The visit and the talk of the zone overseer for France (transmitted by phone to local congregations) is scheduled for Sunday, April 21[SUP]st[/SUP]...
We've been told this week that there will be international conventions in 2014 and that each publisher is invited to chip in (0,15€/month => 2,25€ in all) so that the missionaries living abroad may attend it in their respective countries... Who said that the WT has plenty of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ ?
We had a similar announcement last month - a rate of 15 cents per publisher. 15 cents x 7 600 000 publishers (not sure of exact number of publishers, it is probably higher) = $1 140 000 $1 140 000 x 16 months = $18 240 000 (Total) That is some fare! Wondering where the missionaries were assigned to? I thought they got assigned to planet Earth. Or maybe it's "fund raising" for something else. Wallflower
I just learnt recently that the zone visit will be 3 1/2 hours in length. Sometimes I'm cooped up in the office for about that length of time. (What saves me is that I can eat and drink there - you can't do that inside the Hall). Wallflower
Take Don's advice, bend the rules a bit. Hide a few snacks in your purse. Maybe a few sandwiches. What will they do, slap you on the hand and take the snacks away?
Why not? I thumb my nose at the "Keep Moving" signs - in the wide, open areas - at the assembly. Consistency is a good thing. Wallflower
there all at different times, some late in the afternoon, others around midday and early afternoon, what the!
Hi Panda At the one I went to last year, (which was an early time) it was explained that the early one is the "live" one. It is recorded and then played again later in the day for those attending the afternoon session. I'm assumsing they will be doing the same thing this year. Wallflower
I remember about four years ago when they had the zone visit at the assembly hall, and many came from all over the state, long journeys and the whole gist of the talk was about donations, using the widow mite, when leaving I heard some b/s say we came all this way to hear that they need more donations, honestly they don't give a hoot, it is all about the organization not individuals, it was very discouraging, the talk was a major bore repetition of the same subject donations.
really is there any need for this.... 10$ million on an assembly hall look at the décor. http://thetandd.com/news/jehovah-s-...n_cb5ac476-6825-11e2-9002-001a4bcf887a.html#0
WoW , can't say I've seen anything remotely that fancy here. kinda nice to know there's pics of CTR ...and that he would be disfellowshipped today for believing what he believed ... I have hauled out all the old volumes from the seventies . perhaps my haywire was not reading any of the organization stuff , but my concentration was on all the articles about human behavior and targeting those as I had never been taught how to look at human behavior and its inclement tendency's and the traits of a benevolent and compassionate character ...I only concentrated on character ...that is pretty much still my concentration .. and if you aren't teaching that , I pretty well will be drifting into some of my own paths of thought ...anyway . cool pics of center ..hope it gets some good use for really passing down the grandest things that Jah and Christ have freely given to ALL ...
WOW!! Or should I say, OMG!! Pretty nice for $10 million ([FONT=&]£[/FONT] 6,518,690 ). How many books, Watchtowers, and Awake magazines did that take? Nice baptismal pool. John would have been proud to use that. The small community of Orangeburg, South Carolina, USA. In the heart of NASCAR country. For those in other countries, that is the auto racing association of supposedly "stock" cars (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing). All kidding aside, it is a rather lovely facility. The best of everything. I'm sure the local residents are proud of it, and love to attend the assemblies there. Hey JIG, it's a hop, skip, and jump from your local. Give the inside tour the next time you have an assembly. I was surprised to see some of the old books on display. I was always discouraged from reading them. It looks like my book shelf. Hey, I better go check my library. OK, mine are still there.
It looks like the assembly hall of Newburgh, with more bling... Must have been built according to the same model.
