Japan
Evangelical
Association

Japan Update

Autumn 2013 Number 66

Caring for Pastors in Japan

InsideCaring for Pastors in Japan					

1-2Interview: Learning toAppreciate Who You Are 3
Column: Art Therapy for

Pastors in Disaster Areas 4
Report: JEA Annual Assemblyin Kobe5News and Notes

6-7

Prayer/Editorial

8

1. Envisioning a place for mutual
supportFor several years, a vague idea grew inmy mind. Then, in April 2007, I was on a
train returning from a meeting. The vague
idea became a clear conscious thought as
the phrase “make a place” came to me.
I had seen and heard that many ministers, their spouses, and other members of
the Church in Japan were tired, sick, andsuffering. There was a need for a place of
mutual support with “Jesus-like warmness,” a place where people of various
denominations could come and have fellowship free of social hierarchies.
So I shared my hope to create such aplace with friends that I regularly met for
prayer. One of them, who worked at a
Christian publishing company, said, “Thatwill be tough to do alone. Why don’t weform a team along with my pastor andwork toward this?” The three of us met at
a fruit parlor in Machida station building,and that was how the Christian Servants
Platform began.
2. The grace of God made known
through mentors and friends
Many church workers begin their ministries after several years of seminary,
which is both a precious and intense period. After entering the ministry, ministers
and their spouses prayerfully tackle manyby Naoki Mori

Director,
Christian Servants
Platform

Pastor,Urayasu International
Christ Church

problems. They are able to stand fast withthe support of church members. But during the course of the battle, exhaustionand defeat takes its toll. Suffering in itself
is not the problem. However, without
rest, help, or the energy to face suffering,
defeat is a natural outcome.
The aim of the Christian Servants Platform has not been to provide assistanceand advice from a “superior,” but to bea place where church workers have beenable to rest their minds and quietly listenin the presence of the Lord.
This parallels what I have been able toexperience during my thirty or so years asa pastor. When I was in my early forties,
after twelve or thirteen years of ministry,
I went to a minister with whom I had no
personal connection. I asked him to be
my mentor. He accepted my request, andfor over ten years he mentored me, evencoming to our church a few times a year.

http://jeanet.org/

The blessing we received as a church and as a couple
was immeasurable.
At around the same time, I developed a friendshipwith another person through reading a book and meeting regularly to share our thoughts about what we werereading. At times the two of us would have an overnight
retreat during which we would reflect on our work responsibilities and share about our lives up to that point.
Once, at a seminar I regularly attended called “Pastors
and Spirituality,” a workshop was conducted in which
we wrote down experiences in our past and divided ourlife into seven year periods. I didn’t expect to see what
I saw. I saw a broken, delicate heart and frustration. I
saw darkness. Looking back at my youth, I saw that myexperience of becoming a child of God—confessing mysins, receiving the atonement of the cross, and gaining
the assurance of forgiveness—focused on being forgiven by the One who righteously judges sin. On the evening of the workshop, I shared feelings I had continued
to carry with me and confessed my sins to the lecturer.
And so, after many years, I came to see another aspectof the love of God. God the Father securely embraces
me, the prodigal son, in his strong arms. I experienced
deeper forgiveness and deeper healing. I reveled in theforgiveness of the Father in the depths of my heart.
It takes years to deeply relish God’s grace. We needpeople to support us. The more I came to know I wasin the Lord’s arms as I ran toward Him, the more myattitude was changed from that of a person concernedwith results to that of a person who values the processof ministry.
3. Starting the Christian Servants Platform
With the help of like-minded people and lecturers
from whom I was eager to learn, the Christian Servants
Platform slowly came into shape. With no backing organization and no financial guarantees, we were quiteanxious as we wondered if this would work. Despite thesituation, my wife and I sent out handwritten invitations
to a preview day to be held in December 2008. Over150 people from various denominations attended, confirming the need for such a ministry.
Comments made on that day included such statements as, “Aftermany years ofpioneering work,
I have become ill.
So while taking
a break, I would
like to review mypastoral work up
Session for minister's wives
to this point”; “Iam joyful that I can study for the first time since becoming a minister’s wife”; “As a church member, I would
like to understand the struggles of a minister.” Fromsuch statements, we could see that people were serious
about their ministries and wanted deeper spirituality intheir own personal walk. We could see ourselves andother ministers in the group that Jesus addresses as He
says, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion

