Interesting facts and information about Japan and ministry in Japan.
When you think about London now due to the Olympics think too about Tokyo. Tokyo hosted the 1964 Summer Olympics and is currently a Candidate City for the 2020 Summer Olympics. Along with my hometown Chicago, Tokyo lost out in the 2016 bid for the Olympics. In 2012 Tokyo was named the most expensive city for expatriates. In 2009 named the third Most Liveable City and the World’s Most Livable Megalopolis. If you like to eat (and can afford) gourmet food, The…
In late June at the Converge Worldwide (BGC) biennial meeting at First Baptist Church of Glen Arden, John was asked to share a personal God story from Japan disaster response. John shared about one family living in Ishinomaki who our teams have been able to help practically, emotionally, and spiritually after the terrible earthquake and tsunami. Continue to pray for many people like this family still struggling for “normalcy.” https://vimeo.com/45578420 John Mehn from Converge Worldwide…
Last year Amanda Sands, Director of Communications for Converge Worldwide, came to visit Japan and help with disaster response ministry. As a result she published a cover article in the ConvergePoint magazine last November. Many of you have read this photojournalistic article that introduces the people we have been impacting with our relief teams. We heard last week that this article won third place from the Evangelical Press Association. Congratulations Amanda! If you want to…
In the midst of some discouragements last week, Elaine and I were very encouraged. Drew Robertson was appointed a missionary to the Middle East by Converge Worldwide. He told us a story that surprised us. When he was a little boy he remembers meeting us at his home church of Monmouth Baptist Church, one of our smallest partnering churches. As part of a kids’ club assignment, he also remembers writing us when we were in…
Elaine and I have been associated with Converge Worldwide (formerly Baptist General Conference) since 1973. This video will introduce you to our values and vision of working together. Enjoy! Converge Identity from Converge Worldwide on Vimeo.
In Japan nearly 100 people commit suicide everyday. This has been continuing at this pace for over 14 years. After the 3.11. disasters there were reports of suicide doubling among disaster victims. Fortunately in May that number dipped. Pray for each Christian and every church to be available to share with hurting people the hope and compassion of Christ.
A government survey showed Thursday that 52.6% of Japanese people responding to a survey said it is easy for them to have and raise children in their home country, up 5 percentage points from the previous poll in 2005 but considerably lower than the United States and European countries. According to the five-nation survey by the Cabinet Office on a society with fewer children, the figure stood at 97.1% in Sweden, 75.5% in the United…
We have been encouraged by new partnering churches and individuals joining our financial support team. Many churches and individuals have increased their support. However, we are still about $300 per month behind in our needed support. Even though we are so close, without a miracle it looks like we will be delayed in departing on schedule in early August. We will have to delay returning to Japan for our leadership training, church planting mobilization, spiritual…
After well over one year, the tsunami disaster area still has houses needing to be cleaned up. Our partners are saying that there is still so much work to do. One team from Hawaii and Bethlehem Baptist just returned to the US after cleaning several damaged homes and conducting community outreach ministry. Another team from Hawaii June 30-13 will use the newly setup Samaritan Purse base at Morigo. Then on their heels a combined team…
Last month the Japan Church Planting Institute (CPI) had two seminars in Tokyo on multiplying viral churches and church driven mission. At the last minute Dr. Ed Stetzer had to cancel coming to Japan due to his daughter’s sudden hospitalization. Instead of cancelling the seminars, several visiting American pastors “pinched hit” the training from Stetzer’s book Viral Churches. The seminar reports from the nearly 60 attending were awesome because these were pastors reproducing their churches…