Ichikawa Guest Home (IGH)
After a busier-than-expected autumn, it looks like some of December will be less so. Please pray for our Serve Asia Worker to have a chance to catch their breath. Praise God that He has provided an excellent language teacher for them this autumn.
Sapporo Guest Home (SGH)
An international team stays until 9th December. Pray that God will work in and though them. Other guests are coming for meetings or holidays, or are in transition. Please pray that the OMF Hokkaido Building Committee will find a new Home Assignment storage facility.
Kitami Megumi Church
Praise God that the church has found a successor who will start in March, after the current pastor retires. Pray for the transition and for good relationships. At the end of their first term, the missionary couple here feel exhausted. Please pray for energy until their Home Assignment in March. Pray for their preparations, including packing and communication with churches. One of them preaches on 5th December, and the other leads a testimony service on the 29th December, and plans a Christmas dinner with internationals.
Momijidai Oasis Church
Give thanks for a new season of learning, and reflection, through a training course. Pray for good numbers and enthusiasm to learn Christmas carols at the English classes. Please pray for God’s leading in planning the combined Christmas event for the adults’ and children’s English class students, and neighbourhood schools and residents. Pray for good rest and God’s healing upon lingering winter coughs and colds.
Kanto Sector Leader
Praise God that the Church Planting Institute conference was a blessing, and we distributed over 60 handouts for the Evangelism Training. Pray that God would bring opportunities to train and mobilise Christians. Pray for God’s wisdom as the Sector Leader meets with missionaries and pastors. Pray for more partnerships with like-minded pastors, and for church planting opportunities. Pray for people in Kanto hearing the message of our glorious Saviour this Christmas; may they respond in faith.
Church Planting Facilitator
LoveJapan: A Singaporean lady will spend one year serving at Kochi Grace Church through the Church-to-Church Collaboration project. Pray for good relationships and a fruitful ministry. A few Japanese churches have requested help in collaborating with Singaporean churches and workers. Pray for trust relationships to be built and future work to be established.
Returnee Ministries
Please pray for Christmas events: English classes (3rd and 5th December), kids’ Christmas event and online English Gathering (7th December), online Ladies Christmas film (9th December), Returnee café Christmas party (14th December), Ladies’ Christmas party (17th December), and the Christ-mas party (21st December). The Bible reading groups will also be thinking about Christmas dur-ing December. Pray that people will realise the real reason we celebrate Christmas and seek to know Jesus for themselves. Pray also for energy and strength at this busy time. The final session of the evangelism course will be on 10th December. Pray the ladies will want to continue meeting and for wisdom to know what to study next. Pray for refreshment over Christmas and the New Year.
Social Media Team
Give thanks for the social media retreat in November. It was a good time of team building and discussion about upcoming changes and ‘big picture’ topics. Give thanks that the work is mobilising people to pray and come to Japan. Pray that the Winter issue of Japan Harvest magazine on the subject of ‘Mental Health’ would be helpful to all who receive it.
Training Sector Leader
Give thanks for travel, catch-ups and connections. Pray for oversight of the Ichikawa Language Hub, the Training Sector Leadership Team, and for diligent work on documents, processes and communication. Christ Church Riverside has Christmas services throughout December – may families who “regularly” join for “special” occasions be drawn to Jesus!
Ichikawa Language Hub
Give thanks for our Monday orientation times, and all those who have shared this year, in-person or online! Please keep praying for good preparation of new missionaries and for planning for the future of the Hub, including provision of Japanese teachers. Pray also for a close walk with God for all, refreshment over the break, and for one member who finishes their time in Kanto and prepares to move to Sapporo. Finally, pray for the returnee focus team considering the timing, location and strategy for future ministry.
Ministry Coach
Please pray for those moving from language school to their training designations. Pray for wisdom and discernment for the development of appropriate coaching resources and packages for the OMF Japan.
