Japan
Evangelical
Association

Japan Update

Spring 2015 Number 69

Presentation of the Sapporo Declaration of the 5th Japan Congress on Evangelism in September 2009

Invitation to the Sixth Japan
Congress on Evangelism

InsideInvitation to JCE6

1-2

Theme and Concepts of JCE6
2-3Interview: Young Staff inMedia Ministries

by Makio

The Sixth Japan Congress on Evangelism (JCE6) is not just about the designor the content of the program. We, as theProgram Committee, hope that the wholeprocess of preparation for, and follow-up
of, JCE6 will reflect our gospel-centeredlife and our commitment to mission.

4

Report: Relief and Mission 5News and Notes

6

Testimony7

Prayer/Editorial

8

1. Professing Hope
The overall theme of JCE6 is “ReVISION Toward Regeneration: The
Gospel, the World, and Opportunities.”
In an age of crisis, we are to take a fresh
look at the world we live in, as well as
who we are, in order to discover Godgiven opportunities and to start walking
toward regeneration. We hope JCE6
will be an opportunity to: embrace ourlegacy with thanks, face ongoing challenges with honesty, and boldly professour hope in Jesus Christ. Dr. Christopher
Wright will deliver four keynote addresses on the Congress theme.
2. Building Networks
Let us appreciate what we have, rather
than lament what we lack. We hope theparticipants will be united in their focus
on global mission and be reminded of
our oneness (Ephesians 4:16). We invite
mission laborers in Japan and abroad to

KodairaProgram Director,
JCE6
Pastor,
New Community
Nishinomiya Church

gather together in Kobe for JCE6. We
believe that more opportunities and agreater unity will result from building
kingdom networks during the Congress.
Participants will be assigned to a tablegroup for the duration of JCE6, so thatthey will be able to share their burdens
and the realities of their situations, anddevelop new friendships.
3. Evaluating Mission Cooperation
Living in an age of crisis, from time
to time it is natural to feel tired, disappointed, and anxious. We will encourage participants to look courageously
at realities, and to evaluate their accomplishments so far. Let us also perform athorough review of all the good things
God has generously given to us—ourtalents, ministry opportunities, cooperative relationships, and varied missional
visions. During JCE6, we will evaluate

http://jeanet.org/

JCE6
what the 13 projects of JCE5 have undertaken and how
the missional context in Japan has changed since JCE5.
We will attempt to redesign cooperative relationships,
and launch out together toward JCE7 in 2023.
4. Sharing Goals and Strategies
While we appreciate the work of all the different denominations and Christian groups, we would be engaging in solitary battle without effective interdenominational cooperative partnerships. The theme of the FirstJapan Congress on Evangelism in 1974 was “Leading
Japan to Christ.” Today, 40 years later, we must tackle
the same missional vision with concrete strategies andaction plans. There may have been a time when we
tried to establish the identity of our own group with acompetitive mindset toward others. It is time for us toovercome such attitudes. God invites us to serve eachother as mature partners. We hope JCE6 will help eachgroup to develop their goals and strategies for mission

in Japan and in executing their action plans in their respective ways.
5. Come as You Are
The door of JCE6 will be open to everyone, regardless of their situation. JCE6 will not be a place to showcase success stories or strong ministries. We hope thatstruggling people and servant leaders of small churches
will feel welcomed. JCE6 will value praying for eachanother, sharing stories with each other, remembering
blessings of the Lord, and receiving encouragement andpower. We pray that the JCE6 participants will be sent
forth with joyful expectations for JCE7.
I am committed to working on the preparations for
JCE6, choosing not to dwell on my insufficiencies. I
invite you to work together. Join the team to serve the
Lord!

Re-VISION 2016 in KOBE

Theme and Concepts of The Sixth Japan Congress on Evangelism◆ OVERVIEW ◆Dates: September 27 (Tue.) – 30 (Fri.), 2016
Place: Kobe Convention Center(Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture)
Host: Executive Committee, the Sixth Japan Congress
on Evangelism (JCE6)
Main Speaker: Dr. Christopher Wright◆ THEME ◆Re-VISION Toward Regeneration:
The Gospel, the World,and Opportunities

