Our OMF mission partners, David and Manuela Pawson, and their children, Esther, Gideon and Daniel, are returning to Japan in March 2025 to start a second four-year placement. Having completed a year on Home Assignment, catching up with family, friends and supporting churches, they will be moving to the city of Kazuno, located in Akita Prefecture in north-west Japan. They will be working to plant a church in Kazuno with the support of the Green Pastures Church in the neighbouring city of Odate, about a thirty-minute drive away from Kazuno. A recommissioning service was held at St Philip and St James Church in February which enabled the congregation to reaffirm their commitment to supporting the Pawson family and to say their goodbyes and offer encouragement. Prior to this service David kindly answered some questions that we had put to him to learn a bit more about the strategy that he and Manuela are planning for church planting in Kazuno. 1. How is Christianity viewed in the area where you will be living/working and how will the Japanese culture impact your ministry? ''Generally speaking, Christianity has a difficult time in rural areas of Japan because there is a much greater emphasis on traditional religious beliefs and practices than in more urbanised areas. However, in Kazuno it might not be the same. When we visited the area in 2024 one of the villages just north of Kazuno had a number of statues of Catholic nuns and the nursery school there was called the “Mary Nursery School”. We have also heard reports that there was some sort of revival just before the WW2, but this was stamped out during the war. So, whilst we don’t know of any Christians living in Kazuno at the moment, there may be people whose parents or grandparents were believers''. 2. What initial resources will you have for planting the church and what do you think you will you need to support your mission? ''To begin with our main goal is to make contacts and get to know people in the community. From there we hope to start studying the bible with individuals and then eventually a small group. Thankfully, God has provided us with a house that would be well suited to doing this. Often houses in Japan are small and it is not always easy to host regular meetings but our house in Kazuno should have enough room to do so''. 3. What is your vision for the next four-year term in Japan and how has your previous experience influenced this? ''Our vision for this term in Japan is to see the start of a community of believers in Kazuno that will eventually be able to share the gospel with the people of northern Akita prefecture. Having worked in the OMF church plant in Hanamaki we were keen to continue this kind of work and we are very excited to be able to work alongside a Japanese church in this ministry''. David and Manuela’s ministry will start with prayer walking around Kazuno. They are excited to hear what God has planned for them and ask that we pray with them for God to work in the hearts of the people in Kazuno.
Over 40 members of our congregation enjoyed a delicious breakfast together in church on 18th January. A hum of chatter and laughter filled the air as we tucked into our various choices of tea, coffee, juice, rolls, croissants, Danish pastries, fruit and yoghurts. Then it was time to listen and watch presentations on the state of our buildings, finances and growth. Some of the statistics are sobering. For example, the church heating system needs to be replaced within a couple of years at a potential cost of £60K. To replace our current lighting with LED bulbs will incur a potential cost of £30k. Even if applications for grants are successful, we will need to raise half of these amounts ourselves. It was good to pray together as a church family together for these needs.On a more positive note, Revd Joe highlighted four areas in which we will seek to GROW: · Becoming more Christlike and putting down deeper roots of faith· Improving the health of our faith community· Growing with the community we serve· Growing numerically in a natural, sustainable way, bearing good fruit in due season. Joe reminded us of the Bible verses in Ephesians 4 that point to our goal in growth:11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
December is fast approaching, and many children are looking forward to opening the first window of their advent calendars to start the countdown to Christmas Day. As we embark on the season of Advent it is a good time to reflect on why it is important to Christians. The word ‘Advent’ is derived from the Latin word adventus meaning ‘coming or arrival’. The season of Advent was first introduced into the Christian calendar in the 5th century AD and was a time of fasting and reflection. Today, Advent marks the beginning of the Church year and begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas - Advent Sunday. It refers to a four-week season observed by Christians as a time of waiting and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and looking ahead to His return to the earth in glory at the Second Coming. An Advent Wreath, or Advent Crown, will be displayed in churches leading up to Christmas. This tradition was introduced into Britain from Northern Europe in the nineteenth century. It is typically made of evergreen branches which do not lose their leaves in winter and represent the promise of eternal life through Jesus. The circular shape of the wreath represents the eternal nature of God - His never-ending love, mercy, and faithfulness. The wreath has four candles on the outside and one in the middle. One outer candle is lit each Sunday marking the progression of the four weeks of Advent. There are several different ways of understanding the meaning of these candles including the representation of Biblical figures - the Patriarchs, the Prophets, John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary, and the representation of Hope, Love, Joy and Peace. The first candle will be lit at church services on Sunday 1st December. On Christmas Day, which marks the culmination of the Advent season, the central Christ Candle will be lit to symbolise the birth of Jesus, the Light of the World. Advent is a time to remember Jesus’ birth and to prepare for Christmas, a great time of celebration, but it also provides us with an opportunity for renewal of hope as we pray for peace and love to fill the world and are mindful that God has promised that Jesus our Saviour will return to Earth.
The Hucclecote Foodbank Centre, based at St Philip and St James Church, is part of the Gloucester Foodbank which is a Christian based charity supported by The Trussell Trust. It is open every Wednesday 11am to 1pm for collection of food parcels and is staffed by a friendly team of volunteers from St Philip and St James, Hillview Evangelical and Hucclecote Methodist Churches.Hucclecote Foodbank Centre provides compassion, support and emergency provisions for people in crisis who are struggling to afford essentials such as food, toiletries and cleaning items. To get help from the Foodbank a referral voucher is required from a community organisation such as a GP practice, Citizens Advice, GL Communities or a church, all of whom can assess individual specific needs and provide appropriate support. At the Foodbank the volunteers use the voucher in conjunction with a food allocation form to ensure that the food parcel will be suitable, taking into consideration the number of adults and children it needs to support and any dietary requirements. If a person is unable to collect their food parcel arrangements can be made for it to be delivered. When a person arrives at Hucclecote Foodbank Centre they are guaranteed a warm welcome and a listening ear. The volunteers can also advise on where further practical support and guidance can be obtained to help with moving out of a crisis. Gloucester Foodbank has highlighted that the need for Foodbank provisions is increasing, and it is struggling to meet this demand. The donations currently being made are very much appreciated, but more support is required from individual donors and through local and national business partnerships. Working with Foodbank is a great way for businesses to support and promote their company’s objectives whilst helping Foodbank to achieving its overall aim to ‘combat poverty and hunger across the UK’. Donations for Foodbank can be made at the foodbank warehouse on Great Western Road and are also collected by supermarkets, schools and churches. Many of these schools and churches are currently celebrating harvest festival, and they are being asked to focus on donating a designated product, to help the Foodbank to address their urgent need for certain stock items. St Philip and St James Church has been nominated as the ‘custard champion’ and we are hoping to have a mountain of ready-made custard (in cartons and tins) at our Harvest Festival Services!
