Jehovah's Witness preaching. Increasing or fading away?

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Hello all. 🙂

I was talking with some of my companions about our preaching work. We have lots of new stuff happening these days with contacting people of different languages, website articles and advertising in public places. At least - it seems so to us.

I am interested in peoples opinion on this question regarding Jehovah’s Witnesses:

“Is Jehovah’s Witnesses’ preaching of their Bible message increasing in scope, or is it fading away?”

What do you think? Opinions please. 😉
 
Logically said:
Hello all. 🙂

I was talking with some of my companions about our preaching work. We have lots of new stuff happening these days with contacting people of different languages, website articles and advertising in public places. At least - it seems so to us.

I am interested in peoples opinion on this question regarding Jehovah’s Witnesses:

“Is Jehovah’s Witnesses’ preaching of their Bible message increasing in scope, or is it fading away?”

What do you think? Opinions please. 😉
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You guys don’t visit like you used to, and when you do you no longer come in. Now I speak outside my door and eventually get a flyer.

I see JW’s about twice a year, which seems like a decrease from when I was younger.
 
I havent seen JW in my area for years.

I occasionally see a pair of Mormon missionaries. Perhaps 2 x a year in my area.
As far as door to door tracking, I live in a condo community so such is not allowed.
 
Logically said:
Hello all. 🙂

I was talking with some of my companions about our preaching work. We have lots of new stuff happening these days with contacting people of different languages, website articles and advertising in public places. At least - it seems so to us.

I am interested in peoples opinion on this question regarding Jehovah’s Witnesses:

“Is Jehovah’s Witnesses’ preaching of their Bible message increasing in scope, or is it fading away?”

What do you think? Opinions please. 😉
Click to expand...
Our local JWs have stopped going door-to-door like Mormons, and started just standing near a cardboard stand with pamphlets on it in the middle of town, like a less proactive version of what the Baptists do. Whenever anyone approaches looking like they might talk to them, the JWs by the stand start engaging each other in deep conversation that it would be rude for someone to interrupt, so they seem to have completely disengaged from speaking to people.
 
I haven’t had a visit in years, and the last one that did come by just handed me a pamphlet and walked off. So in my area at least it seems to be fading away.
 
They don’t seem as visible as they were 15 or 20 years ago.
I had heard once that they were growing rapidly. But I also heard the same about the Mormons. So not sure which is growing the fastest.
 
In my area the frequency of visits are down over the last 10 years, from 3-4 visits a year to around 2. But I also used to have more pairs of Witnesses coming to the door. It used to be more common to have an older and younger witness adult team visiting. Now it is more typical that I get one person visiting or in the case of the visit two months ago, a lady and her granddaughter who was about 7 or 8 years old.

Another trend: in each of the last four visits, when I ask HOW do they know that the bible is the inspired and inerrant Written Word of God? … after they all answer that the books harmonize with each other … and I respond that that the Book of Revelation hardly harmonizes with any other book … and I then tell them that they only know that bible is the bible because Catholic Bishops said so in the 4th century … they all end the conversation and leave.

One last winter left in quite a huff saying that there is no way that the Catholic Church determined what was scripture.

At least I pointed out his error: how could an apostate Church in no later than the early 2nd century be led by the Holy Spirit to infallibly determine the canon of scripture 200+ years later?
 
Logically said:
Hello all. 🙂

I was talking with some of my companions about our preaching work. We have lots of new stuff happening these days with contacting people of different languages, website articles and advertising in public places. At least - it seems so to us.

I am interested in peoples opinion on this question regarding Jehovah’s Witnesses:

“Is Jehovah’s Witnesses’ preaching of their Bible message increasing in scope, or is it fading away?”

What do you think? Opinions please. 😉
Click to expand...
I visited your Channel on my Roku to learn more about your religion. I guess my strong Christian faith and influence did not make it an interesting place to learn. In my present town and residence I have not had any JWs visit. The Mormons come thru about 2x a week but those are the only visits I get. I do interact with those who come to my house in order to share the true message of Christ.

God bless!
 
Logically said:
Hello all. 🙂

I was talking with some of my companions about our preaching work. We have lots of new stuff happening these days with contacting people of different languages, website articles and advertising in public places. At least - it seems so to us.

I am interested in peoples opinion on this question regarding Jehovah’s Witnesses:

“Is Jehovah’s Witnesses’ preaching of their Bible message increasing in scope, or is it fading away?”

