Several American ladies living in Japan and a few women from America started a bible study a couple months ago to encourage growth, community ministry and outreach, and fellowship between churches. It has continued to be a blessing to those that just listen in occasionally as well as to those disciplined ones who make sure to connect each week.
But now there's a little change. So this is an overview of the details followed by a few inspiring passages from this week's chapter.
What is it? An English bible study
Who is it for? All Christian women from anywhere interested in deepening relationships with like-minded Christian women in Japan
When is it? •here's the change•
Next study is on August 17
Japan time: Fridays at 8pm
Indiana time: Fridays at 7am
How to participate? Just comment or email me with your Skype id, I'll add your id, you'll confirm the relationship. Then you're all set; be ready at your computer waiting for the Skype call.
What's discussed: We're currently discussing the topic "how to alleviate poverty without hurting the poor". This is based on the book "When Helping Hurts." It encompasses all types of poverty: material poverty, poverty of spiritual intimacy, poverty of being, poverty of community, poverty of stewardship, etc.
Keep reading for a taste of chapter 7...
Doing short-term missions without doing long term harm:
"The core problem with STMs to poor communities is that STMs tend to reflect the perspective of "poverty as deficit," the idea that poverty is due to the poor lacking something...A more relational understanding of poverty sees both the materially poor and materially non-poor as suffering from broken relationships, albeit in different ways, and seeks to pursue processes that foster the reconciling work of Jesus Christ in the lives of both parties."
"The money spent on a single STM team for a one- two-week experience would be sufficient to support more than a dozen far more effective indigenous workers for an entire year."
And the story of the elephant and mouse, "Sometimes, that is what it's like to do mission with you Americans," the African storyteller commented. "It is like dancing with an elephant."
Find the book or join us on skype to hear the whole story!
Labels: bible study, christianity, church, english, fellowship, friends, Japan, loneliness, ministry, missions, prayers, Projects, the Bible, when helping hurts, witnessing
