Ministry Plans for This Fall

Dale and I, along with Elliott, leave for Japan in less than two weeks. Lots of packing and preparing going on as I write! We arrive in Tokyo on August 16. We return, Lord willing, late in November. Our ministry this fall will look a bit different than last year’s. We still plan to base in Karuizawa, about an hour north of Tokyo by bullet train. And we still plan to lead the SYME English immersion discipleship program. However, there are two developments that have significantly altered how we plan to approach this year’s time of ministry.

First, we have fewer students enrolled this fall. Second, we have a larger number of staff than usual. Together these present a unique opportunity to train the staff to use the Gospel Meta-narrative Method of evangelism and to launch out with a new evangelism initiative.

For the last several years, I have been researching differences in communication dynamics between English and Japanese. What I have found significantly impacts how we share the Gospel with Japanese people. In January of this year, I decided it was time for me to put these things in writing so I could share them more widely with others. Little did I realize then that I would have the opportunity so soon to begin formally training others in the things I have learned. But “for some reason”, God had in mind for there to be fewer SYME students this fall, even though we will have the largest number of staff ever—for some reason!

Our plan is to spend most of September doing the necessary training with the staff. In October and November, we plan to launch out with evangelistic ministry in two or three other locations. In one sense, we will be beta testing our new approach with larger numbers of people than ever before. In the past, Dale and I have used bits and pieces of the new approach with one or two people at a time. The plan this fall is to go farther and then to regroup and evaluate how to improve even more. In addition to the evangelistic outreaches, our staff has planned an alumni retreat in late October/early November for SYME graduates, giving us an opportunity to share about our new approach with them also.

All of this is such a big deal!

So what can you do to be part of this fall’s outreach, and how can you help? Here are some ideas:

·      Pray. This is the most critical thing. Ultimately we know that no method of evangelism works apart from the power of God. We need others to commit to praying daily for Japan, for the cities where we will be doing the outreaches, and for the specific people whose names we will share along the way, people who seem to be showing an interest in the things that we share. We know that prayer works. Are you willing to serve in this way? If you are, please let us know by emailing us at nippon.init@gmail.com using the subject line of PRAYER. I will send you some reminders and updates along the way.

·      Fast. I’m including this, not in a superstitious way, as if God might be more likely to answer our prayers if we fast. Rather, it’s because fasting has a way of focusing our attention on self-denial in tandem with a mindset of, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” The reason we will be doing the training and outreach this fall is because of our desire to advance the Gospel and God’s Kingdom among Japanese people. We believe this is very much in line with God’s will both in heaven and here on earth. We are totally dependent on God’s will for the people whose lives we will be touching. Fasting doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go without food for an entire day. Some might choose to skip a meal or to eat significantly less for one of their meals. Some fasts don’t involve food. You can fast from television or technology for a period of time. The key to fasting is training your flesh through self-denial to make God’s will its top priority. Are you willing to serve in this way? If so, this is between you and the Lord. He sees in secret, but will reward you openly.

·      Give. There are some financial needs associated with this fall’s outreach. Here’s a list:

o   Staff support – $10,000. There are several Japanese nationals on our staff whom we support with their cost of living and serving through SYME. They serve sacrificially, and we are blessed to have them on board. The figure given represents the approximate total need for 3 months. If you would like to give to this fund, please use the online giving page for Word of Life. Here is the link: https://give.wol.org. In the box that reads, “Find a missionary or project”, enter 07110C Stronger Solution. Then enter the amount of your gift.

o   Gilmore family’s expenses - $6800. This figure includes our in-country travel and living expenses for the four months we are in Japan this fall. If you would like to give to this fund, please use the online giving page for Word of Life. Here is the link: https://give.wol.org. In the box that reads, “Find a missionary or project”, enter 07118C Randy Gilmore contribution. Then enter the amount of your gift.

o   Gilmore family monthly support. Our family still needs monthly support for our ongoing ministry. If you would like to give to our support, please use the online giving page for Word of Life. Here is the link: https://give.wol.org. In the box that reads, “Find a missionary or project”, enter 07118S Randy Gilmore support. Then enter the amount of your gift.

