Michael, what are some memorable moments from 2011?
Kim’s memorable moments include experiencing the March 11 earthquake, leading a book discussion on collaboration, seeing Anneke off to college and becoming an empty nester, playing basketball against CAJ’s varsity girls, and seeing her English 10 students apply a biblical perspective in the presentations they gave in December.
 
My memorable moments include seeing Mt. Fuji while jogging, experiencing uncertainty after the damage to the Fukushima nuclear power plant, seeing an entire family get baptized at Easter, facilitating a book discussion on leading groups, having Caitlin and Anneke home for Christmas, and finishing CAJ’s accreditation report.
 
Kim, what has God been teaching you and Michael?
To trust God in stressful times—like after the earthquake and after a senior died in June as a result of a motorcycle accident.
 
Michael, what are your and Kim’s goals for 2012?
Kim’s goals include helping students increase their English language proficiency and helping secondary English and social studies teachers refine curriculum.
 
I want to help CAJ use data. I also want to provide coaching, consulting, and training to help CAJ staff and missionaries serve more effectively.
 
Kim, how are Caitlin and Anneke doing?
They are doing well. Caitlin will graduate from Redeemer in May with majors in sociology and religion. After she graduates, she plans to return to Japan to live with us, while pursuing her studies (graduate work and Japanese language) and doing some internships.
 
Anneke is enjoying her studies at Calvin College, as she prepares to be a secondary English teacher. She is also enjoying being close to Michael’s folks (who live about a 10-minute drive from Calvin).

Thanks for praying:

• Praise God for providing a librarian for next year. Ask God for secondary teachers for Bible, math, science, and PE.
• Ask God to help Michael prepare effectively for CAJ’s accreditation visit (February 27-March 1).
• Ask God for good health. February is cold and flu season in Japan.

What’s happening?

• Jan. 16- 19: Kim’s students finish a grammar unit.
• Jan. 20: Michael facilitates a 2-hour curriculum meeting on technology.
• Jan. 23-27: CAJ has its annual Spiritual Life Emphasis Week.
• Jan. 26: Kim facilitates a teacher discussion on a Christian view of public speaking.

Christian Academy in Japan wants to more effectively equip students to impact the world for Christ. In my role as school improvement coordinator, I monitor the school improvement process, design surveys, get students and parents involved, and help develop CAJ's school improvement plan. I really like doing this!

Thanks for praying:

• Ask God to provide me with the energy and focus I need to coordinate school improvement. I'll be leading  meetings on Sept. 12 and 23.
• Ask God to help high school students and teachers prepare effectively for the relief work they will do in early October for earthquake/tsunami victims.
• Praise God for helping Caitlin and Anneke get off to a good start in college.

Thanks for being involved in God's work in Japan.

—Michael

We serve at Christian Academy in Japan, a school for missionary kids. We strive to empower staff and equip students. My first school improvement meeting (August 19) and Kim’s first English class (August 25) went well.
 
I’m pumped! I’m watching 5 small groups of CAJ staff members analyze survey and standardized test data. I’m watching them study 21st-Century challenges and educational goals, discuss what CAJ is like, and determine how effective our learning outcomes are.
 
One small group reviews a 64-item parent survey, noting that parents are satisfied with CAJ and are concerned about SAT preparation. Another group studies CAJ’s student demographics and sees a decrease in the number of students with parents who both come from North America. The group then compares CAJ’s learning outcomes with twelve 21st-Century educational goals, concluding there’s a good match.
 
Meanwhile, a third group discusses standardized test data and then watches a YouTube video on competencies employers want students to have. The group notes that reading scores are consistent, that vocabulary scores are decreasing, and that there’s a good match between skills employers want and CAJ’s learning outcomes.
 
The other 2 groups summarize what CAJ teachers like about their students, reflect on the challenges CAJ teachers face as they teach students representing 35 countries, and identify challenges CAJ students will face in the future.
 
I pull the 5 small groups back together. We conclude that CAJ’s learning outcomes prepare students to impact the world for Christ in the 21st Century. We also generate key research questions that will be used as we complete our accreditation process, for example, “How is the student demographic shift affecting English language acquisition?”
 
