⁷ Of course, we appreciate that literature distribution is just one part of our preaching work. There is a real need to follow through on interested persons with return visits and home Bible studies. Many have found that temporary pioneering has aided them to have a fuller share in this. A brother serving in the South commented: ‘As a temporary pioneer last month I started six Bible studies, and thus far this month four more.’ Asked if he was doing anything extraordinary to start studies, he replied: ‘No, I just let people know that the purpose of our ministry is to study the Bible with them.’ He located so many interested persons as a temporary pioneer that he took up the regular pioneer service to care for them.

⁸ While we may not be able to be regular pioneers, can we individually share more fully in Kingdom-preaching and disciple-making? Feeling the urgency of the times as we do, we will want to do all that our circumstances reasonably permit in working alongside the ‘king’s secretary,’ Jehovah’s anointed ones, in marking the foreheads of honesthearted ones. (Ezek. 9:4) As we do so, Jehovah will bless us richly.

“Divine Victory” International Assembly

¹ All of us are looking forward with eager anticipation to the good things to be enjoyed at the international assemblies. If any have not yet done so, now is the time to make definite plans to be in attendance. And do we not want those with whom we are studying to enjoy the rich spiritual food along with us? Certainly! So include them in your plans. To aid you, here are a few suggestions.

² Many of you will be needing rooming accommodations. No arrangements will be made by the Society for camper, tent or trailer sites in the United States. If you plan on camping, please work this out personally, using commercial facilities. As to hotel and motel accommodations, prices have been increasing; so, few rooms will be available at the lowest prices listed. However, real effort will be put forth to get good accommodations at reasonable prices in private homes.

³ Be sure to send in your room request form six or seven weeks before the start of the convention you plan to attend. Mail it, not to the Society, but to the address shown on the form for that city. Wherever possible, rooming assignments will be mailed directly to you. If you do not receive an assignment before you leave home, you may obtain it at the rooming department in the convention city. In case you have to cancel an accommodation, please be sure to notify both the landlord and the rooming department. This will enable the rooming department to assign the rooms to someone else, and it shows consideration for the one who offered to provide the rooms.

⁴ There is need for caution in large cities. Be sure to lock your car. Never leave anything showing in it, but keep any necessary items locked in the trunk. Also beware of pickpockets. They often mingle among large crowds.

⁵ In view of the new session times this year, you may wonder what meals will be served at the assemblies. Arrangements will be made for breakfast and/​or suitable refreshments prior to the morning sessions. There will be a noon meal and refreshments during the intermission. Also at the conclusion of the afternoon session food will be available.

⁶ Pioneers should be sure to bring their meal tickets, caring for these as if they were money, as replacements are not available. They will also be needed to obtain literature in the bookroom at pioneer rates.

⁷ One way to advertise the assembly is by wearing badges. If your congregation does not already have a supply of lapel cards and holders, these should be ordered immediately. The celluloid holders are 5c each and the lapel cards are 1c each.

⁸ Another fine way to advertise the assembly is by sharing in the field service. True, no organized field service is scheduled for the days of the assembly. But handbills, magazines and literature will be available. Why not plan to spend some time while in the assembly city, either in the morning or in the evening, distributing handbills? No territory needs to be obtained. Also informal witnessing can be done on your way to the sessions in the morning or when returning to your accommodations in the early evening. Take advantage of every opportunity to speak about the good news and invite everyone possible to attend the assembly, especially those in whose home you may staying. Even deaf-mutes can benefit, as there will be a deaf-mute section at all English-language assemblies.

⁹ Any who do accept our invitation to attend the assembly ought to be able to see by our conduct that we truly reflect unselfish love and concern for others. This should be evident in our interest in helping others to get seated, and in our not saving seats needlessly. Of course, there is no objection to saving seats for those who have left temporarily or for volunteer workers who will soon return. But otherwise, would it not be the unselfish thing to leave seats open for anyone to use when we are not sitting on them? And even if a younger person is seated, how fine it is to offer it freely to an elderly or infirm person who may not have found a place to sit and listen. By such loving concern for others we honor our God, Jehovah, who has taught us what love really is.