As redeemed people of our Lord Jesus Christ, weserve each other and share the gospel with joy. The
Lord forgives us, revives us, and uses us as his vessels.
We are about to remember a few significant anniversaries in Japan: the 20th anniversary of the Great Kansai Earthquake on January 17, 2015, and the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II that follows in latesummer. On March 11, 2016, we will celebrate the fifth
anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, andin the same year, the 170th anniversary of Protestantmissions in Japan. In 2017, the Lutheran Reformation
will mark its 500th year. At this historic juncture, let us
gather together as a people rooted in faith through theHoly Scriptures to take a fresh look at the magnificenceof the gospel, to reexamine who we are in historical andglobal context, and to examine the opportunities ahead.
As messenger of the gospel of reconciliation, theChurch endeavors to develop wider and deeper mission
cooperation in an age of crisis. Sometimes we get tired
and discouraged. We may feel troubled and uncertain.
To evaluate our missional efforts to date, we need tolook at the realities with honesty and patience. Let us2

also perform a thorough review of all the good things
God has generously given us, i.e., our talents, ministry
opportunities, cooperative relationships, and varied missional visions.
As we gather in Kobe to focus on the mid- to longrange outlook of Japan, Asia, and the world, let us apply a brush to the canvas of our missional dreams andlaunch out toward JCE7 in 2023.
Re-VISION 2016 in KOBE will be an opportunity for
us to be renewed in the Lord and to engage in renewed
mission with renewed partnerships. Let us gather together, share our stories, and go forth together with the
Lord! We hear the sound of marching footsteps. We invite you to join the journey and the conversation.
Then Elisha prayed, and said, “O LORD, I pray thee,open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD opened
the eyes of the young man, and he saw; and behold, themountain was full of horses and chariots of fire roundabout Elisha. 2 Kings 6:17 RSV◆ BASIC CONCEPTS ◆The Sixth Japan Congress on Evangelism (JCE6) will
convene in Kobe in September 2016, the 170th anniversary of Protestant missions in Japan. Early in the historyof the JCE, belief in the Bible was reaffirmed as one of
the foundational distinctives of evangelical Christians.
The theme of JCE4 was The Gospel of Reconciliation,and the Church was identified as the messenger of reconciliation. JCE5 explored wider and deeper Mission
Cooperation. JCE6 will review past accomplishments
and present efforts in mission cooperation, facilitating
more concrete collaboration and partnerships as it looks
ahead to JCE7 in 2023.

JCE6
Why Kobe and Why Now?
Standing on our belief in the Bible and the catholicityof the Church, we will gather to prepare better systems
and environments for mission cooperation among local
churches, denominations, and mission organizations.
We will also aim to facilitate fellowship and networks
that work effectively, in order for collaborative mission
efforts to yield a great harvest.
*Following the Great East Japan Earthquake on
March 11, 2011, the Church in Japan has beenworking to reconfirm the core message of the gospel and to revise mission strategies. Among local
churches, new initiatives of cooperation are being
developed. JCE6 will affirm our mission of sharing
the gospel of Jesus Christ—who is our hope in anage of crisis—and will work to ensure that our mission is embraced by the congress participants.
*JCE6 will offer opportunities to get to know current ministries, share ministry information andchallenges, and to interact with each other. It is ourhope that JCE6 participants will find new areas ofcooperation and will build stronger partnerships.
*JCE6 will serve mission laborers through encouragement, in helping to deepen mutual fellowshipin Christ, and in activating networks. In doing so,
we hope to pass on a legacy of missional vision andministry expertise to the next generation.
*The city of Kobe is one of the great contributors to
the early history of the Japanese Church. Ever since
the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995, the city has
been on a journey of restoration. As we gather andremember the unique history of this international
city, JCE6 will offer prayers of blessing for mission
endeavors in this metropolis, as well as each regionof Japan and the world.
What Do We Hope to Achieve?
In order to achieve the above objectives, we invite

