Advice for Working With Japanese Church

7/23/2019 Advice for Working With Japanese Church

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John MacLean 2007

Outline : Advice For Expatriates Working With Japanese hurches and

!reparation For "uccess

#$ %no& the countr' ( culture

2$ )* possi+le take 'our ti,e$ !repare in advance$

-$ .hink through 'our personal needs/ goals$ Will the' +e co,pati+le What concessions

can +e ,ade

1$ Learn as ,uch o* the language as ti,e and energ' per,its$

$ Fre3uent church 4 co,,unit' +e*ore long ter, decision and plans ,ade$

5$ !ra'6 *ast as necessar'

7$ "peak &ith experienced ,issionaries *or advice and possi+le contacts$

$ Anticipate i* things see, to good to +e true than the' ,ight +e$

8$ 9ealie as ,uch as possi+le the church4 ,inistr' environ,ent$

a$ get details

+$ do not accept *udged replies or excuses regarding 3uestions and details$ .hese are

red *lags$

c$ ;e read' to evaluate honestl' 'our co,pati+ilit'$

#0$ Find out all the expectations and responsi+ilities up *ront$

##$ Financial arrange,ents need to +e clear$

#2$ Free ti,e4 vacation and a+ilit' to interact outside o* church and ,inistr' ,ust +e

clari*ied and understood and agreed upon +' all parties +e*orehand$

a$ ) cannot overstress the i,portance o* this$

+$ 5 da' &ork &eek plus "a++ath da' usuall' +eing extre,el' long$

c$ Workaholis, a severe pro+le, in Japan$

#-$ Find out ho& 'ou &ill +e vie&ed in co,,unit'$

a$ Will 'ou +e given a title


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#1$ >o& ,uch contact &ill 'ou have &ith other &esterners

a$ )solation is a large *actor$

+$ >o& ,an' people speak English

#$ >o& controlled &ill the environ,ent +e

a$ )nherent in Japan +' &estern standards is a high degree o* control$

+$ ?anger o* do,ination and expectation o* radical su+,ission$

#5$ What role &ill &o,en pla' in authorit' positions

a$ Find out ho& ,an' ,en are active participator' ,e,+ers$ >o& ,an' ,en

involved in 'outh and earl' adult age groups$

#7$ ;e a&are that &hen the church descri+es ,e,+ers this does not e3uate to ho& ,an'

people attend the church services or activities$

#$ )* +eginning ,inistries *ro, scratch have realistic goals and expectations agreed

upon &ithin responsi+le ti,e*ra,es$

a$ Find out &ho in co,,unit' is availa+le to help and aid one in &ork$

#8$ 9ealie that churches are o*ten ver' *or,al +' A,erican standards$

20$ What help is there in translation$

2#$ )* expectations *or preaching &hat are the guidelines here )s there a *or,at used and

expected

22$ What do 'ou do i* 'ou perceive red *lags

a$ What is cultural

+$ What is ,anipulation

2-$ Will 'ou +e allo&ed contact and interaction &ith other churches or ,issionar'

groups

a$ Man' churches &ould perceive this as a threat and or taken as possi+l'

disrespect*ul$

21$ )n3uire as to visa situation independentl' &ith other ,issionaries in Japan$

2$ M' advice is i* at all possi+le to &ork &ith an international church$

a$ )* one has so,e level o* ,aster' o* the language and culture then &orking &ith an

all Japanese church &ould +e accepta+le$

+$ .here should +e so,e regular interaction &ith a &esterner or t&o on a *re3uent

+asis *or the church to +e appropriate *or an A,erican &ho is going to +e there

2


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*or the *irst ti,e$

c$ )* ,ore than one &esterner is going the environ,ent changes as the' &ould have

each other as support and &ould not +e as dependent$

25$ )* teaching English one should *ind out details +e*orehand$

a$ !revious experiences in the church$ Who is doing this no&( Japanese

+$ What *or,at !rivate @ group$

c$ What is 'our +udget What expectations !rices charged What is 'our

co,,ission or pa'

d$ 9ealistic goals$

e$ )* 'ou teach 'ear olds to 0 'ear olds 'ou could have 6 or 5 or 7 di**erent

levels$ .hese re3uire di**erent text+ooks and di**erent strategies and re3uires

planning and ti,e in choosing proper ,aterial and so,e trial and error$

*$ .his can also involve a *e& hundred dollars in ,one' up *ront *or ,aterials$

g$ Make sure 'ou are ade3uatel' co,pensated +ecause once one has a signi*icant

a,ount o* students this is a *air a,ount o* &ork and is tiring$

27$ >o& ,uch o* the church activities &ill 'ou +e re3uired to attend

a$ All church services

+$ All ,eetings

2$ E,phasis needs to +e ,aintained that one is not nor,al church sta**$ Expectations

cannot +e exactl' the sa,e as &ith Japanese$ .his ,ight see, o+vious +ut the

tendenc' in Japan is *or no exe,ptions or exceptions to standards either spoken or

o*ten unspoken$

a$ .his is i,portant at the outset as the patterns set at the +eginning &ill 3uickl'

+eco,e the nor,$

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Advice for Working With Japanese Church