We’re off to a good start! Thanks for praying for us.

• Praise God for helping new CAJ staff members make a good transition to CAJ.
• Ask God to provide the energy and focus staff need to prepare for the 2012 accreditation visit.
• Ask God to help Caitlin and Anneke get off to a good start in college.

 —Michael




Kim’s English 10 students talk in small groups on the first day of class. During the next 2 weeks, Kim’s 49 students (who represent 8 countries) will consider questions like “How do writers reflect the image of God?” and “Why is it important to understand another person’s perspective?”

We've been involved in relief work, CAJ work, and family time:

1. Relief work: Anneke did relief work in northern Japan for a week with other CAJ students. Caitlin and I served at the headquarters of CRASH Japan, developing publications, creating job descriptions, and documenting processes. 
2. CAJ work: Caitlin helped with summer school for 2 weeks. Kim and I worked with 3 other teachers for 5 mornings on revising curriculum units. I collected data to be used in school improvement reports.
3. Family Time: We've been enjoying being together as a family. We had some excellent sweet corn from a local farmer!

We're grateful for your prayers, gifts, and friendship.

—Michael

God is blessing our efforts to empower leaders in Japan—teachers are developing curriculum, teachers are helping students apply a Biblical perspective, missionaries are improving ministry plans, and Japanese Christians are growing.

It’s 4:45 p.m. For the past 45 minutes, I’ve been meeting with 7 CAJ faculty members about improving our curriculum unit plans. Michael, who has been facilitating this meeting, asks, “Do you want to use the guidelines?” Using guidelines would help us develop effective unit plans and help me (as English Department chair) give good feedback on unit plans developed by English teachers.
 
It’s not the first question he has asked. To get us thinking at 4:00, Michael had asked us to consider several questions, including “How do you use your unit plans?”
 
The 8 of us were seated in 2 groups. In my group, Hydi (a PE teacher) and Jean (an elementary teacher) talked. Then I shared that before I start a unit, I review my plan and make changes from what I learned the last time I taught this unit. I explained that doing this helps me to focus on what I really want my students to learn.
 
Michael called the 2 groups back together. He emphasized that better unit plans can help us teach more effectively and, consequently, help students learn more. He then pulled out the draft of unit plan guidelines we’d been working on and field-testing for the past 3 weeks.
 
We took 15 minutes to again field-test the guidelines. I paired up with the elementary principal, and we looked at my unit plan on short stories. We checked to make sure that my objectives were clear, that my questions were thought-provoking, and that my assignments gave students a chance to show how well they’ve learned the skills I intended to teach. We kept talking, and as best as I could tell, the guidelines worked. I thought, “They’re validating what I’ve done right and showing me where I can improve.”
 
It’s decision time—Michael is asking, “Do you want to use the guidelines?” All 8 of us agree to start using the unit plan guidelines. I’m excited!

 
Thanks for praying

• Praise God for providing protection for us through recent events in Japan. God has met our daily needs and kept us safe.
• Praise God for helping CAJ teachers develop a useful set of guidelines for curriculum unit plans.
• Praise God for providing all the teachers CAJ needs for next year.

What’s happening?

• March 19: Michael prepares for an April coaching workshop for 20 missionaries.
• March 21-25: Kim’s students work online to continue their “Who Am I?” unit.
• April 4: CAJ resumes classes. (CAJ is closed next week and then has spring break.)

—Kim

Here's what we did:

• Monday, Kim had her students work on their poetry essays.
• Tuesday morning, we had 3 inches of snow on the ground, but we still had school.
• Wednesday, Kim and I facilitated curriculum meetings.
• Thursday, I prepared for my accreditation visit to Kyoto International University Academy.
• And Friday, we watched high school students perform the musical Annie.

Thanks for praying:

1. Praise God for providing secondary teachers for English/social studies and math/science. 
2. Ask God to provide a secondary teacher for the resource room.
3. Ask God to help Kim's students apply a biblical perspective to their favorite lyrics.
4. Ask God for energy for Michael he continues to prepare to visit to Kyoto International University Academy.

Have a good weekend. And thanks for being involved in God's work in Japan.

—Michael
P.S. Want to see what we think of a drink called Sparking Chocolate?

