Ministries >>Outreach
TUC's Outreach Ministry provides prayer, volunteer, and financial support to over forty ministries of love, care, healing, education, and service in Japan and throughout the world. In addition to regular support of these ministries, TUC Outreach periodically addresses special needs. Recent examples include HIV/AIDS victims & prevention in Cote d'Ivoire, earthquake relief in India and Central America, women escaping prostitution & families escaping domestic violence in Japan and African hunger relief. A significant personal outreach of TUC in cooperation with TUC Women's Society is The Rice Project which feeds homeless people in and near Shibuya Station and Yoyogi Park.

Key needs are team members interested in becoming the TUC contact person for supported ministries and volunteers willing to become directly involved with supported projects in Japan and throughout the world. Coordination, production, and delivery volunteers are also needed for The Rice Project.

Ministries for the Homeless Special Projects

Rice Project, Tokyo, Japan
The Rice Project started in 1993 to serve about 50 homeless persons in Shibuya. Today, the number has expanded to 200 in total. In 1998, the project expanded to include homeless persons in Yoyogi Park. Volunteers make and distribute onigiri (rice balls) to 70 homeless people in Yoyogi Park and 130 in Shibuya station. The number can fluctuate a bit due to the weather, seasons, and various reasons. If onigiri remain after the regular rounds at the station, the volunteers distribute the remainder to people in Miyashita Park. Daily rice production is led by a day-leader and team of 6 to 8 volunteers who meet in the TUC kitchen. The day-leader makes sure there are enough volunteers to help each day. The production coordinator maintains frequent communication with the day-leaders to make sure everything goes smoothly. Delivery to Shibuya takes place each morning at 5:30am. Many people ask why it takes place so early. The reason is that the Shibuya subway station opens at 4:30am allowing homeless folk to enter at that time. But they are kicked out by 6:30am when rush hour begins. Yoyogi Park delivery is handled by the recipients themselves. This change began in November 2003. The Yoyogi rice project recipients wanted to take responsibility for picking up their daily rice and were eager to be contributing partners in the project. Delivery is year round except for a break in July and August. The season had been from October through May, and we added summer deliveries for Yoyogi Park in July and August of 2002 and 2003. Due to the shortage of volunteers in the summer, we have now decided to expand the regular season from September through June and omit July and August from the production schedule. Supply costs and vendors are periodically checked by the coordinator to insure we secure the best prices possible in order to minimize expenses. In 2004, we changed suppliers as a result of thorough comparison shopping done by our coordinator.

• Production Coordinator-Michelle May
• Shibuya Delivery Coordinator-Marianne Wada
• Advisor-Kazunori Higuchi
 

Food and Fellowship Supper, Tokyo, Japan
This supper is held monthly at TUC. It typically occurs on the 2nd Saturday of each month from 2-6pm. It feeds approximately 350-400 homeless men from primarily Shibuya and Yoyogi, but also some from Ueno, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro and the Gotanda areas. TUC provides the location, supervision, and funding for the monthly meal. A team of 10-15 persons organized by the homeless men take responsibility to shop, prepare, and cook the food and cleanup. TUC’s aim is to help the homeless to help themselves. People that have helped with the F&F meals include the TUC youth group, young adults, Japanese neighbors living near TUC, and interested members of the congregation. Outreach ministry team members and supervisors of the food and fellowship suppers have surveyed other teams and congregation members within the church to find out their opinions. Overwhelmingly positive comments about the food and fellowship supper have come from Alpha, Young Adults, Youth and individuals. Pastor Bruce Sloan spoke of his experience preaching for the March 2004 food and fellowship supper. He said in his sermon the following Sunday, that this experience was one of the most moving he has had during his 1½ years in Tokyo. To shake the hand of each and every homeless man and say “God Bless You” was a powerfully spiritual experience for him. The Food and Fellowship meal directly addresses the vision of TUC as “committed Christians in the heart of Tokyo sharing the light of Christ with all nations.”


