Author: RCCM

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.

キリスト教の着工式についての情報があまりにも少ない。元々、神道の背景の中で地鎮祭として根付いてきたからであろう。 しかし、工事関係者や建築主にとっては、これからの工事の安全のために祈る大切な式ともなりうる。キリスト教もこの世の人たちの必要を福音の目を持って提示していくことは大切である。キリスト教の着工式について皆さんでアイデアを出し合って、より良いものを提供して行きたいと願っている。 今回は、茨城県の鹿嶋の地で東建さんのアパートの着工式をするように依頼された。式の中で、私のメッセージは「神の摂理」というテーマで、神のみ言葉に従って歩もうとする者に神様は必要な人との出会いや、良い計画を予め用意しておられることを確信をもって語った。神は、神の祝福がクリスチャンの人生の上に望み、この世で良い証がなされることを心から願っておられる。 神様はまずもって私たちの人生を、またすべての出来事を見ておられる。愛の神は、私たちの人生を知っておられるように、私たちも神の導きや神のご計画を私たちが心を開いていくときに、必ず気づくことができる。 イエスキリストのメッセージの多くがお金や自己管理（スチュワードシップ）に関係している。信仰者も自らの賜物に忠実に歩むときに、ある人には金銭を通してなすことができる事柄について、神様の大きなご計画があることに気づくことがある。 私たちの教会堂は牧師や宣教師が結婚式を通してこの世に仕え、頂いた謝礼を忠実に管理し、また献金し、蓄えることができた原資が元となって取得することができた。神様の導き、また私たちの忠実な歩み、富に支配されずに富を支配していく、そのような態度が大きな祝福につながっていくものと私は思う。 聖書　ローマ１２：５－８「5:5 この希望は失望に終わることがありません。なぜなら、私たちに与えられた聖霊によって、神の愛が私たちの心に注がれているからです。 5:6 私たちがまだ弱かったとき、キリストは定められた時に、不敬虔な者のために死んでくださいました。 5:7 正しい人のためにでも死ぬ人はほとんどありません。情け深い人のためには、進んで死ぬ人があるいはいるでしょう。 5:8 しかし私たちがまだ罪人であったとき、キリストが私たちのために死んでくださったことにより、神は私たちに対するご自身の愛を明らかにしておられます。」

　　 In recent years, I have been serving not only at my church in Matsudo but also at Kuki church in Saitama prefecture. Just the other day, a member of Kuki church who is a doctor gave us a donation towards Akagi Camp. My wife and I attended the camp, which was held August 15-17, 2018, at Akagi Bible Campsite. The event, specifically, was called Covenant Refreshing Camp (CRC). We were joined by another member of our church (IBF), along with an American man who had visited IBF’s Friday service not long ago.  This American brother had been introduced to IBF by a missionary living at Akagi Camp. He now

An outline of Ps. Steve Breithaupt’s message when he visited Japan and preached at IBF church in April 2018. BLESSED ARE THE MEEK The great reversal The world encourages us to be arrogant, aggressive, confident, driven. To think of success as way more important than our character or Christ-likeness. (Christ-likeness is just something to do on Sundays.) However, in the kingdom of God, the first shall be last, and the last shall be first. Honor and respect is given to the humble and gentle. In Jesus’ eyes, the meek will be successful! 1 Peter 3:3-4: “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment . . . Instead, it should be

Scripture exhorts us to put love into practice. By practicing love, I believe we will come to understand God’s immense love, Jesus’ immense love — if only a glimpse of it. I have a friend living on public welfare. He’s a wonderful person, but he struggles with practical aspects of daily life. For example, he knows he should keep his home tidy but can’t seem to manage it. I visited him once with some church members to help clean up the trash around his home. We disposed of a considerable amount of trash and tidied up enough to make a comfortable living space. However, 6 months later I found him