Did you/Do you actually LIKE Field Service? (page 3)

riz

neyank,

Yikes. What a nightmare! I think back to those times now, and I think to myself, "damn. how square was I?" LOL. But it's ok because I'm making up for lost time now.

riz

Hi Esmerelda: Yes, I enjoyed Field Service initially because I truly believed that I was helping to save people before Armageddon in 1975. I did not like it enough to do it just for the heck of it ... but with a worthy goal of helping people, I did not mind it that much. I suspect that it is because I enjoyed a measure of success at it. But, as I said above, as the years wore on and it became obvious that Armageddon was not 'around the corner' and it became necessary to 'cut corners.' Then, when I realized that the 'truth' was not the 'truth', then representing JW beliefs from door to door became impossible.

Since I left engineering, I work in real estate sales, and engage in phone calls and mailings. We have training and educational programs on how to overcome objections too! I ignore it and do my own thing in commercial real estate. The difference in real estate is that my approach to people is brief, to the point, and not meant to convince them of anything. Overcoming objections is only to facilitate them making a decision to sell or buy. Once the decision is made, then I am either helping them or moving on to another client.

Whereas, JWs used to spend a great deal of training time to 'convert' people, or change their thinking and feelings aboutr something. In recent years I notice that they have trimmed down their message and do not seek to engage people as much ... judging from the JWs that have come to my door recently.

What I hated about FS waas the not-at-homes. I would rather have people pissed and slam doors or be nice and listen, then to knock on door after door with no results. That was boring and I hated that of any part of FS.

But, if the WTS had made FS purely voluntary, I am sure my participation would have been reduced, as most JWs, to about 0. The reason for me would not be so much out of dislike for the FS, but because it is a very ineffective method to reach people. I do not blame most JWs for disliking or even hating FS, because it is not natural for most people to engage in selling. Selling is an art, skill, and talent that not all are gifted with. That is why I believe that the Apostle Paul was making the same point in saying that not all in the congregations were evangelizers. Some served other functions as God used them in the body of Christ. Not all are 'eyes' or 'feet' or 'hand' or 'heads' in the body ... likewise not all should be out teaching or preaching. The WTS simply misses this point and instead uses guilt and emotional strong-arm tactics to get the JWs to go out in FS. - Simply Amazing

expatbrit

Yup, I too hated field service.

I'm not a very "forward" person by nature. I talk far more openly here than in "real" life. So going to the doors of people to try and convert them was a real heavy burden to bear.

You knock on the door as quietly as possible. Plenty of prayer: please let them be out. The householder greets you with an expression generally reserved for a piranha in the bidet. Mumble, mumble, Warowerer Mararine, sickly smile. SLAM!

And oh! the joy of pioneering! Two hours of this crap every day. Such a huge waste of time.

As mentioned, people are going to be judged for everlasting life or destruction because of this nonsense? What bilge!

Expatbrit

eyes_opened

Oh boy did I hate it! I am by nature a rather reserved, shy person and for me going to complete strangers doors to try and tell them something I didn't really deep down believe in was sheer hell. I remember going out in field service when I was younger with an elder from our hall. This brother was a very tall somber older man who resembles sam the eagle from the muppet show, lol. He has been a JW forever and actually went to prison for several years during the 40s for witnessing. He has a very dry Bob Newhart type sense of humour and I would tell him I didn't want to talk at the door but none the less when we would get there and the householder would answer the door, This brother would then proceed to say "Hello there! My friend <turning to me> Has something she would like to share with you today! And of course I would stammer some nonsense out and try to offer the mags. Talk about humiliating. Then there was the time the aforementioned brother and his wife picked me up for service but on the way home they dropped me off about 2 miles from my home asking me if I would mind walking the rest of the way as they were late for an appointment! Yesiree they actually asked and like an idiot I said...uhhhh. ok. And I did trudged home 2 miles in my dress and semi-flat heels. And it never got any more fun than that. The only high points I can recall were the coffee breaks

Eyes

JAVA

riz & Angharad took the bait,

It used to upset me seeing the Witnesses doing their thing in the neighborhood, knowing their background. I figured if I'm allowing the JWs to upset me, then I'm still giving them control--that had to stop. This is what I did the next time they came around:

I walked outside and joined the group--no kidding! I said, "How's it going; do you have any return visits on this block or are we just going door-to-door?" A few in the group usually remembered me from the congregation, and would inform the others I'm disfellowshipped. At this point I interrupt with, "Yes, I'm being shunned because I voted for a school levy, and want to share this 'Good News of the Kingdom' with my neighbors." I follow it up with, "Who's working with me or do we just do every other house until the block is done?"

