by truthseeker 8 Replies latest jw friends
If you're still going out in service or you know about the new field service arrangements now that book studies in private homes have been discontinued, please share your experiences.
When, and where do you meet? How often?
Are you in the same group you were before the dissolution of the private book study arrangement?
Any encourgaing/discouraging comments from the brothers and sisters?
The new field service groups are really not that different. I would say that the most significant difference is that you don't know the people in your field service group as well as those who were in your bookstudy.
I wonder if this means that it is no longer important to have meetings in small groups in order to prepare us for persecution?
What about about the personal attention to the spiritual growth of each individual?
And I guess those who are shy about commenting will just have to get used to the big group. So much for helping everyone to have a part in the "discussions".
I have noticed that the gap between meetings makes me feel much more out of touch with everyone in the congregation. Interestingly, the bookstudy was the meeting where most people would stay for awhile afterwards and talk. Now there is a lot less of that good ol' association to get us safely through another work week amongst the worldlies.
Also, fewer meetings saves a lot on dry cleaning. I'm sure the branch would have mentioned this in their letter that told us how much we would save on gas, but no one there pays for dry cleaning anyway.
jabberwock
The more I think about it, dropping a meeting was briliant on the part of the Org. I'm getting this feeling that the pubs can't wait to get together for the "supermeeting" now. Kind of like the excitement approaching the CA, DA. Meeting attendance may very well improve because of this very smart strategic move.
By getting rid of the study, the Borg has ensured that the members are more isolated socially.
This makes it easier to control them, and they are less likely to tell somebody they hardly know why they disagree wiht something.
Mnay cults discourage close friendships.
HB
We have already begun to have local needs parts in the service meeting about how people are disrespecting the meeting for field service on Saturday by showing up late. It's supposed to be taken seriously (I guess before it was a meeting for field service and now it is more ... official).I don't think I have been on time for one yet. But I am sure they've already labeled me as evil because I never wear jackets to the kingdom hall. This, in their eyes, is a sure sign of blasphemy ...
Has anyone mentioned Bethelites? That 3rd meeting a week travelling takes a helluva lot out of their stipend, subway or car.... Rather then pay bethelites more for travel, they just cut back a meeting, saving everyone money.
Did I mention this could be about money?
In this little corner of the world, we reduced from 8 book studies to 6 service groups to try to keep field service attendance up.
It isn't working.
Out of 20+ assigned to each group, it's unusual to have more than 5 or 6 on a typical Saturday, most of the time there are 3 or 4.
Publishers are complaining to the PO COTBOE that their "group overseers" aren't doing their shepherding, and they feel ignored.
Nobody supports Sunday service, either. Just the same 6 or 8 each week, if that many.
I thought at first the number of people out was down, maybe it was just the cold months. Seems to be about back to normal lately. Not much difference overall, but I do notice the disconnect between the group overseers and the pubs. This will only grow larger as time goes by and the groups get shuffled around.
We have the big Saturday meet-up but we are still sticking with our cliques mostly from the old BS arrangement (and by age) for weekday FS.
On Saturday we are 'assigned' weekend groups, the weekly rotations are to promote unity and readiness for future persectuion in the end.....
Even though gas prices are down, many pioneers are keeping up their phone witnessing and translating the time spent in cold calling to the time it would have taken to actually drive and knock...... during the week thus covering territories in an hour versus 3-5.
During recent rainy weather we had a blast making pop-up Memorial invites with a few sister's new 'Crickets'. We spent all day making them with the kids among other fun crafts. It was a really nice day off and the fellowship was easy (no men were invited but I hear a couple of the men groups went to a local sports bar). I am not sure if they got mailed since I donated the freshments and not to the postal pool.
Of course being Memorial Season participation is higher then normal .......
