Interesting facts and information about Japan and ministry in Japan.
We built it, tested it, and then we were ready for the road test. This was the Church Planting Institute’s three day foundational Church Planting Next Steps seminar (formerly BootCamp). This time we did it in Nagoya, Japan’s third largest city and home of Toyota’s Lexus. There were 38 in attendance with two training tracks; one for Japanese church planting leaders and another for missionaries. Participants hailed from many parts of Japan and missionaries from…
I love Godzilla, like anyone in Japan. I remember watching Godzilla for the first time as a grade school kid on the Thursday afternoon movie, The Big Show. I am a great Sci-Fi nut and they had all the greats on the Big Show. We did not doddle home from school on Thursdays. Because in those days without VHS recorders, DVDs, etc., if you missed it you would have to wait a long time to…
“This was really good timing for me personally. I needed to be reminded of the truths of the gospel – especially the part that I am dearly loved and valued by God. I am greatly challenged to soak in these truths more.” We saw and heard a lot about heart change. Last month Elaine and I were caught up in the renewal environment we developed in 4 regional Church Planting Institute (CPI) seminars throughout Japan.…
1. Thank you for praying for Agape Kai gathering on Sat 3/29. We had a marvelous time talking about the true meaning of Easter. 2. On 3/31 John completed the small group leaders training at the Nerima church with 9 people ready to start a small group (report next month). Pray for the next steps in developing small group ministries at Nerima and beyond. 3. Elaine’s niece Gail will be coming for a week-long visit…
1. Thank you for your prayers for the CPI Gospel Renewal Seminars with the Bancrofts which just completed. All of them were full of blessings and so much was accomplished in developing systems to help more people (update next month). 2. Vision team from Converge Worldwide churches in the US arrives this week. Pray they may find key Japanese partners to work with. 3. John’s training for small group leaders at the Nerima church ends…
March 11, 2011 is memorialized all over Japan. The triple disaster of earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear accident are still very fresh in people’s minds. Just last week we received a flyer for a memorial meeting in Machida to remember those who lost so much three years ago. Machida had two deaths due to the earthquake. This month will mark 3 years after the disaster. Japan Disaster Response – Early on, with the cooperation of North…
1) John was recently sitting across the table from a Cambodian pastor that was planting 8 churches and heavily involved in preventing human sex trafficking. Last month, John was in Indonesia to meet with key Asian national leaders engaged in church planting movements. It was a week of blessing with these pastors. John’s friendship with a former Japan missionary led to this connection. 2) For Elaine’s next craft outreach meeting there was a pastor’s wife…
Elaine and John will visit Iwaki city and Pastor Mori and his family then head to Ishinomaki. We will be working with Dean and Linda Bengston. Elaine will teach craft classes and John will visit many victims families. Also on Sunday John will preach at Ishinomaki House of Prayer, and we will visit the temporary housing facility where we have been helping with supplies. Pray for safe travel during this winter season, opportunities to listen,…
Five years ago I wrote a blog on the psychological scourge affecting a large number of young people, hikikomori. I have not heard much good news from five years ago until now. Last week Elaine and I had lunch with Pastor Koichi Hirano and Pastor Nobuo Watanabe at their Setagaya church’s new café. We had not talked with Pastor Hirano for several months and he shared some amazing stories. The Hikikomori are the Japanese most…
This morning the doorbell rang and two women who live somewhere in the neighborhood introduced themselves. They then explained that their children had played a practical joke and they wanted me to come and see. There stood two little girls – first or second grade- with a bucket between them. On our concrete block wall was a small arrow written in chalk. The mothers apologized for their daughters and then the daughters apologized. I was…