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Anyone in Hawaii/with a church interested in reaching Japanese?


2boysmom
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I'm interested in developing a mini-homestay (4-7day stay) ministry connected with a "lively/evangelistic/Christ lovin" church in Hawaii where I can bring 5-8 Japanese people and set them up in loving Christian homes for up to a week. If you church is interested in reaching an unreached people group and is interested in hosting Japanese people and sharing the Gospel through loving, authentic relationships, please pm me. I'm very interested in connecting with you and/or your church.

 

thanks for any help.

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Will the Japanese guests understand that the purpose of the program is "reaching" them?

 

We host exchange students, mostly from Japan. They even sometimes attend our church with us, and the topic of religion comes up regularly. Our experience is that while many non-Christian Japanese people might be interested in attending a Christian church as a part of a cultural experience, they are leery of attempts to proselytize them. Unless the Gospel-sharing agenda is openly stated and accepted by the guests before entering the program, it could end up being a very uncomfortable few days.

 

Not trying to rain on your parade, I promise. I just think that it's important that both hosts and guests have a clear understanding of the goals of the program beforehand.

 

Cat

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Will the Japanese guests understand that the purpose of the program is "reaching" them?

 

We host exchange students, mostly from Japan. They even sometimes attend our church with us, and the topic of religion comes up regularly. Our experience is that while many non-Christian Japanese people might be interested in attending a Christian church as a part of a cultural experience, they are leery of attempts to proselytize them. Unless the Gospel-sharing agenda is openly stated and accepted by the guests before entering the program, it could end up being a very uncomfortable few days.

 

Not trying to rain on your parade, I promise. I just think that it's important that both hosts and guests have a clear understanding of the goals of the program beforehand.

 

Cat

 

 

Of course, to the above. I've done these homestay trips in NC very successfully. No problems. Everyone knows the hosts are all Christian homes.

 

I've lived here in Japan for 16 years, so I know the Japanese quite well and already know they wouldn't appreciate that (what you said above) Everything is up front and actually the trip isn't about "proselytizing" its about sharing your loving, authentic, christian home with a person who would not otherwise be able to go to Hawaii on a trip, to learn English and to exchange ideas.

 

I think it's better for anyone who is really interested to Pm me, then I can give all the details and explain better.

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Of course, to the above. I've done these homestay trips in NC very successfully. No problems. Everyone knows the hosts are all Christian homes..

 

 

Thanks for your response. The reason I asked: I became involved in a program for Chinese middle and high school students as a host parent, and was made VERY uncomfortable by the push by the program coordinators (after our recruitment and the placement of the children in our home) to talk to them about Jesus and gift the children with a Bible, and the assumption that because we are a Christian family it was our duty to teach these young people about Christianity because "it might be our only chance to reach them." I don't believe it was a program focus; it seemed to come from the program coordinator's personal beliefs and assumptions about church families she recruited to host.

 

As long as everyone is on the same page, it sounds like a lovely program. :)

 

Cat

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