Flip-Side News: Faith-Strengthening Developments! [Revised]

Our opposers are ashamedly silent because they are getting called out as liars, not by the words of the organization, but by its very actions as per the recent Annual Meeting of Jehovah's Witnesses. While our opposers claim that the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses is in decline, the organization is, in fact, demonstrating regularly its progress toward greater advancement and spiritual health and refinement.

On Saturday, October 3rd, a video was released demonstrating the new midweek meeting arrangement that has reorganized the Theocratic Ministry School into the Our Christian Life and Ministry meeting. That is, unlike the claims of our opposers, the Theocratic Ministry School was not "thrown out", but was replaced by a reorganized and updated version. Likewise, the Our Kingdom Ministry was given a graphically pleasing update and name change to: Our Christian Life and Ministry Meeting Workbook. While it serves primarily the same purpose as the original Our Kingdom Ministry, it is significantly upgraded. What makes it a "new publication"? As the name suggests, along with the updated format and modified order and content, it now serves as a workbook.

New Publication

The meeting still retains most of the features of the Theocratic Ministry School, Service Meeting and Bible Study, so not a whole lot has changed as to what type of information is provided. However, a greater emphasis is being placed upon theocratic education and the Christian ministry. How so? Notice that the presentations for the publications appear on the first page of Our Christian Life and Ministry, whereas previously it was almost a footnote at the back of Our Kingdom Ministry. Additionally, these publication presentations are no longer a monthly demonstration, but weekly, replacing former witnessing demonstrations of the sisters. And not only this, but men will now be participating in these demonstrations and settings so that everyone can get a benefit from this feature of the school. You are also encouraged to write down your own presentations in a section of the publication.

Besides that, greater emphasis is also being applied to personal application of Bible principles. Questions are being provided to help us think about ways to apply the Bible accounts we read each week to ourselves. That is most definitely a spiritual refinement we should be proud of!

Along with these developments in the new publication is that we are now given full-color images, visual maps, graphs, diagrams and timelines that will help us retain the information and sound it down into our hearts like never before. Those things will bring our personal study to life in new ways and makes the meetings that much more interesting to participate in! I for one am truly grateful for this new revised and expanded publication.

Meeting Demonstration Video

Note, too, that the video shown faithfully demonstrates a complete meeting, thoroughly putting to shame all those who claim our meetings are somehow secretive. It gives all people who are curious a look at our meetings and how they are conducted.

The meeting shown also demonstrates the new greater emphasis on video presentations. This in itself requires a substantial effort of the brotherhood and a dedication of funds. If we were declining, how could we make this push? Obviously, Jehovah is blessing our work.

Revised Arrangement

Previously, what was included in the Our Kingdom Ministry was considered three different meetings, but now it is all considered a single meeting. This is not any significant change. It is simply a matter of semantics.

The Bible Study was not cut at all, but was simply moved toward the end of the meeting. Prior to the Bible Study is the Living as Christians portion of the meeting where much emphasis is given to applying specific Bible principles in our lives or in ways that we can participate in kingdom interests.

This revised arrangement will also significantly affect family worship night. With the new push toward education and ministry, as well as applying Bible principles in our lives, the family worship night will now take on a feeling of personal involvement. Family heads will be under necessity to help their families with weekly publication presentations and drawing out their family's need for personal application and sounding deep Bible information down into their hearts.

The new name for the publication and meeting now puts emphasis on the fact that we are indeed Christians, citizens of the kingdom under Christ's rulership in heaven as king of Jehovah God's kingdom.

The new publication and meeting has now accelerated our learning and will certainly deepen our knowledge and appreciation of the Scriptures. More is being stuffed into that hour and forty minutes than in any midweek meeting in the past! Who could dare say that is a bad thing?

New Study Edition

Along with this, you might also be interested in the online interactive Study Edition of the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. Itself a fantastic new tool which will soon include lots of new art! It currently contains only the book of Matthew along with complete dramatized audio readings, even individual verse readings, exceptional supplementary commentary, parallel accounts, parallel version comparisons, video introduction, many diagrams and timelines and many other tools, but further books are soon to follow. Each use of the divine name in Matthew is explained, demonstrating, against the claims of our opposers, that our use of the divine name in the Greek Scriptures is not simply by whim. Your knowledge is sure to blossom with use of this wonderful tool. You will no doubt happily spend much time reviewing all the information found there for your Bible reading as you listen to the account come to life!

Bible Readings With 100's of Readers

Besides the Study Edition is the dramatized audio readings currently covering Ezra, Matthew, Mark, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon. More books are on their way. Find out more with the article about it.

What Can the Bible Teach Us?

Along with these provisions is the new publication called What Can the Bible Teach Us? It puts What Does the Bible Really Teach? in simpler, more straight-forward language for those with special needs.

Organized to Do Jehovah's Will

Along with it is the new paperback version of Organized to Do Jehovah's Will available on the Books and Brochures section of the Publications tab at JW.org. Besides being printed in paperback form, it contains many doctrinal updates and some minor rewording. I believe this is a sign of greater improvements both in our publications and in the overall spirit of the organization. My faith is strengthened by these adjustments. I hope yours is too.

Bimonthly Magazines

The public issues of the Watchtower and Awake! magazines will now be printed bimonthly rather than monthly, alternating Watchtower one month and Awake! the next. Why the new printing schedule? It serves to reduce how much printing the organization does, reducing their impact on the environment. This also is why we have had a greater push towards online publications and activity, moving us away from reliance upon printed material. This is something to be lauded, not criticized. Will this, in any way, reduce how much spiritual food we have? No! We have a huge body of work behind us to help us understand the word of God and have powerful computer tools for researching it all. This will also help the brotherhood to become more familiar with the magazine offer in order to place them more effectively. With the new midweek meeting emphasis on weekly presentation practice, we are now given a better means of focusing on starting Bible studies and helping new students focus on self-improvement through their weekly study.

All of these adjustments have come in the same year. What do you think? Is the organization really in decline? The conclusion I have come to is a definitive: "No! It is progressing and becoming more responsible spiritually and environmentally."