What went wrong in your congregation?

by The Rebel 39 Replies latest jw friends

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  The Rebel

  The target is converts.

  Why does it seem such an outrageous aim for a congregation to recruit new converts?

  in my old congregation, the enthusiasm was there but the knocking on doors produced zero " baptisms" in my final years.

  A) why so little interests?

  B) was it the Internet ?

  C) why in spite of such pathetic interest, do some continue to pionee?

  personally I blame the publishers, I generally believe if they were interested in converting the product is very sellable, to a wide target audience such as the vulnable, the lonely, immigrants, ect ect...maybe it's all about show, and not encouraging the townspeople to come to meetings?

  The Rebel
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  Je.suis.oisif

  For me, the question would have to be What went right?
• 

  Ignoranceisbliss

  I agree that there are ZERO new recruits in our area. Why???

  IMHO

  1. Witnesses are horrible at D2D work. This is an inefficient way to recruit even if your a good salesman. Dubs for the most part aren't excited about their product and don't know how to properly showcase it

  2. The product sucks and is boring. The meetings are soooooo boring, you can't celebrate holidays, and you have to agree to go D2D. Besides born ins or those whose life is in shambles who would agree to that?
• 

  The Rebel

  I agree Je.suis.

  But I find it interesting, that for example so many brothers can knock on doors and build successful window cleaning rounds, but not knock on doors and make converts.

  My point is by knocking on doors for a window cleaning round the intention is customers, and is therefore successful. I believe if the intention on the door to door work was converts, there are both brothers and sisters, with the personality, and skills to make converts if they really wanted to.

  The Rebel.
• 

  The Rebel

  Hi ignoran....

  So what you are basically saying is life as a witness is boaring and produces lethargic and uninterested people. So with that Zombie image, I can see why when witnesses leave school they do not want to become " pioneers" .

  personally I think to be a success it helps to love what you do. And if you love what you do you are more likely to make the grade. So Elders become Elders but they don't convert ...that's a telling observation, and I believe with a lot of truth.

  The Rebel
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  tiki

  Rebel...theres $$$ in window washing...not in peddling a miserable religion....and as for d2d work...its an imposition....and most normal people resent that.
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  Bonsai

  I think many people were afraid to make new converts. I know I was.
  
• 

  The Rebel

  But when I went d2d my goal was that day my study got baptised. ( I am now glad I never achieved that goal)

  My point being d2d should be an honour, and if one is genuine, you should always be thinking one step further, to have studies. So I believe what it boils down to in many congregations most publishers just seem to plodder along, no enthusiasm, no drive and no ambition to convert.

  That being the attitude I observed, it seems the religion is producing sons like fathers, and daughters like mothers, and no one seems to have much zeal or spark. That I find rather sad and wasteful for the new generation.

  Anyway I am glad such a high % of the new generation are leaving.

  The Rebel.
• 

  joe134cd

  I think there money and time would be better invested in trying to retain it's existing membership. When I went D2D especially in the latter years it was really just for show. I always used to tell the house holder I was jw with the hope they would turn me away. Quite frankly D2D was a pain in the arse both for me and the house holder.
• 

  The Rebel

  I now realise the enthusiasm for the d2d work I mentioned in my O.P, centred around the social contact, the being seen to be zealously....that is my abiding memory.

  But in almost every gloomy picture, there's a touch of sunlight, and I am sure at least one, maybe two, even three have left by now. Hope so.

  The Rebel.