participants to gather together to hear from God’s Word,
to pray, to listen to each other’s respective stories, andto take time to bear each other’s burdens. Furthermore,
we will encourage participants to develop fresh cooperative initiatives with concrete goals, and then send themback to their respective fields with shared ownership of
milestones to reach by JCE7.
*Each participant will be assigned to a table groupfor the duration of JCE6, so that they will be engaged in the congress with a sense of ownership,
and will have opportunities for enjoying fellowshipand developing new friendships.
*Keeping in
mind the purpose of holding JCE every
seven years,
JCE6 will ensure that goals
t o w a r d J C E7
will be set, andKobe Convention Center
that expectations for JCE7 will be embraced by all participants.
From initiatives of mission cooperation, to local
mission projects, to efforts at the local church level,
denominational level, mission organization level,
and each Christian’s personal life, JCE6 will honor
and appreciate past endeavors. JCE6 will provide
participants with opportunities to share the specificsof their future plans and current engagements.
*Throughout the course of JCE6, we will value people’s growth, the passing of leadership batons to thenext generation, the talents of youth, women, andlay people, and the nurturing of closer relationships.
*JCE6 will pray for, study about, and work with local churches in Kobe, the host city, so that JCE6
will leave behind concrete blessings for the city of
Kobe and its churches.

A Quick Guide to Kagawa Memorial Centerby Atsuko Tateishi, Assistant Editor

When you are in Kobe, be sure to visit Kagawa Memorial Center! Toyohiko Kagawa, well-known Japanese Christian, began his ministry in a poor area of thecity in 1909. The Center now stands in the same area
and continues to serve the needs of the local community. Visit the museum on the fourth floor to learn about
Kagawa’s life. Pause at the cafe Tengokuya on the same
floor. Ponder the extent and diversity of the programs
the Center houses: alocal church, a nursery school/kindergarten, after-school
childcare, support
programs for intellectually challenged
children and nonJapanese families,

community groups, and more.
“Kagawa is considered to be one of the greatest Christian evangelists in Japan,” says Yoshihito Nishi, Center
Advisor. “We invite you to come and see his continuinglegacy.”Hours: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (Enter by 4:30 p.m.)
Closed: Mondays
Admission: Adults – 300 yen; Students – 100 yen
Address: 5-2-20 Azuma-dori, Chuo-ku, Kobe-shi,
Hyogo-ken
Access: 15 min. walk from Sannnomiya station
7 min. walk from Kasuganomichi station
1 min. walk from Azuma-dori 4-chome bus stop
(Hankyu Bus)
English website: http://core100.net/e-index.html

3Interview

Roundtable with Young Staff in Media Ministries
interviewed by Atsuko Tateishi, Assistant Editor

How to use new and emerging media effectively forministry is one of the most important challenges forJapanese Christians today. Japan Update (JU) invited
three young men from different media ministries inJanuary 2015 to discuss their successes, collaboration
possibilities, and future vision. Excerpts follow:
JU: Please introduce yourself and a little about what
you do.
YO: I am Yoshitomo Takahashi, a reporter for Christian
Shimbun, a Word of Life Press Ministries (WLPM)
weekly newspaper.
JU: We owe you a lot, because most of our news articles are summary of those published by Christian
Shimbun.
YO: We try to report on what is happening amongchurches and Christians in Japan. In addition to thepaper edition, we started the electronic version in December 2013. We are also working to make an article
database available on the Internet.
HI: I am Hisho Uga of OneHope Japan (OHJ). OneHope is a global ministry headquartered in Florida,
U.S.A., to reach out to children and youth throughmedia and literature. Our materials are distributedfor free. Our smartphone app Bible App for Kids
has reached over 10,000 downloads in Japan alone.
In general, materials involving manga tend to enjoy
popularity in Japan.
YU: I am Yujiro Takagi of New Life Ministries(NLMS). Originally founded with a focus on printing Bibles, NLMS celebrated its 60th anniversary in
2014. While we serve the Christian community inJapan as a printing company, we also raise funds toprint and deliver literature in other countries. One
such project is the donation of a million manga to thechurch in Uganda. We have donated 600,000 copies
so far.
HI: NLMS also helps OHJ in managing our inventory
and shipping.
JU: NLMS prints Japan Update, too.
YU: Printing orders support NLMS. Our manga materials are popular not only in Japan, but also overseas.
Even in areas that are closed to Christianity, manga
may be used as school materials. We need more
Christian media content designed for younger people.
To that effect, we would like to explore more collaboration opportunities with OHJ.
YO: As a weekly newspaper, we always try to reportnews and stories, but we also aim to uncover theneeds of the church and make them known.
HI: We have consulted the results of a survey by CS
Seicho Center of WLPM, to learn what needs thechurch has in Japan. We live in a country where
great manga are published every week. There is alsoa plethora of media content. We must give a serious
thought to what to offer.

