RJC International Conference, Feb 16-18, 2012

I am excited about all the things that will be happening at the coming International RJC Conference. Here are a few of the opportunities:
1. A great time to connect with others, be encouraged and learn how better to represent Jesus to our Japanese friends. There will be over 20 different seminars and presentations.
2. A time to learn what God is doing in the Tohoku disaster area through Rev. Akira Sato and others.
3. A chance to participate in a dynamic Black Gospel Music workshop and concert, led by Ray Sidney. See Ray Sidney Registration Page.
4. An opportunity to learn how to share your faith story through manga/comic, led by Kathleen Web.
5. And much more

Prayer for Japan

Each day I am posting the prayer item from Operation Japan on our “Operation Japan Prayer” Group on Facebook. Today I read this from E.M. Bounds.

• The fortunes of the kingdom of Jesus Christ are not made by the feebleness of its foes. They are strong and bitter and have ever been strong, and ever will be. But might prayer–this is the one great spiritual force which will enable the Lord Jesus Christ to enter into full possession of his kingdom, and secure for him the heathen as his inheritance, and the uttermost part of the earth for his possession

We pray for Japan!

New Japanese Books for Ministry

Today I just posted two documents that introduce seven books published by Word of Life in Japanese. You can download and read them at RJC. Find the link towards the bottom of the page.

The books are: What the Bible Is All About for Young Explorers; Manga Life of Jesus; Manga Introduction to the Bible; Japanese Living Bible New Testament; The Case for Faith; The Case for a Creator, both by Lee Strobel; and 240 Bible Passages: Nutritional Supplements for Spiritual Life (Japanese and English).

Operation Japan Prayer

If you would like to participate with us to pray daily for Japan in the year 2012, please go to http://www.facebook.com/groups/operationjapan/ and join.
Prayer crucial for Japan at a time like this!

New Postings

I just posted a report from one of the Tohoku pastors. Take a look at www.rjcnetwork.org.
You will also find information about the important RJC Conference, Feb 16-18, Love Japan, and a reminder about the coming “Preparing to Go” class.
If you plan to go to Japan for a trip, mission or for long-term service, this class is for you.

Japan During the Holidays

Dawn Birkner posted this important prayer request:
“Will you join me in praying that many of the Christians living in urban Japan who will go to see relatives in home towns throughout rural Japan for the New Years holiday season will have the boldness to sensitively share Jesus with them this time. If you are in an urban church and know someone returning for the holidays to a rural hometown, maybe you could encourage them and pray for them in that regard?”

Operation Japan Prayer

Yesterday I started a Facebook group called Operation Japan Prayer. The purpose of this group is to help us to pray daily during 2012 for Japan using Operation Japan.

Let me give you a little background concerning the prayer guide, which is now only available in CD format.

It was about 1995 when the Lord put it on the hearts of a handful of people that Japan desperately needed a prayer guide that would help people to pray for the whole country of Japan, not just for a particular denomination or para-church organization, not just for a particular part of Japan, but for all of Japan. An Operation Japan Publishing Committee was formed with the blessing of the Japan Evangelical Association (JEA) and the Japan Evangelical Missionary Association (JEMA). Rev. Mitsuo Mitsumori and the Church Information Service (CIS) spent months putting together the calendar of requests, and the information needed. It was then translated into English and the first editions in Japanese and English were published in 1997. A combined total of about 15,000 copies were printed.

Then three years later the second edition was printed in Japanese, English and Korean. Rev. Mitsumori again served as editor of the Japanese edition, Yeong Sang Cho, a Campus Crusade for Christ missionary served as the Korean editor, and I (Don Wright continued with the English oversight.

In 2005 the third edition was published in English only. These three English editions were were under the supervision of JEMA, for which we are very thankful. Each of these editions had their unique characteristics, put followed the basic structure that Rev. Mitsumori had engineered.

Since 2005 Japan and the missionary community has changed. There was need for an updated edition, but JEMA was not able to continue their cooperation. So the format has changed from a hard copy to a browser friendly html format that is contained in one CD. Operation Japan has moved from a 96 page hard copy to a huge 700 MB copy, full of updated and expanded information, pictures and illustrations, and with an abundance of internet links. It has become a unique tool for information and prayer.

That’s the short version of Operation Japan. We praise God for what He has done. We hope that many will join us for this year long prayer time using OJ.