Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Easter Craft Ideas from Oriental Trading Company

These probably won't fly with your Junior Highers Rob but we found the craft time we did at Christmas was a huge hit particularly with elementary school age girls. All the boys opted to do the high-energy English game time but the girls wanted a quieter gentler option and they loved doing the crafts. We're going to do something similar for Easter. If anybody is interested in these ideas from www.orientaltradingcompany.com they will ship within 5-9 business days.
(I don't get any commission from them unfortunately.)
Paul

24 Magic Color Scratch Cross Ornaments

24 Magic Color Scratch Cross Ornaments. Scratch your own designs on these cross-shaped ornaments! This is an easy craft for kids of all ages! Craft projects are an easy rainy-day activity for church groups and day cares! Includes 24 ornaments, 12 wooden scratching tools and 24 satin ribbons. 4" IN-48/353824 Magic Color Scratch Cross Ornaments$5.95 Makes 24

Weaving Cross Craft Kit

Weaving Cross Craft Kit. Hang one of these foam mats on a wall! 10 1/2" © OTC
IN-48/3654Weaving Cross Craft Kit$5.95 Makes 12

Jesus Loves Me Bookmark Craft Kit

2" x 6" Foam "Jesus Loves Me" Bookmark Craft Kit. Assorted colors. (makes 12) © OTC
IN-48/2196Jesus Loves Me Bookmark Craft Kit$3.95 Makes 12

Easter Egg Magnet Craft Kit

Easter Egg Magnet Craft Kit. Fun foam magnets in bright spring colors! 4" © OTC
IN-48/3991Easter Egg Magnet Craft Kit$3.95 Makes 12
Ornament Craft Kit

Egg Ornament Craft Kit. Decorate the foam eggs with sequins and hang them on an Easter tree! Includes plastic pins. 2 3/4" © OTC IN-48/3028Egg Ornament Craft Kit$8.95 Makes 12


Mosaic Cross Scene Craft Kit

Mosaic Cross Scene Craft Kit. These foam kits express the true meaning of the Easter season. A fun yet meaningful project for a Sunday School or other church group, these 9 1/4" pretty cross scenes resemble stained glass windows. © OTC IN-48/762Mosaic Cross Scene Craft Kit$5.95 Makes 12

Papier-Mâché Easter Egg Box Craft Kit

Papier-Mâché Easter Egg Box Craft Kit. Fill the cardboard egg with treasures! Includes foam pieces. 5" © OTC IN-48/5679Papier-Mâché Easter Egg Box Craft Kit$9.95 Makes 12




Tuesday, February 19, 2008

7 Prayers of Paul

Monday
Paul’s Ephesian Prayer

Ephesians 3:14-19
14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

l “strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being”
l “to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ”
l “that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God”

Tuesday
Paul’s Ministry Prayer

Ephesians 6:19-20
19Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
l “words may be given me”
Ø Show me how to share the Gospel today.
l “pray that I may declare it fearlessly”
Ø Help me not to be afraid to share about you.


Wednesday
Paul’s Thessalonian Prayer

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
11With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. 12We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

l “by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith”
l What is your faith leading you to do? What dreams has He given you to minister to others in your community or the church?
Ø Give me strength to fulfill the plan you have given me.
l that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you
Ø May Jesus be glorified in my life today.


Thursday
Paul’s Evangelistic Prayer

Colossians 4:2-6
2Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

l “open a door for our message”
l “pray that I may proclaim it clearly”
l “conversation be always full of grace”
l “seasoned with salt”

Friday
Paul’s Colossians Prayer

Colossians 1:9-12
9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

l “fill you with the knowledge of his will”
l “live a life worthy”
l “bearing fruit”
l “growing in the knowledge of God”
l “have great endurance and patience”
l “joyfully giving thanks to the Father”

Saturday
Paul’s Philippians Prayer

Philippians 1:9-11
9And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

l “that your love may abound more and more”
Ø Help me to be more loving.
l “that you may be able to discern what is best”
Ø Give me discernment.
l “may be pure and blameless”
Ø Keep me pure.

Sunday
Paul’s Leadership Prayer

1 Timothy 2:1-4
1I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

l Pray for the Emperor
l Pray for Prime Minister Fukuda
l Ibaraki Governor Masaru Hashimoto
l Tsukuba Mayor Kenichi Ichihara
l Teachers, professors, pastors, leaders

7 Prayers Through the Bible

Leon and I were chatting on Monday about some misgivings we shared about the Prayer of Jabez and how it had led both of us to seek out some other Biblical prayers. Here is a one-week compilation I made. I'll also post 7 Prayers of Paul that I did separately.
Paul

Monday

Jacob’s Prayer

Genesis 32:24-28
24So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”
But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
27The man asked him, “What is your name?”
“Jacob,” he answered.
28Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.”

l What one area in particular do you long for God’s blessing in?
l Persevere and struggle to see God’s answer.
Tuesday

Moses’ Prayer

Exodus 33:13-14, 18-19
13If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”
14The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
18Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”
19And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence.

l “teach me your ways”
l “so I may know you”
l “to find favor with you”
l “show me your glory”

Wednesday

Jabez’s Prayer

1 Chronicles 4:9-10
4:9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain."
4:10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.

l “bless me”
Ø Give me all that you want for my life!
l “enlarge my territory”
Ø Help me to make a greater impact for you!
l “let your hand be with me”
Ø Give me your power to live your life!
l “keep me from harm”
Ø Protect me from spiritual temptation and attack!

