Author: RCCM

The 2019 Asia Covenant Consultation was held in Pune, India, and we visited the country from October 8 to 12. About 70 participants from Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, South Africa, Nepal, America, and India joined the conference. Pastor Kou gave the main lecture on the theme of “Unity and Diversity in the Church.” Each participating country gave its report, and Taiwan’s Pastor Wu presented on his vision. We also heard presentations on various ministries. Worship was led by Japan’s Pastor Ochiai, Pastor Seino, and Pastor Hiyoshi. During a tour of outreach sites, we visited places in the Equator area where employment training for women and church-based nursery schools were conducted. When the

1 Corinthians 10:27-29 says, “If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. But if anyone says to you, ‘This has been offered in sacrifice,’ then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience’ sake–the other man’s conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another’s conscience?” The church is a gathering of people with a common mission. But because it is a gathering of people, interpersonal conflicts tend to arise. Even in the denomination I belong to, there have been

This March, I had the unexpected opportunity of visiting Sansung Church in Daejeon, South Korea. This was thanks to Pastor Ban of Shonan Community Church in Japan. I heard about how, through Sansung Church, Pastor Ban decided to become a missionary to Japan. It was an amazing story of God’s leading and His great plans. Sansung Church is Methodist in affliation and has over 3,000 members. I will try to summarize what I learned about this church: 1) Led by a senior pastor and 14 assistant pastors and staff members, Sansung has grown to two church sites. Not centered merely on programs, the church focuses on making disciples — that

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Churches are expected to do good work that serves and takes root in their communities. Some churches advance social welfare; some offer English or music or sport classes. Other churches reach out to the sick, such as cancer patients. Whatever form this may take, pastors and church members can use their unique gifts and backgrounds to serve the community. For example, the posters below promote a cancer support event. Mr and Mrs Fukuhara, members of IBF church, are involved in this support group called “Philosophy of Cancer, Outpatient Care”. With the help of Nagareyama City, their group will run an admission-free event involving discussions with invited speakers and panelists who

Every year, many Japanese choose to receive baptism during Christmas service. In the church I pastor, we had two young people receive baptism during the Christmas of 2018. We were most thankful for them. Below are their testimonies, which I hope may bring you joy as you read them and see God’s work in their lives. I was raised in a Christian home, so it was natural for me to attend church. But I got very busy in middle school with extra-curricular activities, which took place every day including Sundays. I could barely attend church for those three years in middle school. Looking back on it, I wasn’t close to

An international student at our church took the initiative to organize fellowship for young people through frisbee. On that day, an elementary school-age boy happened to be at the park and joined in their game. He seemed to have enjoyed himself very much and wanted to keep playing with the group. The organizers said he should ask his parents for permission first, if he wanted to play with them at church. The boy went home and told his parents. Perhaps he told them how fun it was to play frisbee with those nice people, or perhaps he said that the church had English classes and that he wanted to visit.