Monthly Procedure:
On the Wednesday before the supper, Kazunori Higuchi and Suresh Kukde and 2-3 volunteers from Yoyogi Park go in a van to purchase the food (2 ½ hours). On Friday, 5-7 members of the homeless team (the Homeless has a team of 10-15 persons from Yoyogi Park that cook, wash and serve) come to prepare the food for Saturday. Higuchi-san supervises. On Saturday, the Homeless Team arrives to cook rice. The 6 rice cookers have to be used 5-6 times each to prepare enough rice for the 380-400 visitors.

History
An annual dinner for the homeless started in 2000. A pleasant atmosphere in the church basement allowed for congregation and homeless to eat together. TUC congregation members brought in home-cooked food. There was room for about 50 homeless persons and TUC members. Some congregation members thought that we could accommodate and feed more than 50 homeless persons if another format was used for the meals. It was also noted that many TUC congregation members are very busy with work, families, and TUC responsibilities being elders and team members. Providing enough home-cooked food was not always easy amidst these responsibilities.

A change in format was initiated in May 2002 with the first soup supper feeding a larger group of homeless persons. Gradually, the soup supper evolved to offer a Japanese style meal for the homeless. Additionally, it was encouraged to have the homeless share responsibility and ownership in the supper, thus letting them enjoy the pride and self-determination of their own efforts and hard work.

In the fall of 2003 a guest preacher was invited to speak to the people. This has been a positive addition to the supper. While some visitors are eating their meal downstairs, others go to the sanctuary and listen to a message. Guest preachers have included a former Yakuza member, a Japanese pastor, and Pastor Bruce. Facilities manager and food and fellowship supervisor Kazunori Higuchi provides translation when needed. Religious pamphlets are also handed out and some homeless persons ask for them in order to read the Christian message.

• Advisor-Kazunori Higuchi
 

Winter Clothing Drive, Tokyo, Japan
A winter clothing drive began in November 2000 to collect clothing for the many homeless people who face a long cold winter in the parks. The congregation was asked to donate new or used clothing in good condition. Jackets, trousers, scarves, gloves, blankets and warm shirts were requested. The Outreach Ministry appeal poster said, “We feed our neighbors as an act of Thanksgiving, why not clothe them in the spirit of stewardship?”

The recipients of this clothing drive consisted of the same homeless men and women who were fed in the daily rice deliveries to Shibuya station and Yoyogi Park. This drive has continued every autumn with great success. TUC members help to sort and box clothing items that are brought to the church on Sundays and throughout the week during the months of October and November.

In November 2004, clothing was collected and distributed to about 420 homeless neighbors who came to the November Food and Fellowship supper at TUC. Remaining clothing items were distributed the following week to homeless people in the Shibuya area. Many of these people are unable to attend the monthly Fellowship suppers as they carry their entire belongings by themselves, without having tents or barracks in which to live. Each day they must look for a safe place to sleep along the side streets. Additional clothing was purchased for a very good price so that all the homeless we serve could have a set of long underwear for the winter. The Outreach Ministry Team and entire congregation of Tokyo Union Church remain committed to the winter clothing drive for the homeless.
 

Outreach Featured Charities
These include HART, a Ukrainian children's charity, Peace Center for the Blind in Israel, and the Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy which is for the English speaking protestant community in Moscow.

HART
Here is more information about another outreach ministry called HART and it is in Ukraine. TUC sponsored Ukrainian children to go to christian summer camp. Below are some photos of the camp. Here are some childrens thank you responses.

Thank you for the camp "Pilgrim". Thank you for all you did for this camp would take place. Thank you for children could come, have a rest and more learn about God. Oleg, 14 years.

I liked all here, especially my friends and leader of my group. This camp was beautiful. Thank you a lot! Ivanna, 12 years.

Thank you for this camp, for the workers of the camp, especially for our leader Mira. I have found many friends here, learned many interesting. Katya, 12 years.