2on them, because they were harassed and helpless, likesheep without a shepherd.” (Matt 9:36 NIV)
And so the work of the Christian Servants Platform
started in April 2009. From the beginning, the plan was
to limit the ministry to a period of five years. As a place
for ministers and their spouses to grow and be caredfor, and for members of various denominations to growspiritually, we rented halls in places throughout Tokyo,
including Yotsuya, Ochanomizu, Waseda, and Setagaya.
We h a v e
had various
classes: those
exclusively
for ministers
and their
spouses,
those form i n i s t e r ’s
wives, andCelebrating a facilitator's birthday
those for general church members. We have had over 500 participants from over 30 denominations during the course of
these five years. Some have come from as far away as
Okayama, Ishikawa, Yamagata and Miyagi prefectures.
The main topics we have looked at are pastoral theology, pastoral counseling, spiritual growth, and pastoral
psychology. At the Christian Servants Platform wevalue personal involvement, equal relationships, and theprocess. Because we value each participant’s voice, we
do not just end with a lecture, but include a workshop
or a time of discussion.
We address each other as “San (Mr. /Mrs.)” rather
than “Sensei (Teacher).” We also protect each other’s
privacy by promising not to share what others have said
during the classes. This is to create a safe environment
in which each participant can share his or her heart.
4. The current state of the Christian Servants Platform
As we come to the end of five years, with no organization or sponsor having backed us, we know it was allby the mercy of the Lord. We remember all of the support given by churches and individuals. We remember
the lecturers who took the time to prepare meaningful
and interesting lectures—never condescending, but
speaking to us as equals. We remember the participants
who sacrificed time and money to take part. We remember all those who backed us in prayer. We want to share
our sincere gratitude and respect to everyone who wasinvolved.
My wife and I did much administrative work andjoined all the classes. We worked to make a good atmosphere as we connected participants and lecturers. Our
greatest joy was seeing ministers and spouses who were
facing much heartache become more and more joyful as
they were involved in the classes. This was a gift fromthe Lord Jesus.
Our next task is to know, Lord willing, where andhow to grow and continue this work.

Learning to Appreciate
Who You Are
interview by Atsuko Tateishi
Associate Editor, Japan Update

How has the Christian Servants Platform (CSP) impacted its students? In August 2013, Makoto and Emi
Okuyama, pastoral couple of Heiwadai Grace Church,
Nagareyama City, Chiba Prefecture, shared their experience with Japan Update.
Atsuko (A): Please tell us why you wanted to take acourse at CSP.
Emi (E): Before we were transferred to Nagareyama
City in the spring of 2012, we were pastoring a church
in Nagano Prefecture. While there in 2008, I was reading the Christian Servants Journal. An advertisement fora CSP preview event caught my attention. At the time,
I was struggling with raising our two teenage children.
So I invited my husband to attend the event with me.
While I was listening to the presentation of various CSP
courses, I was struck by a comment in which a presenter
brought up the thought of “becoming disillusioned withyourself.” I was a bit of a perfectionist, so when I heardthat phrase, I thought perhaps I could learn to accept myshortcomings at CSP.
Makoto (M): Exactly the same phrase struck me, too.
By that time I had completed about seven years as a
pastor, and to a certain extent it had been rewarding.
However, an experience had come up that served as a
trigger for me to question whether my years of work
had produced anything good at all. It was around thattime that my wife invited me to attend the preview
event. As a result, we decided to commute to Tokyo toattend CSP classes.
A: You enrolled in the first semester, I suppose.
E & M: We wanted to, but by thetime we applied, the courses were
full. So in fall 2009 we entered
Ohtawa-san’s class for a year. After
that, we sometimes took a break.
Some semesters, only my wife attended. Currently, the two of us areenrolled in Hori-san’s class, andEmi is in Ohtawa-san’s class.
A: CSP must have been very
good to you, as you have taken numerous courses over the years.
M: I have learned the importance of taking goodcare of myself. The Bible says, in 1 Timothy 4:16,“Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching”(NRSV). I realized that I was pursuing a sense of accomplishment by doing all sorts of busy work .
E: For me, too, it was easier to work for others than totake care of myself.
A: That is understandable, considering how self-sacrifice is valued in Japanese culture. Did the instructors
give you practical training in how to take care of yourself during the classes?
M: I have learned that taking care of myself takes discipline. In every CSP course we have taken, emphasis