Thursday

Solomon’s Prayer

1 Kings 3:9-13
9So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong…10The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both riches and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.
l “give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong”
Friday

Asa’s Prayer

2 Chronicles 14:11
11Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, “LORD, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. O LORD, you are our God; do not let man prevail against you.”

l “help us”
Ø Help me where I feel weakest today.
l “for we rely on you”
Ø I trust in you not in my own strength.
l “not let man prevail against you”
Ø Show your victory in my life today.


Saturday

Manoah’s Prayer

Judges 13:8
8Then Manoah prayed to the LORD: “O Lord, I beg you, let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born.”
l “teach us how to bring up the boy”
Ø Give me strength & wisdom as a parent.


Sunday

The Lord’s Prayer

Matthew 6:9-13
9“This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’

l “hallowed be your name”
l “your will be done”
l “give us today our daily bread”
l “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors”
l “lead us not into temptation”




Church


Relatives


Family


School
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Neighbourhood
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Monday, January 28, 2008

Manga Bible / Manga Messiah

Here are the details on the two Manga Bible resources. These ones are already both available on amazon.co.jp.

まんが聖書物語 (ペーパーバック) 樋口 雅一, 山口 昇
価格:¥ 2,500 (税込)



Manga Messiah - ペーパーバック (2007/9) This is the one that I think Rob mentioned will be released in Japanese this week.

Hidenori Kumai、Kozumi Shinozawa、 Atsuko Ogawa
新品: ¥ 1,561 ¥ 1,484 (税込)





Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Links to Resources and Articles that May be of Use

Here are some links to resources and articles that come recommended by Mark Naylor, FEBI professional development guy.

Intercultural relationships and the Church http://www.nbseminary.com/centres/cild/cild_resources

Missions and the Local Church
http://www.nbseminary.com/centres/cild/cild_mission

Cross Cultural Impact Articles
http://impact.nbseminary.com/

1) SOURCE FOR FREE CHRISTIAN AUDIO BOOKS -- Classic Christian books by writers including E.M Bounds, G.K Chesterton are available as audio book downloads for free. Start the year with "The Practice of the Presence of God" in your iPod by going to http://freechristianaudiobooks.com/

2) GET QUOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS ABOUT MISSIONS http://www.worldmissions101.blogspot.com

3) Need to step back and rethink your life focus? Check out Gordon MacDonald’s excellent article: Dangers of Missionalism: Even the best causes can become cold, prideful, and all-consuming http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2007/001/16.38.html

4) What Missionaries Ought to Know About Culture Stress - article http://www.missionarycare.com/brochures/br_culturestress.htm

5) Great Pictures for Bible Storying:BIBLE PICTURE GALLERY -- Glory to God (International) have nearly 2,000 beautiful illustrations, that tell the whole Bible story from Genesis to Revelation.
http://theglorystory.com/html/glory_picture_gallery.htm

6) Some people have asked concerning marriage enrichment courses. Dave Martunnen has some experience with the material and can give good insight as to worthwhile marriage enrichment courses.
http://www.themarriagecourse.ca

7) Need some quality summaries of your country of service? CultureGramsconcise, reliable, and up-to-date country reports on 200 cultures of the worldWe go beyond mere facts and figures to deliver an insider's perspective on daily life and culture, including the history, customs, and lifestyles of the world's people.
http://www.culturegrams.com/

Bilingual Book Details


Here are the details of the book I mentioned on Friday. As I mentioned, it won't warm your heart but it may teach you some things about an influential side of Japan we often don't hear about.


国家の品格The Dignity of the Nation著者: 藤原正彦訳: ジャイルズ・マリー
ソフトカバー/113mm×188mmISBN 13桁 978-4-89684-568-6税込 1,470円(税抜 1,400円)


はじめに第1章 近代的合理精神の限界第2章 「倫理」だけでは世界が破綻する第3章 自由、平等、民主主義を疑う第4章 「情緒」と「形」の国、日本第5章 「武士道精神」の復活を第6章 なぜ「情緒と形」が大事なのか第7章 国家の品格


The book, The Dignity of the Nation is sometimes cited as an indication of Japan's resurgence of militarism. In particular, the rivial of Samurai spirit is said to be dangerous.

Bilingual Tract: The Life You've Always Wanted

The content of this could probably be improved and re-working the formatting to include some simple bridge-to-life type graphics would help but if you want a short term team to do street evangelism where they share the Gospel in English but the person they're speaking with can read along in Japanese here is something you might use. I have a map and invitation to a specific evangelistic event on the back page so you'd have to delete this obviously. You may find it difficult to sort out the order of the pages because they're designed to be cut into 4 strips, stacked on top of each other, stapled together and folded into a booklet. Once the booklet is formed they read in the right order but just looking at the panels you'll have to guess what the order should be.


Paul