1The 24th JELCW NewsletterNo.157 October 15, 2018
Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church Women
1-14-14 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-0072
Publisher: Michie Nakahara Editor: Saeko Sawada
Overall theme: “Living Together in the Grace of God”
Subtheme: “Encouraging Each Other in Hope and Joy, We Work Together for Peace on Earth.”
Scriptural Theme: “Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him”—
Romans Chapter 6: 8

We seek for peace by rejoicing, encouraging and being united

Rev. Tsugu Koizumi
Pastor, Chiba Church
Who on earth will we rejoice with, encourage with, and be united with? Who actually, at this very
moment, are we rejoicing with, encouraging with, and being united with? Who are we seeking
peace with?
Are the people that we work with to complete our subtheme the same ones that we are now
working with to achieve the goal of it?
What do we need so that we can rejoice and encourage each other? What is the common wish
we want to share? What is the peace we seek for?
This foreword, with its many questions, might be unusual. Yet we are now definitely being
asked these questions. By whom? Not by the world nor society, but by Christ living in the present
world and society. We have long been asked these questions and will continue to be asked into the
future.
Let us sincerely continue responding to these questions of Jesus. Jesus doesn’t ask who stands
beside Him. Instead He asks us, who live together with Him, who lives beside us. It’s not that wehead for Jesus, but that He walks toward us. We could go anywhere, to anyone because Jesus isalways with us.

2With God’s blessing
JELCW President
Michie Nakaharathth
The JELCW’s 24 term has started in the year of celebrating its 90 anniversary.
Due to the rapidly aging society, the increasing number of women in the workforce, and thedevelopments in information technologies, the circumstances that surround us have changed
dramatically. Taking these facts into consideration, we’re required to carefully choose what topreserve, what to abandon, and what to develop for keeping pace with modern times.
The following six agenda items were adopted at the recent General Meeting:
1. Turning our eyes more to society
2. Publishing a newsletter and “Hibiki” (echo) twice a year, sharing ideas on our homepage
3. Learning scripture through Bible study
4. Supporting domestic and international missions with donations
5. Succeeding faith to the next generation and supporting mission work education
6. Supporting the victims of earthquakes by selling goods
To achieve these goals, we’re resolved towork hard for the coming three years. Agenda
item 1, above all, is new for us to work on in
our 90 years’ history of JELCW.
We’re expecting that there will rise avariety of new visions and actions from eachand every church and district to answer God’s
messages.
May JELCW be a federation in which we
may live together with God’s blessing.

The 24th JELCW executive members
Saeko Sawada, Kyoko Ezaki, Michie Nakahara, Noriko Tsubomoto

Words from new executive members
Vice President/ Secretary
Noriko Tsubomoto, Hiyoshi Church
I’m so grateful to be given a role as vice president. I pray to God for the precious
relationships and connections between us all and the everlasting succession of faith from one
generation to the next. I would always like to be forward-looking.
Accountant
Kyoko Ezaki, Kengun Church
The sacred lot given to me at 2018’s New Year’s Day service was Hebrews 12:11, which I
think was a very timely one. I will always bear this scripture in mind while fulfilling my rolefor next three years.
Recorder/ Documenter
Saeko Sawada, Koromo Church
I’ve accepted it in the end! I hope I will be able to complete my role, singing the children’s
hymn “How Good it is to Follow Jesus” to myself and feeling the blessing of it.

3What exactly is JELCW doing?
JELCW consists of three pillars: bible study, newsletter, and bridging the gap between domestic
and international support. As individuals our strength is miniscule, like drops of rain. But united infaith, we are an ocean capable of great deeds. We are certainly succeeding in our tradition of
sharing the power of the Holy Spirit.

