The Gospel through English
At 10 am we had the English Connect class, which is a space for people interested in practicing English. I met two new friends, and both stayed afterward for the church service. I had an amazing time getting to know these wonderful people - one elderly woman and one younger guest.
The elderly woman was so curious; her mind is sharp and her desire to learn was inspiring. I told her when I grow up, I want to be like her. The younger woman experienced church and heard the gospel preached for the first time. Would you pray for them to keep coming back and eventually receive Christ as well as English skills?
Pastor Matt preached from 1 Peter 1:3-9, about Christ as our Living Hope. In him there is eternal joy.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Worship at Mustard Seed Christian Church, Osaka クリスチャン教会 (大阪)
Lunch
I met so many people from all over the world: Bulgaria, the USA, Hong Kong, China, S Korea, the Philippines, Russia, England, and India. The lunch created a great opportunity for everyone to get to know one another.
Bible discussion
I planned to attend but got caught up in conversations so here’s a picture (last photo in the gallery) for those who are interested in spending more time in the Word.
Mustard Seed Network Church
Overall, it was a wonderful day of worship and fellowship. The church building is a central location, right across from a busy intersection of a train station. You can see the mustard seed church sign from 2 blocks away. You can’t miss it. The rent is high but all MSN churches are located in a visible central location part of the city. Osaka church is definitely located in one of the best strategic spot. It’s a stone through away from Sky Bridge, one of the more popular landmark of Osaka with lots of tourists and visibility.
Prayer Requests:
Please pray for pastor Matt (lead pastor), and Yuma (worship pastor) to have continued strength and wisdom
Please pray for their ability to raise full support, which they have been missing for years.
Please pray for more local Japanese men to step up in leadership positions. They need more children ministry volunteers and male leaders in general.
Please pray for visitors to stay and be connected to the small group.
Hang Tu
www.fairfaxbible.org
Associate Pastor of Fairfax Bible Church