Meetings v Field Service

IMHO

What do/did you see as more important? There has been so much emphasis of late (for quite a while really) on meeting attendance. If you miss a meeting, it's a big, big problem, yet if you miss field service for a day, or a week or even a fortnight nothing is said as long as you get that 1 hour in / month. The Elders of course would prefer that you do the national/congregation average but even at 10hrs/month that's still a lot less time preaching than being at meetings. There are those that are quic to ring you if you miss a meeting, to 'see if you're ok' but have you heard of anyone ringing to check on you if you miss a field service arrangement. Our field service is personal, shouldn't our meeting attendance also be personal.

bigdreaux

nothing is personal in the world of dubs.

freetosee

At the meetings there are more opportunities to keep control over the flock. Who is prepared and commenting during the program. Is the behavior before and after the meetings in line with wts. Not coming to the meetings means more work for the elders. Not going to the meetings get more attention, because the whole cong will notice. You can be going into FS without attending the FS meeting points. A brother not going in FS might be weak, a brother not attending the meetings might be questioning! First the hours go down, then the attendance drops and finally one more lost sheep! fts

monophonic

i've been out for a while, what are they saying about meeting attendence?

and isn't it knocked down to 15 minutes a month you can put in for field service? which is obviously to keep the active publishers 'continuing to grow', since it's a lot easier on the conscious to fudge 15 minutes than a whole hour....

[i must have talked to somebody about the bible for 15 minutes last month, wait, i posted on that discussion board, and thought about the post for 29 minutes before writing it, so i'll just put down 30 minutes last month....oh, and that's the second time i posted on that board, so ONE return visit]

but i bet anyone putting 15 minutes on their slip is mostly trying to keep the pressure of the elders off their backs.

i reminded how often they emphasized that it's a 'volunteer orgnanization', like there's no pressure if you don't want to do something their way.

i should make a short horror film called 'the back room'.

bluebell

I thought the 15 min was only for the elderly faithful who can't physically do more than 15 minutes even though they want to, eg in nursing homes, poor mental health, wheelchair bound etc. but they used to do more.

Not for the physically able r&f. They can only count in hours.

And yes, i think meetings are more important to them - thats where they control and brainwash you. I stopped reporting and it was over a month, maybe two before it was really mentioned and then it took even longer for them to visit me and see if anything was the matter.

Hermano

Meetings are more important, because at the meetings they can bug you about field service.

OnTheWayOut

but even at 10hrs/month that's still a lot less time preaching than being at meetings.

I am going to answer from a CULT prospective. First of all, as a former CULT member,
I object to former believers referring to it as "preaching." "Field service" is okay, but
better is "recruiting work" or "literature distribution."

Back in the day, that 10 or more hours was way more important than getting to
every meeting. That "day" was when the big profit was in selling the literature. Meetings
were important, but as long as you didn't go whole weeks without them, you were okay,
but they had that minimum hours expected of you.

After they dropped the minimum requirement, they still expected it, but the shift slowly
started to move toward retainment of YOU rather than recruitment of someone else. Both
were important, but keeping you was a higher priority since you were a money-donating
literature user.

After the complete-donations was tried for years, the total important thing is staying regular
with at least one hour each month. They don't care if you give away free literature, but the
meetings- they are watching now. The BSO is supposed to know that you missed more
than an occasional meeting. You are still a money-donating member. They can't have
your mind getting less indoctrination sessions- you might start thinking for yourself.

Just my opinion. The money is in retainment, not recruitment. Retainment requires
regular mind-numbing sessions.

Stealth453

I am quite comfortable with neither being important.

Glad to be out.

Honesty

Regular meeting attendance is far more important than FS any day...

It keeps the JW's thoroughly indoctrinated without a break for them to start thinking for themselves.

Every ex-JW I know became one only after they started missing meetings on a regular basis.

WTWizard

Regardless of which is more important, I haven't done either in two years. And I'm not planning on doing either--unless they want a Kingdumb Hell full of Christmas decorations hanging on the wall and ceiling and a Christmas tree on the platform, they hadn't better try and recapture me either.

Meetings v Field Service

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