The last two weeks have been very special in our large congregation. Our Circuit Overseer and his wife (the Asamoa's) have stayed with us. Last time he was with us there was 197 in attendance for our public meeting and of course we were hoping for more this time.
Now the sharp minded among you might stop me right now and ask: "Why do you say weeks? A circuit overseer only visits a congregation for one week before he goes on to a new congregation"
Yes you are quit right, well done. A circuit overseer will visit every congregation in his circuit two times a year, one week each time. But he can visit a Congregation Group once a year if he have the time for it. Don't confuse the service groups all congregations are made up of with a Congregation Group. It is my impression that - except in the circuit made up of congregations and groups speaking one of the minor Ghanaian languages, such as Ghanaian Sign Language - the travelling overseers most often do not have the time to visit every Congregation Group in their Circuit.
Ho Central Congregation is a spiritually rich congregation as we have the privilege to care for not one but two Congregation Groups. That is the Ho South English Group and the Ho Ghanaian Sign Language Group.
Having the Circuit Overseer visit the Group while we still had our daily routine in the Congregation did make for scheduling problems. The Friday before last we had the meetings at the same time in both South and Central. I was scheduled to conduct the congregation bible study in south at the same time as I was scheduled to conduct the school in Central. Normally the meetings are held on different days of the week. Unfortunately science have not yet invented a method to be in two places as the same time, so we thought it best to reschedule. For me it meant that I could only partake in one of the three meetings of the service week in the Group, the first one on Tuesday. On Sunday I was given the talk in Central, but after the meeting I was able to go meet the group at the end of their meeting. And let me tell you a small secret: "The Circuit Overseer was very delighted with the week and was in favor of the group becoming a congregation!"
Last week we had our normal Service week in the Congregation and that also went very well. Especially our young Bible Teachers (or Publishers) did very well. Something br. Asamoa mentioned several times. I think it is proper also to mention this as the result of the Service Week in the Congregation. so Iko to you young ones!
And what about the meeting attendance at the public meeting on Sunday? This time not all of us attended at the same time, actually last time the Kingdom Hall was more than full. But the combined attendance of the two Sunday meetings was 224!
Brother and Sister Asamoa together with Sister Pavlek (a polish needgreater that are with us for a few months)
Bror og Søster Asamoa sammen med Søster Pavlek (en polsk needgreater der er hos os nogle måneder)
Denne månedes tema bliver "To Menigheder" (det er ikke Dickens, men måske vil I alligevel kunne lide at læse det). Vi har nu i et år haft vores møder to forskellige steder. Hver onsdag holder vi Midtuge Mødet på stævnepladsen og om fredagen gentager vi så programmet i rigssalen. Om søndagen holder vi det Offentlige Møde klokken 13.30 og 15.00
De sidste to uger har været helt specielle for os i Ho Centrum. Vores Kredstilsynsmand og hans Kone (Asamoa) har været samme med os. Sidste gang de besøgte os var vi 197 til stede til det offentlige møde om søndagen. Så naturligvis ville vi gerne være flere denne gang.
Nu vil de skarpe iblandt jeg nok stoppe op og spørge mig: "Men Jack, hvorfor siger du at kredstilsynsmanden var hos jer i to uger? Han besøger da kun en menighed i en uge før han rejser videre til den næste."
Det var godt set. En kredstilsynsmand besøger jo netop hver menighed en uge to gange om året. Men han kan besøge en Menighedsgruppe en gang om året, hvis han ellers har tid til det. Det er mit indtryk at de oftest ikke har tiden til det, medmindre vi taler om kredse der består af
meget små ghanesiske sprog som for eksempel Ghanesisk Tegnsprog.
Ho Centrum er en åndelig meget rig menighed, vi har haft det store privilegium ikke bare at havde en gruppe tilslutte vores menighed, men hele to. Det er Ho Syd Engelske Gruppe og Ho Ghanesisk Tegnsprogs Gruppe.
At havde kredstilsynsmanden besøge vores syd gruppe mens menighedens dagligdag naturligvis fortsatte skabte nogle logistiske problemer. Forrige fredag havde vi møder på samme tid i både centrum og syd. Det var planlagt a jeg skulle lede menighedens bibelstudie i syd samtidig med at planen sagde at jeg også skulle lede skole i centrum. Normalt er møderne jo hold på forskellige dage i ugen. Men da videnskaben endnu ikke har skabt en sikker måde at være to steder på en gang besluttede vi det var bedst at jeg ikke forsøgte. Desværre betød det for mig at jeg kun kunne overvære det først møde i gruppens tjenesteuge da jeg også skulle holde foredraget i centrum om søndagen. Men efter mødet i Menigheden nåede jeg dog lige ud til Gruppen til den allersidste del af deres møde. Og lad mig fortælle jer en lille hemmelighed: "Kredstilsynsmanden syntes at ugen havde gået rigtig fint og han var helt med på ideen om at gruppen skal blive til en menighed!"
I Sidste uge havde vi så vores normale besøg af bror Asamoa i vores menighed og det gik også ganske udmærket. Særligt vores unge bibel lærere (eller forkyndere) fik megen ros for deres store indsats i vores menigheds arbejde. Det var noget han nævnte flere gange i løbet af uge så jeg syntes at det er mest korrekt at opsummerer den sidst uge ved at sige Iko til alle vores unge forkyndere.
Og hvad med det offentlige møde om søndagen? Denne gang var vi ikke, som sidste gang, allesammen sammen samlet i rigssalen. Men det kombinerede fremmøde for de to søndage var 224!
No comments:
Post a Comment