Three Pillars
Monthly Bible Study andPrayerSupporting Sabah Seminarian

TNG Support
Least Coin

Spreading the faith in Brazil
Denmark Pastures Social
Welfare Community

Publishing JELCW’s
newsletter and “Hibiki”

Tokai District Welfare Village

Supporting people in needfinancially, domestically andinternationally with special
donation

Luther Home

Kamagasaki House of Hope

Rainbow House
Bethanyan Home
Welfare Work Center formentally disordered people

ACWC Signature Campaign

General Meeting(every three years)

Joint Meeting by District Presidents
And executive members of JELCW(once a year)

JELCW Meeting(3 or 4 times a year)

Lutheran Life Together
Group Lamb

Joint Seminar by executive
members of each district and
JELCW, supporting members(every three years)

Supporting Members

Membership(paid)
1,110
East District
405

Tokai District
214

West District
185

Kyushu District
297“Itsukushimi” (Affection)

ACWC J

Hokkaido District
9

NCC Women’s Committee

LWF/WICAS

July 2018
Reports from the supporting
members are on page 10

4East District Women’s Group
President
Naomi Ichikawa

Praying Together
God gave me an ordeal to withstand on that day. My quiet retired life with a lot of leisure time at
my disposal totally changed when I was appointed president of the East District Women’s Group in
February of 2018. My heart was immediately filled with numerous worries and concerns. At present,
however, I feel more blessed than worried. Through the actual activities done during these past days,
I could easily observe and strongly feel the tangible cooperation and collaboration that has always
existed in our tradition. Allow me to convey these wonderful experiences of mine to you all and I’dlove to let our neighbors know the love of God and share it with them.
In April, the Presidents’ meeting of the East District was held at Ookayama Church. Divided
into small groups, we discussed what exactly should be done by the women’s group. We’re going todiscuss it further at the meeting held in October.
It was a great joy to have more goods and more people for the coffee shops than we hadthought both at the district’s meeting and the National General Meeting.
-Activities Ahead1. Presidents’ meeting and women’s gathering in October
2. Selling goods at a one-day seminar
3. Attending ACWC’s seminar
4. Attending JELCW’s seminar
5. Exchanging friendship with the residents of Tokyo
Elderly Home
6. Supporting groups in need
7. Publishing “Sharon no Hanadayori” (Letters from Roseof Sharon) twice a year
‘We are open!’ (Entrance Hall of Tokyo Church)

East Pacific Coast District Women’s Group
President
Shigeko Sakai

We are the Branches
The bond between the trunk of a grape tree and its branches is so strong that they don’t easily getseparated. No matter how long a branch grows, grapes are born near the end of it. We are ordered tostay on a branch of the tree. The tree is Jesus. I’ve learned that being on a branch is not so difficult atask to do because the trunk holds the branch very strongly. I’ve also learned there’s no need for us
to strive, practice asceticism, or sacrifice. Believing in God firmly, we have set sail into theunknown sea.
Thanks to a great help from our pastor as well as our sisters, we, new appointees, could
publish our newsletter “Agapansasu” (Agapanthus) at the beginning of July. We have no words toexpress our gratitude.
There’ll be a women’s gathering at Eikō-Shimada
Church on October 20th, the theme of which is “Healing
and Being Healed.” Our brother, Mr. Toshiaki Takeuchi, a
psychosomatic physician and psychiatrist, is planned totalk on the theme. We’ll also have a tenor singer, so please
don’t miss the gathering if you’d like to be healed.
Our hearts are too full for the things close at hand totell our hopes. All we can say is we’ll go on and on bearing
our colors and aroma.
‘Greens Fair’ in May (Welfare Village)

