Dear everyone, 

Hope God has richly blessed your service in the Lord Jesus.  Since I have
changed my web page URL, I have not been able to put it back on Yahoo Japan.
Since then, I have received less mails from people than before.  I am
checking what caused this and try to find the solution quickly.  Meantime, I
would like to think that I have been given a little break.  It has been
difficult to keep up with all the "emailers" and students who have been
taking my correspondence courses. 
      
On April 10, JSE (Japan School of Evangelism) had a ceremony for a new
school year.  (In Japan, a new school year begins in April.)  This year I   
teach "Church of Christ."  The way I prepare this course and other courses
for JSE helps me save my work time.  I have completed all of my three 
correspondence courses (Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced) which are written
to convert non-Christians to Christ.  Now I am trying to complete the new
correspondence course, "A Christian's Growth," which is help Christians
grow in Christ.  For JSE classes, I can use the most materials
of my correspondence courses.  In that way, I do not have to prepare
something new for JSE classes. 
 
The same thing can say about my work at Uenohara church of Christ.  I use my
correspondences for Sunday morning class for several reasons.  They meet on 
only Sunday morning at Uenohara.  They do not meet in the mid-week. 
This means, the members come to meet once a week on Sunday morning and 
naturally do not read the Bible for themselves.  Because many of them have
only a little biblical knowledge, they would say that they do not understand
the Bible even if they read it for themselves.  The correspondence courses
are used to beat  obstacles such as the lacks of biblical knowledge and of
daily Bible  reading.  I ask them to read the correspondence courses just
like homework before Sunday morning.  On Sunday  morning, they are ready to
ask questions and discuss the things written in the correspondence courses.
Generally speaking many Japanese churchess Bible Study try to cover verse by
verse and do not discuss applications of biblical messages.  It makes a
Bible Study very boring; eventually many quit attending it.  Besides, it
takes forever to cover the basic teaching of Christianity.  I do not have
such a time.  They do not either.
 
I go to Uenohara to serve people there twice a month.  I think  there is
already a sense of excitement among them.  Mr. Kushima, a 35 years old man,
told me that he was confused about the relationship between faith and love.
He now understands the meanings of faith and love and tries apply to his
life.  Mrs. Yamaguchi has not come to church for several years, although
her husband comes.  She showed up last Sunday and was brought by her
husband.  At least she has shown her interest in taking the correspondence
courses.  My goals for the Uenohara congregation has three folds.  First, I
will help the members build a spiritual foundation which is based on 
biblical knowledge.  Second, I will help former members, who quit attending
church for various reasons, to come back to the Lord.  Especially Mr. Akira 
Amamiya, whose wife is a faithful member, stopped coming to the assembly
several years ago.  From  hearing history of this congregation, I understand
what caused him to quit.  He still shows his "loyalty"to church.  Every
Saturday he volunteers to come to the church building to clean it.  Would
you pray for him?  Third, I will help the members have a vision for doing
God's will, namely doing good deeds in its community so that God's name will
be glorified. 
 
Sunday afternoon we have an informal Japanese Bible study.  We regularly 
have two visitors.  Hope we will bring those students in weekday English
Bible studies into the Sunday afternoon study. 
 
We always appreciate your help and support. 

In His service, 
Masa Nonogaki