Newsflash June / Nuusflits Junie (2016)

ENGLISH FOLLOWS HERE BELOW

Liewe vriende,

Ons is nou in die pylvak van ons Japan besoek, die laaste twee weke van ‘n volle drie maande. Eerskomende naweek preek ek by RCJ Tokushima gemeente. Intussen woon Stephan volgende week ‘n drie-dag RCJ Retreat by vir ampsdraers (suid van Tokyo). Ons laaste naweek in Japan is Stephan weer in Kumamoto vir ondersteuningswerk, terwyl ons gelukkig hier is om saam met Carina die fort te hou. Dankie nogmaals vir jul belangstelling, meelewing en gebeds-ondersteuning.

Ek wil graag met hierdie nuusbrief iets deel van die RCJ Teologiese Kweekskool en ons indrukke. Lees asb. hieronder verder.

Vriendelike groete,

Tobie en Annalie de Wet

———————————————–

Dear friends,

As we are nearly at the end of our three months’ stay with Stephan and Carina on the Campus of the Kobe Reformed Theological Seminary – where Stephan has been inducted as lecturer in Pastoral Theology and Care – and as we had the wonderful opportunity and privilege to become part of the life of the lecturers and students, I want to share something of our impressions (read here below the photos and the Afrikaans version).

Thank you for you prayers and support, we really appreciate it!