Michael and Kim, what has God been teaching you?
Michael: God’s been teaching me that He can use any situation for our good. For example, I had to be in the US for 6 months (Feb. 11-August 14) to comply with the US/Japan social security agreement. And being in the US involved job disruption and family separation. (Anneke and Kim joined me in late April). Though the situation was not optimal, God used it for our good—we got to see family and supporters, the girls got their wisdom teeth out, and Caitlin got her driver’s license.
 
Kim: To be thankful in all circumstances. I found it hard to be thankful when (due to Michael being in the US) I couldn’t be with him or finish last school year. But God helped me. Instead of being apart from Michael until the end of April, God made it possible for me be with Michael for 2 weeks in March. God also provided a good long-term substitute for my classes. Concentrating on God and His provision helped me be thankful.
 
Kim, what are some highlights from 2010?
Michael enjoyed seeing family and supporters while on home assignment. He also enjoyed helping CAJ implement its school improvement process, publishing four 7-lesson teacher training kits, and helping missionaries refine and implement ministry plans.
 
For me, highlights include seeing my English 10 students improve their thinking and reading skills, facilitating a book discussion for teachers on helping students collaborate effectively, and helping secondary English teachers review and refine course objectives.
 
Michael, what are your goals for 2011?
Kim is focusing on helping CAJ students collaborate effectively and helping CAJ teachers align course objectives and assessments.
 
I’m preparing for CAJ’s 6-year school accreditation visit, helping teachers integrate faith and learning, and helping missionaries set ministry goals.

Thanks for praying:

• Praise God for providing an English/social studies teacher for next year. Ask God for secondary teachers for English/social studies, math/science, and resource room.
• Ask God to help Michael prepare effectively for his March 16-18 accreditation visit to Kyoto International University Academy, a bilingual Christian school.
• Ask God for good health. February is cold and flu season in Japan.

What’s happening?

• Jan. 24- Feb. 18: Kim’s students study poetry.
• Feb. 8: Kim and Michael attend a 2-hour curriculum meeting.
• Feb. 16: Michael works with Bible teachers to refine course objectives.

How many reasons are there for doing missions in Japan? Over 126 million, each one a Japanese who has not yet accepted Jesus. Thanks for being involved in God’s work in Japan.

As a leadership developer, I want leaders to grow. And a good sign that leaders are growing is when leaders help others grow. Here are 4 leaders I work with who are helping others grow!

Anda, CAJ’s high school principal, is planning to have each student complete a profile to help him understand the type of learner he is. This information will be shared with high school teachers, who can then adjust instructional strategies to help students who learn better when seeing something, hearing something, or moving around. My role? I arranged the workshop Anda attended on how students learn.
 
Scott, a curriculum coordinator in Thailand, is helping teachers learn about integrating faith and learning. He’s excited that teachers are discussing questions like “How does God’s Word connect to the part of God’s world your students study?” He’s also excited that teachers are seeing “real, natural, thoughtful changes in their classrooms.” My role? The training materials he’s using are ones I developed for CAJ.
 
Joel, our mission’s international director, wants to support leadership development. He knows that good resources can help missionaries develop leaders. And he is planning to discuss a set of leadership development resources at his next International Program Team meeting. My role? I compiled the set of leadership development resources, using contributions from missionaries in our mission.
 
Steve, a house church coordinator, wants to help missionaries more effectively disciple Japanese Christians. He is preparing to share some of his ideas, including “Training is about taking action, not taking notes.” My role? I asked Steve questions to help him identify his ideas and think about how to communicate them.


Thanks for praying

• Praise God that CAJ teachers are applying what they learned in a Nov. 3 workshop on teaching strategies.
• Praise God for providing Judith Alexander with the energy she needs to teach Bible 7 and English 7.
• Ask God to help Anda, Scott, Joel, and Steve to keep growing and to keep helping others grow.

What’s happening?

• Nov. 17: Kim and Michael work with teachers on developing CAJ’s curriculum.
• Nov. 22-24: Kim talks with parents at parent/teacher conferences.
• Dec. 7-10: Michael participates in mission meetings on leadership development.