Thank all, all, all!
All was super! Camp "Pilgrim" is the best camp. I liked here Bible study, group "Skillful hands", games, singing, and especially workers of camp and our leader Mira. Thank all people who organized this camp. Lena, 13 years.

Thank you very much for your help for these children who could have more joy, but the most important thing - children can get to know Jesus Christ. God bless you! Vlad, 23 years - leader.

FALL OFFERING 2005 - Peace Center for the Blind

In July, TUC members and friends traveling to Israel and Palestine had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Peace Center for the Blind, an NPO located in Arab (or East) Jerusalem that offers education, vocational training and medical treatment to impoverished, visually impaired Palestinian girls and women. TUC has been contributing to the Peace Center since its introduction by Former Associate Pastor Mari Thorkelson in 1994, and it is one of the featured missions of the 2005 Fall Offering. The following is an account of the group’s visit by Roxanne Bucaria.

Miss Lydia Mansour, founder and director speaks to the TUC group

On a typically hot, dry summer’s day, our group of 12 invaded the converted home that the Peace Center for the Blind (PCB) rents and was greeted with enthusiasm and cold drinks by the founder and director, Miss Lydia Mansour, and her assistant. I say "invaded" because besides the office/merchandise/reception room, our entire group could not fit into any one room at a time. Miss Lydia kindly showed us the classroom, two small rooms with knitting machines and various equipment, a small activities room and an even smaller patio.

Blind since the age of two, Miss Lydia started up the PCB in 1983 with US$200 donated by neighbors who had encouraged her to build a school after her retirement as director of the Helen Keller Braille Unit. “It seemed to be the Lord’s will to open because He gathered all of the money and the furniture,” she explained with a smile. In order to encourage participation by all religions and to serve those visually impaired who are least educated, the Center is focused on helping impoverished Palestinian women. And, because a blind school for children is already available, participants generally must be over the age of 15. Presently, about 25 participants who attend up to 3 years come from East Jerusalem and refugee camps and villages in the West Bank. PCB teachers train them in vocational skills, which consist of hand and machine knitting, sewing, and loom weaving, academic skills in Arabic, English, and Braille, as well as life skills all with the goal of enabling these women to be independent, contributing members of their communities.

A participant explains how she works the machine loom to Nobuko and Keiko

Miss Lydia reminded us that some of the issues facing the Peace Center are unique due to its location. Though Jerusalem is racially divided between the West (Israel) and East (Arab), it is all within Israel, meaning that West Bank (Palestine) residents must have entry permits even to go into East Jerusalem. As these participants are constantly confronted with safety concerns and difficulties of getting through security check points as well as their random closures, an off-site boarding house has been rented so women can stay a month or two at a time.
 

Another participant at work. Both Christian and Muslim particpants learn and work together

Medical treatment and its costs are also challenges. Girls and women who come to the center are from families who are at or below poverty level. While those from Jerusalem are covered by insurance, participants from the West Bank have no coverage. This means that the Center bears the cost for expensive eye drops (+/-US$100) and other essential medication and treatment that each participant requires.

Finally, while those who become skilled knitters are encouraged to work at home, thereby becoming self-reliant and enabling others to join the Center, the present political situation makes it difficult to get out and sell one's goods.

All of these factors, along with a reduction in general contributions, mean that there are great financial pressures on the PCB beyond those of paying for staff and facilities. In an effort to increase funding, Miss Lydia is starting up a sponsorship program at the Center. Sponsors would be assigned a participant and asked to contribute a set monthly or yearly amount toward her two to three years at the Center. Amounts are up to the sponsor, but, for example, one student might have three or four sponsors contributing US$10 each or one sponsor contributing US$40 or more. A sponsor is in turn sent a photo of the student as well as kept updated on her progress.
 

