Hello everyone!
My name is Meliah and I am the creator of this website for Abiko BC. I was excited that the church allowed me to pursue my passions of creating web content to help reach out to the international community (specifically English speakers).
This month marks my second year as a member of Abiko Baptist Church and I feel overwhelmingly blessed to have such a great community and family while I live and work in Japan. I joined the church choir as soon as my transfer of membership letter was received from my church in the US. Despite being an active member of the choir, earlier this year I kept having these feelings that I could be doing more for the church. I think I was having a conversation with someone about how I started coming to this church when the idea hit me. The power of the internet.
Back when I was preparing to move to Japan and begin my working adult life as an ALT in the countryside of Shizuoka, I reached out to an acquaintance in the ABA to see if there would be any churches or missions in the area I would be living. He put me in contact with Bro. Shin Kamoda who sent me the website of his church and associated churches in JBA. Unfortunately, my first year working in Japan I was unable to really connect with the closest JBA church because the 5 or so members were welcoming but quite elderly and it was very hard for me to connect with the message in Japanese. After finishing my contract in Shizuoka, I found a new job and moved to Chiba. I remembered the list of sister churches Bro. Kamoda had introduced me to and thus began my search for a new church home. I saw that Abiko Baptist Church actually already had an English website and was quite informative despite not having been updated in a couple of years and was pretty stagnate. Even though the commute to the church for me would be almost 2 hours I decided to give it a try, especially since I saw that there would be English interpretation of the sermons.
Best decision ever.
I am grateful to Bro. Jepy for making the original English website (all from scratch too, such talent) of Abiko Baptist Church as it was the reason I decided to visit. With his approval I decided to make this all new website that is easily editable and can serve as an interactive and frequently updated means of information and communication with Abiko Baptist Church.
My goal is to write blogs as often as possible and update the site regularly with news and events of Abiko BC. I will also be trying to translate devotions and messages that Bro. Shinji Amari publishes in the church bulletin "The Abiko Baptist Weekly"as well as other Japanese content. Pray that my Japanese skills can improve to translate these writings correctly and accurately convey the intended messages. I also pray that my laziness and procrastination doesn't get the better of me so that I can utilize the gifts God has given me to work for his glory. I have high hopes for this and am excited to share the works of Abiko Baptist Church with the world.
Thank you for reading and God bless.
LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE BEFORE MEN, THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS, AND GLORIFY YOUR FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN. _Matt. 5:16
Comments