—Michael

In Bible 10, how can we help our students develop and live out a Christ-centered worldview? That's the question I helped high school Bible teachers think about this past Wednesday. 

We started our discussion by celebrating student learning, for example, 9th graders effectively applying creation-fall-redemption-restoration and 11th graders applying what they learned in Bible 10 during an 11th grade English class on good and evil.

Then we considered 3 things regarding Bible 10:

• What we want to avoid (student hubris), preserve (focus on Bible), and achieve (build on Bible study skills).
• The Bible standards this course should address.
• Key questions we want CAJ students to grapple with (Who is God? What's the problem? What's the solution?).

Please keep praying:

• Praise God for the good discussion at the Oct. 27 Bible teacher meeting.
• Ask God to use Bible class to work in the hearts of non-Christian Japanese CAJ students.
• Ask God to help teachers use what they learn in the Nov. 3 workshop on teaching methods to enhance their teaching.

—Michael
P.S. Want to see some photos of downtown Tokyo?
P.P. S. Want to see some worldview teacher training materials I've developed?

Here’s what happened:

1. Sunday, the youth group Anneke helps lead had its first meeting—went well.
2. Monday, Kim graded her English 10 tests. Her students used a Biblical perspective.
3. Wednesday, I helped a bilingual Christian school pursue its initial accreditation.
4. Thursday, Kim's students used Micah 6:8 to assess the behavior of story characters.
5. Friday, I went jogging before school.

Please pray: Ask God to help Kim/me to provide effective leadership as we work with CAJ Bible/English teachers on curriculum development for 5 hours on Monday.

We're grateful for your prayers, gifts and friendship.

—Michael

Thanks for praying that CAJ would get the staff it needs for this year. God answered your prayer by providing 11 new staff, one of whom is Judith.

The bell rings, ending the first day back to school after the summer holiday. Students burst noisily out of classrooms, eager to catch up with friends. I climb up the stairs, against the flow of students streaming out of the building, to stop by the room of Judith Alexander, CAJ’s new 7th grade English, social studies, and Bible teacher.
 
I wait for Judith to finish talking with a student at her desk. Then I ask her how her first day was.
 
“The students are so responsive!” Judith beams. “They answer questions. They even cheer!” Judith has been teaching Japanese college students who tend to sit attentively waiting to take notes, but do less interacting.
 
I’m glad Judith is feeling good about her day. She hasn’t had a long summer break like most CAJ teachers—she finished teaching her Japanese college students on August 2, spent the next week marking final assignments and moving across Tokyo to her new apartment near CAJ, started new teacher orientation at CAJ on August 16, and began teaching her CAJ 7th graders on August 25.
 
As I leave the room, Judith is talking with Sachi (the 7th grade ESL teacher), Helen (the 7th grade math teacher), and Debbie (the 7th grade science teacher). As English Department chair, I’m happy to see Judith settling into her role in the 7th grade team.


Thanks for praying

• Praise God for helping 11 new staff transition to Japan/CAJ.
• Praise God that CAJ is off to a good start. CAJ has 449 students in K-12.
• Ask God to provide Judith with the energy she needs to minister effectively to her CAJ 7th graders.

What’s happening?

• Sept. 14-15: Michael helps Kyoto International University Academy with its accreditation.
• Sept. 17: Michael coaches a missionary.
• Sept. 20: Kim works with other English teachers on curriculum development.

—Kim

We're back in Tokyo, where the weather is hot and humid. In spite of the heat, we're enjoying walking to the store (instead of taking the car like we did while on home assignment).

We're together. Kim arrived in Japan in mid-July, and I arrived last weekend. We had safe travels—thanks for praying.

We're off to a good start. August 16-18, new staff members completed orientation —thanks for praying. New staff got set up on computers, learned about curriculum mapping, and prepared for the first week of classes. August 19-20, we had staff orientation, which included sessions on school improvement and curriculum development.

And we need your prayers:

• Ask God to help CAJ's new students make a good transition to CAJ.
• Ask God to help classes to get off to a good start. Classes begin on Wed., 8/25.

Thanks for your prayers, gifts, and friendship.

—Michael

Use examples, surveys, and indicators to measure mission achievement.

