Hi eveyone, did your congregation ever have organised gatherings with other congregations nearby? My old congregation rarley mixed. There was so little social life that we had no choice but to visit other congs.
Another question - did you get any counsel if you constantly attended a Kingdom Hall other than the one you were assigned to? I know of friends who would rarely go to their own congregation - they were always attending other Kingdom Halls.
I think the most boring social activity for young people was the constant 'let's have dinner at bro/sister's house'. I know of a sister who prior to being baptised was very much into sports and enjoyed sports clubs etc...when she got baptized, she had few friends and nothing to do on the weekends.The friends just didn't get together. The only thing that happened socially was going round to other people's homes to have dinner and talk.
During the summers, many of the Leigh Park congregation (afternoon meetings) would opt to attend the Havant congregations (evening) meetings so we could spend a sunny Sunday on the beach at Hayling Island where we would go cockling and swimming.
In reality we almost always lost track of the time and would be too late to actually go to the Havant meeting. Then some bright spark would suggest that we went to someone's house and study the WT together, but by the time we had stopped for a chinky nosh on the way home that would go by the board also.
Lots of big parties, otherwise known as marriage markets, were held around Liverpool. OUr cong. had absentee elders who were always in other congs. than there own.
No big get togethers. "Large social gatherings" were frowned on.
Individuals organized smaller things that often had those from others congs but by invitation only.
Remember a fancy dress with the theme of the '70s. It was quickly followed by a local needs talk and yet it was totally innocent with mixed ages and no low lighting!!!
Even dancing at weddings with ones husband/wife was frowned on.
Now it seems that lots of the younger ones locally do thier own thing and go clubbing/pubbing and totally ignore the elders/gestapo.
Rarely and I mean rarely, our congregation would rent out a village hall and have a 'party' - if one could possible call what happened a party. Music was always the same, so as not to offend the elderly and the elders.
Most people didn't really join in, they just sat on chairs and didn't mix.
One occasion which stands out in my mind was when the 'Young People Ask' video came out. Our hall had lost a lot of young people, so they thought it a good idea to invite the whole cong to watch this video. Afterwards there were eats etc.
It seems more and more, that doing the will of the organization is more important than being part of a community and showing Christ like love.
