How are you?

Recently, it has been pretty cool here in Long Beach.  The real summer has not arrived yet, it seems like.  I hear that Japan, too, has a late start in rainy season.

Very important turning point

As it was reported in the last month edition, currently, we are in the middle of our "Joint Staff Meeting".  Usually staff and associate staff from both Japan and the US gather together in one location for about four days to review the past year, evaluate the current situation, and discern where God is taking us in the future.  We surprise ourselves by how much we have things to discuss and pray about each time.  However, this year, we are trying our very first attempt to host this important meeting ONLINE.  (The photo is from our online meeting.)  We are trying to have meetings 1/3 of the time.  Since we are not discussing face to face, we need extra concentration and creativity as we share.

This meeting is important now after we had All Nations Returnees Conference (ANRC; www.allnations.jp/an09).  We still feel like our ministries are "drowning" from all that is taking place.  So, we ask you to pray for us so that we will walk by faith not by sight, nor by our own ability.  We trust that wherever God will lead us, He will provide everything we need to accomplish His ministry and that He will send people as well.

Besides ANRC, we will be discussing about development of Small Group ministries, leadership ministries, recruiting more workers (staff, associate staff, volunteer leaders), and changes in JCFN membership status.  I will be able to report to you about the meeting next month.  Please pray for us.

Leadership Change, Blessings from Central Conference　(by Chihiro)

During the Memorial weekend, I visited Central Conference 09.  This is the 7^th conference ran by volunteers from the mid west.  The theme of the conference was "Only One Thing" and the program was designed so that participants can focus on the most important thing which God has given to us.  We were able to seek the important thing away from our usual busy lives in the fellowship with God and fellow believers, but also were empowered and commissioned to go to the world God has sent us into.

I personally observed leadership change for the Central Conference.  Those who have been involved from the beginning and for a while are now serving in the back ground and were focusing on raising up the next leaders.  I was so encouraged to see these mature leaders serving emerging leaders.  It was evident that God's hands were on the Japanese ministries in mid West and I praised God for that.

Outward Ministry is to learn and to sacrifice

Thank you for praying for ACMI (http://www.acmi09.org/).  It was held at Azusa Pacific University on May 29-31.  We served ACMI by providing a workshop titled, "Understanding Young Japanese Minds and Hearts".  Those who came to the workshop gave us positive feedback saying that they gained new and needed information as well as encouragement.

The theme of the conference was "New Bridges, New Highways" and it talked about necessity to utilize the technology to connect with today's students.  Many of those who are involved in International Student Ministries (ISM) are retired missionaries, veteran ISM workers.  Others are college students who are friends with Internationals.  It is natural for college students to use these technology on daily basis, but for those older generations, it seems such a challenge for them to learn computer languages and to use the communication styles that today's students are using. 

However, their attitudes are not just to gain technological understandings.  The motivation for them to do so is "How can I share Christ with these young International students in their language?"  Their hearts are missionary hearts.  They would do whatever it takes to share the Good News to them.  They will go extra miles to create more opportunities to introduce Christ to them.  I was challenged by their hearts for God and His people.  This is indeed a ministry that GOES OUT, the outward ministry that leads us to keep our learning posture and to push us to willingly sacrifice.

Where do you and I need to go out?  What do we need to learn?  What do we need to sacrifice so that we can share?  Let us continue to ask these questions.

Thank you for your prayers.  We pray that God will bless you abundantly.

Setsu Kuroda

JCFN International Director