Will post some info about what was said at the zone visit, some time tomorrow, might have to split into 2 parts - will depend on the length of the post. Have been on painkillers the last 2 days so wasn't up to typing anything. Thankfully, was looked after by one of my relatives. Wallflower
We were linked up with Sydney for the zone visit program. The speaker was “as proud as a peacock†(my words, not his) that Bethel was using brand new equipment that allowed it to have video stream and audio stream with Halls around the country, as well as to New Zealand, Cook Islands, Nuie and Tonga. I rolled my eyes and slipped 2 peppermints into my mouth to stop myself from laughing. I'm glad for the brothers that they have the new equipment, that they have a chance to “road test†it and that it is working properly. However, this technology is not new – speaking for myself, I've seen video conference equipment being used many times, for several years now. What ever happened to the days when Bethel was the first to grasp new technology? For example, making motion pictures such as “The Photo-Drama Of Creation.†And what about the MEPS high-speed presses? If they have the money to invest in hedge fund investments, how is it that they don't have the funds available to invest in getting new technology when it comes out? Anyway, moving on........the program started with a summary of the Watchtower Study. Then the next speaker talked about the progress of the ministry in this neck of the woods – Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, East Timor, Cook Islands, Tonga, Nuie. Regarding the work in Australia, the speaker commented that the message we preach is one of hope. We should keep on preaching about this message of hope, even when we hear “bad reports.†The speaker did not go into any specifics here. He read 2 Corinthians 6:4, 8. Verse 4, in part, speaks about “recommending ourselves as God's ministers by endurance.†Verse 8 mentions, in part: “through bad report and good report.†I noticed that the speaker glossed right over the top of verse 3 which says: “In no way are we giving any cause for stumbling, that our ministry might not be found fault with.†Now here in Australia, just a few days ago on Thursday, April 11, the legal counsel of The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia, appeared at the inquiry into child abuse in the State of Victoria, Australia, to explain the policies of Jehovah's Witnesses on how child abuse cases are handled within the organisation. I think that child abuse would be an issue that would fall into the category of “stumbling†someone. It is a shame that the brother didn't read the entire scripture which actually consists of one sentence. Verses 3 to 10 form one sentence that contains several phrases. So they are selecting phrases that suit what they want to say and ignoring those that don't. That's called “cherry picking.†The brother also spoke of the work of the translation teams and also mentioned the Bible school for single brothers and the Bible school for Christian couples. A few experiences were read, one in particular made me smirk to myself because it contained poor grammar. The brother was reading someone else's experience (it's possible that person might have used poor grammar.) What I can't understand is how this brother didn't pick it up when he was preparing his talk. The experience was about someone (can't remember what gender) making a special visit on the high school that they used to attend when they were growing up. The idea of the visit was to witness to teachers and students who were now attending there. The experience reads that the person “wanted to visit where I done my high school time.†It should read “wanted to visit where I DID my high school time.†Now I apologise if I sound like I'm being petty here, but further on in the program another one of the speakers takes a “pot shot†- points an accusing finger – at people who “want to buy material possessions and want to educate their children.†They are not in a position to criticise education when one of their qualified speakers can't get his basic grammar correct. (I was taught a long time ago, how to pay attention to detail.) Regarding the work in New Zealand, the speaker explained about the “merge†of the New Zealand branch with the Australian one, last September. For the benefit of the readers, I will just take a moment to explain that piece of “corporate speak.†In everyday language, what the speaker was trying to say was that the New Zealand branch was closed down. I will translate other phrases of “corporate speak†and “spin†as I come to them. Another statement from the speaker: “National boundaries were ignored and removed when the merge occurred.