Interviewis placed on having regular quiet times with the Lord.
Taking that time is part of the discipline to take care ofoneself. Secular values such as competition and striving for success can infiltrate the church. By being in the
Lord’s presence, I am less likely to become ensnared insecular values.
E: The class sessions are practical. We meditate on a
Scripture passage and practice having communicationand fellowship with God. All of our classmates are insimilar situations. Whatever we discuss in class, we
keep confidential. It is a safe place.
M: Just learning that others are struggling with thesame kinds of issues as I gives me a great sense of relief.
A: How have you been applying what you havelearned to your ministry?
M: By attending CSP, I have reframed my value system. I have been freed from imposing my expectations
on church members. Now I truly appreciate who theyare.
E: I have really come to know that God loves me as I
am. I have become humble enough to share my weaknesses with the Lord and with my church members.
I have begun to ask church members to pray for me.
These changes in me also have had a positive impact
upon relationships among church members. I have seen
the fellowship in our church grow deeper and richer
than before. I am a pastor’s kid, and so is my husband.
Perhaps in the past both of us tried too hard to meet unspoken expectations for ourselves.
M: That reminds me of my childhood. The parsonage was in the same building as the church. There weretimes when I felt my privacy had been invaded. I vowed
not to let that happen to my children. But then, one day,I realized that I had offered some space in the parsonage at the sacrifice of my children’s privacy. I need toapologize to them some day . . .
A: Would you like to teach what
you have learned to others?
M: Yes, we want to somehow
pass it on to younger pastors whoare in the midst of struggles.
E: I am helping in the area ofcontinuing education for ministers
in our denomination. As part ofthat assignment, I helped launch
an annual newsletter to support
minister’s wives. The inauguralissue was published last February.
I am also hoping to lead a quiet
time during future gatherings of minister’s wives inour denomination. After the planned closing of CSP
next spring, I want to continue to have a place to learn.
Some of our classmates have been exploring ways to dothat. I also would like to see a mentoring system for ourcolleagues along the lines of what the Catholic Churchuses.
M: While our denomination, the Japan Alliance Christ
Church, does have an advisor system, I believe there isgreat need for a mentoring system, in which your mentor is someone outside of your circle of interests. Forme, that need has been met through CSP courses, where
everyone is on an equal level. I believe pastors need asafe place to share their concerns freely.

3Column

Art Therapy for Pastors in
Disaster Areas
by Akira Fujikake

Clinical Psychologist,
Associate Professor of
Seigakuin University Graduate Schoolof Human Welfare Studies
A month after the Great East Japan Earthquake , I was
asked to help organize a retreat for pastors in the disaster area. Many pastors in the disaster area were exhausted and needed a restful time to relax and be refreshed.
In order to make it work, we needed to get these pastors
to step out of their “aid/provider” roles.
Pastors generally wear the aid/provider role like a suitof armor. If we can get them take off their aid/provider
roles and experience a retreat as individuals, then they
will be refreshed and be able to find a good balance between rest and work.
We held the first pastors retreat in June 2011, and by
the end of March 2013 we had conducted five retreats.
I would like to share three insights I learned from conducting these retreats.
Embrace paradox
The main method I used for therapy with these pastors was the creation of collages. I tried other methods,
such as drawing, but making collages from photos cut
out of magazines proved to be the most effective. Bymaking collages, the participants were able to discoversomething new about themselves or communicate some
important aspects of
their inner feelings.
One female pastor
from Fukushima madea collage that displayed a field, crops,
and the ocean. She
then explained that
all of these precious
things that she loved
had been contaminatedAn example of a collage
through the nuclear
power plant accident. This scene was an expression ofwhat she saw in her mind as reality.
She made another collage that portrayed an airport
control tower and the floor plan of a high-rise apartment. This was an expression of what she saw as her
ideal world, with the key elements as far away as possible from the contaminated ground.
I shared with her that both the reality and the ideal arevery important and that we live somewhere in between.
I considered her to be in a healthy mental state, since
she was able to handle both the reality and the ideal inher mind.
We often tend to live in only one state of mind—inreality or in the ideal—and try to stabilize ourselvesin that state. But we need to embrace both sides—theparadox. The two sides may be in contradiction and thatis not easy to cope with. However, if we eliminate one
side we deceive ourselves, and that is not healthy. Actually, anyone who is faced with crisis and the absurdities

