I just watched the sample meeting corresponding to the new release of "our Christian life and Ministry" and I have a few lingering thoughts.
1- Meeting Layout simplified to match level of publishers
When I grew up in the Watchtower, the only real positive takeaway I have is being forced from a very young age to have the skill for public speaking, This has directly helped me with my confidence and gave me a skillset that is valuable in my current job.
What is interesting about this new layout, is the focus isn't so much on training the Publisher with any real practical skill in evangelism, instead the focus is on entertainment. The new layout of the magazine I will admit is much more informative and simplified [no doubt an effort to cut through the boredom of the two tone Kingdom Ministry] However replacing the student talks with videos will not be effective when it comes to training the publisher to be confident in speaking to the public.
The "Bible Highlights" portion of the meeting is vastly simplified. Notice that the Watchtower sets the agenda for WHAT the bible reading is, and the application of the chapter being read. The speakers job is to simply repeat the application. Gone are the days when the individual Witness read the chapter for himself, and delivered from his own words the application of the verse.
Also notice that the questions are CLOSED ENDED. No more are the witnesses encouraged to simply comment on what they read in the bible reading. Much like the Watchtower study, bible reading questions are prepackaged and are tailored to steer the reader to specific conclusions of what the bible reading is about. Thus the publisher is drawing the same conclusions as the Watchtower as to how to understand and apply the bible chapter [through the WT Doctrinal Lens]
2- Subtle propaganda
I noticed something very fascinating about this video, the very specific camera shots of the publishers holding Ipads and tablets in the audience. I believe there is a push for members to move to digital devices in an effort to curb printing costs. I just wanted to add that the Watchtower often times pushes agendas without saying a word.
3- Still a sales meeting
I find it very funny that the Watchtower makes a change, without actually changing anything. If the end goal of the Watchtower is to make an effective service to produce publishers effective in field ministry, I am afraid that this program being implemented is simply more of the same thing. Its still a sales presentation, minus any experiential training.
What I see is an effort to make the meeting more entertaining and interactive visually, but hardly prepares the publishers for "Real world encounters"
The sales pitches for the WT magazine assume that the Householder is dumb as a box of rocks, they allow the JW in the presentation to completely control the flow of the conversation with absolutely no objections. In my experience this is hardly if ever the case. What this means is that the sales presentations at the meetings do not actually prepare the Jehovah's Witness for effective apologetics thus being able to defend their own point of view. Another way of sheltering and controlling conversations. Any real objections or challenges at the door are met with deaf ears and a "do not call" next to the address.