Editing Jehovah's Witnesses practices (section)

==Evangelism==
[[File:Evangelização.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Jehovah's Witnesses preaching in [[Lisbon]], [[Portugal]]]]
[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses in Tuuri.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Jehovah's Witnesses cart witnessing in [[Tuuri]], [[Finland]]]]
Jehovah's Witnesses believe they are under obligation to God to "give witness" by participating in organized and spontaneous evangelizing and proselytizing work.<ref name=holdenminister>{{Harvnb|Holden|2002|pp=71–76}}.</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Catholic Encyclopedia|volume=7|pages=864–5|quote=The fundamental obligation of each member of the sect is to give witness to Jehovah by announcing His approaching Kingdom.{{nbsp}}[...] They regard the Bible as their only source of belief and rule of conduct{{nbsp}}[...] To be a true Witness one must preach effectively in one way or another.}}</ref> Prospective members are told they have a moral obligation to serve as "publishers" by "regular and zealous" participation in the Witnesses' organised preaching work, disseminating Watch Tower doctrines as evangelists of "the Truth".<ref name=holdenminister /><ref name="Question Box 2013, page 7">{{cite magazine|magazine=Our Kingdom Ministry|date=July 2013|page=7|title=Question Box}}</ref> Qualifying as an "unbaptized publisher" is a requirement for baptism,<ref name="Question Box 2013, page 7"/> and baptism is regarded as an automatic ordination as a minister.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=The Watchtower|title=Paying Back Caesar's Things to Caesar|date=May 1, 1996|page=16}}</ref>

Watch Tower publications describe house-to-house visitations as the primary work of Jehovah's Witnesses<ref name="Question Box 2013, page 7"/> in obedience to a "divine command" to preach "the Kingdom good news in all the earth and (make) disciples of people of all the nations".<ref>{{cite book|title=Organized to Accomplish Our Ministry|publisher=Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society|page=4}}</ref> Children usually accompany their parents and participate in the public ministry.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Our Kingdom Ministry|date=July 2005|page=3|title=Help Your Children Progress in the Ministry}}</ref> In addition to taking part in organized door-to-door preaching, Witnesses are taught that they should seek opportunities to "witness informally" by starting conversations with people they meet during routine activities such as shopping or on public transport, and directing the conversation towards their beliefs.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Our Kingdom Ministry|date=September 2011|page=6|title=We Are Witnesses All the Time}}</ref>

Witnesses are told that they should put the interests of "[[Kingdom of God (Christian denominational variations)#Jehovah's Witnesses|God's Kingdom]]" first in their lives and that other secular and recreational pursuits should remain secondary to spiritual matters.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=The Watchtower|title="You Know Neither the Day Nor the Hour"|date=September 15, 2012|pages=26–27}}</ref> Witnesses are frequently instructed through Watch Tower Society publications, and at meetings and conventions, to increase the quality and quantity of their preaching efforts.<ref>{{Harvnb|Penton|1997|p=259}}.</ref><ref name=franzevangelism>{{Harvnb|Franz|2007|pp=196–206}}</ref> Watch Tower Society publications suggest that endurance in public preaching is a requirement for Witnesses to attain salvation.<ref>{{cite book| last = Botting| first = Heather|author2=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/107 107]| isbn = 0-8020-6545-7}}</ref> 

Members who commit themselves to evangelize for 600 hours per year, an average of 50 hours per month, are called ''regular pioneers''. Those who commit themselves to evangelize for 30 hours for one month are called ''auxiliary pioneers'', which they may do for consecutive months. Some Witnesses volunteer for missionary service, and may be invited to receive specialized training at the [[Watchtower Bible School of Gilead]]. These individuals dedicate, on average, more than 120 hours per month to their work.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Determined to Follow God's Way of Life|magazine=The Watchtower|date=January 15, 1999|page=6}}</ref> Members who are not able to 'pioneer' are told they may maintain the "pioneer spirit", by spending as much time as they can in preaching and by supporting the efforts of pioneers.<ref name='Our Kingdom Ministry 2007-08'>{{cite magazine|title=A Worthy Goal for the New Service Year|magazine=Our Kingdom Ministry|date=August 2007|quote=Even if you feel that you are unable to auxiliary pioneer during this coming service year, you can still maintain the pioneer spirit. Continue to do all that you can in the ministry, confident that Jehovah is pleased with your whole-souled effort to give him your best. ({{abbr|Gal.|Galatians}} 6:4) Be supportive, and encourage those who are able to auxiliary pioneer. Perhaps you can adjust your schedule to share in the ministry an additional day of the week with those who are pioneering.|page=5}}</ref>

Specialized "territory" maps of residential and commercial areas are prepared within the boundaries of each congregation's territory and distributed to publishers who are responsible for preaching within that area. Witnesses are instructed to fill out monthly report slips about their preaching activity.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Do You Contribute to an Accurate Report?|magazine=Our Kingdom Ministry|date=December 2002|page=8}}</ref> For many years, these reports included the number of hours spent preaching, along with the amount of literature placed and the number of Bible studies conducted.<ref name=holdenminister /> As of November 2023, most members are only required to report that they engaged in any preaching activity for the month as well as the number of Bible studies conducted; members who have agreed to a specific hour requirement&mdash;for example, ''pioneers''&mdash;still report the number of hours.<ref>{{cite web |title=News |url=https://www.jw.org/en/news/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231008193423/https://www.jw.org/en/news/ |archive-date=October 8, 2023 |publisher=Watch Tower Society}}</ref> The reports are used to help measure the spirituality of individuals.<ref name=holdenminister /><ref>{{Harvnb|Penton|1997|p=247}}</ref> and to establish the eligibility of men as congregation elders and ministerial servants.<ref>{{Harvnb|Franz|2007|p=201}}.</ref> A Witness who fails to report for a month is termed an "irregular publisher". One who has not turned in a field service report for six months consecutively is termed an "inactive publisher".

Witnesses have, in the past, used a wide variety of methods to spread their faith, including information marches, where members wore [[sandwich board]]s and handed out leaflets, to [[Sound truck|sound cars]] (car-mounted [[phonograph]]s), and syndicated newspaper columns and radio segments devoted to sermons. Between 1924 and 1957, the organization operated a radio station, [[WPOW (New York City)|WBBR]], from New York. Since 2011, the Witnesses have engaged in "public witnessing" in metropolitan districts and fairs using tables, carts, and literature displays. The Watch Tower Society operates a website, JW.org, which provides access to Watch Tower Society literature and [[streaming media|video streaming]].

During the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], Jehovah's Witnesses focused on alternative methods of evangelism such as online web applications, telephone, email, SMS texting, and postal mail.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Worldwide Brotherhood Uses Innovative Preaching Methods as Pandemic Continues |url=https://www.jw.org/en/news/jw/region/global/The-Worldwide-Brotherhood-Uses-Innovative-Preaching-Methods-as-Pandemic-Continues/ |website=jw.org |publisher=Watchtower Bible and Tract Society |access-date=29 November 2020}}</ref>