Ministry Rules

[patience]

I am writing this because my husband ( who I think I have mentioned already) is a MS and has been called into the 'little room' as we call it on a number of occassions to be told that he has to do Saturday morning ministry. I have alway's felt that you do the ministry that suits you as long as Jehovah know's you are doing your best. And we tend to like doing a couple of hours through the working week. The Elders argue that because Brothers and Sister's don't see us there on Saturday Mornings they will question why my husband is an MS. I won't really be suprised if he end's up having his position taken away. It never particularly bothered me if he held a position or not anyway because I get angry that he's like a puppet to them, but it would annoy me for him to lose it for what I consider to be a petty reason.
My husband seem's to agree with this because he's ready to tell the Elders when they call him in again that he doesn't have to show his worship to others like the Pharisee's in Matt 6 vs 1-8.*

It does annoy me that they can't see how they have made up rules.

Reports are something I don't like either because they are just another reason for people to judge you. The brother who collects the reports in our congregation is my husbands uncle and he told him that people are so guilty if they haven't done enough hours that they write on them 'sorry I was sick this month' or 'sorry I was on holiday.' If this doesn't show that people are more worried about men than Jehovah what does?! Me and my husband did double the hour's we had both ever done and still we are judged.

I was supposed to a talk on Tuesday night coming about avoid imputing bad motives to others but after writing it twice I handed it in because imputing bad motives is all anyone seems to do!
:38786-6:
Does anyone have similar circumstance because I'd love to know what you make of it?

So, do not make yourselves like them, for God YOUR Father knows what things YOU are needing before ever YOU ask him.

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[Sketch]

Hi Patience,

I&#39;ve had issues like this before but they were entirely on my side. I could never seem to do enough.. my best was never enough even for me... i&#39;d get 12 hours (the most i&#39;d ever had) and still be upset because I COULD&#39;VE gone out during the week... I was never happy with myself, and then I go to the meetings and all i would hear (not neccessarily what would be said) was that we need to do more... it got to be a such vicious cycle that I had to step back... but like I said, that was entirely MY doing... the way I was seeing and hearing things... the menusha hit the oscillator later on... I did grow up in a cong. where everyone was very judgmental... so maybe they&#39;re connected... i don&#39;t know...

[Berean]

My take on the matter is that two hours during the week and not being seen is better than one hour on Saturday while being seen. You&#39;ll find that often the ones who tell you to go on a particular day aren&#39;t all that fanatical themselves. In fact, the only time you&#39;ll see them during the week is when the CO is visiting.

[Kenneth]

In many respects the ministry is about being seen by the right people. If a pioneer was out all week but missed the weekend then he may not be appointed. If a publisher is only out on the weekend and his hours are above the average he gets appointed, it&#39;s the way it is, it&#39;s all about P.R. (Publisher Relations) All elders and servants are required to meet the average and above depending on the circumstances. However, disabled elders are not required to meet the hours but just do their best.

As for the guilt trip well that human nature, years ago if I remember correctly pioneers had to give Bethel a reason why they didn&#39;t make their monthly hours and some would draw a snowman on the back of the slip. We are not required to justify ourselves if we are merely publishers which is a great relief to me as I think they would be one my back each month for not making the average.

Kenneth

[Nambo]

In a nice sort of way, the pioneers used to comment on the success of my ministry.
The reason it was so successfull, was because, as a full time worker, I would go out in the eveinings, I would go out before the Tuesday and Thursday meetings, I would quite often go out on my own because I often couldnt get anybody to do those times, sometimes I would be out in the dark up to about 10 oclock at night, probably not recommended but I was amazed at how reseptive people where.

About the most useless ministry would happen on a Saturday morning when the same people who get called on every week and just want to get on with thier shopping would say no.

The people you meet in the eveinings are the guys who are at work all day when the pioneers are out, and ones who maybe didnt want to watch coronation street.

Any way your Husband can prove his worthyness as a Min serv by running a much more successfull ministry in the eveinings?


When I moved to the North of England, I used to team up with the young ones of a neighbouring congreagation once a week where these kids, no adults exept me once invited, would do these inner city tower blocks, bringing the good news out of the mouths of babes to the likes of Prostitutes, and then after about an hour they would all go to McDonalds.

Jehovah must have been with those young guys and my eyes are moist when I think of some of the wonderfull times and walking in the footsteps of Jesus we did doing the ministry in a differant way from the robotic norm of the society.


A differant example of the crazy logic of some of the shepards they use to guide the flock is when I once met a girl I really liked enough to seriously court without destroying the relationship. Of course I would often travel the over 100 miles to her cong where I would attend meetings at her cong, so I was attending all the meetings.

When she came down to my cong one or two of the Elders decided she was too good for me as she was a pioneer and pointed out that I wasnt very spiritual as I was missing a lot of meetings.

I guess you dont have to be too bright to be chosen as an Elder, like maybe I wasnt at all of our meetings because I was sometimes at her meetings!!!!

[whoowh]

:ban_dance01: Yep i know it well also. During december i was leaving a blank report because i was sick the days it was planned service and twise when i heled my parents insted. I got a comment from one elder that you can not expect to be used in the cong. if you are not regular. Its oki by me because i have no need to to it for their eyes, i do only preach because i want to talk about Jehova and the comming kingdom for the people i meet in the service.
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