At the end of September, the Japanese presbytery was able to gather for their annual Fall conference. This tradition goes back decades and is a treasured time of fellowship, prayer, teaching, and fun. Japan has been slow to reopen since the Covid pandemic and this was our first in-person conference in several years.
Higashisuma Church was the coordinating host in planning the program, providing snacks, welcoming, and cleaning up. The conference was held at the Kobe Lutheran Bible Institute and our theme was “Principles and practices of communion (devotion) with the Lord through His Word.” Throughout the day our speakers walked us through the basics of personal devotions, how communion with the Lord causes us to grow and drives evangelism, and how our relationships within the church are impacted by our time in God’s word. After our lunch break, there were opportunities for discussion, sharing, and prayer.
During the teaching portions of the day there was a parallel children’s program. The children also studied the importance of Scripture through the story of Josiah. The kids were also reminded of the sweetness of God’s word through mouthfuls of honey! Praise the Lord for this encouraging conference together!
