Lunch with the Lynches, Pastor Byun, and Nobuko
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This was a very positive visit. Pastor Byun is one of the visionary leaders of Christianity in Japan, with the gift of faith. Where earlier in the week we heard about issues, challenges, problems with no obvious solutions, Pastor Byun sees opportunities for the Spirit of God to work. The church is getting desperate? Great! They'll be more open to change!
Summary of Pastor Byun's prayer requests:
Details follow.
We had lunch today (Saturday 9/16) with the Lynches and two people on the staff of their church: Nobuko-san, and Pastor Byun. Stu picked us up at the minshuku (a beautiful place in the mountains near Tsukuba), and we drove to the strangest place -- a shopping center that looked like it belonged in North America! On the way, we saw a restaurant called "bikkuri donkey." Our family stopped at a "bikkuri donkey" on a road trip, in 1998 I think. We have a souvenir from that place -- a mug with a picture that changes when you pour a hot drink. We've no idea how the restaurant got its name.
Anyway, we met on the 2nd floor of the shopping center, near a sign advertising a new store called "Shoe Cream." Yes, it does have something to do with shoes. (If you've ever lived in Japan you'll get the joke; if you haven't, well, it's hard to explain.)
Anyway, I have some notes from our talk with Pastor Byun; perhaps someone else will add something later about what they learned from Nobuko-san.
Pastor Byun told us of his desire to plant churches to reach overseas Japanese (those living in Australia, the US, etc.). Sylvia shared how wonderful she found it that a Korean man had such great love for the Japanese people, so he told his story.
Apparently he had a very successful experience starting and growing a church in Korea. He was driven, as he says, to the mountain, where by fasting and praying he discerned that he had to go to Japan. He also sensed from the Lord that he had actually been pursuing praise from man, more than loving the Lord Jesus.
About this point in the story, Rob asked him about his health, which had been poor in the past because of overwork. (He looks terrific now, by the way.) It turns out that some time in 2001, "the Lord told me to reach out to young Japanese men." So he dyed (bleached?) his hair and he now wears a baseball cap. (If I have it right, he also shed some of his responsibilities to focus on this new ministry area.) People used to think his wife a lot younger than he is; after this transformation, they wonder how his wife got married to such a young-looking guy. I thought you'd enjoy hearing about that!
Anyway, they started a church about 3 minutes from the Waseda station. They have maybe 160 people on a Sunday. Japanese staff.
In his organization there are 3 Korean pastors. Their financial policy is that everybody has to be self-supporting.
How does Pastor Byun support himself then? He is editor of (and writer for) a publishing company. Initially this publishing company was for literature evangelism. After 3 years, they started giving him a salary. (Before that, he was an OMF missionary for 13 years.) The publishing company has a magazine - daily devotionals, and some of Kay Arthur's stuff (in Japanese I suppose).
They are now looking at some materials on transformational growth, because the church in Japan needs, not additive, but multiplicative growth (not + but x).
Pastor Byun told us that he's had six experiences of wind from the Holy Spirit told him what to do. Twice, he says, he disobeyed, and the results were not good. His successes, he says, came from the 4 times he obeyed.
He feels that the big issue for the church in Japan is unity (see also items #2 and #3 of this list). The churches are getting desperate, and (we hope) becoming more open to change.
This was a very positive visit. Pastor Byun is one of the visionary leaders of Christianity in Japan, with the gift of faith. Where earlier in the week we heard about issues, challenges, problems with no obvious solutions, Pastor Byun sees opportunities for the Spirit of God to work. The church is getting desperate? Great! They'll be more open to change!
Summary of Pastor Byun's prayer requests:
- Church planting for overseas Japanese. Today there are very few independent churches for overseas Japanese - maybe 2 or 3 (all the others are tied to a denomination). Korean Christians in Shanghai have 6 churches, 2000 people. Japanese Christians are scattered in small groups in homes for fear of the government.
- Transformational growth in the Japanese church: need 'x' growth, not just '+' growth.
- Protection from satanic attacks and deception. Some people who want to hear the Holy Spirit actually are worshiping spiritual power. They lose the most important thing, love; they criticize and deceive themselves (and others) and damage the church.
- Health for himself and his family.
Details follow.
We had lunch today (Saturday 9/16) with the Lynches and two people on the staff of their church: Nobuko-san, and Pastor Byun. Stu picked us up at the minshuku (a beautiful place in the mountains near Tsukuba), and we drove to the strangest place -- a shopping center that looked like it belonged in North America! On the way, we saw a restaurant called "bikkuri donkey." Our family stopped at a "bikkuri donkey" on a road trip, in 1998 I think. We have a souvenir from that place -- a mug with a picture that changes when you pour a hot drink. We've no idea how the restaurant got its name.
Anyway, we met on the 2nd floor of the shopping center, near a sign advertising a new store called "Shoe Cream." Yes, it does have something to do with shoes. (If you've ever lived in Japan you'll get the joke; if you haven't, well, it's hard to explain.)
Anyway, I have some notes from our talk with Pastor Byun; perhaps someone else will add something later about what they learned from Nobuko-san.
Pastor Byun told us of his desire to plant churches to reach overseas Japanese (those living in Australia, the US, etc.). Sylvia shared how wonderful she found it that a Korean man had such great love for the Japanese people, so he told his story.
Apparently he had a very successful experience starting and growing a church in Korea. He was driven, as he says, to the mountain, where by fasting and praying he discerned that he had to go to Japan. He also sensed from the Lord that he had actually been pursuing praise from man, more than loving the Lord Jesus.
About this point in the story, Rob asked him about his health, which had been poor in the past because of overwork. (He looks terrific now, by the way.) It turns out that some time in 2001, "the Lord told me to reach out to young Japanese men." So he dyed (bleached?) his hair and he now wears a baseball cap. (If I have it right, he also shed some of his responsibilities to focus on this new ministry area.) People used to think his wife a lot younger than he is; after this transformation, they wonder how his wife got married to such a young-looking guy. I thought you'd enjoy hearing about that!
Anyway, they started a church about 3 minutes from the Waseda station. They have maybe 160 people on a Sunday. Japanese staff.
In his organization there are 3 Korean pastors. Their financial policy is that everybody has to be self-supporting.
How does Pastor Byun support himself then? He is editor of (and writer for) a publishing company. Initially this publishing company was for literature evangelism. After 3 years, they started giving him a salary. (Before that, he was an OMF missionary for 13 years.) The publishing company has a magazine - daily devotionals, and some of Kay Arthur's stuff (in Japanese I suppose).
They are now looking at some materials on transformational growth, because the church in Japan needs, not additive, but multiplicative growth (not + but x).
Pastor Byun told us that he's had six experiences of wind from the Holy Spirit told him what to do. Twice, he says, he disobeyed, and the results were not good. His successes, he says, came from the 4 times he obeyed.
He feels that the big issue for the church in Japan is unity (see also items #2 and #3 of this list). The churches are getting desperate, and (we hope) becoming more open to change.
posted by Collin at 12:57 AM
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