What do you think? Opinions please. 😉
Click to expand...
It seems less now than before.
 
I think I have been crossed off of your map. Haven’t had a visit in over ten years.
 
I find JW teaching very difficult, because it’s so relentlessly practical. It’s like the bible is a big self-help manual ‘Apply these principles and life will be great’. The Watchtower and Awake are just like pep talks in written form recently. I miss the articles that addressed actual spiritual issues, even though I disagreed profoundly with them.
 
Eruvande said:
I find JW teaching very difficult, because it’s so relentlessly practical. It’s like the bible is a big self-help manual ‘Apply these principles and life will be great’. The Watchtower and Awake are just like pep talks in written form recently. I miss the articles that addressed actual spiritual issues, even though I disagreed profoundly with them.
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Reading the Watchtower and Awake give me the same dark feeling that I experienced when I first picked up the Book of Mormon. Not sure what it is but they all give me the heebie jeebies.
 
Things have certainly changed from when I was a child and part of the JWs. It seems that we went out in service more and that we engaged people more when going door to door (or at least the people I was with did, I was shy and uncomfortable with the whole thing). Nowadays it seems that they just knock or come into the business to hand out a pamphlet or magazine, say a rehearsed line or two, then they are off to the next one. They definitely have changed their tactics, at least in my general area.
 
seanman611 said:
Things have certainly changed from when I was a child and part of the JWs. It seems that we went out in service more and that we engaged people more when going door to door (or at least the people I was with did, I was shy and uncomfortable with the whole thing). Nowadays it seems that they just knock or come into the business to hand out a pamphlet or magazine, say a rehearsed line or two, then they are off to the next one. They definitely have changed their tactics, at least in my general area.
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I wonder if New York knows about the drop off. My understanding is that JW’s are required to do the door-to-door thing and that they must keep track of every address they visited or tried to visit which is submitted once a month to the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society. They basically have a quota. It is how they remain in good standing. Am I correct? If nothing has changed from above then maybe they’re just getting lazy. 🤷
 
Logically said:
Hello all. 🙂

I was talking with some of my companions about our preaching work. We have lots of new stuff happening these days with contacting people of different languages, website articles and advertising in public places. At least - it seems so to us.

I am interested in peoples opinion on this question regarding Jehovah’s Witnesses:

“Is Jehovah’s Witnesses’ preaching of their Bible message increasing in scope, or is it fading away?”

What do you think? Opinions please. 😉
Click to expand...
I would say that Witnesses still seem very active in our area–in going door to door, in leaving the Watchtower behind, and in being visible in local transportation hubs. More or less than before? I’m not sure. Their assemblies and/or conventions (not sure what they are called exactly) seem to draw very large crowds.
 
SteveVH said:
Reading the Watchtower and Awake give me the same dark feeling that I experienced when I first picked up the Book of Mormon. Not sure what it is but they all give me the heebie jeebies.
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My mom and I attended my uncle’s funeral which was done by JWs. There was no celebration at all…I mean no hope…it was a while ago - back in the olden days when I was still in college - so I can’t give any particulars but compared to the Christian funerals that I had attended that were at least hopeful for family members who were Christians. It was like what you said, Steve, dark - I saw no reason why they would celebrate his life. Both he and my aunt were devout JWs and my mom and I thought we would hear some celebratory feature about that much…
 
I remember going to a convention when I was much younger, and developing a migraine. I went to the medical room, and the elders were outside discussing what to do with me and how to get me home and so forth, and it only struck me later what felt so odd - they didn’t pray at all. I guess that’s what I meant about the relentless ‘practicality’ of their material and outlook. Even their paradise is earthbound and spirituality seems very much an afterthought.
 
I can’t answer the question from a general view point but from a personal perspective it has dwindled quite a bit. I have almost had to beg my JW family members to come visit or even travel to the next town myself to visit and talk, and when they can’t answer the hard questions they leave with the understanding they will do more research and get back to me never to hear from them again about the subject unless I bring it up again. 🤷 I have a strong urge to go knock on their door 😃 just kidding.

Peace!!!
 
The OP hasnt been back since they started the thread so the feedback may not be as important to them as they first thought.
 
I’ve seen less of them going door to door. However, I have seen a lot more of them setting up tables outside of grocery stores and rest stops along the highways.

Last time one came to my complex, all she did was walk into the laundry room and left a couple of pamphlets.
 
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