They may encourage this person to have a "bible study" with a witness selected by the Congregation Service Committee. This is to get this person up to date with WTS doctrine and policies. I know a woman who went back and declined this study and was not "punished." She had been out 3 years but one elder did do a quiz using the WT Questions from Readers to test her....she knew it all, better than 99.9% of the jws still attending.
They will also question this person to see if they have done anything they could be df'd for while they were out or might still be doing.
*** km 2/06 p. 5 pars. 5-6 A Help That Is Readily to Be Found ***
A Loving Provision: Those who have not shared in the preaching work or associated with the congregation for some time may need additional help to build up their faith. A personal Bible study in a publication such as WorshiptheOnlyTrueGod,DrawClosetoJehovah, or WhatDoestheBibleReallyTeach? may be just what is needed. Since the person is already baptized, generally the study need not be continued for a prolonged period. The Congregation Service Committee should be alert to observe who might benefit from this provision.—See the November 1998 and November 2000 OurKingdomMinistry Question Boxs.
Anna, mentioned earlier, gratefully accepted the elders’ offer to have a spiritually mature sister conduct a Bible study with her. It took just four study sessions to help her draw close to Jehovah once again. She resumed attending congregation meetings and rekindled her desire to praise Jehovah God publicly. The mature sister also helped her in the ministry by taking her on other Bible studies until she was sufficiently strengthened to preach from door to door. A helping hand was all that she needed to get going again!
*** km 2/01 p. 4 par. 11 Make Known Jehovah’s Name and Dealings ***The Congregation Service Committee will take the lead in arranging for shepherding calls to be made on all inactive ones. If it is determined that the individual would benefit from a personal Bible study, the service overseer will arrange for assistance, after consulting with other members of the service committee as to who would be best suited to conduct the study. Although it may not be necessary to have the study for a prolonged period of time, the one assigned to conduct it may report the time, return visits, and Bible study.
*** km 11/98 p. 7 Question Box ***
Is it still appropriate to conduct a home Bible study with an inactive brother or sister at the direction of one of the members of the Congregation Service Committee?The elders have the responsibility to shepherd the congregation, including any members who have become inactive. They visit such ones and determine what personal assistance is needed. Where appropriate, this could include offering the inactive one the benefit of a personal Bible study. OrganizedtoAccomplishOurMinistry, page 103, explains that the Congregation Service Committee would decide who might benefit from such a provision.
The service overseer determines who could best provide the assistance, what subjects should be studied, and which publication would be the most helpful. Perhaps the one who originally studied with the person or someone he has known and respected would be in a good position to help. A capable and mature sister may be asked to assist an inactive sister. Usually it would not be necessary for another publisher to accompany the assigned conductor. When assigned, the publisher conducting the study may count the time, the return visits, and the study.—See November 1987 OurKingdomMinistry, pages 1-2.
Since the student is a baptized person, generally the study need not be continued for a prolonged period of time. The goal is to assist the inactive one to resume attendance at all congregation meetings and to become a regular publisher of the good news. The service overseer will monitor the progress of such studies. The result of this loving assistance should be that these brothers and sisters will be able to shoulder their own load of responsibility before Jehovah and become firmly "rooted and established" in the truth.—Eph. 3:17; Gal. 6:5.
