I like to read the KM to see what the WTBTS is saying, and then to think about what they really mean.

Information appears in the KM when problem need to be addressed in the organization.  The article on

the front page "Make the Most of Your Time in the Ministry" was insightful to me.  In the fourth paragraph

we find these encouraging words "Once the meeting for field service ends, do not linger unnecessarly, but

begin by making your way to the territory."  It appears that the brothers and sisters are not too eager to

get out there and knock on doors of people who are not home, or burn up their $3.00/gallon of unremibursed

gasoline.  They like to "linger".  (there will be no lingering in Jehovah's organization !!!!!!!!)

The paragraph continues "If you anticipate having to leave the territory early, arrange for your own transportation

so that the rest of the group does not have to leave early."   It appears that if the driver of the the car group says

after one hour " I have to go in because I have a doctor appointment or an important errand to

run"  that the whole group says "OK that is fine I will stop too have things to do too."  (meeting with the group is for show

anyhow.  Once you were out and the friends saw that you were out in service this is "mission accomplished."  It is not

about saving lives, it is about appearances.  I should know because I did it for over 40 years.)

In paragraph 5 we find the encouraging words dealing with return visits "If you anticipate a lengthy visit, arrangements

can be made for those in your group to preach nearby."  Sitting in a car waiting for someone inside is the best time.

You get to sit in a warm car, you don't have to talk to strangers, uou are not burning up your gasoling and the clock

is still ticking, you are still punched in counting time and you can get caught up on the latest gossip.

It sounds like the Society is beginning to crack down on this.  The article that made my jaw drop was the insert

on "Bear Through Witness to the Good News."  In paragraph 5 we find "If you are elderly or infirm, you may be able

to auxiliary pioneer by spending a little time each day in the ministry."  The word infirm means "weak, feeble, not

stable, or frail."  I thought to myself what the heck is going on?  Is the ministry activity going down hill so fast that

they need to encourage the infirm and elderly to pioneer?  No doubt the reason is so the elders can say that

if "Sister Wheelchair" or "Brother Cripple" or Sister Dementia" can out in service every day then why can the

young, the teenages, those with good health, or wifes who don't have to work be a pioneer since Armegeddon

is soon, just around the corner.

I just had to share my thoughts with you. 

 TooBad TooSad

OMG Blondie, it's like you're following me around!

I'm an elder and I do all of that in order to avoid going in service.  In fact, I have not been door-to-door in months now.

Of course, I still count my time which is above average.

No. 4 is my specialty, but I always "take alone" the wife and kids.

That's so funny the one time I went in service with an elder alone the time was spent as follows:

1.) Meeting for field service at 9, since he was conducting the meeting his time started then.

2.) Conducted meeting and figured out the service arrangements. Which brought the time to 10:00

3.) Went outside to re-do the service arrangements due to who had which cars, which lasted till 10:15.

4.) Drove to the place of service which took till 10:30

5.) Checked on all the others who were in service to make sure they were on the right street till 10:45

6.) Break at 10:45 till 11:30 making sure to drop a tract on the table to the waitress to count the time.

7.) Get back to the territory at 11:45. 

8.) Check on the rest of the group till 11:55.

9.) Finish the last three houses of one group's street till 12:00

10.) Go back to the Kingdom Hall for the 12:30 service meeting.

It's a good plan if you can make it work, it all ran like clockwork though so I'm figuring he had some expirience in doing this method of preaching.

TY you just gave me the best idea....

Imagine in this day and age where no one is home but always on the run....

I can "schedule" a return visit or study at the nail salon, the mall food-court, any resturant, at my computer thanks to my webcam or any place I can sit my butt down.....oooohhh wait with the MP3 I can argue that my walking buddies are listening and we are discussing spiritual things on our trips around the track, or while shopping....wow

My KH will be reporting a big increase in activity

The hell you say!

You know, this is one of of the reasons why I left.  There were times when, due to my illness, I was barely able to hobble into the KH, and sometimes I had to sit in a chair in the vestibule because I couldn't make it to the main part of the Hall.  You would think that the elders would be glad that I at least showed up, but no, after a few times times they removed all the chairs in the vestibule in order to force me to go in.  That was when I started sitting in the ladies'.  Then I stopped showing up altogether.  There was no way I was going to kill myself for them!

"Once the meeting for field service ends, do not linger unnecessarly, ..."

As an elder, in my congregation I hereby decree that all lingering is necessary !!  [cue applause]

Whenever possible, I shall assign one unbaptized publisher to every car group to keep everyone's time counting from start to finish !!  [cue louder applause]

I've been out of the loop for a long time now, but it doesn't look like things are much different now that they ever have been: basically, people hate going in service.    Another article in the Kingdom Ministry isn't going to change that, either--------------------------------elders, pioneers, publishers, one and all, are going to keep right on fudging their time.   

 When I was pioneering back in the early 70's, pioneers had to get in 100 hours a month and so we learned ALL the tricks. Now, I never actually lied on my report because that would have been stealing from Jehovah. But I became very skilled at manipulating numbers, just like publishers do today. The most common thing that I did was the Not - At - Home ploy. I had several not - at - homes scattered around and I would always start my time at one before meeting for service. Many times, I would get so desperate for time that I would go back and forth among these houses knowing that I would never have to talk to anybody. I know all the neighbors saw me and it's a wonder nobody ever called the police.

I remember the struggle for time would get so fierce that toward the end of the month I would go to the train station and bus station around midnight to pass out magazines, usually by leaving the back issues on a bench. I got to where I would do anything to get that time in. It was the only thing that mattered. Visit someone in the hospital or nursing home? Only if I counted my time. I had several elderly return visits and I would regularly go see them because I knew that they were so lonely they would always let me in and I could stay as long as I wanted and count the time.  Of course.

Love had nothing to do with it. Thinking about it now makes me feel sick and ashamed. And it never dawned on me how fanatical and pointless it was. And all my pioneer partners were the same way. We all thought that we were being blessed to put ourselves through that torture. After all, 1975 was bearing down on us and we were going to die if we didn't. And it didn't end there. Even after I was off the pioneer rolls, I was an appointed servant up until I left the Organization in 1987 and I had to do pretty much the same thing, only on a smaller scale. My "privileges" were very important to me and I had to keep those hours up. I think back on those times and I just can't believe I did it.

Sick and ashamed.

David