The second time I did this, someone said, "You are interfering with our work, and if you don't stop I'm calling the police." I said, "This is my neighborhood, and I paid for the sidewalk you're standing on--they are public walks. I have every right to go from door-to-door as you. You're welcome to use my phone to call the police if you like--I'll dial the number for you." This was followed by the group going to their car.

I've done this 3 or 4 times. After awhile they just head back to the car when they see me coming out of the house. I usually walk up to the car and wish them well saying, "Come back again. I'll see you at the Coffee Shop" with a big smile on my face. Guess what; I actually started looking forward to a car load of JWs, which is much better than being ticked.

The local congregation moved to another area about a year ago and sold the building to a church group. I've only seen one couple working the neighborhood since then and was late for an appointment, so I missed getting in time that month. I wonder if I can give my experience at the next circuit assembly???

--JAVA

...counting time at the Coffee Shop

unanswered

question:did you/do you actually like field service?

answer:no, no, no, no. not at all. not by a long shot. not even when i was forced to smile. no. my favorite thing was listening to jw's complain about being woken up on saturday morning by salesmen when they decided to take a day off from witnessing to sleep in. what????-nate

riz

Java,

You are my hero. You actually had me laughing out loud.

riz
(would pay to see Java in action) LOL

eyes_opened

Java!!!

That is tooo hysterical! As Riz stated...My hero! <starting Java fan club>

Eyes

tergiversator

I always liked going out in service. Well, except for return visits; those terrified me from the moment my mom began hinting that I could call back on people that I left literature with. Well, to be fair, I also didn't like talking to people at the doors. I loved not-at-homes and used to drag out the time we spent on the porch. I also hated it when the householder actually said something, because then I had to try to explain what I was presenting, which grew more and more difficult the older I got because I realized how inexplicable most of it was.

So what I really liked about service was being out there with the group, doing what we thought was right. Except for when we intruded on people during the holidays, I always thought that was rather tacky and rude. And it wasn't too fond of running into people I knew from school, come to think of it. But still there was a great sense of accomplishment, spending the whole day in service. Except getting our time started at laundromats always felt like cheating , not to mention rather useless. And except for one year, coincidentally the year I got baptized and auxiliary pioneered three times, I hardly ever got into a car group with people I had anything in common with. And I was even less fond of field service every third year, when our congregation had the early meeting on Sunday as well and I never had a single day to sleep in.

Phone witnessing was the most horrendous torturous experience, which I thankfully only got stuck doing a few times. If I had thought of calling my own number or a number I knew to not be at home, I probably would have.

So I guess the only part of field service I liked was waiting for other people to come back from calls after I had declared that I had "nobody to call on today, sorry." And letter-writing on rainy days was probably the least painful way to fill up hour requirements, though I often wondered what people who knew me in other contexts thought when they received letters with my name of them.

The best thing about field service is that I never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever have to do it again.

T.

mommy

Loves,
Good question! I have so enjoyed everyone comments. Java! I had tears running down my face
I had and continue to have a fear of approaching a home. I think it can be defined as a phobia. I also have a phobia of dogs. People that I know and are friends with can attest to this. Even if I have been to their house several times, they have to meet me outside and walk me in. This is very embarrasing, but it is just another scar I continue to bear.
As far as phone witnessing! I loved it, I worked it several times with a sister who was unable to leave her home because of medical problems. I think it was more the let your hair down, wearing jeans and t-shirt part I liked
Like Joel, I loved to sell. After my initial fear of approaching the house, I was lost in the conversation. Ann, I read the reasoning book cover to cover, you would have hated working with me!
wendy

Did you/Do you actually LIKE Field Service?

--JAVA

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