†Now if I follow that reasoning through, than this makes it sound as if the construction and expansion of the branch offices created national boundaries and divisions. Is that the impression that the brothers want to give? Do they think before they speak? To put a positive “spin†on the closure * cough, cough, sputter * I mean merge, the brother cracked several “Australia verses New Zealand†jokes, which the audience laughed at. In the psychological world, this is known as a “diversional†tactic (like “smoke and mirrors†tactics). It is where humour is used to distract people from the real situation at hand. And the reality is, that the New Zealand branch was closed down, some people were laid off and this is occurring because of cost-cutting. The result of this was that 18 brother/sisters were “reassigned†to pioneer in the ministry (this is “corporate speak†for 18 people were laid off.) An additional 21 brothers/sisters were reassigned to other branch offices in other countries. I often wonder about Bethel servants who are in this position, especially those who entered Bethel when they were young and who may have spent most of their life there. Then they are laid off. They don't have any savings or any superannuation. And unless they have a trade or skill of some kind, they will struggle to find a job. Their age may be also against them due to age discrimination in the workforce. What if they haven't got any family to support them until they can become financially independent? Sometimes I wonder if such individuals would be able to file a class action to be reimbursed for lost income and lost superannuation. Not sure about that one – I'd have to look into that a bit more. And I know that the Bethelites sign a “vow of poverty.†So I don't know whether that would have any bearing on a class action. In the past, I also remember being told several times that the construction and expansion of branch offices was a sign of Jehovah's blessing and that He was speeding up the work. It seems to me that the Society is running out of money. It may have plenty in terms of assets but it appears to have little in terms of operational cash or spending money. I think that the Society should just be upfront and admit that they got carried away building branch offices and now they don't have the money to keep them operating. That is a more feasible explanation as opposed to “we are merging branches and removing all of these national boundaries.†The speaker went on to relate how the brothers/sisters in the New Zealand branch were handling the “mergeâ€. He quoted them as saying: “that initially they felt a loss, but now they were willingly embracing this new relationship.†(Seemed like an obvious statement to me – of course, they're embracing the new relationship – they haven't been given a choice in the matter. The decision to “merge†was made for them.) The printing for Tonga, Nuie and Cook Islands is now handled by the Australian branch. In East Timor, there continues to be opposition towards the ministry and towards Hall construction. Regarding Samoa and American Samoa, the speaker commented about how people in the local community are receptive to hearing the Bible message. He also spoke about the disaster relief efforts that took place to repair the damage caused by cyclone Evan. I better split the post into 2 parts, otherwise it will be too long. Wallflower
What about all the buzz words mentioned, never bothered to take notes on that! It was a boasting session to say the least, though I did get some encouragement from 1Cor 15:58
This is part 2 of the zone visit for Australia. There were 2 more talks. The first one was entitled: "DO WE REALLY WANT TO LIVE UNDER GOD'S KINGDOM?" The brother asked "how do we show that we want to live under God's Kingdom?" New Personality– Ephesians 4:22-24 ("stripping of old personality and putting on the new one"). Colossians 3: 9, 10, 12, 14 (similar thoughts as Ephesians with verse 14 speaking about "clothing yourselves with love.") Throughout the talk, the speaker would state a point, then a scripture to back up the point and then he would relate some experiences that illustrated what he was saying. Some of the experiences sounded like they might actually have been authentic, while others sounded like they had been embellished – it was difficult to tell. Speech – Ephesians 4:25, 31: "Speak truth each one of you with his neighbor." "Let all malicious bitterness and anger and wrath and screaming and abusive speech be taken away from you along with all badness." Ephesians 5:3,4: "Let fornication and uncleanness of every sort or greediness not even be mentioned among you." Appearance – 1 Timothy 2:9,10: "Likewise I desire the women to adorn themselves in well-arranged dress." At this point, the speaker related an experience about a young man who lived in New York and who was wearing the "saggy or drooping pants" style of clothing. i.e. the pants that are really loose at the back. Apparently, this young man was being chased by the police and he tried to escape by running down a fire exit ladder. He is said to have tripped on his clothing and fell from the ladder to his death. The response of the audience amazed me – they laughed at this. I don't just mean a tittering giggle or a snicker, I mean laughter. Sorry but I just thought that was in bad taste. The brother relates a story about how a young person fell to their death and the audience thinks it's funny! Even if the young man is in trouble with the law, I don't think it's appropriate to be joking over his death like that (if the story is authentic). That made me bristle and I could feel the blood starting to boil, so I reached into my handbag for the snack and put that straight into my mouth, so that I wouldn't blurt anything out. Whatever happened to the scripture at Ezekiel 33:11: "Say to them, ' "As I am alive, is the utterance of the Sovreign Lord Jehovah, "I take delight, not in the death of the wicked one, but in that someone wicked turns back from his way and actually keeps living. Turn back, turn back from your bad ways, for why is that you should die, O house of Israel?" ' Or 2 Peter 3:9: "Jehovah is not slow respecting his promise, as some people consider slowness, but he is patient with you because he does not desire any to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance." OK, moving on.............. Attitude To Material Items– Having a balanced view of material possessions. Zealous Share In Field Service– Psalms 97:1: "Jehovah himself has become king! Let the earth be joyful. Let the many islands rejoice." 