Apply Yourself to the Field Ministry — Week of August 31 to September 6, 2026

STARTING A CONVERSATION

Duration: 3 min.
Location: House to house
Objective: To offer a Bible course in a direct way
Lesson: Humility
Bible text: Revelation 21:4
Publication: Enjoy Life Forever!

Situation: A woman opens the door. The publisher directly offers the course, but without pressuring her and humbly acknowledging that he does not have all the answers.

Publisher: Good afternoon. We are offering our neighbors a free Bible course—short and with no obligation. Would you ever be interested in getting to know the answers the Bible gives to life’s big questions?

Person: Wow, you got straight to the point. To be honest, I’m not very religious.

Publisher: Yes, I’ve been quite direct. I didn’t want to waste your time by hiding the reason for my visit. But the course isn’t a class, and you don’t have to accept everything I say. It’s a conversation in which you can ask questions and reach your own conclusions. May I show you in one minute how it works?

Person: Well, one minute is fine.

Publisher: We use this publication, titled Enjoy Life Forever! The first lesson asks: “How Can the Bible Help You?” If you could ask God one question, what would it be?

Person: I would ask him why he allows so much suffering.

Publisher: That’s a very important question, and it would be disrespectful to give you a hasty answer. The course considers it calmly. For example, it first shows what God promises to do. Revelation 21:4 says: “Death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.” What future does this text describe?

Person: One in which there would be no more suffering. But it still doesn’t explain why he allows it now.

Publisher: You’re right. This text explains what God will do, but on its own it doesn’t answer why we still suffer. To understand that, we need to examine other passages. One of the lessons in the course deals specifically with that question.

Person: And what if I ask you a question you can’t answer?

Publisher: I would honestly tell you that I don’t know, and we would look together at what the Bible says. I don’t claim to know everything. The goal is to learn from the Bible, not from my opinions.

Person: How long does each session last?

Publisher: You decide. We can start with ten minutes and adapt to your schedule. After trying it, you are free to decide whether you want to continue.

Person: I can’t right now, but Tuesday afternoon I might have a little time.

Publisher: Perfect. On Tuesday we can look at just the first part of the lesson. You can use your own Bible, an app, or this publication. Everything is free and with no obligation.

Person: All right. You can come by around six.

Publisher: Thank you very much. I’ll come at that time, and we’ll begin with the question you raised.

STARTING A CONVERSATION

Duration: 4 min.
Location: Informal witnessing, at school
Objective: To use article 106 to help a classmate who is stressed because he feels a teacher is treating him unfairly
Lesson: Kindness
Bible text: Colossians 4:6
Source: How Can I Get Along With My Teacher?

Situation: As a class ends, a student sees that her classmate is very upset about the grade and the comments he received from a teacher.

Publisher: Hey, you’ve been staring at that sheet for a while. Did something happen?

Person: My history teacher gave me a four. And in front of everyone he said my work looked like it was done at the last minute.

Publisher: That must have made you feel awful, especially if he said it in front of the class.

Person: I was so embarrassed. He always speaks to me more harshly than to the others. I’m convinced he has it in for me.

Publisher: I understand you’re angry. Did he explain why he gave you that grade?

Person: He wrote that I didn’t follow the instructions, but I did do the work. I’m thinking of going straight to the head of studies and telling them how he treats me.

Publisher: If there really is unfair treatment, it’s fine to ask for help. But before talking to the head of studies, do you think you could ask the teacher exactly what he expected from the assignment?

Person: What for? He’ll just say again that I don’t pay attention.

Publisher: That’s possible, and I don’t want to downplay what he did. I just think that talking to him first could help you find out whether there was a misunderstanding and explain how you felt.

Person: But I’m not going to be nice after the way he treated me.

Publisher: I understand. A while ago I read an article meant for young people who have problems with a teacher. One of its suggestions is based on Colossians 4:6. It says: “Let your words always be gracious, seasoned with salt.”

Person: Does that mean I have to put up with it and agree with him?

Publisher: No. Speaking kindly doesn’t mean accepting something unfair. It means expressing what happened without insulting or starting an argument. That way he’s more likely to listen to what you want to say.

Person: And how would you say it?

Publisher: Maybe something like: “Teacher, I want to improve in your class. Could you explain which instructions I didn’t follow? I also wanted to tell you that the comment in front of the class made me feel really bad.” It’s respectful, but it makes clear what happened.

Person: That sounds better than what I was going to say. I was going to ask him why he had it in for me.