5West District Women’s Group
President
Sumie Kuniyoshi

West Wind (Nishi no Kaze)In accordance with JELCW’s general theme, we chose the scripture “Ask and you will receive, sothat your happiness may be complete” (John 16:24) to support our general theme “Live with Christ
Under God’s Power.” We’ve started by praying for unity and a walk with Jesus.
The action plans are as follows:
1. We cherish the relationships between churches as well as within each church, and strive
to deepen them through sharing and enriching our faith, believing that an individual’sfaith can be strengthened not only within each individual, but by interacting with others
as well.
2. We most gladly help people in need, being grateful for our being helped by God, friends,
and many others.
We send e-mails named “West Wind” every twomonths to the people who are registered to inform themof our events and some happy stories.
We’ll continue to pray for people in difficulties as
we’ve been doing so in the past. Right now, we’repraying for the people victimized in the West Japan
Torrential Downpour. We especially appreciate
Hiroshima Church Women’s Group for their sincere
work.
Sending out a newsletter ‘Hanamizuki’(Osaka Church)

Kyūshū District Women’s Group
President
Miho Hirayama

Always with Christ
The 20 term started when we were blessed with the words “Congratulations, blessed women!” at
an inauguration. Empowered by my fellow workers, I am thankful for the happiness of being able towork joyfully. Our newsletter “Michishirube” (A Signpost) announced two themes of this term:
1. To learn how our brothers and sisters have grown their faith by asking them what churchmeans to them.
2. To introduce the exchanges with elderly members of each church. Everyday activity is a lightand a guide. May we be encouraged by sharing it!
On September 29th, we held a gathering inviting Ms.
Junko Tsuru (Saga Church) as a speaker who built“Rainbow House” 30 years ago and has been successful inmaking it larger year after year. Her speech was precious
enough to make us feel closer to the House.
We pray for independent members who hope toremain in faith. We also pray for the members who havedifficulties going to church. It is our great wish not to letanyone feel solitude through mutual prayers. We hope tobroaden a circle of prayer lit up with the light of 50 years’
history together with strong and mentally flexible women.
Visiting ‘Rainbow House’ in Julyth

(Saga Church)

6

The 24th JELCW Grand Meeting
Overall theme: “Living Together in the Grace of God”
Subtheme: “Encouraging Each Other in Hope and Joy, We Work Together for Peace on Earth.”
Scriptural Theme: Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him”—
Romans Chapter 6: 8

Opening service with a prelude of hand bells

Opening service: The Deceased Memorial Worship
Sermon: Pastor Naoko Kokatsu“Ask me for anything in my name”(John 14:8-14)

Hand bell choir ‘ELPIS’(Nagoya Kibo Church)

Holy Communion

Entrance of pastors/clergymen

7
Lecture Meeting
Lecturer: Ms. Terumi Kataoka
Representative of Aizu Radioactivity Information
Center / Co-representative of the Association forChildren’s Radiation Exposure Trial
Theme: Think deeply over what truly pleases Christ-A message on Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster after 7
years

Taking a vote

Agape Mealtime (Aisankai)

Inauguration Ceremony

Mini Bazaar
Discussion
The 24th JELCW General Meeting was held at Meruparuku Hotel in Nagoya on June 6th and 7th. A
total of 260 attendees got together and shared a time of blessing.
We express our gratitude to the 23rd group and the executive members for their efforts to carryout the local meeting successfully.
The following bills were approved in addition to the general theme and the action plans (p.2).
1. President of JELCW is elected by mutual vote among representatives from each district andrequires approval at the general meeting.
2. Inspection committee is to recommend two auditors and they are to be approved at the general
meeting.
3. Donation to Sabah Seminary will be continued unless some circumstances beyond our control
take place.

8[Sabah Theological Seminary]We’ve been supporting Sabah Theological Seminary, which was founded 30 years ago in
Malaysia, since 1993. Please pray for the seminarians who are studying Christ’s messages in acountry where the number of Christians is not large.
-Messages from 2018 Scholar RecipientsRebeca Liew Yit Jein
Born
October 1993Year
1st year undergraduate
Major Chinese
Nationality
China
Rebeca is from a Christian home. She accepted
a calling from God when she participated in“Life Group” at the age of seventeen. Afterhigh school, she entered a college in Kota
Kinabalu where she studied hotel business andgot a license for management. During hercollege days, she kept praying and was sure of
the calling.
She chose to attend a preparatory program
sponsored by Basel Christ Church for one year
to get herself ready to enter STS in 2018.
Kotakinabaru‥‥The capital of Sabah
The largest city in East Malaysia(Malaysian territory in Borneo)
Tawau‥‥‥‥･The 3rd largest city in Sabah
Kunaku‥‥‥‥A small city in Tawau province
Ranau‥‥‥‥･An inland city in Sabah

