Thank Peg. Very interesting, and it seems like a very sensible way of "converting" someone, i.e. letting them make the decision themselves and then taking all the necessary steps before actually being allowed to join.
Yes thats why its not really conversion in the true sense of the word. Its more like we 'convince' people that this is the way to worship God and once they are convinced of that, then they make a conscious decision to worship along with us. Baptism will come much later because that decision requires action on their part to conform to the laws set out in the bible.

It does lead to another question though: what if someone stops smoking, gets rid of their addictions, etc because they want to become JW, and then, say a few years down the line, something traumatic happens to them that triggers all these bad habits to start again? I am thinking that you would hope that their faith would get them through and that they no longer need these "crutches", however I know that for some people addiction is actually a physical illness. Would the church help them get back on track?
Yes, absolutely.

We are just like anyone else. We have our problems and issues and things from the past that cause us distress. If someone relapses into sin, the elders will try to provide as much support and practical assistance as they can to help the person get back on top of things. But the elders will only do this if the brother or sister actually wants and responds to their help. If they dont want assistance and choose to leave the congregation, then there is not much the elders can do about that. If they return to their old lives but still attend meetings, they would most likely be disfellowshiped. This is so that others know that a serious situation has developed and wrongdoer has rejected help. However if they do accept help and follow thru on all the advice and support given, then they wont be disfellowshipped but will continue to recieve help until they are back in control iykwim.

Its all about individual responsibility and making a conscious effort to hold onto the bible standards. As soon as a brother or sister lets go of those standards, then they put themselves at odds with the law of God and thus this will affect their relationship with God. So the elders do all they can to help the person to keep holding to Gods laws and avoid damaging his/her relationship with God because bascially, there is no point worshiping God if we dont uphold his laws.