The sight of Jehovah's Witnesses going door to door has long been a familiar part of community life in America. That, however, is beginning to change - both the increase in apartment dwellings and the decrease in the number of people home during the day is forcing the Jehovah's Witnesses to change how they do things - and the changes are bringing an increase in converts.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports:

People now are as likely to hear about the coming kingdom of God at a gas station or Laundromat as they are at their front door. The group's aggressive methods have helped propel them into one of the nation's fastest-growing religions. ... [Laurence Iannaccone, an economics professor at George Mason University] said the Jehovah's Witnesses have grown about 5 percent a year since 1980, making them one of the fastest-growing denominations in the world. Their growth, which slowed in the 1990s, comes at a time when other evangelical denominations are booming, while many mainline churches are declining.

So, the next time you are out shopping or jogging, take care about those who are around you. As the news story explains, Jehovah's Witnesses watch for the body language of a person who is alone in order to single them out for conversion.

Read More:

• Jehovah's Witnesses (glossary entry)
• Jehovah's Witnesses (critiques)
• Book Review: Awakening of a Jehovah's Witness: Escape from the Watchtower Society, by Diane Wilson.