Connecting the Returnee

Making sure that Japanese find a good fit into the Japanese Christian fellowship is crucial as they return to Japan.
You will find good help at our www.RJCNetwork.org. Look at the articles and audio section.

You can also find lists of churches in Japan that are eager to help the returnee. Dale & Liz Halligan have several church suggestions at https://www.isiwebnet.net/sites/dhalligan/International%20Friendly%20Churches . Liz Godwin at also is continually adding churches to her list. I also have reference books that list every church in Japan, and you can contact me. But remember to give me your email address directly at don_wright@comcast.net .

However, my strong advice is to first contact Japanese Christian Fellowship Network (JCFN) at http://www.jcfn.org/english.htm, then click the "Follow Up Request" link. Most likely they can not only get a good church fit, but they can also connect the returnee with former returnees and returnee fellowships that will greatly help.

Japanese Western Weddings in Japan and Elsewhere

Yesterday I was working on the new "Operation Japan" Prayer Book which will come out as an expanded CD only edition. Here is what we had in the 2004 edition, pg 52:
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Some missionaries say that the wedding ministry in Japan is the most effective mass evangelism method today. Here is the reason they are saying that. Of the 750,000 weddings performed yearly in more than 3,000 wedding chapels and other locations, up to 75% or 562,500 are Christian or Western services. With an average of 50 guests per wedding, this means that in a year up to 268 million people come in contact with God’s Word. They sing two Christian hymns, hear two prayers and a short Bible message.
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There are at least four levels of Western (Christian) weddings for Japanese taking place in Japan, Hawaii and elsewhere.
1. Pure secular business weddings. These take place in wedding halls, hotels, etc. and are often conducted by non-Christians.
2. Secular business weddings conducted by Christian missionaries, pastors. These ceremonies often allow 10 minutes with the couple before the wedding in order to explain something of the meaning of the ceremony.
3. Western weddings, conducted by Christian ministers with counseling. Those getting married may or may not have had previous contact with Christianity. During the counseling there is opportunity to explain the gospel. In some cases there is follow-up after the wedding.
4. Western weddings conducted only under the authority of a Christian organization, like a church, only for Christians.

My personal feeling here is that we need to pray for those getting married at each of these levels. Even #1 weddings conducted on the beaches of Hawaii allow the name of Jesus to be used, the Bible is read and a hymn is sung. May God use these unprecedented opportunities to bring many to Himself!

What do you think?

DW