Happy New Year! Thank you very much for your participation in JCFN's ministry this past year. Please remember JCFN's 2012 journey as well. We are looking forward to working together for the Lord!
●● equipper conference 2011 ●●
The highlight of this letter is, of course, the report from Equipper Conference 2011 (ec11 hereafter).
The theme of ec11 was: "Here I am ~ The Kingdom of God Within Us." The conferees learned about their identity as one who builds the Kingdom of God. Rev. Kuroda (Pastoral Handy man ministry, HI), Rev. Masashi Sugita (Dublin Japanese Church, OH), and Mr. Shigenori Oshima (KGK, Japan) spoke thoroughly about the Kingdom of God. Looking at conferees, I have noticed that they were not only encouraged by their time at ec11, but also were challenged, led to make a decision in the Lord, and sent out to where they are. Their real ec journey has just started. Please remember them in your prayers.
We had about 300 attendees including children and partial attendees. There were not as many people from Japan compared to previous years. About a half of the entire attendees were a first timers. We will not have ec this year, so many of these people will return to Japan by the next ec. We pray that the networking given at ec11 will be a good resource for the returnees so that they will have good preparation before their returns, and also have enough follow-up after their returns. Although ec focuses on Christians, we had thirteen non-Christian attendees, and we had a report that six of them decided to be Christians or to be baptized at this point. Please pray for their walk as Christians.
Under the leadership of Yoshiki Saeki, we had two ec conferences. God provided wonderful teams for both years. They sacrificed their time for ec for ten months alongside with their study or work. Go provided special gifts and abilities to them to make ec11 happen. Please especially pray for ec11 planning committee members. Also please pray for Yoshiki Saeki associate staff, who was in charge of leading this committee for last two years, so that the blessings through this role may maintain in him and his family.
We will not have ec this year since Urbana13 is held. It is still uncertain who is conducting ec13, and how would it be as well at this point. It would be the year to pray for God's vision for ec13. Without people, we cannot organize the ministry of ec. Please pray together with us that He may raise new people to be involved in this. ec11 follow-up is still going on. Please pray about the follow-up as well.
●● JCFN's 2012 ●●
As we have been announcing, there will be 3rd All Nations Returnees Conference (ANRC) 12 held in November 22-25, 2012 in Kakegawa, Shizuoka. JCFN's ministry will be focusing on ANRC12 this year. Taking this timing as an opportunity, we will have our first WIT in Japan called BBWIT (Bridge Builder Whatever It Takes, pronounced as "bibitt") leadership training camp to gather regional leaders (we call them "bridge builders") who are involved in following up on returnees in different regions of Japan. The highlights of ANRC are the experiences not only at the conference site, but also in the local regions which bring new networks of regions to follow up new returnees. We are expecting that BBWIT will be the place to encourage those regional leaders of returnee ministries. In the US, WIT was born in the year or 2007 and many WIT graduates are now sent back to Japan. We are also hoping WIT graduates would join in BBWIT project. Please pray for this new movement. WIT in US will be held in July as well, so please remember this together with BBWIT. Upcoming detailed schedule for 2012 will be discussed at annual joint staff meeting in March.
●● Staff Updates ●●
During ec11, we had a privilege to get together with JCFN staff and associate staff. Usually, we only have chances to meet online, so it was such a neat time to chill and pray together.
As I wrote previously, in January we use our time mostly for following up ec11 and preparation for BBWIT.
For BBWIT, Setsu Shimizu (US staff) and Chihiro Nakamura (Interim International Director) will be traveling to Japan. Please pray for our trip and ministries in Japan.
Setsu will also visit Seattle to speak at seminars of RJC (Reaching Japanese for Christ) held in Feb. Her support-raising will continue until June. Please continue to pray for her.
JCFN's 20th anniversary booklet project is still in development. Please continue to pray for this project, and for Yuko Ozeki (US staff), who is in charge of this.
Maki Goto (Japan staff) is managing Japan office by himself this year as well. Also, Hijiri Martin part-time office worker is at Japan office. Please pray for Japan office work and situation.
Getting in this new year, the US headquarters will enter busy season in administrative work. Please pray for Machiko Miki (US office staff) who is in charge of administrative work.
Blessings on your new year,
Chihiro Nakamura
JCFN Interim International Director
JCFN's January & February Events
2/3-4: Intensive US staff meeting
2/6: USHQ prayer meeting -USAHOP
2/24-26: BBWIT (Tokyo)
For more regional events, visit www.jcfn.org.
Prayer Requests
● For ec11 follow-up. For ec11 conferees.
● For preparation of BBWIT.
● For JCFN's fundraising (Japan: Winter fundraise; US: Matching fundraise).
● For preparation for All Nations Returnees Conference 12.