4

YU: People tend to have only brief periods of time indaily life to browse different media content. Our content needs to grab their attention within that brief spanof time.
JU: Manga is clearly one powerful form of media in Japan. Do you engage in developing the next generationof Christian manga artists?
YO: Ramii, a monthly WLPM magazine, uses budding
artists from time to time.
HI: But there is a dilemma. We would like to work witha variety of artists depending on the style needed. We
cannot retain artists as full-timers, so then it is not an
ideal environment for Christian artists.
JU: Changing subjects a little, recent statistics revealed
that one out of six children in Japan live under thepoverty line. These children would not have a smartphone to have access to the rich media content out
there.
HI: As part of the advocacy effort, we work with The 4
to 14 Window Movement (4to14window.com).
YO: Numerous Christians in Japan have been working
in such areas as children living in poverty and disaster relief. I believe these are some of the areas where
younger Christians could serve effectively.
JU: Finally, do you see opportunities in partnering withother media ministries?
YO: I have been trying to learn about different ministries. I would be interested in learning what overseas
Christian news media is reporting.
YU: Working with overseas Christians can be challenging. A tool that is successful overseas does not necessarily meet the needs of the Japanese. Tools must becontextualized.
JU: In that regard, I suppose there is a lot that bilingual
Christians like you could do in communicating theneeds of Japan and expanding networks.
HI: One of the exciting things to be associated with The
4 to 14 Window Movement is that you get to know abroad spectrum of ministries for the next generationin Japan and overseas.
JU: There you go. Thank you all for your time today.

Report

DRCnet 3.11 Disaster Fourth Anniversary Symposium“Reevaluating the Church from Perspectives Gained from theDisaster Area”
Christian Shimbun article translated by Hiromi Kiuchi

On February 21, 2015, Disaster Relief Christian
Network (DRCnet) hosted the Great East Japan
Earthquake Disaster Fourth Anniversary Symposium: “Relief and Mission since 3.11” at Ochanomizu Christian Center in Tokyo. Two panelists, Masaki Sasaki, pastor of Kitakami Bible Baptist Churchand secretary of 3.11 Iwate Church Network, andHiroaki Yonai, pastor of Kokubunji Baptist Church
and Sola NPO representative, spoke about theirwork in the Tohoku region.
Both Rev. Sasaki and Rev. Yonai have publishedshort books with Word of Life Press, reflecting on
their experiences in the disaster area:「境界」その先へ (“Kyoukai,” Sono Saki E / Beyond the Boundaries!) and 見上げる空 (Miageru Sora / Look Up to
the Sky) respectively.
Rev. Sasaki first spoke aboutboundary lines. “A boundary line
is quite important, as it draws aline between you and others andallows you to affirm your identity.
However, sometimes boundarylines may become irrelevant—forRev. Sasaki
example when there is an emergency, such as a disaster, or when you show love to
your neighbor. When I decided to love my neighbors, interaction took place at the soul level withpeople on the other side of the boundary line. We are
gradually redrawing our boundary lines as we rediscover the gospel and cooperate interdenominationally.”
He also mentioned thefact that many churches
and individual Christians
have questioned whether
we should continue supporting relief operations,since it is “not true evangelism.” Despite such
opinions, Rev. Sasaki declares, “No matter what,
we will not separate support work from mission
work. It is important for

Christians, who have received hope and encouragement from Jesus, to remain with the disaster victims
and to eat and drink withthem. When you remain
by someone’s side, youwill be able to work in
m a n y d i ff e r e n t w a y s
with them.”
Rev. Sasaki also commented on difficulties inrural evangelism: “There
are regions around Japanthat are being disregarded. Their population isdecreasing and talented
people are concentrating in the cities. The problem
of small church support is unavoidable.”Rev. Yonai shared his experience of interactingwith disaster victims and of how he was constantly
reevaluating the gospel, the message of the cross,and the Church.
He discussed the word okamainaku (please don’t
bother) that a disaster victim said to him. “This is
my personal take on this, but I believe this word
conveys to us we have no right to make a distinction
between the one helping and the one being helped.”
Rev. Yonai also mentioned early churches—their
aim to live together and keep
the church as a place where
everyone can gather and eat,
despite one’s social status, rank,or gender. He challenged theattendees, “With whom will
present churches eat? Can you
change yourselves to do so?
Rev. Yonai
To eat with disaster victims is
no different than living together with people at yourworkplace or a situation when you are sick.”
After Rev. Sasaki and Rev. Yonai shared, the attendees broke up into small groups to discuss issues
such as relief operations and what churches or ministries ought to be doing.