In Christ,

Tobie and Annalie De Wet

• Dit was inderdaad ‘n geseënde ervaring om vir drie maande saam met Stephan en sy gesin op die kampus van die Kobe Gereformeerde Teologiese Kweekskool te bly en iets van die atmosfeer en gees (etos) van hierdie welbekende en hoog-aangeskrewe inrigting in Christen- en Gereformeerde kringe in Japan en naburige Korea te beleef.
• Die nuwe en indrukwekkende geboue met verblyfgeriewe vir studente en hulle gesinne, so wel as as die huise van die dosente, is na die groot aardbewing in Kobe in 1995 opgerig. Die woonstelblok waar ons destyds gebly het toe ons besig was met ons Japannese taalstudie in Kobe, is totaal verwoes tydens daardie aardbewing, en so ook die RCJ Ashiya-kerk oorkant die straat!
• Hier studeer tans 18 Japannese students en 6 Koreaanse studente (onder andere ‘n aantal vroue) onder drie voltydse dosente (Stephan ingesluit) en ongeveer 15 deeltydse dosente, almal predikante van the Christen Gereformeerde Kerk van Japan. Een dosent is ‘n vrou wat ‘n sendeling van die RCJ en dosent aan die Teologiese Instituut in Singapore was.
• Vir toelating tot die Kweekskool as student is ‘n voorvereiste ‘n vierjaar-graad aan ‘n universiteit, asook ‘n heelhartige toewyding tot die etos, dissipline en lewe van die Kweekskool.
• Sommige van die studente is reeds predikante in hulle denominasies maar kom om ‘n beter Gereformeerde grondslag te verkry. Heelwat studente kom selfs van Korea.
• Elke oggend begin met ‘n biduur (voor ontbyt) om 6:40, waar een van die studente hier ‘n kort boodskap bring (terwyl ons hier was die afgelope paar maande het hulle hoofstuk-gewys deur die boek Job gewerk!). Tussen oggendlesings deur het hulle elke oggend nog ‘n diens in die kapel, waartydens dosente (en soms studente) beurtelings ‘n boodskap uit die Woord bring.
• Studente (saam met dosente) is ook self verantwoordelik vir die skoonmaak van die geboue en kampusterrein. Vrydagmiddae is skoonmaaktyd.
• Hierdie is inderdaad ‘n ware Gereformeerde Kweekskool waar Calvinistiese Gerformeerde Teologie onderrig word. Ons Gereformeerde Belydenisse en Gereformeerde geloofstradisies speel ‘n deurslaggewende rol. Dosente en predikers sal herhaaldelik veral verwys na Calvyn en sy Institusie en die stellings daarin vervat beklemtoon.
• Dus staan die Bybel as Woord van God heeltemal sentraal in alle byeenkomste en lesings. Preke is nie net Bybels geskoei nie, maar ook verklarende prediking, wat gewoonlik bestaan uit vers-vir-vers uitleg van ‘n bepaalde Bybelse perikoop en/of verhaal  (meestal sonder enige stories en baie min, indien enige, illustrasies). Preke is van ‘n hoë gehalte gekenmerk deur goeie eksegese en altyd uitstekend voorberei.
• Hierdie Kweekskool (en Gereformeerde Kerk van Japan) is evangelies van aard en fokus. Jesus Christus en redding deur en in die gekruisigde en opgestane Christus, staan sentraal. Dit is die fokus van die hele Bybel. en ons enigste hoop en troos vir nou en tot in ewigheid, die kerk se enigste boodskap vir die wêreld.
• Daaglikse gebed speel ‘n groot rol in die opset van die Kweekskool, waartydens in groepe gebid word vir mekaar en vir die kerk, en altyd met die “Onse Vader” afgesluit word. Die Koreaanse studente, wat kom uit kerke waar talle gewone lidmate elke oggend bymekaarkom vir bidure, hou selfs oor naweke ekstra gebedsbyeenkomste.
• Alhoewel die akademiese standaard baie hoog is en die studente akademies baie hard werk (basies is alle RCJ Japannese predikante akademici wat baie hard studeer, en elk dag baie ure bestee om teologie op te lees en vir preke en Bybelstudies en praatjies voor te berei), word groot klem gelê op Christen-opvoeding en die geestelike opbou van die  studente.
• Alle studente word toegewys aan ‘n RCJ-gemeente by wie hulle elke Sondag betrokke en van hulp met die bediening van die gemeente moet wees, as deel van hulle praktiese ervaring.
• Ten laaste, maar ook van groot belang: Die Kobe Gereformeerde Kweekskool is doelbewus nie ‘n universiteit nie maar ‘n Teologiese Kweekskool wat uitsluitlik deur die klein, landwye Christen Gereformeerde Kerk van Japan (RCJ) befonds word vir die opleiding van predikante en sendelinge/evangeliste.
• Ons as Missie Japan en ons ondersteunende kerke en lidmate in SA kan opreg trots wees om deur Stephan betrokke te wees by hierdie wonderlike Kweekskool en die opleiding van Japannese en Koreaanse leraars en evangeliste, en die uitstuur van hierdie manne en vroue om plaaslike gemeentes te bedien en om uit te reik na die onbereikte miljoene mense van hierdie mooi land en groot nasie!
• Stephan se spesialiteit van Pastorale Sorg is ‘n baie belangrike stuk toerusting, nie net vir predikante om hulle gemeentes pastoraal te versorg nie, maar ook om uit te reik na en berading te verskaf aan so baie mense buite die kerk met vele emosionele en sielkundige nood en behoeftes. Een van van Stephan se mede-dosente het onlangs tydens ‘n pastorale praatjie in ‘n predikantebyeenkoms wat ek ook bygewoon het , genoem dat volgens ‘n opname meer as 70%  Japannese wat vir die eerste keer kerk bygewoon het (en uiteindelik gelowig geword het) het gekom as gevolg van ‘n diep emosionele of sielkundige behoefte.
• Die feit dat Stephan en Carina as gesin op die kampus woon en ‘n integrale deel van die Kweekskool is, word hier as baie belangrik beskou. Carina het saam met Stephan daaglikse interaksie met die studente en hul gesinne  en hulle is saam betrokke by hul pastorale versorging. Sy is ook aktief betrokke by die plaaslike gemeente met die Kweekskool se Kapel as basis. Dit natuurlik bo en behalwe haar voltydse werk as tuiste skepper en tuisskool onderwyser van haar vier kinders.