4of life needs to embrace paradox.
If we want to support survivors, we need to help themembrace paradox. Actually, Christian faith is a paradox.
God’s sovereignty is on one side, and human effort on
the other. It would make things easier if there were only
one or the other. But in reality, we must accept both elements.
Create narratives
When I counsel people, I encourage them to create
narratives. In this way we can interpret various experiences. Take, for example, a situation in which someone
fails to keep an appointment. The person who has beenstood up might get angry because he felt he was treatedlightly, whereas someone else might worry that something might have happened to the person who didn’t
show up. Even when we experience exactly the samething, how we interpret a situation can make a significant difference. So counseling is a process of liberating
someone from a warped narrative and helping them create a new one.
Two risks are at hand here. One is to create a narrative too quickly. Appropriate narratives should be
developed over time as we try to cope with a situation.
We don’t need to imitate someone else’s testimony,for example, someone who may have said, “I became
Christian in order to face this tremendous disaster.” It is
important to be able to say, “I don’t understand,” when
you are not ready to create a narrative. Another risk is
to finalize the narrative. It’s okay to rewrite a narrative
as you realize the need to refine or change it.
Encourage peers to share their stories
A pastor at one of the retreats put together a collage
entitled “Lighthouse of Evil.” The pastor then said, “I
am an evil pastor because I wasn’t able to rescue people
from the tsunami—and I can’t even bring myself tosympathize with those who survived.”
As a professional counselor, I replied, ”It is quite normal for a person like you, who narrowly escaped from ahorrible disaster, not to be able to sympathize with others. You have been severely damaged by the experience
as well.” To that, he just said, “Is that so?” I wasn’t sureif he understood.
After dinner that evening, he shared the same story
with fellow pastors around the table. Another pastor from the disaster area replied, “Yes, I feel exactly
the same. I can’t sympathize with tsunami survivors,
either.” At that moment, the first pastor’s face lit up
and he said, “Oh really? Thank you for telling me!” I
felt that my advice as an expert had no impact on him,
while his fellow pastor’s words really reached into hisheart. I was glad he was relieved, but it also made me
realize my limitations and the power of peer counseling. Providing a logical solution to a problem does notalways solve the problem. Peers who have had similar
experiences and then share their stories seem to be able
to help each other process trauma more effectively.
I have found the above three insights to be crucial in
caring for disaster workers. The Christian community isa quite fitting place for these three things to happen. So
my hope is that, in the upcoming process of recovery,
the Christian community will work to deepen and promote this type of care.

Report28th JEA Annual Assembly in Kobe

Sharing the Challenges of Holistic Ministry
Looking Ahead to JCE6 Kobe in 2016
by Kenichi Shinagawa
General Secretary, Japan Evangelical Association