Ahasyweros Bin Muka
Born
March 1994
Year
1st year (Dip.Th)
Tribe
Murut
Ahasyweros is from a Christian home.
He graduated from high school in 2011
and worked as an engineer to fix waterwheels
in 2012 and 2013.
In 2014, while he was working in afactory, he dreamed a dream of serving
fulltime in a church. He was called by God andhe accepted it.
In 2015, he joined the short-term
missions by the Sabah Theological Seminary(STS) and from 2015 to 2017, he served in
BCCM Kunak and BCCM Melangking Sukau
Sandakan as a trainee in church.
He entered STS in January of 2018.

Gan Ching Hua
Born
November 1983Year
2nd year graduate course
Language
ChineseNationality
China
Gan Ching is from a Christian family. He
became a Christian when he was a college
student. After graduation, he returned to Tawau
to work as an engineer in the palm industry.
He felt a calling from God one week after
he attended a camp called “Experience as a
Seminarian.” Then he received Pastor
Andrew’s guidance. He was convinced that thecalling he felt was certainly from God, notfrom inside himself. Later, he quit everything
he had been doing to serve full-time at Basel
Christ Church in Kunaku for a year. He entered
STS in 2017.

Jusira Binti Lemor
Born
February 1988Year
1st year (undergraduate)
Language
Malay
Tribe
Dusun
Jusira is from a Christian family. She was the
only one who accepted Christ at a PPT
program in 2009. She served for two years at
her local church. After high school, she worked
at a nursery school as an assistant teacher. In
2014, she felt a calling that she should offer all
her time to God and chose to become a trainee
in Tuaran area.
She served in Kilanas in 2014 and 2015
and in Tinnum in 2016 and 2017.
Then she entered STS in 2018.

9[The Next Generation (TNG)]•

Chairperson
Tomoo Miura
PurposeTNG aims at succession of faith to the next
generation from infants to young people, as
well as their education. CS, the camps forhigh school students and youth activities
which used to be carried out at each church
or in each district have started to be planned
and administered on a nationwide basis since
2000.

•

Gratitude
Thanks to the support by JELCW Lutheran
Association, members’ parents, and many
more, we’ve been fortunate enough tocontinue our activities. Camps, particularly,
couldn’t be successful without the gracious
help of JELCW’s members. We express ourheartfelt gratitude to JELCW.

•

ResultA positive cycle has developed that seescamp participants returning as camp staff
years later. Some even decide to be baptized.
A strong bond is definitely growing among
us young people.

•

RequestOur activities can’t be maintained without
people’s help, donations, and prayers. We
hope for the same understanding andappreciation as ever so that TNG lasts long.

Infant Division
Leader Mieko Asakura
We make birthday cards and stickers to sellthem to small children aged 0 to 7 and theirfamily members. ‘Kohitsuji (Lamb) Letter’ ispublished under the slogan ‘Messages easy foranyone to understand.’ We’re thinking of using
SNS to cut down costs.

Child Division
Leader Akiko Kawada
We’re supporting Church schools. The CS
textbook is filled with sermons for children andgood ideas for branch classes. Our message
cards are so popular! Most children come backto spring camp after graduating from summer
camp (Information on Child Division available
on the website for free).

Teen’s Division

Leader Kaoru Okada
We’re sending out messages based on scriptures
through blogs, SNS and mail magazine. Our
biggest event is ‘Teens National Spring Camp’or ‘Haru-kyan.’ There are about 90 campers
every year and around 40 staff are involved inprocess from preparation to reflection. Some are
led to baptism through Bible study anddiscussions held at the camp.

