Samurai Projects: Future direction involving 4 streams
After a year of research, the future direction of the Samurai Projects was discussed at the end of August in the Tokyo Marunouchi Partnership (TMP) Board Meeting. The Board’s decision was to try to expand in the following four ways:
1. Expand the current program for training apprentices
We aim to train up “Bible-teaching leaders (=Samurai)”, in an improved version of the internship program we had been running for the past several years in the local church. The course is not just classroom learning, but also leaders developing through hands-on experience of teaching the Bible and receiving feedback, receiving mentoring from pastors, learning by serving in various ways, and learning by observing the life and ministry of pastors.
2. Provide a short training course in Bible-teaching for working adults
We aim to offer a short training course (total 6 sessions) for working Christians to help them become “Samurai” (i.e., leaders who can teach the Bible). As well as classroom learning, this course will also involve growing through hands-on experience of teaching the Bible, and receiving feedback.
3. Organize a seminar for pastors about leader training
We aim to provide opportunities for pastors, missionary staff, and seminary/university professors to share their thoughts, challenges, and experiences in leadership development. Through sharing, we hope to learn from each other, and be able to develop better leader training programs.
4. Connecting students and young adults with pastors
We will provide opportunities for University students or Christians in their 20’s and 30’s to spend a week or so shadowing a pastor. Through the week of shadowing and working with a pastor, participants will have time to consider whether it is realistic for them to become a full time Bible-teacher in the future.
We aim to start the above (1) and (2) in April 2021. And we hope to continue growing partnerships with churches over the next months, as we continue learning from these churches, and explaining the content of (1) and (2) and recruiting participants. Please pray for God’s guidance and help in this project.