A joint Summer Workshop of the Task Force on Evangelism Promotion was held in conjunction with the "C-course Assembly" assisted by the Commission on Ministry, Aug. 11-13, with Tokyo Union Theological Seminary providing the meeting place.
“C-course” refers to ministerial candidates covered by Article 3, Section 6 of the ministerial examination regulations. C-course is for candidates not attending a seminary or theological school. This workshop was for C-course examinees and for those who have been licensed five years or less. The total number is believed to be almost 300 people, with 28 of them participating in this workshop. Including staff, there were a total of 45 people in attendance.
The focus of this year's workshop was on preaching, something that had not been done for five years. Koizumi Ken, Associate Professor of Tokyo Union Theological Seminary, gave a three-hour lecture entitled “Discovering and Overcoming the Challenge of Preaching.” Kyodan Moderator Ishibashi Hideo’s lecture, “Preaching that communicates the faith based in the atonement,” examined the central challenge of preaching. Also, Professor Ishikawa Ritsu of Doshisha University Department of Theology lectured on “How to Read the Bible,” through which participants learned about the attitude that preachers should have as well as some tactics for Bible reading. In addition, Narita Iushi, pastor of Banjo Church, took up the concrete challenge of how to read and preach from the Gospel of John in his lecture, “The Gospel of John as Inspiration for a sermon.”
In the evening, retired instructor Kato Tsuneaki gave a lecture entitled ”Living message makes people alive,” in which he described his own experiences as a preacher. Also, in his lecture on “Building the Church through preaching,” Pastor Ogushi Makoto of Chiba Hokuso Church spoke of his church planting experience, when he was first broken by the Word of God and then healed.
During the case study, sermons by well-known preachers were anonymously introduced and then analyzed and evaluated. This was followed by a lively discussion and exchange of opinions. The comments given were based on each person’s viewpoint about what a sermon is. During the short time of this discussion, the participants felt released from the daily pressure of preaching. However, it also became very clear that many participants have been suffering from a complex about preaching sermons.
During the morning and evening worship services, Pastors Ojima Seishi and Osumi Keizo gave the participants encouragement and comfort.(Tr. KT)
—Miyamoto Yoshihiro, pastor
Numazu Church, Tokai District
From Kyodan Shinpo (The Kyodan Times), No. 4827
第6回夏期研修会
8月11日から13日にかけて、伝道推進室主催・教師委員会後援の「第6回夏期研修会（合同開催第9回Ｃコースの会）」が東京神学大学に会場を提供してもらい開催された。
この研修会は、教師検定規則第3条6項による者（いわゆるＣコース及びその受験者）と准允後 5年までの者の研修会である。その総数は300人弱いると思われるが、参加者は28名。スタッフを含め総勢45名であった。
主題は5年ぶりに「説教」を取り上げ、「説教の課題の発見と克服」と題して、東京神学大学小泉健准教授による3時間に及ぶ講演があった。
しかし、それだけではなく、説教の中心課題を見据えるために「贖罪信仰を語り伝える説教」と題して石橋秀 雄教団議長に、また、「聖書の読み方」と題して同志社大学神学部石川立教授の講演を受け、参加者は説教者としての姿勢と聖書を読む工夫を学んだ。更に、具体的にヨハネ福音書を どのように読み、説教するかの課題のために「説教の源泉としてのヨハネ福音書」と題して成田いうし牧師（磐上）の講演も行われた。
牧会夜話では、加藤常昭隠退教師によって「生きた言葉、生かす言葉」と題して説教者としての自身の原体験を、また、大串眞牧師（千葉北総）によって「説教による教会形成」と題して、開拓伝道の中で御言葉によって打ち砕かれ、立ち上がらされた 経験を語ってもらった。
ケース・スタディでは、よく知られている説教者の説教（複数）を、名を伏せて批評してもらった。活発な意 見が交わされ、各自の説教観からの批評が集中した。このことは参加者が、日頃、自分が説教をすることの重圧から解放されるひと時と なったが、説教に対するコンプレックスを抱えている現実があることをも浮き彫りにした。
朝夕の礼拝では、今回も小島誠志、大隅啓三両牧師から慰めを受けた。（宮本義弘報） 新報4827号
