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Frequently Asked Questions
If you're a team member or considering joining our team, please also be sure to visit our Team Member Detail Page, as it will answer more specific questions not covered here. (Update: New FAQ's added on June 6, 2008)
Questions
Q: Why Japan?
Q: Do you receive short-term teams or interns?
Q: Can I set up an automatic monthly donation using my bank card or credit card?
Q: How can I make a donation to your ministry?
Q: If I make a donation, how much of it goes directly to you?
Q: What is the hardest part about living in Japan?
Q: How can we pray for you?
Q: Do you have a Statement of Faith?
Q: To Josh: "What do you do every day?"
Q: To The Joneses "How long do you plan to stay in Japan?"
Q: When are you starting the coffee shop I heard you talk about?
Answers
Q: Why Japan?
A: First, we should state that Japan is merely the launch point of a church planting movement that we pray will spread to all of East Asia and eventually the rest of the world. We believe that while Japan has traditionally been labeled as a virtually impossible mission field, there are times when God moves in new ways, and we believe this is about to happen in Japan. This argument is not based on logic, but a belief arrived at after many hours of prayer and fasting. From a strategic standpoint, Japan is a great place to start for a number of reasons:
- According to the Joshua Project Database, Japan is the largest unreached people group in the world. Click here for the numbers.
- According to the CIA world Fact Book, only 0.7% (or 7 in 1000) Japanese confess to be Christians. The majority are Shinto and Buddhist.
- Japanese people are currently very dissatisfied with their lives, as shown by their extremely high suicide rate and a recent poll conducted by George Gallup, Jr where 11% of Japanese surveyed responded that they "wished they'd never been born."
In spite of the darkness in Japan, we believe that God can and will use the people of this nation in a mighty way. From being known as great innovators to extremely hard workers, Japan is uniquely suited to lead a global missions movement.
Q: Do you receive short-term teams or interns?
A: We're currently developing an internship program and we have plans forming for an outreach in East Asia this Spring. Contact us for more details.
Q: Can I set up an automatic monthly donation using my bank card or credit card?
A: Absolutely! Just click here to get started.
Q: How can I make a donation to your ministry?
A: There are multiple options for donating towards our church planting project. You can donate by mailing a check, or you can set up a debit or credit card payment (for a one time gift or an automatic monthly donation) by one of the following methods:
- You can call our agency, Globe International, and make a donation over the telephone (850-453-3453). Be sure to tell them who the donation is for, as there are many missionaries working under Globe.
- If you receive our monthly print newsletter (different from the e-mail version) you should also be receiving a support card and return envelope. You can mail a payment this way using check or card. If you don't get our monthly print newsletter, you can sign up here!
- You can visit Globe's website, www.gme.org/donate and make a credit/debit card payment online.
The above methods are all 100% tax deductible, and you should receive a donation receipt at the end of each tax year. This is our preferred method of receiving funds. However, if you are a friend or relative desiring to send money to the Joneses immediately, there are a few more options, but these are not tax exempt:
- You may send money via paypal to Josh @ mcsnetwork. org (removing the spaces).
- You may contact Joshua's parents for assistance with depositing directly into their stateside bank account.
Q: If I make a donation, how much of it goes directly to you?
A: Globe takes 10% of all donations that are given to our ministry and sends us 90%. This 10% covers agency expenses such as newsletter services, missionary care personnel, financial management, donor receipts, mail forwarding, etc... While we acknowledge these fees are higher than some agencies (and lower than others) we are satisfied with the arrangement we have with Globe. The spiritual oversight and accountability alone are invaluable. Also, as the director of Emercy for 8 years, I (Josh) know personally the value in having an office to handle these administrative duties. At Emercy from the cost we paid to accept credit cards to the countless hours spent printing and folding newsletters, we experienced all too well where that 10% goes.
Q: What is the hardest part about living in Japan?
A: Separating the trash has to be one of the biggest adjustments I've (Josh) faced so far. We currently have 8 different trash cans in our kitchen. One for recyclable plastic, one for recyclable plastic bottles, one for glass bottles, one for burnable trash, one for non burnable trash, one for cardboard, one for newspaper, and one for aluminum cans. On top of that, every day they only pick up one type of trash, and I have to carry it 4 blocks to the neighborhood trash area before 8:30am. Also, with most of the trash (especially bottles), you have to wash them out and remove the labels before disposing of them. In addition to the 8 normal types, there are special collection places around town you have to take special items like appliances, batteries, etc...
Q: How can we pray for you?
A: Pray for the church we hope to plant by the Winter of 2009. Pray that our team come together and gel smoothly. Pray that God provide the funds for us to focus on full-time ministry.
