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Practices of Jehovah's Witnesses include activities common to many churches, such as evangelism, gathering for group worship and study, and donating money to support their religious activities. Some controversial practices include their non-involvement in politics (temporal disengagement), shunning, and injunctions against certain medical procedures.
Jehovah's Witnesses are perhaps best known for their intensive witnessing, or, as some refer to it, proselytizing, efforts. Indeed, this practice is closely associated with the religion's name. All members who are healthy enough are strongly encouraged to go from door to door, participating in this activity. Even children are encouraged to participate, accompanied by their parents. Each witness is encouraged to participate to the extent his circumstances allow, every week if at all possible. Some witnesses commit to spending 70 hours per month in witnessing activities; they are known as pioneers.
Witnesses have in the past used a wide variety of methods to spread their faith, including information marches, where members wore sign boards and handed out leaflets, to sound cars, and syndicated newspaper columns and radio spots devoted to sermons.
Currently, door-to-door evangelizing for the Witnesses means endeavouring to engage persons in discussion of religious matters and offering literature about their faith to anyone who shows an interest in it, on a donation basis, rather than a for-sale basis.
Although it is largely the door-to-door evangelism of the Witnesses that has made them targets of lampooning in various modern media, in many places it continues to be a highly effective way of locating potential new members. Likely more than half of all Witnesses came into contact with the organization when they or an immediate family member received a door-to-door visitation.
Jehovah's Witnesses object to the use of the word proselytism or proselytizing to describe their work, since the word now has almost exclusively negative overtones. They point out that their activity does not involve coercion, as anyone who does not wish to listen can merely shut the door or walk away. No financial or material rewards are offered for conversion. Terms frequently employed by the witnesses include "preaching," "disciple-making", "service," "the ministry," and, more formally, but less frequently, "evangelizing."
Jehovah's Witnesses call their meeting places " Kingdom Halls" instead of churches, to indicate that the gathering of the congregation is what is important, not the physical location itself. In general, the buildings are functional in character. Many halls are attractive but have few architectural frills.
In many countries, the Witnesses have "Assembly Halls" where about twenty congregations meet twice a year for one- or two-day assemblies. In countries and areas without such "Assembly Halls" the twice-annual assemblies are still held but in borrowed or rented facilities suitable for the purpose such as public auditoriums or school auditoriums or similar facilities. Once a year Jehovah's Witnesses come together at larger assemblies called "District Conventions" and occasionally "International Conventions" with visiting delegates from a number of foreign countries usually lasting 3-4 days. Some "International Conventions" number into the hundreds of thousands with the largest ever gathering held in New York in 1958 at the Yankee Stadium and Polo Grounds with a peak attendance exceeding 250,000. The latest series of International Conventions was held in 2003.
The great majority of the Kingdom Halls and Assembly Halls as well as the Watchtower Society's headquarters and branch office facilities around the world have been constructed by the Witnesses themselves freely contributing their own time. The needed finances come exclusively from voluntary contributions made by Jehovah's Witness members according to each one's means and inclination.
Congregation meetings are held three times a week. All meetings are generally synchronous, so that all congregations are studying the same material at the same meeting.
A public talk (sermon on a Bible-related theme) is delivered usually on Sundays, followed by a discussion of an article from 'The Watchtower' magazine. These meeting usually last 2 hours from opening prayer to closing prayer.
On a weekday evening, the 'Theocratic Ministry School' is held, where 'students' receive assignments on a rotating basis. At each meeting, six students give brief speeches on preselected Bible topics, and an instructor comments on the speech and offers suggestions for improvement. This is followed by the 'Service Meeting', program on how to carry on the group's preaching efforts. These meetings are preperatory for the door-to-door evangelical work. The Theocratic Ministry School meetings generally last about an hour.
On a separate weekday evening, the 'Congregation Book Study' is held, for which Witnesses meet in small groups of about 10 to 15, usually in the private homes of members. They discuss a single Bible topic in depth. One of the books or brochures published by Jehovah's Witnesses is used to direct the question-and-answer Bible discussion. The Congregation Book Study has a typical duration of 60 minutes.
Meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses open and close with prayer. Hymns, known to the Witnesses as 'Kingdom Songs' are usually sung at meetings held in the Kingdom Hall, as well as at assemblies and conventions.
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