¹⁰ Then, too, volunteer service provides an excellent opportunity for us to minister to the needs of others as Jesus did. Such ministering, motivated by love, can contribute to our happiness. (Acts 20:35; Ps. 110:3) Why not plan to volunteer as individuals or as family groups? Brothers having families could perhaps volunteer to serve as attendants in sections where they will be sitting with their families. If you cannot serve all five days, your doing so for any other period of time will be very much appreciated. Volunteer service applications should be signed by the presiding overseer and sent to the convention city (not to the Society). Please advise the volunteer service department of any change in your plans.

¹¹ To reap the bountiful spiritual benefits from the assemblies, we need to be in our seats when the sessions begin and make every effort to stay for the entire program, including the closing prayer. The changes in the session times should enable everyone to do this.

¹² How we conduct ourselves while attending assemblies is very important. Not only does it make things pleasant for others, but it can serve as a fine witness to outsiders. (1 Pet. 2:12) Certainly it is refreshing to see and be with those who manifest love and consideration even when they are a little tired or must wait a few minutes to be served. Parents can aid by keeping their children with them at all times. In fact, all of us may find it helpful to review the article “Showing Love for One Another at Assemblies,” In the June 15, 1970, Watchtower. As all of us strive to reflect the fruitage of God’s spirit, we will enjoy many blessings at the “Divine Victory” Assembly.

[Blurb on page 8]

Have You Made Arrangements to Attend an Assembly?

Announcements

◆ Literature offer for May: Paradise-Theocracy book with booklet, 50c. June: New World Translation and Great Teacher book, $1.25. (Large congregations may want to order a few copies of the large-print Bible, which is placed for $5.00. Other Bible translations printed by the Society, as well as the Aid book and “Make Sure,” may be offered to interested persons.) July: Truth book, 25c. (Great Teacher or Evolution book may be offered where people have Truth book. Great Teacher book will be featured in August and Evolution book in September, so congregations would do well to stock up on these books.)

◆ Young publishers who will be out of school for the summer, have you begun making plans to have a share in temporary pioneer service?

◆ The body of elders in each congregation should make arrangements to meet at a convenient time early in June. (See or, pages 64, 65.)

◆ Permanent address for congregation: All correspondence to the presiding overseer (including Kingdom Ministry and written review papers) will be sent in care of the permanent address supplied by the body of elders. It is not necessary that this address be that of the presiding overseer. The one who receives the mail should promptly turn it over to the current presiding overseer. If it is necessary to make a change in the permanent address, the body of elders should submit to the Society the name and address to be used as the congregation’s permanent mailing address.

◆ All serving as regular pioneers as of February 1, 1973, will obtain from their presiding overseer their pioneer meal ticket for use at the international assembly. The pioneer meal tickets are being sent to the presiding overseer with the May congregation statement.

◆ District assembly lapel cards in English and Spanish may be obtained by requesting them on a Literature Order Blank. All orders for lapel cards and celluloid holders will be charged to your congregation literature account. Lapel cards will not be available at the assembly.

◆ With your congregation’s next shipment of literature there will be a supply of folders listing various Bible translations, and certain study aids, available from the Watchtower Society. The folders are free. There is one for each publisher. No more are available. Take good care of your copy. It is meant for use in the field service, so that you can show householders what you are able to obtain for them. No doubt you can make good use of it during June.

◆ During the month of May or early in June, each congregation will receive the first eight of a new series of public talk outlines. The material is timely and practical, directly affecting the lives of those who attend the meetings. The outlines are in large print, so they require no retyping. We recommend that you work these talks into your schedule during August, September and October.

February Service Report

Av. Av. Av. Av.

Pubs. Hrs. R.V. Bi.St. Mags.