● For each JCFN staff worker.
● JCFN's ministries in 2012.
●● equipper conference 2011 ●●
The highlight of this letter is, of course, the report from Equipper Conference 2011 (ec11 hereafter).
The theme of ec11 was: "Here I am ~ The Kingdom of God Within Us." The conferees learned about their identity as one who builds the Kingdom of God. Rev. Kuroda (Pastoral Handy man ministry, HI), Rev. Masashi Sugita (Dublin Japanese Church, OH), and Mr. Shigenori Oshima (KGK, Japan) spoke thoroughly about the Kingdom of God. Looking at conferees, I have noticed that they were not only encouraged by their time at ec11, but also were challenged, led to make a decision in the Lord, and sent out to where they are. Their real ec journey has just started. Please remember them in your prayers.
We had about 300 attendees including children and partial attendees. There were not as many people from Japan compared to previous years. About a half of the entire attendees were a first timers. We will not have ec this year, so many of these people will return to Japan by the next ec. We pray that the networking given at ec11 will be a good resource for the returnees so that they will have good preparation before their returns, and also have enough follow-up after their returns. Although ec focuses on Christians, we had thirteen non-Christian attendees, and we had a report that six of them decided to be Christians or to be baptized at this point. Please pray for their walk as Christians.
Under the leadership of Yoshiki Saeki, we had two ec conferences. God provided wonderful teams for both years. They sacrificed their time for ec for ten months alongside with their study or work. Go provided special gifts and abilities to them to make ec11 happen. Please especially pray for ec11 planning committee members. Also please pray for Yoshiki Saeki associate staff, who was in charge of leading this committee for last two years, so that the blessings through this role may maintain in him and his family.
We will not have ec this year since Urbana13 is held. It is still uncertain who is conducting ec13, and how would it be as well at this point. It would be the year to pray for God's vision for ec13. Without people, we cannot organize the ministry of ec. Please pray together with us that He may raise new people to be involved in this. ec11 follow-up is still going on. Please pray about the follow-up as well.
●● JCFN's 2012 ●●
As we have been announcing, there will be 3rd All Nations Returnees Conference (ANRC) 12 held in November 22-25, 2012 in Kakegawa, Shizuoka. JCFN's ministry will be focusing on ANRC12 this year. Taking this timing as an opportunity, we will have our first WIT in Japan called BBWIT (Bridge Builder Whatever It Takes, pronounced as "bibitt") leadership training camp to gather regional leaders (we call them "bridge builders") who are involved in following up on returnees in different regions of Japan. The highlights of ANRC are the experiences not only at the conference site, but also in the local regions which bring new networks of regions to follow up new returnees. We are expecting that BBWIT will be the place to encourage those regional leaders of returnee ministries. In the US, WIT was born in the year or 2007 and many WIT graduates are now sent back to Japan. We are also hoping WIT graduates would join in BBWIT project. Please pray for this new movement. WIT in US will be held in July as well, so please remember this together with BBWIT. Upcoming detailed schedule for 2012 will be discussed at annual joint staff meeting in March.
●● Staff Updates ●●
During ec11, we had a privilege to get together with JCFN staff and associate staff. Usually, we only have chances to meet online, so it was such a neat time to chill and pray together.
As I wrote previously, in January we use our time mostly for following up ec11 and preparation for BBWIT.
For BBWIT, Setsu Shimizu (US staff) and Chihiro Nakamura (Interim International Director) will be traveling to Japan. Please pray for our trip and ministries in Japan.
Setsu will also visit Seattle to speak at seminars of RJC (Reaching Japanese for Christ) held in Feb. Her support-raising will continue until June. Please continue to pray for her.
JCFN's 20th anniversary booklet project is still in development. Please continue to pray for this project, and for Yuko Ozeki (US staff), who is in charge of this.
Maki Goto (Japan staff) is managing Japan office by himself this year as well. Also, Hijiri Martin part-time office worker is at Japan office. Please pray for Japan office work and situation.
Getting in this new year, the US headquarters will enter busy season in administrative work. Please pray for Machiko Miki (US office staff) who is in charge of administrative work.
Blessings on your new year,
Chihiro Nakamura
JCFN Interim International Director
JCFN's January & February Events
2/3-4: Intensive US staff meeting
2/6: USHQ prayer meeting -USAHOP
2/24-26: BBWIT (Tokyo)
For more regional events, visit www.jcfn.org.
Prayer Requests
● For ec11 follow-up. For ec11 conferees.
● For preparation of BBWIT.
● For JCFN's fundraising (Japan: Winter fundraise; US: Matching fundraise).
● For preparation for All Nations Returnees Conference 12.
● For each JCFN staff worker.
● JCFN's ministries in 2012.
