What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘baptism’? There are hundreds of answers. Everyone has different images of what baptism means. In Japan, many people believe baptism is a ceremony you must go through to be a church member. Well, I don’t deny baptism has that kind of aspect. But this tendency to […]
When I was a missionary in Thailand, a Finnish missionary, Dr Lilja Kinnunen-Riipinen, taught drama at the Lutheran Institute of Theological Education in Bangkok. Every Lent, she directed a passion play – a drama of Jesus’ trial, suffering, and crucifixion performed by students and church members. One year, she had to cancel the play and was […]
‘I’m no longer broken!’ These words, spoken two years ago by a pastor who is a leader in an LCA partner church of 300,000 people in Indonesia, continue to touch my heart and remind me of the power of the gospel. As I began a four-hour seminar with leaders of that church, along with their […]
On behalf of Kinki Evangelical Lutheran Church, I send friendly greetings to you in the Name of Christ our Lord! I am very much grateful and would like to express my sincere thanks for the Lutheran Church of Australia to send Rev Paul Kerber as a lecturer for our special seminars to teach us “Biblical […]
God is opening doors for the gospel to be made known throughout the world. And we are privileged to be part of what God is doing through the journey with our Lutheran mission partner churches in Indonesia and Japan. LCA International Mission has partnered with LCA Reconciliation Ministry to provide short-term scholarships for three overseas […]
A tsunami-disrupted visit to Asian and Australian Lutheran churches by leaders of Japan’s tiny Kinki Evangelical Lutheran Church was finally able to go ahead in December, when Adelaide hosted the group for three ‘days of discovery and grace’. Osaka-based President Rev Shigeo Sueoka, Vice President Rev Hagenonshita Terumitsu and Secretary of the Department of Overseas […]
On 11 March Rev Neville Otto and Mrs Heidi Smith joined with Lutherans from Japan and elsewhere in Asia to pray for the people of Japan. Mrs Smith and Pastor Otto were representing the LCA at the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Asian Church Leaders Conference in Kuala Lumpur as news of the devastating earthquake and […]