Learning and Growing

Last week we held our third OMF Japan IBCM Training Week.  Some of you may not know what IBCM stands for - it means Indigenous Biblical Church Movement, and is part of OMF International's Vision to see IBCMs come about in different people groups of East Asia.  It is well known that the growth of the church in Japan is slow, many churches are small and struggling, pastors get discouraged, believers find the Christian walk a tough one in this culture where being different is not valued and where the pressures to conform in so many ways are very strong.  Yet, the desire of those in OMF Japan is to play our part, even though seemingly small and insignificant, to see the people of Japan come to know Jesus and to see believers strengthened in their faith, bearing fruit in their witness in word and deed.  We long to see churches which are growing, equipping their members for life and ministry, and reaching out with the gospel. 

We spent much time last week learning, reflecting, interacting, dialoguing.  We looked at Japanese church history, issues of how to contextualize the message of the Bible where we are, Japanese religious beliefs, issues of ancestral veneration.  We heard from Japanese OMF colleagues and had a fascinating panel discussion with some Japanese pastors.  Finally we looked at what one OMF church is doing in an attempt to be an indigenous, biblical church.  We are all learning and growing.  In some ways, it seems that we can only skim the surface of all that makes up our context here in this complex and rich culture.  The title of the Training Week was Missionaries Under Cultivation.  We all want to grow and develop and mature, in our understanding of the Japanese language, culture, people and thought processes, but more than that, to grow in the knowledge and grace of the Lord Jesus.  We can be thoroughly well versed in many aspects of culture and reach a high level of fluency in the language, but if we have no love....We need to be people who are growing to be more like Jesus, people who are nurtured by God's Word, and people who have a passion to share that word, aiming to be culturally relevant and trusting the Lord to do the work of opening people's hearts so they can receive and believe the message of the gospel.   

Another Sports Day

This is not the first time that something about Sports Day has appeared on this blog.  But is always an event we look forward to, not just because of the fun and watching the different races and performances, but also because it is such a cultural experience.  Lorna is now well up on what to prepare for the lunch-time feast, but she does not get up as early as some mothers who are literally up at the crack of down to get everything ready.  This year we had the unusual experience of the Sports Day being postponed the day before because of some changeable weather, including it seems possible thunderstorms, which were supposedly on their way.  It turns out that many schools in Sapporo followed the 'advice' (if that is the right word) to move the Sports Day back one day to the Sunday when only sun was forecast.  We have now experienced 12 years of Sports Day in Japan and one thing we have learned is that the weather is indeed changeable and the weather forecast is almost completely unreliable.  So we were very surprised that a decision was taken to postpone the Sports Day the day before rather than wait till the morning and see how things were - as would usually be the case.  As it happens, the Saturday turned out to be a perfect day for Sports Day (when it did not happen) and the Sunday was not so nice.  However, it did not rain and brightened up eventually so we had a great day. 

This time it was Calum's last Sports Day and he enjoyed the extra responsibilities the 6th grade children were given.  He also excelled in the different races and team events he was in.  Alistair did well too.  And both boys ended up in the overall winning team so it was cheers all round in the Ferguson household.  Sports Day is done so well here - from the dance performances (a very energetic, fast-moving popular dance) to team events, one of which ended up with two children climbing up a pole held by other children, to the due sense of ceremony with speeches, bowing and celebration.  Everyone has a part to play, whether they are sporty or not.  There is a great sense of camaraderie among the cheering parents, grandparents and other friends who turn up.  It truly is a community occasion.    

