Prayer

Pastoral Changes 2014

Rev. Francis Horio has retired after his long service to Kyushu Diocese, and we wish him well as he spends more time with his family in retirement.

Since we have no new clergy this year, this has meant a series of changes to our pastoral coverage:
Rev. Mark Shibamoto has moved to Nagasaki to take over Holy Trinity, Nagasaki and the Church of the Resurrection in Sasebo.
Rev. Michael Lee has moved to Kokura to take over Immanuel Parish; he will also visit Tobata and Tsushima.
Rev. Stephen Nakamura is now pastor of our main church (cathedral), St Paul’s, in Fukuoka, and is also responsible for St John’s, Izuhara (Tsushima).
Rev. David Nakano has moved to Kurume, where he will also be responsible for St Luke’s, Saga.
Rev. John Lee has moved to Oita, and will also visit Nobeoka.
Rev. David Nakashima is still responsible for Okuchi, but has also taken over the Church of the Resurrection in Kagoshima, where he is now based.
Rev. Barnabas Ushijima is still in Nogata, but is now also responsible for Tobata rather than Tsushima.
Since Rev. Nakashima’s added responsibility for Kagoshima means he cannot visit Miyazaki regularly, and Rev. Catherine Yoshioka is still responsible for Nobeoka as well as Miyazaki, members of our congregation will now lead services twice a month at Holy Trinity, Miyazaki.

Bishop Dixie Taclobao of our sister diocese (The Episcopal Diocese of Central Philippines) suffered a heart attack last Friday. Please pray for his full recovery.

World Day of Prayer

Today is World Day of Prayer. Women and a few men from many of the churches in Miyazaki gathered at the Mennonite Church in Sadowara for a special service this morning. Similar services are being held at other churches around the world today.

This year’s event was prepared by the WDP Egypt Committee, with the theme ‘Streams in the Desert’. The main bible reading was from John 4: 5-42, the encounter at Jacob’s Well in Samaria., one of my favourite passages in the gospels.

Philippine Work Camp 2013 - 4

The main group of work campers left Fukuoka for the Philippines this morning, posting photos on Facebook, etc, when they had a stopover in Taipei. They have now arrived in Manila, where they are being welcomed by EDCP staff.

As my sister reminded me when she called to say “Happy Birthday”, today is also ‘World Day of Prayer’, and prayer meetings have been and are being held at churches around the world today.