5NEWS and NOTESCampaign to Receive the Nobel Peace Prize

Although the citizens of Japan who have maintained theConstitution of Japan (in particular, Article Nine) have failed
to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, more than 440,000 signatures have been collected in the course of this campaign, andattention has been given to it both inside and outside of Japan.
When the Nobel Prize Committee announced the namesof Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai as winners of thePeace Prize in 2014, Naomi Takasu (Ohno Christ Church,
Japan Baptist Church Association), who initiated this campaign, smiled and clapped for Malala in front of the Internet
screen at the Unicom
Plaza in Sagamihara,
Kanagawa Prefecture. This was where
the members of the
O rg a n i z i n g C o m mittee for the Nobel
Peace Prize for Article Nine of the Constitution, its supporters, and 100 journalists gathered to see the result of the announcement. Yoshiaki
Ishigaki, one of the members of the organizing committee,
said, “Unfortunately, we failed to receive the prize this year,
but our Constitution, Article Nine in particular, is now known
all over the world. Japanese people should have a better
understanding of the value of our Constitution and share its
greatness with the people of the world. We will continue ourcampaign until the citizens of Japan are awarded the Prize.”
Takasu explained her motivation for the campaign. “Somany children the same age as mine have been sacrificed
through war. I asked myself what I could do for them andfound I could send email to the Nobel Prize Committee
asking it to award the Peace Prize for Article Nine [of theConstitution of Japan]. I think, ‘Let’s stop war’ is the ardent
message of many people.” She also expressed appreciationfor elderly people who had experienced World War II and
who collected signatures for their children and grandchildren,
saying, “I felt their strong belief that we must not fight anymore.”
One of the co-representatives, Masayuki Ochiai, mentionedthat in the beginning, four core Christian members tried toget signatures from their relatives. Then the campaign spreadamong non-Christian groups such as Buddhists. “Religious
people who seriously think about life aspire to keep Article
Nine.”
Another co-representative, Tsuneo Hoshino, expressed hishope for Christians who have international influence to receive the award next year.
Takasu adds, “What one person can do is limited, but asgroup, great power can be exerted. I hope we can move ahead
together with a strong hope for peace.”
The Constitution of Japan, Chapter ii. Renunciation ofWar, Article 9.
Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as asovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force asmeans of settling international disputes.
In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph,land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will
never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state
will not be recognized.

Loving Our Muslim Neighbors

The Mission Committee of the Japan Evangelical Association (JEA) held a symposium entitled, “We Love Our Muslim Neighbors” on February 7, 2015 in Tokyo. In recognitionof the emotional stress that followed the massacre of two
Japanese by the Islamic State, one of whom was Christianjournalist Kenji Goto, 80 people attended the lectures to learn
how they best could pray for the situation.
The first speaker, Rev. Fumio Hamada, explained characteristics of Islamic societies and how they control faithcentered lifestyles. Culture, education, politics, customs,
and religion are all integrated within Islamic law. Being a
Muslim is synonomous with being a member of the community, which provides him with a job or even a wife.
Generally, tribal Islamic societies have their own governing
systems, and their members are united under their exclusive
laws. These societies identify as either Sunni and Shiite, anddisagree as to who is the right successor of Muhammad. For
many Muslims, their tribes are their nations, while what wecall “modern nations” and “country borders” are consideredboundaries forced upon them by western countries. Hamada
explained, “People suffer within the gap created by the “newnations.” We need to understand the people living “within thegaps” or people who cannot live even there anymore.
The second speaker, Masaru Aoki, who works as a business
partner for Muslims, spoke about the radical expansion of
Halal approved food markets in Southeast Asia and the roleof Japanese Church Family Camp in Asia which has beenshared by many multicultural
families and individuals. After that, Kenichi Shinagawa,General Secretary of the
JEA, talked about AEA:The Gospel and Neighborsof Other Faiths Congress in
2011. He reported that in Japan, where at least 70,000 Muslims live, many students and businessmen have converted toIslam after they study abroad or when they marry. Shinagawa
pointed out that we need to learn how to respond to these
Islamized changes in the world. “A convert from Islam to
Christianity said his conversion was the result of the help
and love given to him. The first expression of love is to know
them. We need to know them, understand them, and support
them for the next step.”
The attendees gathered into small discussion groups andprayed that: 1) we can continue our support with love where
needed, 2) we can continue sending missionaries to the world
without hesitation, and 3) we can remember the people or thecountries behind the sensational news of extremists.
(translated by Tomoko Kato)