—————————————————

Our impressions of KRTS (written by Tobie de Wet)

• It was indeed a blessed experience to stay for three months, together with Stephan and family, on the campus of the Kobe Theological Seminary and taste a little of the atmosphere and spirit (ethos) of this well-known and respected institution in Christian and Reformed circles in Japan and in neighboring Korea.
• The new and impressive buildings with dormitories for students and their families and homes for lecturers were erected after the big eartquake in Kobe of 1995. The apartment building in which we lived when we were in Kobe doing our Japanese language studies, was completely destroyed in that earthquake, and so also the RCJ Ashiya church across the road.
• At the moment 18 Japanese students and 6 Korean students (including some women) are studying under three full-time lecturers (including Stephan) and 15 part-time lecturers, all ministers in the Christian Reformed Church of Japan. One lecturer is a lady who has been a missionary from the RCJ and lecturer in a Theological Institution in Singapore.
• For acceptance at the Seminary as a student, you have to be a four-year graduate from a university and be committed to the ethos, disciplne and life of the Seminary.Some of the students are already ministers in their denominations but are coming here to have a better Reformed foundation, even from Korea.
• Every morning begins with a pre-breakfast prayer meeting at 6:40, where one of the students brings a short message (the past months while we were here they were working chapter-by-chapter through the Book of Job). Between morning lectures they also have (every morning) a chapel service where students and lecturers take turns to preach the Word.
• Students (together with the lecturers) are also themselves responsible for cleaning the buildings and campus grounds. Friday afternoons is cleaning time.
• This is indeed a truly Reformed Seminary where Calvinistic Reformed theology is taught. Our Reformed Creeds and Confessions (especially the Westminister Confession) and Reformed Traditions are playing a determining role. Lecturers and preachers will always again and again refer especially to Calvin and his Institutes in emphasizing their statements.
• Therefore, the Bible as Word of God is completely at the centre of all meetings and lectures. Sermons are not only Bible-based but also expositary preaching, expounding and applying the Biblical text (with very few, if any, illustrations or stories). Sermons are of high quality marked by very good exegesis and always well-prepared.
• This Seminary (and RCJ Church) is very evangelical in its essence and focus, always preaching Christ and the salvation through and in Christ, leading us back to the crucified and risen Jesus Christ, Saviour-Lord, the focus of the whole Bible and our only hope and comfort for now and eternity and the church’s one and only message for the world.
• Daily prayer is playing a big role in the operation of the seminary, praying for one another and for the church, praying in groups, always closing with the “Lord’s Prayer.” The Korean students, coming from churches where thousands of ordinary members gather every morning for prayer meetings, are even conducting weekly “extra” prayer meetings over the weekends.
• Though the academic standard is very high and the students are working very hard academically (basically all RCJ Japanese pastors are academics studying very hard, spending many hours everyday in their studies to read theology and prepare sermons and Bible Studies and talks), big emphasis is layed on the Christian education and the spiritual formation of the students.
• All the students are sent to a congregation in the RCJ where they attend every Sunday. They are involved and assist in the ministry of that congregation, as part of their practical experience.
• The Kobe Reformed Theological Seminary is deliberately not a university but a Theological Seminary, funded exclusively by the small Christian Reformed Church of Japan for the training of ministers and missionaries/evangelists.
• We as Mission Japan and our supporting churches and members in SA can truly feel proud to be involved through Stephan in this great Seminary and in the training of Japanese and Korean pastors and evangelists and sending them out to minister in local congregations and to reach the unreached millions of this beautiful country and great nation!
• Stephan’s speciality of Pastoral Care is very important, equipping not only pastors to take care of their congregations in a pastoral way, but also in the reaching out to and counselling of so many people outside the church with many emotional and psychological needs. One of Stephan’s co-lecturers mentioned in a talk on pastoral care at a ministers’ meeting I attended the other day, that according to a survey, more than 70% of Japanese who have been coming to church for the first time (and eventually becoming believers), have come because of an emotional and psychological need.
• The fact that Stephan and Carina are living as a family on the campus and are an integral part of the Seminary, its personnel and students, is seen as very important. Together Stephan and Carina have almost daily interaction with the students and their families, and are involved in their pastoral care. Carina is also actively involved in the local RCJ congregation with the Seminary Chapel as their base. Over and above this, Carina has the big responsibility of taking care of their household and guiding and conducting the homeschooling of their four children.