·      Buy. There are a few ways to help financially with purchases that you might already be considering or making. For example:

o   Amazon.com – Will you be making a purchase on Amazon? If you begin your Amazon session from my blog page, a portion of your purchase will be credited to the Nippon Initiative. Here is the link to my blog: http://pastorrandysblog.blogspot.com. Just look for the box at the top of the column on the right. Enter any search term you wish and press “search.” It will take you to Amazon.com and will credit your purchase to the Nippon Initiative, as long as you do not close your browser or navigate to some other web site.

o   Books and Publications. Here are several publications I’ve had a hand in writing and/or publishing. A portion of your purchase will help us with additional projects, including the publication of the Gospel Meta-narrative method. Here are some titles and links:

§  Did I Say the Right Thing? by Mitch Schultz – Paperback or Kindle

§  Why Am I So Afraid? by Steve Rowe – Kindle

§  Where Do We Go From Here? by Randal Gilmore – Kindle

§  Exalted Lord by Randal Gilmore – Paperback or Kindle

§  Christmas Dreams by Randal Gilmore – Kindle or iTunes (search by title and author under ‘Books’)

·      Share. We need to get the word out on what we are trying to do in Japan. Please share with others on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Ask them to pray too. Be discreet, but help us connect others with what the Lord is doing.

·      Reach out to a Japanese person where you are. There are so many Asians living here in Central Indiana. Don’t underestimate the power of your friendship with them as a testimony of what Christ has done in your life.

·      Check back soon! In the weeks and months to come, I plan to share more in a live webcast. I’m working on the details now, so I appreciate your prayers on this as well.

Now then, I think there’s something in that list for everyone. We need your help and support, especially with prayer more than anything. Even if you feel unable to commit to praying daily, would you be willing to take time right now to ask the Lord to bless our efforts this fall? We’re counting on you as we pack and prepare.

Thanks for caring and reading!

Warmly in Christ,

Randy and Dale Gilmore

PS We’d love to hear your feedback! – nippon.init@gmail.com

The Endgames of Hamas

The current crisis in Israel and Gaza continues to unfold. With each passing day, world media seems increasingly bent on casting Israel as an illegitimate genocidal bully, bent on abusing its superior power to make Palestinians suffer unjustly. In my last post, I wrote that I lament the loss of life on both sides. It is particularly heart-wrenching to see pictures of children who have suffered life-altering injuries or worse. I continue to pray for the missionaries who serve in the region and for those who are there to render humanitarian aid.

The question I keep asking myself is, why? Why does Hamas provoke Israel with literally thousands of rocket attacks, knowing (1) that the rockets are nothing more than that, a provocation; and (2) that Israel would respond at some point with devastating retaliation?

We know that Hamas has repeatedly stated their aim to destroy Israel. There's nothing new there. We also know that you don't have to be a Harvard grad in International Studies to understand the potential of a Hamas strategy of recognizing the legitimacy of Israel in exchange for living in peace and possible international recognition of statehood.

So why does Hamas keep on provoking? We know why Israel keeps on retaliating. They're not going to look the other way when an avowed enemy categorically refuses to recognize their legitimacy and and continues to proclaim their intention to destroy them. So why does Hamas ramp up its "nuisance" attacks, as it has done in recent days?

It is reported that in April of this year, the government of Palestine began joining (signing on to) various United Nation organizations and treaties governing war and peace. What's interesting about this is that Palestine does not have official standing before the UN as a State. Nevertheless, their friends in the UN often refer to them in official documents as the "State of Palestine". Allowing them membership in the various organizations referred to above similarly advances Palestinian claims on statehood. But here's the thing. Hamas joined these various organizations last Spring knowing at some point in the future it could provoke Israel into retaliation, retaliation that the organizations they joined would condemn as out of proportion and even criminal. In other words, Hamas' strategy clearly seems to be one of leveraging the UN to advance their claims on statehood with an endgame of stirring up the rest of the world to move militarily to lift the blockade against them while possibly also destroying Israel in the process. To these ends, Hamas has been willing to make its women and children suffer the severe retaliation against its provocations.

Additional evidence for my perspective comes from a recent letter to the UN from head of Palestine, Chief Mamoud Abbas, asking for the UN to make the State of Palestine and official UN Protectorate. You can read more about this here: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/07/26/un-studies-formal-palestinian-plea-for-protectorate/.

According to the Bible, Israel will not be destroyed ultimately. According to Jeremiah 34:20, the Lord says of Israel: "If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that the day and night will not come at their appointed time, then also my my covenant with David my servant may be broken...." This verse is one of many in which the Lord promises to protect and preserve the nation he chose and for which he still has plans for the future.

In the meantime, as I wrote in the last post, we know there will come a day when the nations will surround Israel with the intent to destroy her. Psalm 2 and other Bible passages make that clear.  Is that day here? Perhaps.

More about this and the possibility of a negotiated peace in my next post.