Sp’l Pios. 716 146.2 61.8 5.8 150.7

Pios. 14,488 96.9 39.3 3.4 101.1

Temp. Pios. 5,956 82.3 27.9 1.6 84.2

Pubs. 415,299 9.9 4.8  .5 13.1

TOTAL 436,459

Newly Dedicated Ones Baptized: 3,753

UNITED STATES GOAL FOR 1973

460,063 Publishers

Presenting the Good News​—In Business Territory

¹ Has the business territory of your congregation been worked recently? Many businessmen and women are seldom contacted at their homes but can be spoken to at their places of employment. Ones who work business territory advise that early in the morning, shortly after establishments open, business is usually slow and that this is a fine time to work that territory. Too, early afternoon, for an hour or so following the lunch period, there is often a lull in activity. Two special pioneers who were encouraged by the Society to work business territory that had not been covered for some time wrote: “We made special effort to work the business territory. In just two mornings, using the suggestions from past Kingdom Ministry issues, namely, to call early in the day, to be very brief and to use a businesslike approach, we were able to place 105 books and six subscriptions. Many of the businessmen were sincerely pleased to have us take the time to stop and speak with them. We much appreciate your encouragement to call on the stores in our community.”

² In New York city experienced publishers and pioneers are now working the Wall Street area, including every office building, large and small. Not only has a great deal of literature been placed with businessmen, including executives, but also many fine discussions have resulted. Arrangements were made to care for interested ones.

³ Businessmen and women are indeed among the “all sorts of men” whom Jehovah wishes to “come to an accurate knowledge of truth” and “be saved.” (1 Tim. 2:4) It is suggested that the field overseer of each congregation work out arrangements for the congregation’s business territory to be covered. Ones who share in this work, doing so with full reliance on Jehovah, can be confident of his blessing.

Theocratic News

◆ The Gonzales Congregation of Louisiana was started January 1, 1972, with 27 publishers. It now has 65 publishers and three pioneers. Over 100 attend public meetings. The congregation has just completed building a new Kingdom Hall.

◆ D. Adams served the Canada and Newfoundland branch offices as zone overseer in March. He spoke to two groups totaling 5,892 in Toronto and to 157 in St. Johns.

◆ On a zone trip to Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Netherlands Antilles, Jamaica and Bahamas, R. Wallen spoke to a total of 20,255, including 10,558 in Venezuela.

◆ The Philippines report a publisher peak of 56,740. Attendance at district assemblies came to 86,914, with 2,540 baptized.

◆ Nigeria (with 82,852 publishers) reports 211,896 attended their 22 district assemblies; 5,808 were baptized.

◆ Hong Kong’s 269 publishers used four-day vacation for Chinese New Year to preach; they averaged 40 magazines and 17 hours each during February.

Question Box

● When a person is given either a private or a public reproof for unchristian conduct, are terms or requirements then imposed that the individual must comply with?

No, neither one privately reproved by the judicial committee nor one publicly reproved is given certain terms to comply with (as if he were on a form of “probation”). It is simply required that he conduct himself in harmony with Bible principles, as the others in the congregation do. The judicial committee may strongly recommend that the individual discontinue certain habits or associations that could lead to repetition of the wrongdoing, and, in accord with the individual’s needs, will give spiritual assistance and encouragement.

When there has been serious wrongdoing, even though the reproof is not announced, any weight of responsibility in the way of special assignments in the congregation would be removed from the individual. (“or,” p. 167) When one is publicly reproved, the congregation would be advised as to what privileges have been removed. (“or,” p. 169) When the individual gives evidence of regaining his spiritual strength and stability, privileges can be gradually restored. The same applies when a disfellowshipped person is reinstated. (“or,” p. 177)

If one who, for serious wrongdoing, was given either a private or a public reproof moves to another congregation before privileges have been fully restored to him, the judicial committee of the congregation to which he moves will determine when the gradual restoration of privileges may fittingly be made. (“or,” pp. 169, 170) Any further serious violation of God’s Word, of course, would be handled by the judicial committee where the individual now associates.