The 28th annual JEA assembly was held June 3–5,
2013 in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture. The 130 delegatescame from 54 member denominations/churches and 43
associate member mission organizations. They gathered
for the annual business session, to share vision, and to
network.
Challenges and Lessons Learned from the 3.11 East
Japan Earthquake Disaster
The plenary session on the first night was entitled“What Is Called into Question by the 3.11 Great East
Japan Earthquake Disaster.” Rev. Eiji Sumiyoshi from
Fukushima Christian Council reported on the current
situation in Fukushima with a video clip showing radiation levels around the damaged nuclear power plant.
As the leader of the most devastated denomination,Rev. Keiichi Mori from the Conservative Baptist Association shared his experience in gathering informationand coordinating relief operations during the criticaldays right after the disaster.
Rev. Tatsuo Nakazawa from Minami-Sanriku Christian Center talked about his struggles to minister among
survivors and how he earned the trust of the local community by living out Christlike servanthood.
Rev. Makoto Suzuki shared what he learned fromserving in various Tohoku disaster areas and proposed
Sensho (mission through witness) as an alternative
ministry framework—in contrast to conventional Senkyo (mission through teaching). Overall, the session
presented multiple views on the holistic challenges thatchurches in Japan are facing.
Looking Ahead to JCE6 Kobe in 2016
In 2016, Kobe will serve as the venue for JCE6 (theSixth Japan Congress on Evangelism). This event willbring together 2,000 church leaders and lay people todiscuss current ministry issues, to castvision for the future,and to develop collaborative networks
t o a d v a n c e G o d ’s
kingdom in Japan. In
preparation for JCE6
Kobe, delegates at
the assembly were divided into six theme
Plenary speakers and JEA leadersgroups: 1) Raising up
the next generation, 2) Educating Kingdom workers,3) Regional mission collaboration, 4) Serving the Lord
in Japan, 5) Contributing to world mission, and 6) Denominations/Churches serving each other. Each groupalso discussed ideas relating to the theme and conceptof JCE6.
In the afternoon of the second day, a special lecture entitled “Sharing Pain – the Legacy of Toyohiko
Kagawa and His Colleagues” was delivered by Tokuaki

Kagawa (Rev. Toyohiko Kagawa’s grandson and the
director of Kagawa Memorial Museum). Rev. Toyohiko
Kagawa (1888-1960) started his ministry in deprived
areas of Kobe and developed innovative and holistic
ministries to empower the poor. Mr. Kagawa acknowledged that Rev. Kagawa’s ministries weren’t free offaults, but from them we can learn a passion for living
out the gospel in concrete ways that can make a significant difference in the lives of those who are suffering.
The underlying
principle behindall of Kagawa’ssocial ministries
was “sharing
pain,” following
the model of Jesus
as he lived amongpeople.
Special lecture on Rev. Kagawa
Listening to the Voices of Fukushima: JEA Theological Commission Booklet on the Nuclear Power Issue
Among all of the devastated areas, Fukushima is
faced with the most difficult challenge of all—radiation. The JEA Mission Forum in Fukushima will takeplace November 18-19 in Koriyama City to listen to
the voices of Fukushima churches and to stand together
in solidarity. Many pastors and relief workers seem tohave symptoms of compassion fatigue. The need foremotional and spiritual care is great. Please pray forchurches in Fukushima as they face the radiation challenge and minister to the people of Fukushima with thelove of Christ.
The JEA Theological Commission has published abooklet entitled Nuclear Power Plants and Our Responsibility—An Evangelical Point of View. This is thefirst collection of articles concerning nuclear power
plant issues that have come from the evangelical churchcommunity in Japan. The Commission recognizes
that there has not been much discussion on this topic
among evangelical groups, while Catholic and mainline
churches have been more active in their engagementwith this issue. This is another response to the holistic
challenges we face as evangelicals.
At the closing worship service, JEA board member
Rev. Tatsuro Naito challenged us to rethink the gospel
message as evangelical Christians. From Genesis 1:2628, he pointed out that God has entrusted the wholeearth to us and the purpose of our salvation throughJesus is not only to save us, but to fulfill the task of
subduing and managing the whole earth. This includes
social issues, energy issues, political issues, and so on.
The priority of saving souls never changes, but spiritualtransformation needs to go further. As a transformed
community, we need to engage the whole range of issues around us and be catalysts of transformation. Thisis the holistic challenge we face.

