Dear Friends in Christ,

    For the next two Sundays, May 14th and 21st, members and friends of the St Paul congregation will have an opportunity to meet with the Church Council for informal "information meetings." Following this Sunday's Mother's Day Men's Bake-Off fellowship event, we will gather in the upstairs classroom for a time of discussion about the future directions of our congregation. For those who are not able to make it that day, we will hold the same type of meeting on the 21st.

    As you know, since last October we have been without a called pastor. By the grace of God, the faithfulness of many dedicated congregation members, and the unfailing support of missionaries and pastors from both the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church (JELC) and the Japan Lutheran Church (NRK), we have been able to hold and conduct our Sunday morning worship services in a joyful, God-pleasing manner. Attendance and offerings at these services has been steadily increasing. On Easter Sunday, over 100 members, friends, and visitors joined together to celebrate the baptism and confirmation rites that took place that morning during a festival worship filled with music and prayer.

    For these past few months, the Church Council has been moving forward in their efforts to lead the congregation of St. Paul International Lutheran Church toward greater stability, both spiritually and financially. As a first step, with the very dedicated, prayerful help and guidance of Pastor Tom and Adrienne Going, we struggled to better define our mission as an English speaking Lutheran congregation here in Tokyo. (If you have not yet done so, please take a look at the About Us page on our website.)

    The next step for the Church Council was to seek out information on various solutions and scenarios that we as a congregation can take in the coming months and years to obtain this stability. Turning to our partners in faith, we have spoken with representatives of both the NRK and the JELC about our current situation and have asked for their help and guidance. In addition, we have also had email dialog with both the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), informing them of our troubles and seeking their advice.

    We feel confident we are now prepared to share our findings with the congregation, seeking your thoughts, questions and opinions before we begin to take the next step toward making a commitment to one solution -- a solution that we pray will take us into the future with confidence and boldness.

    So, please plan to attend one or both of these information meetings. Of course, we will compile comments and questions from these meetings and share them with everyone. After we have all had a chance to think things through and the Church Council has gathered any further information needed, we will meet again. In this way, we can together make steady, faithful progress toward a more secure future for St. Pauls, assuring that the congregation will be able to continue its powerful mission here in Tokyo long after you and I are gone. It is our responsibility; it is our joy!

    Together in service to the Lord,

                                         Marcia K.

    Wishing you Easter blessings! Jesus has risen, indeed! "This is the Lord's doing, it is marvelous in our eyes." Psalm 118:23 His steadfast love toward us was presented in every way in his teachings while Jesus was on earth.

This special month of May, let us pray for parents and educational persons who teach children about God's love and right direction. As Proverbs tells us, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

However, some parents are not so fond of teaching or not so successful for whatever reasons. Let us pray that they may have the help needed to keep their children growing in good spirit.

Make me a wise mother, O Lord. Keep me calm and give me patience to bear the small, irritating things in the daily routine of life. Give me tolerance and understanding to bridge the gulf between my generation and that of my children.

Let me not be too ready to guide my children's stumbling feet, but allow me to be ever near to bind their bruises. Give me a sense of humor that I may laugh with them but never at them. Let me refrain from preaching with words.

Keep me from forcing their confidences, but give me a sympathetic ear when my children come to me. Make me humble. Keep my children close to me, O Lord, though miles may separate us. And let your light so shine upon me that they, too, will perceive your glory. Amen. (St. Philip Episcopal Church, Rochester, Minnesota)

St. Paul International
Lutheran Church

1-2-32 Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku,
Tokyo, JAPAN 102-0071

Phone :    03-3261-3740
FAX :    03-3261-2390
E-mail :
Homepage :

InkLink Editor : Marcia K.
InkLink-online Editor :

Sunday worship
9:30 am, Iidabashi NRK
Lutheran Center

Please remember.......

    There are two INFORMATION MEETINGS scheduled to be held on successive Sundays, May 14 and 21. These meetings will give congregation members an opportunity to meet with the Church Council to discuss "Future Directions" decisions for St. Pauls. We will meet in the upstairs classroom during the fellowship times following the worship service. See you there!

Mother's Day Men's Bake Off

    This coming Sunday, May 14, St. Paul's will again hold its annual Mother's Day Bake-off, where the mom's (and all the ladies!) are the guests of honor and the men (all the men!) provide the treats.
    In years past, this event turned into a bit of a baking competition complete with prizes. Awards for Rookie of the Year and Most Mysterious Dish were handed out along with prizes for Most Delightful and Most ...um...Creative. However, this year it seems the majority of the guys are without an oven.
    Oh, my! No ovens!
    Well...we're sympathetic ... but not THAT sympathetic. After all, its still a day for the ladies. You guys are not off the hook just yet.
    This time we're still asking the guys to provide the treats for the fellowship hour following the worship service. But it doesn't matter whether its something baked, boughten or created in some unique way... its still a chance for the fellows to treat the ladies. Whether you are a father or a husband, a brother or a son, (or even just the boy next door!) you're still on duty this Sunday. Please bring some treats to share. And be prepared to be fawned over and teased, patted on the back and appreciated!
    See you Sunday!