have you ever been to a meeting at a Kingdom Hall?

Question

Did you feel welcome and what did they talk about? Anything different from a church service?

Answer 1

Hi I was raised Catholic, and most of my family still is.
I went to a Kingdom Hall for the first time 20+ years ago.
I did not get the point back then and because they use the bible extensively, and I was Catholic I could not follow along very well.
I did feel the genuine warmth and compassion how ever.
I made the choice to continuing to study the bible with the Witnesses and I was baptized in 1998.
Witnesses, whether using just the bible or in combination with their publications only discuss the truth found in the bible.
No politics, no which candidate to vote for. Jesus is our only candidate.
We also have a ministerial school, it helps with our public speaking, and our communication skills.
We have a meeting 1 Hour a week to discuss bible books and get a better understanding of the word of God Jehovah. Just now we are studying the book of Revelations, yup, it is a tough one for some of us to get straight .
We open most meetings and close most meetings with a song
ALL meeting are opened and closed with a prayer to God through Jesus Christ. we always ask for Holy Spirit to help with bible understanding.
And, the ladies room is clean, and the nursery is usually full!

Answer 2

When I first went to a meeting. I too was made to feel very welcome. I enjoyed the fact that the discussion was bible based and the bibles were used throughout the whole meeting.
There are no crosses and statues and so called holy pictures adorning all the walls like a church.That's because Jehovah's Witnesses don't meet in churches.
Its completely different to a church service.I used to be a catholic so I can say without being judgemental - church services are full of rituals and chants and repetitive prayers that dont make any sense and no one talks to anyone else.Whereas a meeting in a kingdom hall is always bible based.And there is no ritualistic practices and everyone talks to each other and importantly welcomes new ones.
Jesus said at John 13:35:"By this all will know that you are my disciples,if you have love among yourselves."
I left the catholic religion and have been one of Jehovahs Witnesses for ten years.Its the best thing I have ever done.

Answer 3

First off the Kingdom Hall is a place where Jehovah's Witnesses meet for their 4-5 meetings a week. Jehovah's Witnesses are not a Christian demonation and you should save your soul and mental health and stay far away from this pseudo-christian cult.

As far as your question is concerned Yes I've been to one and yes the people are friendly, especially if your new and don't ask alot of questions. Ask to many questions and they get put on the defense. Just try as ask them an honest question about there past.

It is a long serivce ( counted as 2 meeting) as it takes almost 2hrs to endure on Sundays. Then twice a week there is a another 2hr meeting held at the Kingdom Hall and the a 1 hr bible study, that is normally done in someones home.

They first sing 1 song and then 1 prayer and then 45 minutes of talking. Then it's another 1 song ( you discouraged to use this time as a potty break) and the other 45 minutes of talks and sometimes preparations for the weekend door to door activity. Only their church members will be saved, The Watchtower, Feb, 15, 1979, p. 30.

It is all very boring ( meaning that in the literal sense) and no hint of joy whatsoever and you learn nothing of value that you couldn't learn in a real christian chruch. You will not see any thing like a Cross or anything related to what you might see in other Churches. Plus they preach a different Gospel than the one in the found in the Bible. I don't know how to put it more strongly that this religion can't save your soul.

Answer 4

Yes, I have attended many Kingdom Hall services, and have also been to a couple of their National Conventions.
They were very welcoming to me, and seem family oriented.
But they mainly use the Watchtower publication and don't put much emphasis on the Bible. Some of their doctrines ring true.
But other things they teach set my teeth on edge.
I think the thing that bothers me most is they seem more mindful of what the Watchtower Society wants them to do, rather than seeking God's will for their lives.
Oh, and they think they must work hard to go to heaven or live on Paridise Earth when all becomes new here.

Answer 5

been a jw for over 20 years.

wow, some of the negative ones, have put a lot of their personal research and effort into discrediting what we believe.

here is a quick reference for the commentor who says that we dont believe Jesus died on a cross, true we don't the Bible nowhere states that Jesus died on a cross. I found this on a quick net search on "origin of the cross" and its not a JW site so you can see from a little research on what words mean and past church traditons that false teachings have been implemented.

"Dr. Bullinger, The Companion Bible, appx. 162 states, "crosses were used as symbols of the Babylonian Sun-god...It should be stated that Constantine was a Sun-god worshipper...The evidence is thus complete, that the Lord was put to death upon and upright stake, and not on two pieces of timber placed at any angle." [2]

Rev. Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons, pp. 197-205, frankly calls the cross "this Pagan symbol...the Tau, the sign of the cross, the indisputable sign of Tammuz, the false Messiah...the mystic Tau of the Chaldeans (Babylonians) and Egyptians--the true original form of the letter T--the initial of the name of Tammus...the Babylonian cross was the recognized emblem of Tammuz." [3]

http://www.thewordsofeternallife.com/cross.html

reading, studying and research, is what we do, and we use other sources of info for how we base our beliefs, history itself proves that what the Bible has to say is true. So much of a lot of other religions are based on traditions, and sadly seemed to have moved away from what the true principles are.

For those who don't want the JW's to come to your house anymore, all you have to do is just tell them, and we will make sure it's noted so we don't come back.

But for those of you who are interested, check out a meeting at a kingdom hall, it is free, there is no collection plate, you'll find there are no images, crosses, pews, its just a comfortable auditorium with a stage. You should check it out at least once, then you can make your own honest decision after that.

Answer 6

You will be welcome, but dress well (ladies wear dresses). This may vary, but the Hall i visited was quite spartan, we sat on folding chairs, You will want Your Bible at hand. It was a while ago, but i remember its being more of an expanded Bible study rather than the preaching i experienced in other churches, and it certainly isn't like mass.

Answer 7

I did feel very welcome there. I can't remember specifically what we talked about. It was a couple years ago @ least. It was nothing like a church service to me, except the singing part. It was like being @ school. We read articles out of the Watchtower/Awake! aloud together.Then answered the questions aloud together. We did sing a few songs and say a prayer @ the beginning and end.It was very serious/solemn to me. But I'm sure I could get used to it.

Answer 8

the majority of people have never been in a Kingdom hall. they talk about us cause they think they know us but really don´t understand what we believe.

Answer 9

Yes, I liked it, even though I dont believe, they treated me nice, accepted my blue jeans, cowboy boots and mustache.
When I said enough they listened, I give them a 7 out of 10 for trying
I give traditional Christian churches a no score

Answer 10

Yes, I felt very welcomed and I can actually say that it's all about what the Bible teaches and you can definitely learn some things.