Bookstudy in my home

JAVA

We host a discussion group in our home called the Dayton Salon. Our dogma is: Food, Wine, Fellowship, and Discussion.

We meet once a month and folks arrive with food to share, they fellowship in and out of the kitchen before settling down to discuss a topic (picked a month ago) in the den (we call the salon).

While getting the house ready for our group (about 9 people attend) I thought about the time I had a bookstudy in our home.

Book Study:
* Meet once a week
* One-hour timeframe
* Couldn't wait until the hour was over
* Topic bored everyone
* Topic chosen by Tower
* Attendees picked by elders
* Attendance required
* 60% of group attend
* JW meeting dress code required

Salon Discussion Group:
* Meet once a month
* No timeframe (arrives around 7, and leaves around midnight)
* Can't believe how fast the evening went by
* Topic is lively, and it's difficult to get a word in
* Topic chosen by group
* Attendees picked by group
* Attendance not required
* 100 to 90% group attend
* Clothing required, but that could be a future discussion topic

These are some of the things I thought about yesterday while getting ready for an interesting evening with friends. We've been doing this for a little over three years. The bookstudy isn't what it used to be! :)

delilah

That sounds really fun....The borg doesn't believe in anyone having fun of any kind....say...How does one go about getting his/her name on your guest list?????

Dee

Sunspot

Hmmmm, Java, sounds interesting! Actually your kind of setting would probably generate much more willing attendance from JWs.......like they could read the chapter and then lodge an interesting discussion from what they had read.

Seems so much better than all that cut and dried spoon-fed nonsense that JWs have to sit through each week!

Annie

luna2

That sounds great!

A very sweet elder and his wife, who hosted a bookstudy in their home back about 15 years ago, tried to liven things up by having refreshments after the study. It was rather nice...for as long as it lasted. As soon as the CO found out, that was it. I still don't understand why it was so wrong to have a cup of coffee or some lemonade and a cookie after the bible study and actually enjoy one another's company for a couple of minutes.

Sunspot

As soon as the CO found out, that was it. I still don't understand why it was so wrong to have a cup of coffee or some lemonade and a cookie after the bible study and actually enjoy one another's company for a couple of minutes.

Luna2,

There is nothing wrong in having refreshments after a Bookstudy----but many of the WTS mentality seem to take offense to doing this. They strongly feel that you are there as a part of worship (being a recognized meeting on the JW schedule) and shouldn't be an intro to a social gathering.

Borrowing a line from the Beach Boys----we'll have fun fun fun til the WTS takes our fun away!

Annie

Freedom Fighter

Sunspot wrote:

There is nothing wrong in having refreshments after a Bookstudy----but many of the WTS mentality seem to take offense to doing this. They strongly feel that you are there as a part of worship (being a recognized meeting on the JW schedule) and shouldn't be an intro to a social gathering.

I guess things must vary across the globe - I know that my mum's book study group always had this, and I used to look forward to her bringing a doggie bag home. I think she got them because she won the sympathy vote - the unbelieving mate and daughter is a winning combo. Unfortunately most weeks it was a load of the hostess' shortbread which had about 1lb of sugar in each slice. However there was a time when she brought back strawberry tarts two weeks in a row - sorry Jehoober you'll have to try better than that....

FF

outoftheorg

Of course the wbts would forbid anyone staying after the study in a group.

After all, these people after having what they think is a bible study, just might as a group continue using the bible on their own for an hour or so.

Actually researcing ON THEIR OWN god forbid.

Outoftheorg

JAVA

As soon as the CO found out, that was it. I still don't understand why it was so wrong to have a cup of coffee or some lemonade and a cookie after the bible study and actually enjoy one another's company

luna2 -- Of course, there is nothing wrong with socializing and refreshments after a meeting. The CO that made an issue out of it was into power and control, just like the Tower. I'm sure many COs wouldn't have done that, but this guy was going to make sure everyone knew he was higher in the pecking order over the slaves. It's little wonder that "Jehovah is served by a happy people." :)

JAVA

Actually researcing ON THEIR OWN god forbid.

Outoftheorg -- Take away the books and hours of brainless meetings, and it would be hard to imagine anyone coming up with the Tower's dogma. The "Truth" stands on it's on without the need of a publishing firm shaming followers into doing more.

"Researching ON THEIR OWN" would be running ahead of the organization. This is another way of saying, "IT'S ALL ABOUT THE WATCHTOWER, and if you ask questions, we'll punish you." All questions are at the bottom of the page, and the only answers are found on the same page.

lisavegas420

How did you go about starting this discussion group? How long has it been going on? And is it always at your house, or do you switch around to different houses? What kind of subjects do you talk about? I think that's all the questions I have for now...

Lisa

Bookstudy in my home

Share this