Editing Jehovah's Witnesses practices (section)

==Worship==
[[File:Jehovah Witnesses Kingdom Hall Svolvaer 2009.JPG|thumb|A [[Kingdom Hall]] of Jehovah's Witnesses in [[Lofoten]], [[Norway]]]] 
[[File:Reunião em Salão do Reino.jpg|thumb|Worship at a Kingdom Hall in Portugal]]

Meetings for worship and study are held at [[Kingdom Hall]]s, and are open to the public. Witnesses are assigned to a congregation in which "territory" they reside. They are expected to attend weekly meetings as scheduled by the Watch Tower Society and congregation [[Elder (Christianity)#Jehovah's Witnesses|elders]]. The meetings are largely devoted to study of the Bible and Witness doctrines.<ref name=holdenhall>{{Harvnb|Holden|2002|pp=64–69}}.</ref> During meetings and in other formal circumstances, Witnesses refer to one another as "Brother" and "Sister".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Botting |first1=Heather |last2=Botting |first2=Gary |author-link2=Gary Botting |title=The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses |url=https://archive.org/details/orwellianworldof0000bott |url-access=registration |publisher=University of Toronto Press |year=1984 |page=[https://archive.org/details/orwellianworldof0000bott/page/85 85] |isbn=0-8020-6545-7}}</ref>

Sociologist Andrew Holden claims meetings create an atmosphere of uniformity for Witnesses, intensify their sense of belonging to a religious community, and reinforce the plausibility of the organization's belief system.<ref name=holdenhall /> Holden states that they are also important in helping new converts adopt a different way of life.<ref name=holdenhall /> According to ''The Watchtower'', one role of the frequency and length of meetings is to protect Witnesses from becoming "involved in the affairs of the world".<ref>"What Do You Do with Your Time?", ''The Watchtower'', February 1, 1950, page 38, "By setting and meeting the goal never to miss any of the meetings that the Lord provides for His people, the Christian is protected against becoming involved in the affairs of this world. He doesn't have time for it!"</ref><ref>"Exert Yourselves Vigorously!", ''The Watchtower'', April 1, 1972, page 206, "They do much private Bible study, attend five weekly congregation meetings and spend much time each month in preaching the good news of God's kingdom and making disciples of people, besides providing support for themselves and their families.{{nbsp}}[...] Being busy serves as a protection from many of the temptations and snares of the world, the flesh and the Devil."</ref> Witnesses are told they "should never miss a meeting unless there is a serious reason".<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=The Watchtower&mdash;Simplified Edition|date=April 15, 2013|page=23|title="Do Not Tire Out"|quote=We should never miss a meeting unless there is a serious reason.}}</ref>

The form and content of the meetings is established by the denomination's New York headquarters, generally involving a consideration of the same subject matter worldwide each week.<ref name=holdenhall /> Two meetings each week are divided into five distinct sections, lasting a total of three and one half hours. Meetings are opened and closed with [[hymns]], which they refer to as [[Kingdom song]]s, and brief prayers delivered from the platform. Witnesses are urged to prepare for all meetings by studying Watch Tower Society literature from which the content is drawn and looking up the scriptures cited in the articles.<ref>"Benefit Fully From the Service Meetings", ''Our Kingdom Ministry'', January 1989, page 7.</ref>

Kingdom Halls are typically functional in character, and do not contain religious symbols.<ref name=holdenhall /> Each year, Witnesses from several congregations, which form a "circuit", gather for two one-day assemblies. Several circuits meet once a year for a three-day "regional convention". Every few years the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses hold "international conventions" in selected cities around the world. These larger gatherings are usually held at rented stadiums or auditoriums. Their most important and solemn event is the celebration of the "Lord's Evening Meal", or "Memorial of Christ's Death".

During the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], Jehovah's Witnesses' conventions and meetings in many areas were held virtually, using [[Videotelephony|videoconferencing]] software and video presentations.<ref>{{cite web |title=Video Conferencing for Congregation Meetings|url=https://www.jw.org/en/library/series/how-your-donations-are-used/Videoconferencing-for-Congregation-Meetings/|website=jw.org |publisher=Watchtower Bible and Tract Society |access-date=29 November 2020}}</ref>

===Weekend meeting===
The weekend meeting, usually held on Sunday, comprises a 30-minute public talk by a congregation [[Organizational structure of Jehovah's Witnesses#Elders|elder]] or [[Organizational structure of Jehovah's Witnesses#Ministerial servants|ministerial servant]]<ref>{{cite book|title=Who Are Doing Jehovah's Will Today|page=10|publisher=Watch Tower Society|quote=On the weekend, each congregation meets to hear a 30-minute Bible discourse on how the Scriptures relate to our lives and to the times we live in.}}</ref> and a one-hour question-and-answer study of a Bible-based article from ''[[The Watchtower]]'' magazine,<ref name=holdenhall /> with questions prepared by the Watch Tower Society and the answers provided in the magazine.<ref>{{Harvnb|Franz|2007|p=420}}.</ref> Members may use their own words to express the ideas in the printed material,<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=The Watchtower|date=1 July 1999|page=20|title=Families, Praise God as Part of His Congregation}}</ref> though personal ideas derived from independent study are discouraged.<ref name=holdenhall /><ref>{{cite book |last1=Botting |first1=Heather |last2=Botting |first2=Gary |title=The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses |url=https://archive.org/details/orwellianworldof0000bott |url-access=registration |publisher=University of Toronto Press |year=1984 |page=[https://archive.org/details/orwellianworldof0000bott/page/143 143] |isbn=0-8020-6545-7}}</ref>

