in a nearby restaurant.
Thismay lead to the blessing of new and
lasting friendships.
8 How refreshing it is to work alongside fellow
worshippers in sacred service! Could you
volunteer to assist a department or help your
congregation with its cleaning assignment?
(Ps. 110:3) If you do not already have a work
assignment, please consider approaching the
Volunteer Service Department at the convention.
Many hands make the work joyful and
light.
9 Our Conduct Is Refreshing
to Observers: We are convention
delegates during all
three days of the convention,
not just during the programme.
Those who observe us while
we are in the convention city
should be able to see a refreshing
contrast between us
and non-Witnesses. (1 Pet. 2:
12) Our dress and grooming at the convention
site, at our accommodation, and at restaurants
should honour Jehovah. (1 Tim. 2:
9, 10) If we wear our lapel badges, onlookers
will be able to identify us as Jehovah’s Witnesses.
This may provide us with an opportunity
to tell them about our convention and
give a further witness.
10 How may we cooperate with hotel and
restaurant workers? We should not reserve
more hotel rooms than we will actually use,
as this prevents other delegates from obtaining
rooms and makes it very difficult for the
hotel to replace the lost business.
If the hotel is busy at the
time that we check in or check
out, we should demonstrate patience
and graciousness. (Col.
4:6) We should give the customary
tip to servers at restaurants
and to hotel workers who
carry our bags, clean our room,
and provide other services.
11 What impression does our good conduct
during the convention make on others? According
to a newspaper article, the manager
of one facility used for conventions said this:
“The people are very polite. We’re excited
to have them every year.” Last year a non-
Witness lost his wallet at a hotel used by convention
delegates. When the wallet was returned
to the hotel manager with all its
contents intact, the manager told the owner:
“It was a good thing for you that Jehovah’s
Witnesses were attending their convention
nearby, and the hotel was full of them. Otherwise
you would probably not
have had the wallet returned.”
12 This year’s conventions are
fast approaching. Much time
and effort have gone into making
the programme and the
convention environment refreshing.
Make it your aim to be
present all three days, and be prepared for
what Jehovah and his organization have in
store for you. Be resolved to refresh others
through your good manners, joyful association,
and fine conduct. Then you and others
may feel as did one of last year’s delegates
who wrote, “I cannot recall a more satisfying
experience!”
