Bethel

[The Gregorian]

K... So there have been quite a number of times people have asked me if I even WAS a JW... I get told all the time that I talk in a way they've never heard a JW talk before... sometimes it's meant positively, sometimes negatively. Either way, from everything I've read, I don't really think I'm in disagreement with the bible, or the WBTS organization... but, why not ask them, you know?

So I've thought about it over the last month or two and realized... I'm really not doing much in my home town... did some research and apparently there are quite a few people who work at bethel, which would be the best place to ask their opinions directly. I think the only confusion arises from some of the painfully rhetorical phrasings they use, so maybe I can even get them to have an... "advanced" section... maybe an installment every now and then where they clear up misperceptions of JWs, and exactly what they're here for... not only that, but maybe they'll actually discuss it in such a way that demands actual thought to be put in... not just a question at the bottom of the page saying "Who does Jehovah love?" The answer being: "all of us :clap:"

Of course, I'm from the opposite corner of the country, and I don't want to just ditch my stuff and show up on their doorstep unannounced... SO... does anyone know what the proper way to apply to work at bethel is?

[HisdaughterJen]

My sister had to apply to Bethel with elder recommendations and records of her time in service.
Of course, she had to be a baptized JW and in good standing.

[The Gregorian]

bleh. I haven't reported my hours in years. I'll figure out a way, by golly.

[HisdaughterJen]

bleh. I haven't reported my hours in years. I'll figure out a way, by golly.

;)

I never liked to report my hours. I always said that God knows what I do for Him, I don't have to keep a record of it. :)

[The Gregorian]

Well, the theory behind it is supposed to just be to "look for changes." If someone's reporting 30 hours a month consistantly, then suddenly they start doing 3 hours a month for a while... that could be a warning sign that they may need help. That's how it's supposed to work. Unfortunately, how it DOES work too often is as a competition... "I got more hours, so I have a better relationship with God."

... I won't bring anyone down, I refuse to. So I don't report the 50-60 hours a month I spend on these forums trying to spiritually help people, trying to clear up misrepresentations of God's word, etc. True, I'm not placing magazines... but I think I help people more by talking to them on an equal ground where THEY choose to come when THEY want to talk about God... than I would knocking on doors too early in the morning doing all I can for them to take a magazine 80% of them won't even read...

I've had quite a few people tell me that my posts have given them encouragement, or that I've shown them a new light with which they can read certain passages... that's all that I can hope for in this life... much more than "I managed to pawn off 10 magazines"....

[HisdaughterJen]

Well, the theory behind it is supposed to just be to "look for changes." If someone's reporting 30 hours a month consistantly, then suddenly they start doing 3 hours a month for a while... that could be a warning sign that they may need help. That's how it's supposed to work. Unfortunately, how it DOES work too often is as a competition... "I got more hours, so I have a better relationship with God."

... I won't bring anyone down, I refuse to. So I don't report the 50-60 hours a month I spend on these forums trying to spiritually help people, trying to clear up misrepresentations of God's word, etc. True, I'm not placing magazines... but I think I help people more by talking to them on an equal ground where THEY choose to come when THEY want to talk about God... than I would knocking on doors too early in the morning doing all I can for them to take a magazine 80% of them won't even read...

I've had quite a few people tell me that my posts have given them encouragement, or that I've shown them a new light with which they can read certain passages... that's all that I can hope for in this life... much more than "I managed to pawn off 10 magazines"....

:amen: :thumbsup:

I whole-heartedly agree with you! Some people communicate better when they write than when they talk. (I am one) AND, I'm tellin' 'ya, this forum has taught me so much about what other people believe and has made me dig into the Word unlike I ever would have studying in any religion. It forces you to "prove" the truth with scriptures. God is amazing! His Word is incredible! It's difficult to get this across to people...but it is alive...there is treasure and power found in it. It's the most interactive book I've ever read. How do you convey that to people in five minutes on a doorstep or to a co-worker on lunch break or whenever? I just want to grab hold of people and say, "you've gotta see/know/experience this!".

God knows every word we speak. We don't have to write in down...

[freefromthechains]

Well, the theory behind it is supposed to just be to "look for changes." If someone's reporting 30 hours a month consistantly, then suddenly they start doing 3 hours a month for a while... that could be a warning sign that they may need help. That's how it's supposed to work. Unfortunately, how it DOES work too often is as a competition... "I got more hours, so I have a better relationship with God."

... I won't bring anyone down, I refuse to. So I don't report the 50-60 hours a month I spend on these forums trying to spiritually help people, trying to clear up misrepresentations of God's word, etc. True, I'm not placing magazines... but I think I help people more by talking to them on an equal ground where THEY choose to come when THEY want to talk about God... than I would knocking on doors too early in the morning doing all I can for them to take a magazine 80% of them won't even read...

I've had quite a few people tell me that my posts have given them encouragement, or that I've shown them a new light with which they can read certain passages... that's all that I can hope for in this life... much more than "I managed to pawn off 10 magazines"....
You have a good attitude if you are a JW. I never liked reporting my hours either, and decided to quit reporting. An elder called me for my hrs. thinking I had forgotten to turn them in, and I asked him why I had to. I never did. I didn't see the point, as God knew what I was doing. I like the way you explain things. Thanks.

[woden]

bleh. I haven't reported my hours in years. I'll figure out a way, by golly.
I normally (jokingly of course) call it The Greatest Work of Fiction Ever Written.

To apply for Bethel one has to be a Witness who is baptised and in good standing, as Jen said. You have to be aged between 19 and 35 and be prepared to work hard. It's no picnic in the park. There is an application form to fill out and honesty is always the best policy. The reason I didn't go through with it was I wanted to be debt-free before entering. I'm still waiting to be debt-free and have missed the upper age limit by some years. Bother!!

If one does get in, the minimum a person can stay there is one year. If there are exceptional circumstances a person could leave earlier. If someone can fit into the routine and schedule of Bethel life, they ought to have an upbuilding and rewarding time.

If that is too much, there is always the Regional Building Team who build, renovate and repair Kingdom Halls. Being in good standing is a pre-requisite as is being recommended. If you don't have a trade, you learn one. There is so much to do and learn. It is really enjoyable, so much so that on occaisions I've been asked to help out with my landscaping skills. And to think most people only know the Witnesses from their house to house ministry.