Interview regarding Harvest

This is a recent interview I had online regarding Harvest.

Hello again,
About sending money, Is the following correct?
-If money is sent through OMF, there is no service charge in getting the money to you? (only dealing with the currency conversion rate...)

Yes that is correct
-If a paper check is sent, there is a large service charge involved.The service charge is on this end with the Japanese banks charging because they don’t have a good national banking system.

-If money is sent directly to a church bank account is there no service charge?

There will be a service charge similar to usual banking procedures which will be on your end and none for us.

Do you have any preference whether money......for you, whether personally or for your
ministry/living expenses is sent through OMF or not?

No preference- just ask that it be clear whether its for ministry/living or personal or a specific project.

(I understand that on the giving end, it can be simply an issue of getting a tax-deductible receipt if it's not for your personal use.)...for the church is sent directly or through OMF? (Would it work to send the money for the church through OMF with a note regarding its purpose?)

Yes any of the above 3 categories of donations (ministry/living, personal, special project) can be sent thru OMF. It should be clear for what purpose it is being donated. If there is no explanation of purpose, it is assumed that it is for ministry/living.

Are there dates that it would be helpful for us to know about regarding sending money for the new church? When do you need to have the money in order to make decisions and proceed?

For the initial purchase of land and buildings, we have 3 payment dates.
First is a down payment for which we have money. That will probably be this month.
Second will be final payment for land that the buildings are on. That will be probably at the end of May. It looks like we have enough promised to make that payment as well.
Third will be a payment nearer the end of the year. The current farmland needs to be rezoned for use as a parking lot. We have been assured there will be no problem- just have to grow 1 crop first. So the last payment will be in November or December. That is the money we are praying for and it is somewhere near the $35,000 mark.

You mentioned that "As a church, we have decided to start a third site (chapel)." I confess that even though I try to follow along with all of your prayer requests, I can't keep all of the chapels and things straight. I see "Itayanagi(where we are) in 1991" and "Kanagi in 1994." Are these the first two sites that you have in mind when you refer to Harvest Chapel as the third, or did you have International Chapel (now closing)in mind?

Harvest Chapel is the third. International closed March 29 and Hiraka closed Novemeber, 2007 so you are correct to write that Itayanagi and Kanagi are the other 2.

Checking my understanding:
Itayanagi Chapel-- with OMF full-time missionaries the Ghents
Kanagi Chapel--with OMF full-time missionaries the Messers?
Harvest Chapel--just being started, with a "core group of about 10 people" from one or both of the other chapels?

Yes you are correct.

How much sharing of responsibilities, resources, etc. has there been between Itayanagi and Kanagi? Are you involved in the Kanagi work at all, or only by association through Christ and through OMF?

We are the leaders of a church called Tsugaru Church. (we put Gospel or Evangelical or Christ or a combination in between Tsugaru and church)The church is made up of multiple sites which we call chapels. So we the Ghents are both leaders of the overall church and for Itayanagi Chapel and until more workers joinn the team, Harvest Chapel. Within the church there is 1 membership and 1 staff. There is a prayer target and plans for individual responsibility within each site (chapel) but the possibility of sharing as needs arise. Our involvement with Kanagi apart form overall leadership is to encourage and help the Messers both as OMF senior team leader as well as Tsugaru church leader. Now that they are back, we leave practical day to day things to them.

Similarly, what is your historical and anticipated role with Harvest Chapel? Does the core group of about 10 people include someone who will pastor the church? Would you be involved in an advisory fashion or in some other role?

We have been the movers and visionaries for Harvest along with a few Itayanagi attendees who live in this targeted area. The core group are current Itayanagi attendees (Tsugaru church members) and hope to become Harvest attendees. Our hope is that we will have another OMF couple come to assume responsibility. After 6-8 years of missionary-led church planting, the church hopes to call a pastor who can minister to the new chapel.
For now, we are devoting 2 days a week to this ministry and cutting out our current Kanagi involvement, and scaling back our Itayanagi involvement- with the church’s blessing.

Thank you. It takes me some time to process things.

No problem.