The Theocratic Ministry School for 2004

¹ Jehovah equips ordinary people to accomplish work of universal importance. One way in which he does this is through the training provided each week at the Theocratic Ministry School. Are you participating as fully as your circumstances allow? In January a few adjustments will go into effect with a view toward helping students to get the most from the arrangements.

² Auxiliary Counselor Rotation: Brothers who give instruction talks and Bible highlights have appreciated the observations offered by the auxiliary counselor. Where there are enough qualified elders, the assignment of auxiliary counselor may be rotated yearly. In this way, the work load can be shared; but more important, elders and qualified ministerial servants will profit from the collective experience of a variety of capable speakers and teachers.

³ Oral Review Scheduling: If your congregation has a circuit assembly on an oral review week, then the review (and the rest of the weekly schedule) should be postponed one week and the subsequent week’s schedule should be used one week early. However, it is not necessary to exchange two complete weekly schedules when the oral review coincides with a circuit overseer’s visit. Instead, the song, the speech quality talk, and Bible highlights should be presented as scheduled. The instruction talk (given after the speech quality talk) should be drawn from the following week’s schedule. Bible highlights will be followed by a half-hour Service Meeting, which can be adjusted so as to have either three 10-minute parts or two 15-minute parts. (Opening announcements should be eliminated.) The Service Meeting will be followed by a song and a half-hour program by the circuit overseer. The Theocratic Ministry School for the next week will proceed with the speech quality talk and Bible highlights as scheduled, followed by the oral review.

⁴ Take advantage of each opportunity for spiritual growth. As you benefit from your Theocratic Ministry School education, you encourage your congregation, play a part in the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, and bring praise to the Author of the wonderful message that we must proclaim.​—Isa. 32:3, 4; Rev. 9:19.

A Video That Highlights an Important Medical Trend

Legal and health-care professionals are giving increased attention to the ethical views and rights of medical patients. This has promoted new therapies and approaches from which Jehovah’s Witnesses can benefit. (Acts 15:28, 29) That is the focus of the video Transfusion-Alternative Health Care​—Meeting Patient Needs and Rights. Watch it, and then review what you learned.​—Note: Because the video includes brief surgical scenes, parents should use discretion in viewing the video with young children.

(1) Why is the medical community reevaluating the use of blood transfusions? (2) Give three examples of complex surgeries that are performed without blood transfusions. (3) How many physicians and surgeons worldwide have indicated their willingness to treat patients without blood transfusions? Why are they willing to do so? (4) What have recent hospital studies revealed about blood use? (5) What are the medical risks associated with blood transfusions? (6) What conclusion have many experts reached regarding the benefits of transfusion alternatives? (7) What causes anemia? How tolerable is it in humans? What can be done to compensate for it? (8) How can red-cell production be stimulated in a patient’s body? (9) What techniques are being used to minimize blood loss during surgery? (10) Can transfusion alternatives work for young children or for people involved in life-threatening emergencies? (11) What is one of the primary ethical principles of good medical care? (12) Why is it important for Christians to make nonblood treatment choices in advance? How can we do this?

Acceptance of some treatments featured in the video is a matter for private decision in accord with each one’s Bible-trained conscience. Have you decided which transfusion alternatives you are willing to accept for yourself and your children? Non-Witness family members should also be fully informed of your decisions and the reasons for them.​—See “Questions From Readers” in the June 15 and October 15, 2000, issues of The Watchtower.