SALT sakuragaoka youth group

I believe that the Christian church in Japan needs to change.For many years the church has struggled to grow, but has been able to be less than 1% of the population. The avarage age in the church is rapidly incleasing. For instance, at my church, out of 150 people there are 55 who are over the age of 70. This seems very typical in Japan. Having elderly is invaluable and essential to the church, but at the same time, we need to save younger souls for the future of the church.

日本の教会は長年に渡って真実な奉仕を続けてきましたが､残念ながら僕たちはいまだにﾏｲﾉﾘﾃｨｰです｡

高齢化の問題も深刻です｡
もちろん年配の方が多くいらっしゃるのは喜ばしいことであり､必要不可欠でとても大切なことです｡
しかし同時に､もし若い年代を捕らえる力を教会が持っていなかったら大変なことになります｡

Youth ministry is one of the most important activities for the future of the church.The youth will be the new driving force in the church. God loves the young people in Japan and young people need to know Him as their savior. There are many issues surrounding the youth in Japan that are not being addressed by the church. The temptations of alcohol, drug, and sex are on-going problems.Also the depression in 2008 resulted in many new problems - loss of jobs,mental depression, and divorce. Young people in Japan need God's help and salvation.

ﾕｰｽ･ﾐﾆｽﾄﾘは､教会の未来にとって不可欠だと思っています｡
そして教会のためだけでなく､彼ら自身のために､また彼らを愛する神ご自身のために､ﾕｰｽﾐﾆｽﾄﾘは必要です｡

酒､ﾄﾞﾗｯｸﾞ､ｾｯｸｽは今も続く問題です｡さらに､失業､ﾒﾝﾀﾙﾍﾙｽ､結婚問題｡｡｡若者は神を必要としているはずなのです｡
教会が､彼らに届けていないのです｡

My passion is for working with youth. I have been working with young people through small groups, youth camps, and delivering messages at youth worship services. I love them and my biggest passion is to see the youth become better Christians.

僕はﾕｰｽの奉仕が好きです｡
ｽﾓｰﾙｸﾞﾙｰﾌﾟやｷｬﾝﾌﾟ､またﾕｰｽﾜｰｼｯﾌﾟでのﾒｯｾｰｼﾞ｡
全部､最高です｡
僕のﾊﾟｯｼｮﾝは､彼らがｸﾘｽﾁｬﾝとして成長することにあります｡

International activities are also needed. Although there are many Japanese Christians who have accepted Jesus outside of Japan, very few of them have kept their faith after returning to Japan. People outside of Japan tend to believe that churches in Japan are too strict and old-fashioned.

教会の国際化も大切だと思っています｡
海外で信仰を持つｸﾘｽﾁｬﾝが増えていますが､日本へ帰国すると離れていってしまう事例が多いのです｡
それは､ほとんどが文化的になじめないからだけだと言われます｡
残念なことです｡

I became a Christian outside of Japan. I have ministered in US several times and have met many Japanese Christians there. Through my experience abroad, I want to help make changes so that people who are saved outside of Japan will feel the Japanese church is relevant to their lives.

僕自身も海外で救われました｡
海外で救われた日本人にも日本の教会の価値が理解できるように､何かしら貢献できたら良いなと思い始めています｡

I want to become a pastor - one who thinks globally and has connections with people of various cultural backgrounds.

I wish you all a WONDERFUL NEW YEAR.
May G