Handbill for 2010 District Conventions

by dozy 29 Replies latest watchtower bible

• 

  SirNose586

  The handbill invitation is not a serious attempt to get people to come to the convention. But what's new there? It seems only fitting from an organization that has given us:

  "Public talks" which the public rarely attend.

  "The Lord's Evening Meal" where virtually no one eats.

  "The Theocratic Ministry School" that bears little relation to actual ministry.

  "Bible Studies" where the Bible hardly gets a look in.

  "The Watchtower Study" where study into the topic beyond what's in the paragraph, and possibly a few marginal references to their own literature, is not encouraged.

  An "Awake!" magazine that has no urgent message to relate beyond puff articles on "The World's Smallest Bat".

  It's all pretty depressing.

  Isn't it ironic? Don't you think?

  Yup. The invitations are NOT meant to actually cause random people from the public to show up. Several years ago I took an invitation to the District Convention. I dressed in jeans and dress shirt. Just a normal looking guy off the street.

  I was given ugly looks in the parking lot.

  I was questioned by elders.

  I was followed by security guards.

  I remember seeing a video about a guy who went to the convention in San Diego and got hassled frequently. His brother-in-law (or former friend, I forget which) confronted him every day and he eventually got thrown out. I remember him being hustled up the stairs by a couple of elders, right past my seat. This guy was causing no disturbance to anyone, he was just marked and eliminated.
• 

  dig692

  one thing i do like about the handbill activity is that i don't have to present the washtowel or asleep magazines! i just knock on the door, when the person answers i say 'hi my name is ____ and i'd like to give you an invitation to the ______ convention" and then if they take it i say thank you and leave, and if they don't take it i say thank you and leave!

  most people just took it because i was at their door for literally 5 seconds and didn't bother them too much
• 

  thetrueone

  And the conventions themselves are primarily aimed at retaining and encouraging existing JWs rather than "interested persons".

  Exactly , evermore so since the WTS. realizes the easily readable information about their inherent corruption all over the NET..
• 

  yknot

  Remember when Terry tried to attend the DC back in 2008......

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/160885/1/Tossed-out-of-the-District-Convention-What-did-I-do-wrong-I-exist

  Yes DCs are for JWs only!
• 

  TD

  And the conventions themselves are primarily aimed at retaining and encouraging existing JWs rather than "interested persons"

  Maybe I'm being overly cynical, but it seems to me that the primary aim of the conventions is to generate revenue.

  Every time I've ever heard the "accounts" read at a JW convention it goes like this:

  Receipts = X

  Expenses = Y

  Big contribution to the world wide work = Z

  X is less than Y + Z brothers, so we have a deficit.

  I pointed out to my wife one year that the receipts actually exceeded the real expenses. There was no deficit. (This got me a gentle elbow in the ribs.)

  With that as the aim, it's not a suprise that the conventions are Witness only affiars.
• 

  awildflower

  I have an idea, when you get yours in the door, or anywhere you see them for that matter, mail it back to the hall. I'm going to...
• 

  Sour Grapes

  It makes the Witlesses feel needed and useful.

  They also like it because there is less talking at the door.

  Just a wham bham and thank you mam.

  Sour Grapes
• 

  slimboyfat

  In sending ordinary Witnesses out to perform patently useless tasks such as the convention handbill for the past few years, perhaps the Governing Body have not considered that the effect may be to undermine the preaching work generally. It is hard enough for elders to motivate publishers to keep on going door to door, encouraging them that Bible Studies can still be started, and they can succeed in getting more people along to the Kingdom Hall.

  Locally my experience is that even elders are quite dismissive of the convention invitation campaigns. They know it is a waste of time, ordinary publishers know it is a waste of time, and elders know that ordinary publishers know it is a waste of time. But they all obediently do it anyway. The danger for the Governing Body is that this sort of cynicism may morph into a feeling that the ministry generally is a futile exercise.
• 

  dozy

  The KM of April 2007 certainly hypes up the success of previous campaigns...

  "Last year the worldwide campaign to advertise the “Deliverance at Hand!” District Convention had a powerful effect on interested ones. Those who accepted the special invitation and came experienced for the first time what a sumptuous spiritual feast among Jehovah’s Witnesses is like. (Isa. 65:13) They enjoyed association with our warm, united Christian brotherhood... Many interested individuals were seen approaching the convention sites with their invitation in hand. Some interested ones drove from distant cities in order to attend sessions. Our diligent efforts to invite others contributed to an increase in attendance, with one country having 27 percent more people present for the convention than the previous year.... Surely we can anticipate that a tremendous witness will again be given as a result of this concerted effort to advertise the “Follow the Christ!” District Convention."

  A friend works in the parking dept at a convention and mentioned that a whole section of stadium parking had been sectioned off for people carrying the invitation. This stadium has very limited parking at the stadium and all the places are taken by the usual Bethel reps & high-ups in the district ,with the "grunts" having to park some distance away and trek into the stadium carrying their briefcases and lunchboxes.

  Unfortunately some JWs heard about this scheme and a few presented invitations to get a prime parking spot. Even so , there were a lot of vacant spaces , much to the annoyance of some of the brothers (and their wives) who had been used to getting a stadium ticket.
• 

  dozy

  "Maybe I'm being overly cynical, but it seems to me that the primary aim of the conventions is to generate revenue."

  Maybe , but they are certainly profitable. The system is well known to all those who work in audit. A letter goes out to all the congregations before assemblies and conventions "suggesting" that a donation of $x will cover the expenses , so beforehand all of the expenses are paid for by cheques written from the congregations. Most of the JWs don't realise that they have already paid for the assembly expenses through their donations at the KH and are encouraged by regular announcements and the presence of numerous contribution boxes to make contributions at the assembly. Effectively all of the contributions at the assembly go direct to the Branch or to the worldwide work. Pure profit.