Publisher: It’s normal that you thought that while you were angry. The article also recommends trying to understand what the teacher expects and choosing a good moment to talk with him, preferably in private.

Person: Lately he tells us he’s overwhelmed because he has too many exams to grade.

Publisher: Maybe that pressure affects how he reacts, though it doesn’t justify embarrassing you in front of the others. Being understanding can help you talk calmly, but your feelings matter too.

Person: It stresses me out to think he’ll treat me the same way again.

Publisher: How about this plan? Today, don’t send him any message while you’re angry. Tomorrow, after class, ask him to explain the grade. If he doesn’t listen or keeps treating you badly, talk to your parents or your tutor so they can help you.

Person: Yeah, I think that’s better than going straight into an argument.

Publisher: If you want, I’ll send you the article. It includes several suggestions for dealing with difficult teachers and experiences from other young people.

Person: Please send it to me. This afternoon I can read it and prepare what I’m going to say.

Publisher: Sure. And tomorrow, if you like, tell me how it went. I hope you can sort it out and feel calmer.

Person: Thanks. It helped me to talk it over before doing something on impulse.

EXPLAINING YOUR BELIEFS

Duration: 5 min.
Location: Auditorium
Title: Why Don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses Get Involved in Politics?
Lesson: Highlight the main points
Bible texts: John 18:36; Matthew 24:14; Romans 13:1
Source: Why Don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses Get Involved in Politics?

When an election approaches or an important political debate arises, someone might ask us: “Why don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses vote? Aren’t you concerned about what happens in the country?”

Our neutrality is not because we are indifferent to people’s problems. Nor is it because we despise governments. It is a religious stand based on the Bible.

Let us consider three main reasons why Jehovah’s Witnesses do not get involved in politics.

The first reason is that we follow Jesus’ example and are loyal to God’s Kingdom.

When people saw Jesus’ miracles, they wanted to make him king. He had the ability to improve their lives and could have used his power to gain political authority. Yet John 6:15 explains that he withdrew because he knew they wanted to make him king.

Jesus made his position clear at John 18:36, when he said: “My Kingdom is no part of this world.”

That is why true Christians do not support a party or candidate, nor do we run in elections for public office. We do not believe that a human political system is the ultimate solution to humanity’s problems.

Our primary loyalty belongs to God’s Kingdom. According to Matthew 24:14, Jesus commissioned his disciples to preach “the good news of the Kingdom” throughout the earth. As representatives of that heavenly government, we announce what it will do, but we do not try to take control of present-day governments.

This brings us to the second reason: neutrality protects our unity and allows us to help people of any ideology.

Imagine if the Witnesses in one country supported one party and those in another country backed an opposing political force. When a conflict arose, they could end up opposing one another. Politics would divide a brotherhood that should remain united.

Colossians 3:14 says that love is “a perfect bond of union.” Thanks to neutrality, Jehovah’s Witnesses can preserve a genuine international brotherhood. No matter our country, language, race, or economic situation, we do not allow political divisions to set us against one another.

In addition, we can talk about the Bible’s message with people of any ideology. If we identified with one party, those who support another might think we are against them and perhaps wouldn’t even listen to the Kingdom message.

Neutrality shows that we trust in God’s government and not in a human political proposal. Psalm 56:11 expresses that confidence when it says: “In God I trust; I am not afraid.”

Now then, does this mean we reject the authority of governments? No. That is the third main point: we are neutral, but we respect the authorities and other people’s decisions.

Let us read Romans 13:1: “Let every person be in subjection to the superior authorities.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses obey the laws, pay taxes, and cooperate with measures that seek the well-being of citizens. We also follow the counsel of 1 Timothy 2:1, 2 and pray for those in positions of authority, especially when their decisions may affect our freedom to worship God.

Therefore, neutrality is not rebellion or a threat to any country’s security. We strive to be peaceful, honest, and law-abiding people.

We also respect the right of each person to decide what they will do in political matters. We do not disrupt elections or pressure others to adopt our position. If someone decides to vote or support a candidate, we respect their freedom of choice.

This position is not new either. Jesus and the Christians of the first century respected the authorities, but they did not seek to hold political office or control the government.

So let us remember the three main points. First, we follow Jesus’ example and give our loyalty to God’s Kingdom. Second, neutrality preserves our unity and allows us to preach to people of any ideology. And third, although we do not take part in politics, we respect governments and the personal decisions of others.

So our neutrality does not come from indifference. It comes from our confidence that God’s Kingdom, directed by Jesus Christ, is the only government able to solve humanity’s problems permanently.