Midori Shibuta came to Alpha for the first time yesterday and found it so boring she could hardly stay awake. That's what she told her sister-in-law, a friend of mine from church.
I appreciate Midori's frank response, especially in this country where "being polite" keeps some people from telling what they really think. Some people. But not Midori, it seems!
When I said to Midori's sister-in-law, "So I suppose Midori won't come back next week," she responded, "Not necessarily. She may be back. She just likes to say exactly what she thinks."
Midori's husband, Noriyuki, is participating in our evening course. He seems to stay awake just fine. But he doesn't talk much.
Among yesterday's ten guests, one other was here for the first time. Kyoko Oshima was invited by last week's first-time guest, Sachiko Yonekawa. Kyoko actively participated and later commented that she enjoyed the atmosphere and was glad to receive a new Bible.
I love welcoming new friends each week, both those who have fun and those who nod off. But as we near the mid-way point church members and I are no longer actively inviting. Instead, we pray there will be more consistency in attendance from week to week, so we can grow deeper in friendship, that guests will feel free to share more and more deeply from their hearts.
Please pray to that end.
Alpha will again be in my home twice next Friday even though I won't be here! I'll miss next week's talk and discussion on prayer. So my next e-mail update will be after Week Six: "How Does God Guide Us?" on October 22.
Thank you for your prayers.
Tim
Daily Prayer Requests:
Sunday: Pray for Midori and Noriyuki Shibuta, that they will respond to God's work in their lives and see their marriage and family life transformed. Pray for sensitivity for their Christian family members as they talk with them about their spiritual journey.
Monday: Pray for guests who have come only once so far. Perhaps some will come again soon; others may be able to come to church for a Christmas event or join Alpha next year. The only one we haven't heard anything from is Chihiro Moguruma. Naoko Wada hopes to come again but has had to work. Mrs. Kudou, who came only on October 1 also seems interested in coming again.
Tuesday Pray for Mr. Sasaki and his family. He came to Alpha for the second time yesterday. He's friendly and talkative, and fun to have here. But he doesn't say much about spiritual things. He was one of several guests who received a Bible yesterday. We encouraged them to try reading a little from the Gospel of John this week, and to write down their questions to bring to Alpha for discussion.
Wednesday Pray for Taeko Nitto, a non-Christian helper in our evening course. She's been spending more and more time with some church ladies. Pray God will bless these friendships and Taeko will believe.
Thursday Pray for our course to be very experiential -- especially as this week's topic is prayer, that guests will share requests and see them answered. Pray for guests who aren't sure if the God of the Bible exists -- that they will find he does! (For many Japanese the question isn't whether or not there is a God. They think there are many gods. To believe in only one God is a new and challenging concept. Pray God will help truths about himself to be known.)
Friday Pray for Toshiko Sato's continued growth. As a new Christian who is very deeply grateful to Jesus for saving her, she adds a lot to the discussion times. Pray other guests will be blessed by her.
Since I won't be able to send an update next week, I've included these additional requests for those of you who are praying each day.
Sunday, October 17:
Pray for preparations for our "Weekend" -- that many of our guests will join the retreat October 30-31 during which we'll cover the three sessions on the Holy Spirit.
Monday, October 18
Pray for preparations for "Experiencing Alpha Day" in Sapporo on November 6. This event is designed for Christian leaders who are thinking of launching the Alpha Course at their churches. Pray for 100 to come.
Tuesday, October 19
Pray our autumn courses in Muroran will lead to lasting fruit -- that among our guests there will be some who believe and become life-long followers of Christ.
Wednesday, October 20
Pray for the "lasting fruit" of a small group that will begin meeting in my neighborhood in January and continue long after I move in March, that some of our Alpha guests will find the group to be a good place to continue growing spiritually.
Thursday, October 21
Pray for the church in Muroran as it considers what to do with Alpha after I leave. Pray a church member will be led by God to be the Alpha Coordinator.
Friday, October 22: Alpha Week Six today. Topic: "How Does God Guide Us?"
Pray for Kuniko Hatanaka, a church friend who has helped run Alpha since our first course and is very involved this fall. More than most, Kuniko "gets" Alpha, and can fill any of the leadership roles well. Kuniko's sister is currently a guest (Sachiko Yonekawa). Kuniko would be a great Alpha Coordinator in Muroran; I hope to talk with her about that. I know some of you have prayed for Kuniko's friend, my neighbor Mrs. Saito, who wants to join Alpha but has had something come up every week. Pray for that friendship and for Mrs. Saito to become a Christian.
Tim Clark