Open mind

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Posts by Open mind

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  84

  Recent C.O. visit: Bad news re: U.S. English meeting attendance

  by Open mind in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  visiting a nearby town during his thursday night service talk mentioned how poor meeting attendance is in the english-speaking u.s. congregations.

  he said that when the gb reduced the weekly meetings from 3 to 2, there was a brief surge in meeting attendance percentages.

  after a few months it began to slide and it hasn't stopped sliding.

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  Open mind

  watson, what you describe would be a new religion. Reformed Jehovah's Witnesses perhaps?

  om
• 
  84

  Recent C.O. visit: Bad news re: U.S. English meeting attendance

  by Open mind in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  visiting a nearby town during his thursday night service talk mentioned how poor meeting attendance is in the english-speaking u.s. congregations.

  he said that when the gb reduced the weekly meetings from 3 to 2, there was a brief surge in meeting attendance percentages.

  after a few months it began to slide and it hasn't stopped sliding.

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  Open mind

  Thanks for all the comments everyone. Sorry I wasn't able to stick with this thread earlier.
  
  I have one opinion to add re: the growth in the "foreign" language field. If you're a relatively poor immigrant to a wealthier nation, there's going to be a certain extra appeal to joining the JWs. It's an automatic social group that in many cases helps out newbies. If you're trying to get employment in a relatively unskilled field, connections are important and JWs can provide those. (I know it's not perfect by any means and there are plenty of stories of JW contractors taking advantage of cheap labor.)
  
  Anyway, IMO, there's a much stronger feeling of community among the foreign language JW congregations I have visited. It's a lot harder for someone to leave when that element is there.
  
  om
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  34

  How big a fee does the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society get for booking Jehovah's Witnesses into Convention Hotels?

  by Balaamsass in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  curious.

  i know travel agents and on-line sites get a kickback or fee for booking hotels.

  how much is this fee?.

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  Open mind

  There is one way the WT makes money off the comped rooms. I've known a few JW elders who decide to catch a day or two of a convention that they're not assigned to. They'll contact the guys in the Rooming Dept and ask if they have any spare comped rooms. If they do, it is expected that they contribute the going rate to the "Worldwide Work" in exchange for a comped room.

  I have personal knowledge of this, but I don't think it amounts to a whole lot of dough for the WT.

  om
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  41

  Sick With Love

  by compound complex in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  how you live your life.

  concerns me not, but,.

  strangely, pulls me in.. .

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  Open mind

  Hey there CoCo. Beautiful and creative as usual.

  The second one resonated quite well with me today.

  I'm gonna start using the "L" word on my son more often.

  Thanks again and may you have peace and healing.

  om
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  84

  Recent C.O. visit: Bad news re: U.S. English meeting attendance

  by Open mind in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  visiting a nearby town during his thursday night service talk mentioned how poor meeting attendance is in the english-speaking u.s. congregations.

  he said that when the gb reduced the weekly meetings from 3 to 2, there was a brief surge in meeting attendance percentages.

  after a few months it began to slide and it hasn't stopped sliding.

  1. 
  2. 
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  Open mind

  Londo111: "There were so many meetings that talk about going to meetings..."

  LOLOL!! I almost forgot one of the funniest parts of his talk. He said that the GB is so aware and concerned about this trend that you'll find it mentioned in EVERY ISSUE of the Watchtower now.

  THE BEATINGS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL MORALE IMPROVES!!

  om
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  84

  Recent C.O. visit: Bad news re: U.S. English meeting attendance

  by Open mind in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  visiting a nearby town during his thursday night service talk mentioned how poor meeting attendance is in the english-speaking u.s. congregations.

  he said that when the gb reduced the weekly meetings from 3 to 2, there was a brief surge in meeting attendance percentages.

  after a few months it began to slide and it hasn't stopped sliding.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Open mind

  C.O. visiting a nearby town during his Thursday night service talk mentioned how poor meeting attendance is in the English-speaking U.S. congregations.

  He said that when the GB reduced the weekly meetings from 3 to 2, there was a brief surge in meeting attendance percentages. After a few months it began to slide and it hasn't stopped sliding. He said that the national average meeting attendance for English congregations is around 75% of publisher cards in the file.

  So then he goes into a long rant about how you need to push yourself to go even though you're dead tired, cuz once you get to the KH and sit down you'll be energized. Yeah right.

  For some reason, he made no mention of English-speaking US JWs learning to Google "Jehovah's Witnesses".

  om
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  11

  servants meeting with CO...

  by stillin in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  boring and irrelevant or what?!.

  when i was appointed, i thought that i would share in building up the congregation.

  the co is usually a company man making reports and passing.

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  Open mind

  C.O. Visit = Inspection
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  59

  Has anybody ever reported you to the elders?

  by Iamallcool in

  1. jw
  2. experiences
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  Open mind

  Yep. My Dad, who was and is an Elder, turned me in for reckless driving when I was a teenage pioneer. I got counseled for not showing enough respect for the sanctity of life, but they let me keep my pioneer badge.

  Looking back, I probably should have burned rubber as I left the KH parking lot.

  om
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  30

  Thanksgiving: The lamest of all Holidays...

  by Open mind in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  ... to explain why jws don't celebrate it.

  how did you do explain it when you were in?

  om.

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  Open mind

  I remember as a teenager telling my parents that the prohibition on Thanksgiving was the most difficult one to explain to other kids at school.

  Standard worldly kid retorts were:

  1. "What's wrong with giving thanks to God? Aren't you thankful?"

  2. "Is there something wrong with turkey and stuffing?"

  3. "It's all about getting together with family."

  And the best reply I could come up with was that the original Thanksgiving was somehow an example of "interfaith" and that JWs don't support that. Interfaith?!?

  So finally I would just say, "You know, most JWs agree that No Thanksgiving is probably the most difficult holiday to explain to a non-JW. It only sort-of makes sense to some JWs."

  Translation: You'd have to be a cult member to understand.

  om
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  12

  Musings on the joys of field service

  by rebel8 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

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  Open mind

  Very well done rebel8.

  Brought back a few memories from myself and friends/relatives.

  om