Q: Do you have a Statement of Faith?
A: Yes we do! Click here to read it.
Q: To Josh: What do you do every day?
A: As a full-time missionary, it is a challenge to create my own daily routines and structure, but I typically establish major goals and tasks that I want to accomplish on a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual basis. Since much of my job is building relationships, I have to be flexible and adapt to the schedule of those I'm witnessing to and discipling. I try to start each week with half a day of prayer and fasting. During this time I review the previous week and establish my upcoming weekly goals. I create a prayer list of people and projects and spend a few hours in prayer, seeking direction in each area.
- On Monday nights I go to Eigo Mura, an English speaking conversation hour where I meet tons of new people.
- On Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday I spend 3 hours in Japanese classes.
- On Wednesday I spend 2 hours in a Portuguese class.
- On Sundays Akiko and I often listen to an online sermon and praise music together. There are a few churches in the area that we visit on rotation.
- One Saturday each month we host a dinner party in our home. This is an outreach event where we get to meet new people and strengthen existing relationships.
- We plan to move our Wednesday night Bible study to Friday nights and include dinner and games to create a more full evening. This will probably start in June of 2008.
In addition to these scheduled events, I divide my time among these tasks:
- Building relationships. Some weeks I spend half of my available time on this one area. I find what interests those who I am ministering to and I join them in their hobbies. This has taken on the form of Cycling, Camping, Coffee, Tennis, Ping Pong, Running, Language Practice, Watching Movies, Board Games, etc... I personally love camping and hiking, but I'm flexible enough to try anything that interests the people I want to meet. On an average week, I meet 3-5 people and spend 2-4 hours in each meeting.
- I guest teach in various local English classes and societies. This has given me a number of open doors for relationships and witnessing opportunities. 2 hours per week.
- Connecting with team members. This includes helping upcoming team members prepare to move to Japan, shopping for housing, transportation, etc...
- Connecting with donors and supporters. We have donors and supporters all over the US, and I try to keep in constant contact. I do this through updating this website, sending monthly newsletters, updating our news blog on a weekly basis, making phone calls, sending thank-you cards, and personal visits about once a year. Since we travel to the States for about one month at a time, I typically spend the preceeding two months preparing meetings, speaking engagements, etc... Our last trip included 7 speaking engagements and 43 personal meetings with pastors, supporters, and team members.
- In addition to Japanese classes, I spend 10-20 hours each week studying Japanese. With an alphabet of 10,000+ characters, I've got a lot of work to do.
- When I'm not working, I try and help around the house and I am becoming more of a regular cook. Surrounded by so much raw fish, cooking some American food here and there can really make my day brighter. Naomi and I also take walks and play in the park together.
- I also try to spend at least 10 hours per week "Sharpening the saw" as Steven Covey puts it. I read the Bible and theological commentaries across the spectrum. Mike Osminski, one of my mentors in the States keeps me supplied with lots of great reading. (Thanks, Pastor Os!)
Q: To the Joneses: "How long do you plan to stay in Japan? "
A: I'd love to give a simple answer, but there's not one! We're here until we receive further marching orders. However, I can say with some confidence we'll be here for quite a few years to come. I would be very dissapointed if we were to leave here without having planted multiple growing, church-planting churches.
Q: When are you starting the coffee shop I heard you talk about?
A: While we are very excited about the concept of using a coffee house for ministry, it is also a plan we are taking very slowly and seriously. I (Joshua) have studied many coffee houses across the US and Latin America over the past 10 years and I've noticed an alarming trend. Most of them only stay open 1-3 years. If we start a coffee house, it will take a huge portion of our time and energy, and it is vital that we do it right. If it's not commercially viable, then we'll end up wasting a lot of time and money with nothing to show for it.
Our plan for now is to research the market and collect notes and ideas. I (Joshua) am meeting with lawyers, former coffee house owners, potential vendors, etc... as often as time is available. My notebook is filling with ideas, and I'm working hard to develop my Japanese to be a viable business operator. However, that will take time, and a realistic guess of when we might open the actual cafe is probably early 2010.
While America is a very "logic" based culture, Japan is a "tradition" based culture. What does this mean? In America, if you want to do something like opening a business, you just "Figure it out." You read books, do the math, get the money, build the building, open the doors, etc... In Japan, certain things are done because they were done that way by previous generations. This includes business methods, practices, laws, regulations, etc... and they don't always follow a linear format. Bottom-line: It takes a lot more time and many lengthy conversations and interviews to figure out things that might take only minutes in the States. Sorry for not having a shorter answer...