Celebrations

One of the things we always do in Izumi Church is celebrate birthdays.  Recently there seem to have been quite a few.  It's always a great reason to enjoy cake together!  And we take time to pray for the person who is moving one one digit in age.  Being a small church meeting in a home, it is not difficult to mark these occasions.  After our service (which usually finishes around 5.15) we always have a time of meeting and chatting together before we move into small groups to share about the message and pray for one another.  Someone is allocated to bring snacks each week, which can vary from simple cookies, to the most amazing home made cakes and desserts.  As a church it is good to celebrate together.  We were just thinking today in a training course which we are holding for OMF missionaries (more on that later in the week) how we as churches have much to celebrate - but do we do so?  Celebrating a birthday is a small thing in some ways - but it is a great way to thank God for the person he has made and to express our love and care for one another as the community of God's people here in Hiragishi.  There should be joy as we meet for fellowship together and always these times after the service here are relaxed and fun.  It is a blessing to be part of such a community.

Children's Day

Last Saturday here was a holiday called Children's Day.  It forms part of the annual so-called Golden Week holiday which has several consecutive holidays in a row, and if it includes a weekend at the end (as this year) can mean the opportunity for a well-earned break for people who lead busy lives.  The day was at one point called Boys' Day (there is a separate Girls' Day in March) but became Childrens' Day some 60 or so years ago.  One of the traditions associated with that day is the flying of 'koinobori' - large (some very large) flags in the shape of the carp fish.  This is meant to symobolise the hope that sons will grow up healthy and strong.  On Saturday we were at an onsen resort not too far away from where we stay and were able to see many large carp-shaped flags strung across from various places, fluttering in the wind.  Actually we took the opportunity for a night away.  Spending just one night in an onsen hotel is something many Japanese love to do.  You get in to your room (ours was the traditional tatami room with futons for sleeping) and then change into a yukata (light kimono) and enjoy the facilities in the hotel, which may be pools for swimming in or hot springs for soaking in.  Dinner is often buffet style and people wear their yukata and slippers to go to eat.  In fact when you go down for breakfast in the morning, many are still wearing the yukata.  The thinking is that you can leave your normal world (including your usual clothes) aside for a while and just escape into another world for the day.  Perhaps not something that might make sense to people in the west who would never think of driving half an hour up the road to a hot spring hotel and spending only one night there, far less go around inside wearing a yukata and slippers!  But it really does make for a refreshing and invigorating break, even if just for the one night.  The next day, being a Sunday, we were back for our usual worship service in Hiragishi in the afternoon.  The first Sunday in the month is when we hold communion.  At the start, we made reference to the day before being Children's Day.  We were all once children.  The gift of a child is a blessing indeed.  But the most wonderful thing is to become a child of God and that is what we can become due to the great love lavished on us by a God who gave his only Son to die that we might find life and hope.

A New Team

As we go into the fourth year of the Hiragishi church plant, many changes lie ahead.  This will be our last year here as we move to a new role towards the end of this year.  Our former colleagues JP and Nora Koch have just gone back to Germany with baby Leo for home assignment, but plan to be back in Hiragishi early next year.  We had a student from the Bible College with us for the last church year (April to March) but she has now moved on to another church.  We are pleased though that we now have another student, Mr Sugimoto who will come here each week for the next year with his wife and baby girl.  And to complete the new lineup, we have just welcomed some new OMF colleagues, Richard and Catherine East along with their daughter Mari and baby Amy.  It's great to have co-workers to help us here in what are still the early stages of this church start.  Richard has been in Japan before for some years but after marrying Catherine in the UK, returned a year ago as a couple with (at that time) baby Mari.  They worked at another church plant during this last year covering for missionaries who were on home assignment.  The dynamics of our Sunday service have changed as we now have three young children here as well as our two school-age boys.  Over the coming weeks we will have the opportunity to talk, pray and plan together with the Easts as we seek the Lord's leading as to the future direction of the work here in Hiragishi.  Richard will become the leader of the church around the beginning of July.  We are looking forward to partnering with Richard and Catherine and excited to see how the church will begin to grow as the work of building on the foundation already laid continues.  We have just rented an office for the church in a central area right next to the subway station and have various ideas as to how that can be used beyond simply being a workplace for Richard (which it also is).  For us, as we have finished the double role of leading a church as well as OMF Hokkaido, we will hopefully have more time and energy to give to the church plant here and also to encourage and help the Easts as they settle in and develop their own thoughts and ideas.  We value your prayers for us as we work together in Hiragishi so that God may be glorified as this small church is built up. 

