Brief Church Mission Statement
Abbrev of Mission Report 5.0: WORSHIP is where we understand more deeply the good news that God is good. We look/seek innovative ways to celebrate & respond to Jesus, including work with the liturgical calendar/church holidays. Worship is the work of the whole people of God, which also connects with justice, evangelism, prayer, mission, spiritual disciplines, & care of creation. HOSPITALITY, more than a warm welcome, is key to evangelism & outreach. We are learning to give attention to people outside the church through relational networks. Our community is to be a safe place for people to wrestle with the questions of life, hear the gospel, come to know Jesus, & grow in faith. We are giving better attention to seniors, others on the fringes of the church, & visitors. We are building a culture of Sabbath, so people relax at potlucks or invite newcomers to our homes for lunch. UNITY is important because we are building on the heritage of being a Japanese/Japanese American congregation & are increasingly a place of welcome for people of many ethnicities & generations. Old wounds & conflicts are being acknowledged, repented, & healed. People with wounds find welcome & healing, restoration & wholeness. Relationships (including intergenerational) are deepened when we engage meaningful work, study, & play together. Related practices include taking Lent seriously, creating regular prayer partnerships, & taking retreats together.
Brief description of the church/organization's programs or accomplishments
Education/formation: 2 Sunday morning adult classes with over 30 persons; 11 youth irregularly involved in study, mission activities, fun; 10 primary school children irregularly in the Godly Play curriculum; 4 children in the nursery; Presbyterian Women (Bible study, crafts, service projects); 3 home groups (prayer, Bible study, socializing); often support seminary interns. Ministries: Deacons connect w/ congregational and community needs; Stewards oversee finances and property; monthly church potluck; 2 retired pastors assist with visitation; Senior Task Force emphasizes maintaining a quality of life through monthly educational workshops and care to seniors; Caring Cooks (17 men and women) prepare and deliver hot meals; long connections with missionaries. Annual events: Memorial Candle Lighting Service; 30-Hour Famine by youth with strong support by congregation; annual worship/picnic in park; the fall CROP walk for fund-raising and community networking; our largest event is the Fall Festival, which celebrates the 1968 move into our present facilities and welcomes the broader Japanese American community and local neighbors to a day of games, food, fund-raising, and memories; Thanksgiving feast with members and friends. Worship: many involved creatively (liturgy, music, arts, logistics); follow lectionary and liturgical year; experimenting with monthly 2nd Sunday intergenerational worship; finishing a year of special grants from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship.
Gifts, Skills and Experiences the congregation possesses to fulfill its mission
This congregation is abundantly blessed with people of talent, experience & dedication. During a significant number of months in which we have not have a regular pastoral leadership, the church has moved forward gaining skills & wisdom, shaping innovation in worship & pastoral care, realigning our structures & bylaws, plus fulfilling daily activities & requirements.
Individuals in the youth group are a constant in the Sunday worship music & the operation of the sound system. Fuller Seminary professors & other pastors are actively involved with teaching & preaching and
pastoral care. The congregation consists of many members who have expertise in professional & technical fields (finance, personnel, landscape, art design, teaching, counseling, administration, music, computers & technology, construction/repair, etc.) They volunteer countless hours to the ministry, administration & stewardship of the church & church facilities. We are a generous people, & part of the way we honor God is to give in time & talents.
We have evolved into a unique, culturally diverse church. Through the process of worshiping together, sharing stories of discrimination & redemption, & learning to identify with one another, we are able to
reach out more skillfully, with more sensitivity & awareness of issues surrounding race & culture, & God’s embrace of us all. Average worship attendance: 55% Japanese, 24% Caucasian, 5% Chinese, 8% Hapa, 4% African American, 4% Hispanic/Native American.
Key theological issues of the church and society that are reflected in the ministry of the congregation/organization
The Session’s document on priorities and the various provocative proposals raise numerous theological issues.
Some of the more important ones are:
•The church’s identity and mission: concerning our corporate life and our call beyond our membership. (We have begun explorations into the missional church conversation. Our historic focus on Japanese Americans, noted in provocative proposals, is discussed in light of our increasing multicultural life and our location in a multicultural geography.)
•Ministry with and among seniors (our members, friends, and neighbors)
•Stewardship: the resources of our church and members (responsibilities, mission)
•Worship: priority, environment, music, sacraments, liturgies, participation
•Intergenerational life: worship, Christian formation, mission, homes, friendships:
•Reconciliation, Peacemaking, Unity: Dealing with intercultural and intergenerational matters, old wounds and healing, differences and conflicts, new longing for cohesion in the context of variety and differences
•Hospitality: our life together, in our families, friendships, and among numerous networks; and in our geographic settings; we know this is key to caring for each other and for evangelism.
•Public faith: reflections on local, national, international matters related to the Lordship of Christ.
