Looking back God orchestrated several new avenues for ministry that shaped what last year looked like. Along with our local evangelism, Elaine’s outreach ministries to women, partnering with Rengo churches and leaders, and leadership for the Japan mission God shaped some new openings for significant ministry development in Japan and beyond.
- CPI in its 20th year embarked on several regional seminars training at least 300 leaders throughout Japan.
- Several leaders came to us for spiritual mentoring and then several other leaders came for leadership mentoring. Our mentoring ministries swelled, for example, just in the first two weeks of December John met with three leaders for spiritual mentoring and five leaders for leadership coaching and mentoring.
- John had several rounds of training lay people at one church. Training was in small group leadership and evangelism. He is also engaged in improving the small group climate in this church.
- Our mission received a new career missionary, Ian Smith, after a long drought of none coming.
- John was invited to become involved in the Global Church Planting Network to develop a national initiative for church planting throughout North Asia. This led to connection with the Vision Festival of key Japanese leaders seeking a church planting imitative in Japan.
2015 New Year’s Card
As we enter 2015 John will be engaged in a research project on lay church planting and a major writing project on Japan church planting. CPI will expand regional seminars, grow in leadership, and develop along several lines including our newly updated website www.JCPI.Net. We are anticipating probably our largest and best CPI National Conference this November. Please keep these developments in prayer throughout 2015.
We cannot but help to look ahead into 2015 with faith in God’s unchanging promises, hope in God’s resources, expectancy of even more fruitfulness, and anticipation of God’s Kingdom and Church expanding in Japan. Pray and watch with us. God is working.