5NEWS and NOTES
Summaries translated from selected Christian Shimbun articles - May to August 2013

DV Prevention Activity as Mission

Every year, 706,000 couples get married in Japan, while
251,000 marriages break up. Domestic Violence (DV) is thesecond biggest reason for divorce. In 2011, Kayomi Kurihara, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of STEP, an NPO
for women’s rights, started a DV education program for abusers. She says, “If DV abusers learn
to change the beliefs behind theiremotions, then their actions, emotions, and physiological responses
will change. As a result, they willstop shouting, kicking and hitting.”
In the program, abusers learn toget rid of their belief that their partner “must do or must be . . .” We all
have an ideal image of our partner
and the gap between the ideal andthe reality often causes anger tobe directed toward the partner. So
removing, one by one, each “mywife/husband must do/be …” is the main process of thisprogram. One of the abusers used to become violent when
he found rotten food in the refrigerator. However, once he
was able to think “I can let my wife be concerned about therefridgerator,” he did not get furious any longer. He simply
asked, “May I throw this away?” when he found rotten chicken in the refrigerator. For the first time, his wife responded,“I’m sorry.”
Initially, Kurihara participated in DV counseling and shelter activities for victims, but she found that the real solution
was to be found in DV education for abusers. The STEP
program is originally from the USA, but has been adapted foruse with the Japanese. There are many Christian staff, andKurihara uses phrases from the Bible in the program. This
leads some clients to church and some to faith. “Since the activity of STEP is a religious outreach, the prayers and supportof Christians has been a great help. I will dedicate myself to
my clients here as Mother Teresa did in Calcutta,” Kurihara
says.

Regional Christian Associations Spreading

Kurisuchan Todoufukenjin-kai — associations of Christians
from the same region — have convened various area gatherings. These offer good opportunities for Christians from thesame district to develop stronger ties and broader networks.
Since the beginning of
2012, the Hokkaido, Tohoku and Kanto district
associations have gathered.
Then in May of this year, “A
Gathering for People who
Love the Chubu District”
was held at Ochanomizu
Christian Center in Tokyo.
Rev. Toshio Nagai (J.Clay Mission Network) of Nagano
prefecture (which is in the Chubu district) gave a speechin which he talked about the history of Christianity in the
Chubu area. He mentioned the work of A. C. Shaw, the missionary who first introduced Karuizawa as a resort, and heemphasized the role of Christian teachers, who significantly
influenced school education in Nagano prefecture, known as

6“the educational prefecture.” Rev. Nagai added, “before we
met Jesus, there were great numbers of prayers lifted up by
local Christians in our district. The fruit of those prayers will
never disappear.” Those in attendance joined in prayer for
their district and families, and enjoyed the regional specialty,soba — noodles made with buckwheat. Contact: toyoshi@
io.ocn.ne.jp

The 4 Points Japan

7Media, a company founded by an Internet missionary, haslaunched a new website called “The 4 Points Japan” (http://
the4points.jp/).
When accessed, the site shows four marks, ♥ ×+?,which symbolize the love of God, sin, Jesus Christ, and the
choice to live with God.
The site explains, “The 4
Points Japan is a movement to tell you the message of the Bible in a
simple way. Andy Game,
representative of 7 Media,
tied up with The 4 Points
UK, and various organizations for young Christians
in Japan such as hi-b.a., One Hope Japan, and Japan Campus
Crusade for Christ to create the site.
On the page STORIES, students, athletes, artists and otheryoung people share the gospel through their own stories, telling wounded young people “God loves you.” They also havevarious goods for sale and often plan street performances.
“We want more people to feel love of God not only throughthe Internet, but also in relation to local [Christian] communities.” Since its start in August 2011, 7 Media has been
providing Hope for Living Japan (http://www.hopeforliving.
net/) in cooperation with various Christian disaster relief organizations serving in Tohoku.

Preparation for the Tokyo Earthquake

Last February, the University of Tokyo Earthquake Research Institute released a [less than comforting] statement,“The probability of an M7 earthquake hitting Tokyo within
the next four years is below 50%.” As the sense of crisis forthe coming Kanto earthquake increases, disaster preparation
networks are being initiated in the Tokyo metropolitan area
by Kazuyoshi Kurihara of CRASH Japan, a Christian relief
organization.
On May 10, the second council meeting of the NHK Disaster Preparation Network was held. (NHK stands for the threecities of Niiza, Higashi Kurume and Kiyose.)
Jonathan Wilson, president of CRASH Japan, shared, “Disaster relief [for Tokoku] has been extensive, but only 1%of the monies given have been spent to reduce the impact of[future] disasters. Every $1 used on preparedness saves $7
in response. To focus on disaster preparation has its financial
benefits.”
Following this, each church shared about their efforts in
disaster preparation. Yukio Hanazono of Kiyose EvangelicalFree Church shared that they will provide maps to church
members and have them mark which evacuation location
they will go to, so that when disaster strikes it will be easier
to check on their safety.