1 Timothy 4:16: "Pay constant attention to yourself and to your teaching. Stay by these things, for by doing this you will save both yourself and those who listen to you." The speaker, Geoffrey Jackson, gave the next talk – "ALWAYS HAVE PLENTY TO DO IN THE WORK OF THE LORD" This was based on the scripture at 1 Corinthians 15:58: "Consequently, my beloved brothers, become steadfast, unmovable, always having plenty to do in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in connection with the Lord." The speaker asked "why should we always have plenty to do in the work of the Lord?" We know that our labour is not in vain– Hebrews 6:10 -12: "For God is not unrighteous so as to forget your work and the love you showed for his name." The speaker then said: "that many people want to spend money on buying material things or educating their children. They shouldn't be focused on these things." People shouldn't spend money on educating their children??????? The way he said this, was as if this was somehow a negative thing. (I'm not a parent but I've helped other family members with their education needs. I don't believe in putting the organisation ahead of my own family's needs. That is NOT the Wallflower way.) Staying busy is a protection for us– helps us to stay spiritually alert. Genuine happiness– True happiness cannot be bought. The speaker referred to "the showy display of one's means of life" mentioned at 1 John 2:15,16 and how this is only a superficial happiness. We become focused on spiritual things, and not distracted from them– 1 Corinthians 7:31: "and those making use of the world as those not using it to the full; for the scene of this world is changing." We were encouraged not to take up worldly pursuits. We are designed to stay busy in doing Jehovah's will– we are born with a spiritual need. Ecclesiastes 12:13,14: "The conclusion of the matter, everything having been heard, is: Fear the true God and keep his commandments. For this is the whole obligation of man. For the true God himself will bring every sort of work into the judgment in relation to every hidden thing, as to whether it is good or bad." Next the brother asked the question "how can we stay busy in the work of the Lord?" We need the holy spirit to stay busy– Romans 12:11: "Do not loiter at your business. Be aglow with the spirit. Slave for Jehovah." We were encouraged not to resist the influence of the holy spirit, but to follow its leading. Keep our hope alive– 1 Corinthians 15:58 (theme text of the talk). Having a correct, balanced view of time– Ephesians 5:15,16: "So keep strict watch that how you walk is not as unwise but as wise persons, buying out the opportune time for yourselves, because the days are wicked." - making wise of time to take care of responsibilities. Deep spiritual study– daily Bible reading and meditation – through this we can gain knowledge, understanding and wisdom. Meetings – Hebrews 10:24,25: "And let us consider one another to incite to love and fine works, not forsaking the gathering of ourselves together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as you behold the day drawing near." Allow Jehovah to continue to mold us– 1 Peter 5:10: "Jehovah will finish our training and strengthen us." Serve Jehovah with the right motive– 1 Corinthians 13:2: "And if I have the gift of prophesying and am acquainted with all the sacred secrets and all knowledge, and if I have all the faith so as to transplant mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." The speaker concluded the talk with the statement: "The Governing Body is not in the driving seat of the celestial chariot. Jehovah is." Are they sure about that one? Because it looks as if they ran ahead by about 93 years when they claimed that Jesus appointed the "slave class" in 1919. The other problem with making statements like that, is that it makes the Governing Body look as if they are trying to blame the old light with its mistakes on Jehovah, rather than admitting responsibility for promoting the mistaken teachings. Are they sure that's how they want to portray Jehovah? One thing I noticed about the talk given by Geoffrey Jackson, is that he would quote the meaning of a Greek word and the context of that word in Greek culture, but didn't actually say the Greek word itself. What's with that? If pronounciation of the Greek word is an issue, why not just spell out the word? After the program, I had the chance to say "G'day" to a few brothers/sisters from other congregations who share our Hall. The brothers/sisters seemed to be in good spirits. While I was glad to see them, I felt really sorry for them at the same time. Nothing was said in the program to prepare them for what householders might say to them over the child abuse inquiry. Like sheep being led to the slaughter. Very sad situation. Wallflower