===Midweek meeting===
The midweek meeting, typically held in the evening, includes a question-and-answer session based on Watch Tower Society publications,<ref name=holdenhall /> Bible reading, sample presentations about how to use Watch Tower Society literature for Bible studies and public preaching,<ref>{{cite book|title=2017 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses|pages=19&ndash;21|publisher=Watch Tower Society}}</ref> and a "Congregation Bible Study" in the format of a question-and-answer session based on a Watch Tower Society publication.<ref>{{cite book|title=Organized to Do Jehovah's Will|page=64|publisher=Watch Tower Society}}</ref>

===Family Worship evening===

In addition to the two weekly scheduled meetings, the Watch Tower Society recommends that Witnesses maintain a weekly "Family Worship evening"&mdash;using the time previously allocated for a third weekly meeting&mdash;for family and personal study.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Our Kingdom Ministry|date=November 2011|page=3|title=Help for Families|quote=What Is the Purpose of the Family Worship Evening? In January 2009, the Congregation Book Study began to be held on the same evening as the Theocratic Ministry School and Service Meeting.{{nbsp}}[...] Each family was encouraged to move its family study to the night formerly used for the book study, if practical, and to use this time for unhurried Bible discussion and study tailored to the needs of the family.}}</ref> No specific format for the Family Worship evening is provided, but the Society recommends that members consider Watch Tower Society publications during this time.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=The Watchtower|date=August 15, 2011|page=6|title=Ideas for Family Worship and Personal Study}}</ref>

===Memorial of Christ's death===
{{See also|Memorialism|Memorial of Jesus' Death}}
[[File:Lord's Evening Meal (Jehovah's Witnesses) Emblems.jpg|thumb|The bread and wine which is passed among congregants during the Memorial]]
Jehovah's Witnesses commemorate Christ's death as a ransom or "propitiatory sacrifice" by observing the Lord's Evening Meal, or [[Memorial (Jehovah's Witnesses)|Memorial]].<ref name="Meal">{{cite book |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=What Does The Bible Really Teach? |orig-year=2005 |year=2014 |chapter=The Lord's Evening Meal: An Observance That Honors God |chapter-url=https://www.jw.org/en/library/books/bible-teach/the-lords-evening-meal/ |publisher=[[Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania]] |pages=206–208 |access-date=18 July 2020}}</ref> They celebrate it once per year, noting that it was instituted on the [[Passover]], an annual festival.<ref>''Reasoning From The Scriptures'', Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1989, p. 265.</ref> They observe it on [[Quartodeciman|Nisan 14]] according to the [[Hebrew calendar|ancient Jewish]] [[lunisolar calendar]].<ref>{{cite book |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |url=https://www.jw.org/en/library/books/Insight-on-the-Scriptures/ |title=Insight On The Scriptures |orig-year=1988 |year=2018 |publisher=[[Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania]] |volume=1 |page=392 |access-date=18 July 2020}}</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses are taught that this is the only celebration the Bible commands Christians to observe.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1998083 |title=Jehovah is a God of Covenants |date=1 February 1998 |magazine=[[The Watchtower]] |publisher=[[Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania]] |pages=8–13 |via=Watchtower Online Library |access-date=18 July 2020 |quote=Jesus instituted the only annual religious observance commanded for Christians—the Memorial of his death.}}</ref> In the days leading up to the Memorial, Bible reading is assigned from chapters about the days leading up to Jesus' death.

Of those who attend the Memorial, a small minority worldwide partake of the unleavened bread and wine. This is because Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the majority of the faithful have an earthly hope. Only those who believe they have a heavenly hope, the "remnant" (those still living) of the [[144000 (number)#Jehovah's Witnesses|144,000]] "anointed", partake of the bread and wine.<ref name="Meal" /> In {{JWStatistics|year}}, approximately {{JWStatistics|memorial|approx}} people attended, and about {{JWStatistics|partakers|approx}} members partook.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jw.org/en/library/books/{{JWStatistics|year}}-Service-Year-Report-of-Jehovahs-Witnesses-Worldwide/{{JWStatistics|year}}-Grand-Totals//|title={{JWStatistics|year}} Grand Totals|publisher=Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society}}</ref>

The Memorial, held after sunset, includes a talk on the meaning of the celebration and the circulation among the audience of unadulterated red wine and unleavened bread. Jehovah's Witnesses believe the bread symbolizes Jesus' body which he gave on behalf of mankind, and that the wine symbolizes his blood which redeems from sin. They do not believe in [[transubstantiation]] or [[consubstantiation]].<ref name="Meal" /> Because many congregations have no members who claim to be anointed, it is common for no one to partake of the bread and wine.

===Assemblies and conventions===
[[File:Convention Jehovah's Witnesses Kraków 2018.jpg|thumb|A Jehovah's Witnesses Convention in [[Kraków]], [[Poland]]]]
Each year, Jehovah's Witnesses hold two one-day "Circuit Assemblies", held in each circuit worldwide. Each circuit comprises several congregations in a geographical area. These are held either in Assembly Halls owned by Jehovah's Witnesses, or in rented facilities, such as public auditoriums. Once a year, Jehovah's Witnesses gather at larger assemblies called "Regional Conventions" which are usually three days long, Friday to Sunday. These conventions consist primarily of Bible-based talks, dramatizations, and videos, including demonstrations and experiences of their preaching work.<ref>{{cite book|author=M. James Penton|title=Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses|edition=3rd|year=2015|page=116}}</ref>

Conventions feature a baptism talk followed by the baptism of new members. Every few years, "International Conventions" are held in selected cities, with visiting delegates from other countries. Attendance at some of these international conventions has exceeded one hundred thousand. The 1958 international convention in New York at [[Yankee Stadium]] and the [[Polo Grounds]] had a peak attendance exceeding 253,000.<ref>{{cite book|author=M. James Penton|title=Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses|edition=3rd|year=2015|page=116}}</ref>