JW Meeting Schedule Changes
A letter from the Society to the Body of Elders:
Commencing January 1, 2009 the Congregation Book Study will be held at the same time as the Theocratic Ministry School and the Service Meeting. The name of the Congregation Book Study will be changed to the Congregation Bible Study. After a song and prayer the Congregation Bible Study will be conducted for 25 minutes in much the same way as it is conducted now. Qualified elders will conduct the study on a rotation basis. It will be followed by a 30 minute Theocratic Ministry School. After another song there will be a 35 minute Service Meeting. The three meetings will conclude with song and prayer. The total time for these three meetings including songs and prayers will be 1 hour and 45 minutes.
I notice they are trying to mask the vapidness of their study by calling it a Congregation Bible Study, which is no bible study at all. It will be studying Watchtower literature hence "will be conducted similar to the way it is now".
They also attribute this change to rising fuel costs. This full hour that will no longer be a burden to JW's from their weekly schedules and can be used for taking care of the family and reading their literature (or as they call it, Bible study).
4 comments:
Good b/c I was getting tired of going to the Monday night studies! Uh oh, now they are gonna try to get me to go to the ministry school meetings. I can barely sit through them. But I guess this is a good thing for the JW's. Maybe the WT is beginning to loosen the leash a little?
The Governing Body mention they do not want to add burden to JW's so they cut back on the book study night. Of course this was only an hour, but counting prep and travel time, JW's can sigh in relief.
In a way, the Society can have more control this way (most book studies are held in private homes) and this way members will be able to donate more money to thenm instead of using it to fill their gas tanks.
In my congregation, they clapped after hearing this announcement. ;)
Are you attending meetings still?
My appearances are becoming less frequent. Still, someone who is in keeps me posted.
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