Easter Festival 2012

Last year we held the very first Hiragishi Izumi Church Easter Festival.  This followed on from our having gone to visit another church which has held a similar event every year towards the end of April in another part of Hokkaido.  Their event was very much outward-focused and for people in the neighbouring community.  Last time we held our event on a Sunday but this time, for various reasons, went for a Saturday.  The cold and damp weather of earlier in the week gave way to a warm, sunny day with no wind (it can be very windy at this time of year in Sapporo, as it was the day after the Festival).  Having been somewhat overwhelmed with unexpected numbers last year (and too few helpers) we were more prepared this time and had a good team of people to help, some from OMF, one from another church and indeed a group from Hong Kong who happened to be visiting for a few days and were glad to be there and help.  Many children who had been last year and at Christmas time came again.  We also had quite a number of new children, as well as quite a few parents (including one dad) and some older people from the community who came along.  One elderly lady had called a few days before and came quite a distance by bus and then walked to the venue.  She seemed to have a great time watching all the activity as well as indulging in the shortbread and white chocolate raspberry muffins on offer at the cafe corner.  We had various activities for the children, ranging from outdoor sporty things to slime-making to games.  There was food too, including the ever-popular mini-hot dogs.  Then in the middle part of the programme an OMF colleague from Brazil shared why he had come to Japan, told the Easter story and then did some hip hop dancing, after which he taught as one and we all joined in.  The event ended with the children all decorating an egg and taking home a bag of goodies, including a card with a simple Bible verse about Easter.  We trust that many were touched by the message of Easter and also experienced something of the life and hope we have in Jesus just by being there and being part of the Easter Festival.  We look to God to bring fruit from this kind of event.  Lorna hopes to follow up one young mother soon.  And the next day two of Alistair's friends who had come also turned up at our afternoon worship service.  We trust that somehow God is working out his purposes through these times of interacting with people and will use the various conversations that took place to be stepping stones for people to move closer to Jesus, whether that be soon or even in years to come.

Ceremonies

It has been some time since anything appeared here.  Now is the time to rectify that.  The frantic juggling of past months (and not least the last few weeks) have meant little or no time for doing things like posting here.  Now that one of the jobs is handed over to someone else, and David is no longer PTA Chair of the local school, and Lorna is back from her travels in Singapore and India, there is a little more breathing space to begin regular posts once again.  These past weeks have involved lots of greetings, bowing and speeches for David.  The end of March and beginning of April is ceremony season in Japan as it marks the end of one year (school, church, business) and the beginning of another.  David had to pop up in several places to give greetings ranging from a Bible School graduation to an induction service for a new pastor to a welcome to parents at the entrance ceremony for the local primary school.  It was important not to get the pieces of paper mixed up and give the wrong speech on an occasion for which it was not written!  There were two ceremonies at at the local school, both with some similarities and some differences.  The first took place late March as those graduating from sixth grade and moving onto middle school took their places for the last time in the large sports hall where those events tend to be held.  It was a moving occasion with full involvement from the whole school and lots of attention to detail and much bowing.  There were not a few tears too.  As always, these occasions are done very well in Japan.  There is a high regard for closure and doing it properly and meaningfully.  David's task as PTA chair was to give a congratulatory speech, the first half for the graduating sixth graders, the second half some words to the parents.  What to say?  In the end David chose to speak about a book by Max Lucado called You are Special which is translated into Japanese and which one of the years at the local school had actually performed last year during the school show.  It seemed to go down well and afterwards we heard from both parents and teachers that they had been moved by the speech.  Just one little opportunity to speak some words of hope and encouragement into the lives of these children who have now moved on to middle school.  The speech-making season for David is now over but the ceremonies continue - they are an important and valuable part of life here.  How far do we need to understand that and what lessons are there for the church as we seek to engage with this society and its people?  It is a constant challenge to consider how to bring the gospel into this context.