NEWS and NOTES
Summaries translated from selected Christian Shimbun articles - May to August 2013

Pastor Katsuhiro Sugaya of Seikyodan Kiyose Grace Chapel, shared how members of the Seikyodan (Holiness Association) are preparing.
“We have divided thearea into seven blocks,
appointing a leader tocheck the safety of eachgroup. We also have prepared packs of emergency food that can feed 500
people for three days,
which has been divided and stored in four churches in the
Kanto area. Kiyose Grace Chapel is one of those churches.”
Pastor Taizo Morimoto of Kurume Christ Church said “Wehave an escape route map in the church, in case the earthquake hits on a Sunday.” Concerning the rice cookers andgrills they have for use at summer festivals: “At times of disaster, we hope to use them to provide food for the people.”
The church also has four cases of bottled water, which “isenough to go around at times of need.”
Kurihara proposed creating a face-to-face disaster preparation community. “If pastors and members, who are walking
distance from one another, will meet face-to-face and build a
network, they can become a window to outside help during
times of disaster. In order to play a part in the whole town’s
disaster management plan, cooperation with the government
and local community is crucial as well.”In the three cities of Niiza, Higashi Kurume and Kiyose,
there are around 30 churches, of which 10 or so have joined
the disaster preparation network. Five churches from Ueno,
Tokyo have also joined the network.

Tohoku Tracts

Three local pastors in Tohoku provided the inspiration forthree new evangelistic tracts. Having experienced the Great
East Japan Earthquake first hand in 2011, these pastors wanted to produce the tracts to meet the specific needs of people
persevering in the slow recovery process. New Life Ministries (NLM) published the tracts in 2012 and distributed themfor free in the disaster area.
“Scripture Verses That Will Sustain You” ( あなたをささえる聖書のこと ば ) is a collection of biblical passages,
based on an idea
by Pastor Yukikazu Otomo. A
Scripture verse
is printed in alarge font on theright hand page,and on the left hand side, the same verse is printed in paleink. You can trace the pale letters and read a short explanation of the verse. The Japanese are familiar with tracing letters. Besides, the tract gives lonely people something useful
to do.
Pastor Hiroshi Minegishi’s passion for making God theCreator known to local people, has come to fruition in “TheSeven Days of Creation” ( 創造の 7 日間 ). “People here
typically go to a Shinto shrine to pray for safety. We need toshow more widely what the Bible says about who God is,”reasons Minegishi.
The True Bond ( 本当の絆 ) is a short reflective message
by Pastor Nobuyoshi Nagai. It begins by demonstrating how
God created us to live not alone, but in fellowship with others. Exploring the most important bond in life, Nagai concludes that Jesus is the true bond between God and each ofus.
The NLM plans to publish a second series of Tohoku tracts
based on the input of pastors in Fukushima Prefecture.