The TUC group admiring (and buying!) some of the afghans and sweaters for sale

The Peace Center for the Blind is a work of love and faith for Miss Lydia. It is shown in her ambitious dream for purchasing a much larger building they have found where they can serve 75 – 100 women and have the school and boarding house together, thereby saving rent and transportation costs. The staff is now are trying to raise the huge sum of US$2 million, but as Miss Lydia says, “the Lord has looked after us for 23 years…” Both she and her staff expressed their appreciation and thanks for the prayers and monetary gifts that TUC has provided over the years. We all left feeling proud of TUC’s support for the Center and continue to have the deep desire to do more for the women there.

If you would like more information on this organization or on sponsoring a participant, please refer to PCB’s site at www.pc4b.org
 

Recipe sets from the fantastic Middle Eastern lunch served at the Israel/Palestine trip presentation in August are now for sale at the Multimedia Project table on Sundays in the Lobby. And have you heard about the sale of our slideshow presentation on CD and DVD available from late October?!! Proceeds from both of these projects will go to the Peace Center for the Blind. Let's put them on the way to a new facility!

The Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy is an international, interdenominational Christian ministry serving the English-speaking community of Moscow. The Chaplaincy was established in 1962 by the National Council of Churches of Christ of the U.S.A. to provide Protestant ministry to the U.S. Embassy community. While still maintaining our relationship with the U.S. Embassy, our ministry has grown in numbers and diversity over the past 43 years. Today our membership totals more than 200 persons from nearly 30 nations, representing about 20 different Christian traditions.

The Chaplaincy holds worship services, administers the Sacraments, provides Christian education, offers counseling, and creates a community of peace. We respect the dignity of each individual and offer hospitality to all. We believe in salvation through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God.

Central to the mission of the Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy is witnessing the love and mercy of Jesus Christ to the world. To that end, the Chaplaincy has assumed a special ministry to the neediest of our city: refugees, students, orphans, invalids, the elderly. Our ministry seeks to offer protection and compassion to these vulnerable persons in times of uncertainty and upheaval. The Chaplaincy also seeks to cooperate with other communities of faith to build up the Kingdom of God here in Moscow.

The Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy is an oasis of Christian hope and hospitality for travelers and strangers in this land. We welcome all who come to us, seeking to nurture one another and develop the good gifts that God has given us. And we pray that when our members take leave of us, they will go with a greater love for God and a desire to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.　　Also they are a voice for those who are victims of discrimination and violence. Therefore, they formed the Task Force on Racial Attacks and Harassment was formed.

The Task Force on Racial Attacks and Harassment was established in April 2001 by the Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy, an interdenominational, international, English-speaking congregation in the Russian capital. At that time, the congregation and city were awash with reports of acts of violence and intimidation against persons of color. Members of the congregation who had suffered attack included diplomats, students, and refugees from Africa and Asia. Though the rise of such attacks was public knowledge among the foreign community of Moscow, the police, other government officials, and the media made no mention of this growing problem.

In response to this widespread silence, the Task Force was born. The goals of the Task Force were threefold: 1) to gather evidence and data regarding racial attacks and harassment, thus demonstrating the reality of the problem; 2) distribute this evidence and other supporting anecdotes to embassies, human rights groups, Russian government officials, and the media; and 3) provide spiritual, pastoral, and emergency care to the victims of these attacks.
 

Activities, which take place at the center:

Two times per week one of our members teaches Russian language classes to those who are new to the country and in need of proficiency in the language.

In the Parish Center, we are blessed with 5 computers, each connected to the Internet. In addition to making these computers available, we have classes throughout the week on word processing, use of the internet, and other programming skills.

On Wednesdays, we host a sewing class taught by one of our students who teaches basics of hand-stitching repairs and other necessary skills.
 

On Mondays, we have a Bible study in English while Ethiopians in our community share a time of study in Amharic on Wednesday. In this picture, Rony, our YAS coordinator, is sharing the Word with one of the women of our community. These spontaneous times of prayer and support happen frequently during our time together in the Parish Center.