by truthseeker 7 Replies latest jw friends
Suppose you needed a form signed by a brother in the hall, or you had to give someone money for a product. Did you do this inside the hall or outside?
My friend once ordered some Mary Kay products for a sister. As she was giving them out, a sister told her this was not appropriate, and could she do this outside the hall.
People seem to forget, that once the meeting is over, that is it. You don't have to skulk outside the hall to get a form signed or talk about business.
we were encouraged to handle everything "non-witness" in nature outside the kindom hall. This even came to handing out invitations. You'd feel peoples' eyes on you, watching your every move, who you were handing them out to, if you did it in the hall.
If it had nothing to do with Jehovah - it had no business being conducted at the hall.
LouBelle, how true. People still do quietly slip the odd invitation now and again, as if they think they're doing something wrong.
As an elder, I would ask certain bros. to look at my car (and try to fix it) WHILE the meeting was going on.
Even if they go outside the building they are still on KH property, so what is the point?
Some time back there was an article with "counsel" about doing secular business at the hall; even exchanging borrowed CDs or videos.
Wouldn't they have to go off KH property to be keeping in the spirit of the "rule"?
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w97 1/15 pp. 7-8 Messengers of Godly Peace Assemble ***Pointed counsel was given in the talk "Let Discernment Safeguard You." Discernment is very important with regard to business dealings. We should not carry on personal business activities in the Kingdom Hall, nor should we exploit fellow Christians for financial gain.
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w97 3/15 pp. 18-19 Let Discernment Safeguard You ***Like a building’s columns, the congregation upholds God’s truth, not anyone’s business enterprise. Congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses have not been established as locations to promote commercial interests, goods, or services. We must refrain from pursuing personal business affairs in the Kingdom Hall. Discernment helps us to see that Kingdom Halls, Congregation Book Studies, assemblies, and conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses are places for Christian association and spiritual discussion. If we were to use spiritual relationships to promote any sort of commercialism, would this not show at least some lack of appreciation for spiritual values? Congregational connections should never be exploited for financial gain.
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w93 6/15 pp. 29-30 Do You Respect Your Place of Worship? ***The elders in one Kingdom Hall noted that congregation members were making a practice of borrowing or returning borrowed items at meetings. Also, they were habitually exchanging videocassette movies at the Kingdom Hall. Although this activity was not commercial in nature, the elders helped them to see the wisdom of caring for these matters at home whenever possible.
To avoid situations that could give a wrong impression and to make sure that the Kingdom Hall is properly used, each one should ask himself: ‘Are there any personal matters that I have been caring for at the Kingdom Hall that can be cared for at home?’ For example, when organizing outings or other social gatherings, would it not be better to discuss such arrangements at home? Could we use the telephone or visit the homes of those we wish to contact? Borrowing Paul’s words, we could say: ‘Certainly we do have houses for the handling of such matters, do we not?’
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Some have used theocratic contacts to sell health or beauty aids, vitamin products, telecommunication services, construction materials, travel plans, computer programs and equipment, and so forth. However, congregation meetings are no place for selling or promoting commercial products or services. We can discern the underlying principle if we remember that Jesus "drove all those with the sheep and cattle out of the temple, and he poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. And he said to those selling the doves: ‘Take these things away from here! Stop making the house of my Father a house of merchandise!’"—John 2:15, 16.
Yes, they did not want business conducted in the hall. The reason is that things got out of hand in the 1980s. There were so many people working for and with each other that "business" was all they talked about. So, as a result it was forbidden to talk about such things in the hall and the bulletin board could never be used for these purposes either. It was just for "spiritual things".
They didn't even want you handing out stacks of greeting cards or invitations.
Remember, the KH is not a social club...it's a business center. This is where you go to be trained in how to market and sell WT products.
As in any job you would have, you are not allowed to spend too much time in social activities with co-workers while on the job. The WTS is a little more strict of an employer is all. To the WTS any activity not associated with the WT is not worthy.
same here we were always asked to conduct things outside the kingdom hall...just like loubelle said even handing out invites were frowned upon pathetic really es