Youth Division

To be a seminarian, then a pastor
committing himself/herselfにTo be a voluntary worker in church

Leader Daichi Takeda
We started ‘Bible Camp’ (an extension of Harukyan) several years ago as an opportunity to
study more about faith, enjoy reading the Bible,
confirm our faith, and share the blessing ofwalking together as Christians. We try to makegood use of SNS and other means ofcommunication to make our connection
stronger.

To be a TNG camp staff

10
Itsukushimi (Affection)
Kanto Member Hisako Ishitoki
Kansai Member Akie Momiyama
We appreciate your prayers.
The Kansai Group held their 16th
seminar on September 29th from 13:00 to
15:45 at JELC Osaka Church under the theme‘Women in the Bible’ ~ Encouraged by
Diakonia.
We invited Ms. Urara Masaki, a teacherof Bible Greek at Kobe Lutheran TheologicalSeminary and Kansai Bible TheologicalSeminary, as a speaker.
She supervised a Bible class at Aoba
Nursery School attached to the Lutheran
Church in Norway for over 13 years. Ms.
Masaki has been working long on establishingan enjoyable way to learn Greek with her
students, which is an awfully difficult
language to study.
Her soft and gentle way of vividly
describing women in the Bible trusting andfollowing Jesus was healing.
NCC Women’s Groups (Nihon Christianity
Conference)
Yamato Yasuda• We’ve changed the meeting day fromthe 4th Wednesday to the 2nd of everymonth• 2019 World Prayer Day will be held on
March 1st (Friday), the theme country is
Slovenia• The price of a booklet for World Prayer
Day was changed to ¥200 for Japanese,
English, and Braille versions. We need
your understanding and cooperation.
• Slovenia study will be held on
November 10th (Saturday) as a pregathering for World Prayer Day.
• The application for NCC Women
Seminary Scholarship from JELC has
been approved.
• Forum ‘Reading the Bible from theViewpoint of Feminism’ is now being
prepared. Details will be announced assoon as they are decided. We expect tohave a large number of attendees.

ACWC J / Asian Church Women
Conference Japan
Naomu Tajima, Keiko Renge
We are grateful to you for all yourcooperation to ‘Least Coin Campaign’ and‘ACWC Signature Campaign.’ ACWC
exchanges mutual prayers among 19 alliedcountries in Asia. In May, we said a prayerof mourning for the victims of a terrorist
bombing at the Surabaya Church inIndonesia and also for over 130 people wholost their lives in a horrible rainstorm in
India. In July, that for the quick rescue of theboys trapped in a cave in Thailand. Prayers
for the heavy damage due to the West Japan
Torrential Downpour were sent in from ourallies. ACWC’s 16th Assembly is to be heldin the year of its 60th anniversary, from
October 3rd to October 8th in Bangkok,
Thailand. Tajima-san will be attending it as
an observer. The report on the assembly will
be in a forthcoming issue.
LWF (The Lutheran World Foundation) /WICAS (Women in Church and Society)
Michiko Mochizuki
We praise the name of God.
I’m feeling nervous accepting the roleof a liaison, but at the same time I’m clearlyreminded of the WICAS World Meeting
held in Mexico, where I was dispatchedabout 20 years ago. We prepared the reporton the status quo in Japan regarding the fiveagenda items, as well as a rope symbolizing
our solidarity. We discussed until late into
the night to make a final declaration. It wasvery fortunate of us to hear the news that thelate Nelson Mandela (who passed away in2013) who had been confined for years was
finally set free. We, the participants cried out
and applauded most excitedly. It is sad tosay that the five agenda items existing at thattime, such as domestic violence and natural
disasters, still remain across the world. I
believe that smooth transference of
information can be achieved throughelectronic devices and SNS. Mutual
understanding and cooperation can berealized through your prayers. Your supportand understanding is as always gratefully
appreciated.