Lesson 10 Explore 3: Why Attend Meetings at the Kingdom Hall? | Young People Ask
YOUNG PEOPLE ASK Why Attend Meetings at the Kingdom Hall?
Twice each week, Jehovah’s Witnesses hold meetings at their places of worship, called Kingdom Halls. What goes on there, and how can you benefit by attending?
What happens at a Kingdom Hall?
The Kingdom Hall is a center for learning that focuses on practical Bible education. The meetings held there can help you:
• learn the truth about God.
• understand the meaning behind current events.
• become a better person.
• find the best kind of friends.
Did you know? The meeting place of Jehovah’s Witnesses is called a Kingdom Hall because God’s Kingdom is prominently discussed there.
(Matthew 6.9, 10: “You must pray, then, this way: “‘Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. Let your Kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also on earth.)
(Matthew 24.14: And this good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.)
(Luke 4.43: But he said to them: “I must also declare the good news of the Kingdom of God to other cities, because for this I was sent.”)
Why should you attend?
The information will help you. The Bible principles discussed at the meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses will help you “acquire wisdom.”
(Proverbs 4.5: Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding. Do not forget, and do not turn aside from what I say.)
That means the Bible can actually help you make good decisions in life. It can also help you answer life’s big questions, including:
• What is the meaning of life?
• Is God to blame for our suffering?
• What happens when we die?
The following are just a few titles of the talks that are given at our weekend meetings:
• Why Be Guided by the Bible?
• Where Can You Get Help in Times of Distress?
• What God’s Kingdom Is Doing for Us Now.
“A classmate came to one of the meetings. He sat with our family, and we shared our books with him. Afterward, he told me that he was really impressed with the comments people gave during the audience-participation parts. He also said that at his church they don’t have study material like we do.”—Brenda.
Did you know? Seats are free at the Kingdom Hall, and no collections are ever taken.
The association will encourage you. The Bible says that one reason Christians should meet together is to be “encouraging one another.”
(Hebrews 10.24, 25: And let us consider one another so as to incite to love and fine works, not forsaking our meeting together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as you see the day drawing near.)
Good association among people who put God and others before themselves is refreshing in this largely self-centered world.
“After a long day, I may feel sad and run-down, but the people at the Kingdom Hall always make me feel better. On my way home after a meeting, I feel happy and ready to tackle another day.”—Elisa.
Did you know? There are more than 120,000 congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses around the world, meeting at more than 60,000 locations. Each year, on average, about 1,500 Kingdom Halls are built to accommodate the increase in attenders.
What your peers say
“When I was in high school, a classmate came with me to a few meetings, and she was impressed by the wide age-range of Bible students who were all learning together. More recently my employer came, and he was amazed by our frequent use of the Bible. Seeing his appreciation for the meeting increased my own appreciation!”—Jessica.
“I find that the meetings give me relief from daily cares and anxieties. We learn how to have a fulfilling life, how to be a better person, and much more. I always leave the Kingdom Hall feeling encouraged and refreshed.”—Timothy.
“A man I invited to a meeting said afterward: ‘I attended just to see if I could discredit your beliefs. But it turns out my beliefs were wrong!’ He was also impressed by the friendliness of Jehovah’s Witnesses. He said: ‘Even though I just met you people, you treated me as if I’d known you for years!’”—Jacob.
“There have been times when I thought, ‘I’ll just leave as soon as the meeting is over.’ But during the meeting, that feeling just slips away. After the meeting, I’m talking to people and I can’t remember why I felt the way I did earlier. If it weren’t for the meetings, I wouldn’t have the wonderful friends that I now have.”—Madison.
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