Summaries translated from selected Christian Shimbun articles - October 2014 to March 2015

6

Testimony
Led to God Through Her Brother’s Disease

Naoko Suetsugu works in a facility for the disabled run by
Yodogawa Eiko Church. Four years ago she wrote Unstoppable
Love, a booklet about both her faith and the life of her brother Hirofumi Ishii, who passed away in 2007. In the opening acknowledgements she writes: “I express my gratitude and respect to my
beloved brother Hirofumi to whom I dedicate this booklet. Hirokun—you fought your illness bravely and with your disability ran
your race until the end. I am proud and thankful that God choseme to be your sister.” Through Hirofumi’s gospel testimony, notonly did his sister Naoko become a Christian, but also her father,step-mother, step-sister, step-brother, cousins, and close friends.
This “storm of grace and miracles” continues today.
—Tomiko Fujiwara
Naoko Suetsugu
Health care worker with Independence
for the Physically Disabled Association
Her brother’s helper
Naoko Suetsugu’s brother Hirofumi wasborn in 1965 as a normal energetic baby. It
wasn’t until six months later that the family
discovered he suffered from hemophilia A.
Hemophilia A is an illness in which factor VIII (FVIII) is lacking
in the bloodstream and impairs the body’s ability to stop bleeding.
Hirofumi had no FVIII in his body, which made his a severe case.
If he were to bleed, he would need a blood transfusion or all the
blood would drain from his circulatory system. As a result, it was
his family’s daily duty to make sure he didn’t get hurt or bleed
internally. Naoko says, “Since I was the eldest of the siblings andmy grandparents’ first grandchild, it should have been me who
was treated as special—like a princess in my family. However,
our roles were reversed, and I became Hiro-kun’s helper.”Naoko was the one who noticed the most how much anguishher mother Tomie went through. Tomie would accompany therepeatedly hospitalized Hirofumi to and from the hospital andwould blame herself for having given birth to him. Once she wasbrought to the point of attempting to kill him and then commiting
suicide.
However Naoko says, “When my brother was a child, his doctor would say ‘His smile is like that of an angel.’ He was treatedas precious by everyone, loved by all, and grew into an innocent
boy who lived an unconstrained life. My brother’s smile rescued
my mother from this desperate situation.”
Daily life revolved around Hirofumi, so Naoko led an unsatisfying childhood. She was jealous of her younger brother, felt she
didn’t get enough attention from her parents, and was constantly
angry—wanting to get revenge against her unfair situation.
Naoko couldn’t forget the sorrow and discomfort she felt when
her mother would say, “Don’t tell anyone about Hiro-kun’s illness.” There was still much discrimination and prejudice against
the disabled. Hirofumi had various other illnesses as a result of
his hemophilia, and as a result had other disabilities, both physicaland intellectual. Naoko continually suffered from the difficulty of
being in the same family as a disabled person.
When Hirofumi started working at Yodogawa Eiko Church,which had a workplace for disabled people, things started tochange for Naoko and her brother. Hirofumi put his faith in Jesus
Christ with little hesitation and earnestly started inviting Naoko tochurch.
“I tagged along hesitantly, but since I found it difficult to trust
anyone, I sat hidden away and would doze off in an attempt to go