Urgent Prayer Meeting for Japan before the House ofCouncillors Election

Among the points of contention in the 23rd House ofCouncillors election, which was held on July 21, are several
proposed constitutional amendments. It is expected that steps
toward adoption of these constitutional amendments may
move forward at a rapid pace, depending on the strength of
those forces who are for the amendments. With this crisis at
hand, on July 12 forty-seven Christians from various denominations gathered to pray before the House of Councillors
election. Organized by the JEA Social Issues and Religious
Liberty Commission, thus “Urgent Prayer Meeting for Japan:
facing the crisis of constitutional amendments” was held at
the Ochanomizu Christian Center in Tokyo.
“In forty-three years of ministry, this is the first time wehave had an urgent prayer meeting in relation to elections.
This is no ordinary matter.” said Rev. Hironao Watanabe(Chair of JEA Social
Issues and Religious
Liberty Commission),as he began his sermon.
He also said he wasshocked when he readthe Liberal Democratic
Party’s constitutional
amendments draft, as
it “completely denied the constitution of Japan. The Abe administration is leading toward the prewar state of wealth andmilitary strength. I felt the [draft] was denying all post-war
achievements and returning Japan to its prewar state.”
He emphasized that “the time to fight for our faith, as Mordecai and Esther did, has come. We are alive for such a timeas this (Esther 4:14). As Christians, we must first appeal to
God in prayer. Then, we must do our utmost to go to where
our Lord has guided us.”At the study meeting to explain the LDP’s draft, Rev.
Takuya Hoshide (member of the JEA Social Issues and Religious Liberty Commission and pastor of Presbyterian Seibu
Yanagisawa Christ Church), said “The aim of these amendments is to shift us from ‘a nation that exists to protect each
person’s rights,’ to ‘a group of people that exist to protect thenation’s system.’ ”
He went on to say that as a Church facing such a situation,“We must keep watch so that the authorities do not get out ofcontrol. We must ensure they stay loyal to the Constitution,
protecting human rights and the dignity of humankind as
people made in God’s image.”
Participants divided into pairs to pray for this situation,
and an urgent prayer request was sent to the churches aroundthe world that are membes of the World Evangelical Alliance(WEA) and the Asia Evangelical Alliance (AEA).

7

Please Pray for Japan
1. That more places of mutual support will be established
for pastors to share their experiences and grow together inChrist.
2. That churches in Japan will respond to the holistic challenge in their local contexts, engaging the community andaddressing social issues, so that they will be used as catalysts for transformation.
3. That different denominations and church groups will stand
together in unity against an increasingly militant and nationalistic government agenda.
4. That God will protect and bless the churches in Fukushima
to see hope and to minister to people with Christ’s love.

JEA Schedule
DATE		

EVENT

PLACE

Nov. 18-19

JEA Mission Forum Fukushima Fukushima

Dec. 16		JEA Board MeetingTokyo

Jan. 21-25

Relief Com. Philippines Visit

Philippines

Feb. 10-11

Asia Mission Forum

SingaporeFeb. 15, 17

3.11 Theological Symposium

Tokyo

Editorial
Japan is known for its low crime rate and high suicide rate. Suffering and anger are often internalized.
One of the critical issues in the evangelization of Japanis the increasing number of pastors leaving the ministy
due to depression and emotional problems.
The feature article deals with the challenge of creating a community that reflects the character of Jesus Christ, in which those who hurt
are healed and grow together in Christ. This kind of endeavor seems towork best in inter denominational settings in Japan, probably because
Japanese pastors wear the aid/provider role like a suit of armor. As professor Fujikake pointed out. It is hard for them to take that off among
the people of the same denomination.
Please pray that the Holy Spirit will restore those pastors and alsochange the spiritual atmosphere of churches in Japan.
Kenichi Shinagawa, Editor in Chief

http://jeanet.org/

Japan Update
Autumn 2013 - Number 66
English Newsletter of theJapan Evangelical Association (JEA)
Chairman :Nohsei Ando
General Secretary : Kenichi Shinagawa
Japan Update is pub­lished biannuallyby the JEA. Through Japan Update, the
JEA seeks to dis­s e­m inate in­f or­m a­t ion
about the Japanese church in order tosti­mu­late Chris­tians around the world topray and work together for the advancement of God’s kingdom in Japan. Views
expressed by in­di­vi­dual auth­ors do notneces­sarily reflect offi­cial JEA posi­tions.
Japanese names appear in Wes­tern order(sur­name last).
Per­m is­s ion to reprint is gran­t ed, butplease give cre­dit and send one copy of
any pub­li­ca­tion con­tain­ing reprin­ted material to the edi­tor.

Japan Update Staff
Editor in Chief
Kenichi Shinagawa
Asst. Editor
Atsuko Tateishi
Translation Editor
Gary Bauman
Translation Staff
Tomoko Kato		
Timothy Williams
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c/o JEA, OCC Building
2-1 Kanda Surugadai
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0062, Japan
Telephone 03-3295-1765
Fax
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