unnoticed. Strangely enough, sometimes the words of the sermon
would enter my ears and I would find myself crying. I later understood that this was the Holy Spirit working in me, but since I
was stubbornly determined to get through difficulties by myself, I
didn’t realize at the time that I needed Jesus as my Savior.”
My brother, mother and I are precious creations of God
Years later, Tomie passed away from a illness of her lungs. In
response to Hirofumi’s wish, her funeral was held in the church.
Pastor Kazumasa Yamanaka said in his sermon: “God had a purpose in creating Hirofumi with his disabilities, and in God’s eyes
he was a masterpiece. In the same way, Tomie is a strong andwonderful woman whom God chose from all other women tobe his mother, as he knew that she would be able to take on thisrole.” Naoko was stunned. She had always thought of her motheras a victim who had to overcome struggles. For the very firsttime, Naoko felt proud of her mother. It was also the very firsttime she came to know how wonderful the Creator is. She had
always thought that her own life was victimized due to Hirofumi,
but she realized that she might have been wrong. It was as if thegray clouds around her had broken and a ray of light was shining
through.
After that, Mrs Suetsugu started working where she still works
today. She thought “caring for people is my calling,” but she soon
came to realize that loving people with disabilities wasn’t easy.
“Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31 NIV)
When Naoko heard this Bible verse, she understood—unless aperson can love oneself, they will not be able to love others. She
once heard the parable of the prodigal son, which she understoodas herself. “I could feel the warmth of the Lord’s arms all acrossme as he came running towards me and held me in his arms. I
sobbed like a child and jumped into his arms.”
On New Year’s Day 2002, Naoko was baptized. In the same
year, she married Kaoru Suetsugu.
Hirofumi went to be with the Lord in September 2007 at the ageof 42. That he made it to that age was a miracle. The staff at theKansai Medical University Hospital, who had taken care of Hirofumi for 42 years, lined up in a row to bid farewell to his body.
To deal with the gap in her life, and as a means to spread thegospel, Naoko wrote an essay entitled “Unstoppable Love” andpaid for it to be published as abooklet.
“Thinking about it now, it was
my brother who kept my family
together. Whenever my brothersmiled my family was happy.
Instead of being a burden to us,
he was someone we all needed.
Because Hiro-kun loved me at therisk of his own life, he brought me
to God. It was he who guided ourfamily. He came into this world
with an illness that would eventually kill him, but he was loved
to the full and returned that love
directly back to us.”
Last year, Naoko’s essay was published in serial form in the
Osaka Daily News (Osaka Nichi-Nichi Shimbun) and resonatedwith the public. Her desire is to help the disabled and their families as they overcome difficulties. She thinks that no matter who
a person is, they can live their life shining brightly and she would
like to support that. (translated by Grace Koshino)

7

Please Pray for Japan
1. That God will use the Sixth Japan Congress on Evangelism(JCE6) to advance the Kingdom of God here in Japan andpave the way for a greater sense of unity in mission and creative collaboration among churches in Japan.
2. That through the preparations for JCE6, younger leaders will
be connected, encouraged, and equipped for ministry for thisnext generation.
3. That churches throughout Japan with continue to stand together with the churches and pastors of the Tohoku disaster area inservice and ministry to hurting people in their local communities.
4. That we will get to know more about ministry to our Muslim
neighbors who are increasing in number here in Japan.

JEA related Schedule
DATE		

EVENT

PLACE

June 29					

Metro Tokyo Disaster Response
Church Network Summit
Tokyo

July 19–20

Mission Forum in Aomori

Aomori

Sept. 19			

JEA Youth Gathering for the70th Memorial of World War II

Tokyo

Sept. 28–29

JEA Mission Forum in Osaka

Osaka

Editorial
When JCE4 was held in Okinawa in 2000, I
was a young participant. It was my first year asa senior pastor and I was feeling overwhelmedwith all the responsibilities. I remember I wasvery much encouraged by the whole gathering because I felt I was not alone in ministry. Meeting fellow pastors and missionaries and hearing messages and testimonies at theCongress really helped me to see the bigger picture of how God is
working in Japan.
Later, I served as a member of the administration team for JCE5
in 2009 and met with many pastors who I work with now. JCE isa great opportunity to connect and encourage young leaders. I cancertainly say that from my own experience. Please pray for the
young participants who will come to JCE6—that God will prepare
their hearts for the next generation of mission in Japan.
Kenichi Shinagawa, Editor in Chief

http://jeanet.org/

Japan Update
Spring 2015 - Number 69
English Newsletter of theJapan Evangelical Association (JEA)
Chairman :Takao Nakadai
General Secretary : Kenichi Shinagawa
Japan Update is pub­lished biannuallyby the JEA. Through Japan Update, the
JEA seeks to communicate how God is
at work in Japan and to foster prayer
and collaborative work 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		Grace Koshino		
Hiromi Kiuchi
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telephone 03-3295-1765
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