Good meetings are on TARGET in terms of team purpose, assessment, results, guidelines, effective facilitation, and types of meetings.

Reflect on your goals daily, weekly, quarterly, and annually.

If you want to help your students to better connect God's world and Word, meet these 5 needs.

Here are 5 things you can do to move forward on using questions to help your students connect God's world and Word.

Here are 5 things you can do to move forward on using assessment to help your students connect God's world and Word.

Here are 5 things you can do to move forward on helping your students connect God's world and Word.

When you facilitate, make sure your listen, inquire, focus, and encourage.

Facilitate from your heart, from beliefs you have about personal growth.

To help workshop participants learn and apply their learning, meet their needs. Give them support, concrete examples, opportunities to apply their learning, reflection time, and engaging instruction.

Kim, how’s your home assignment going?
We’re having a good time. We’ve shared with supporters in Alaska, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Georgia, and California. And we’ve attended 2 family reunions. You may remember that Michael has to be in the US for 6 months due to a US/Japan agreement on Social Security. Recently Michael received the US government documentation he needs regarding Social Security—so he’s all set to return to Japan in mid-August!

Michael, what school work have Kim and you been doing?
Kim’s been reviewing the secondary English curriculum, doing some professional reading (like An Essential Guide to Public Speaking), and preparing to lead a book discussion in the fall on Productive Group Work. I’ve been developing 4 kits designed to help teachers help students connect God’s world and Word. Each kit has 7 lessons. In each lesson, teachers share how they applied what they learned in the previous lesson, discuss an article, and identify their next action steps.
 
Kim, what will you and Michael be doing next school year at CAJ?
To equip students, I’ll continue teaching English 10. To empower CAJ staff, Michael will train teachers, assist with curriculum development, and coordinate professional development; and I’ll serve as the chair of the English Department.
 
Michael, what’s your vision for Japan?
Through equipping CAJ students and empowering CAJ staff, Kim and I want to impact Japan for Jesus. We want to see CAJ students living out a Christian worldview and to see CAJ staff more fully using their God-given gifts to serve others. Ultimately, we want to see Japanese non-Christians getting saved, Japanese Christians growing, and Japanese churches thriving.


Thanks for praying:

• Praise God for travel safety on 7/5 from MI to CA.
• Ask God for travel safety on 7/23 when Kim, Caitlin, and Anneke fly to Japan, and Michael flies to MI.
• Ask God to help the 11 new CAJ staff make a smooth transition to Japan/CAJ.

What’s happening?

• 8/16-18: New staff orientation at CAJ
• 8/19-20, 23: Staff meetings
• 8/25: First day of classes

Check out our 4-minute video, Impact Japan for Jesus.

Thanks for praying:

• Praise God that we've finished a draft of training materials designed to help teachers use assessment to help students connect God's world and Word.
• Ask God to help CAJ staff and students to finish the school year well. Classes end on June 8, and staff meetings end on June 11.

—Michael & Kim
P.S. Don't forget to watch our 4-minute video.

I'm excited about Japanese getting baptized on Easter Sunday, making a video that explains how to help students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches, and sharing about God's work in Japan with supporters in OH, TN, and GA.

Please continue to pray:

• Ask God for travel safety next week as I drive from TN to MI.
• Ask God for travel safety as Kim flies from Japan to the US on April 24.
• Praise God that though we are separated, we have good family unity.

Thanks for being involved in God's work in Japan.

—Michael

Here's a framework you can you to help your students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches.

When I’m in Japan, I enjoy eating rice, sleeping on the floor, and walking along our local river. When I’m in the US, I enjoy eating cinnamon rolls, seeing ministry partners, and going to bookstores.

But wherever I am, I enjoy helping leaders. When I’m in Japan, I enjoy helping CAJ administrators improve CAJ’s program and helping church planting teams further develop ministry plans. And now that I’m in the US, I’m enjoying helping home office staff plan July strategy meetings and helping a CAJ board member (via videoconferencing) revise board policy.

Please continue to pray:

1. Ask God to use me to help leaders grow.
2. Praise God for providing staff for CAJ (technology coordinator and teachers—elementary, English, science).

We’re grateful for your prayers, financial support, and friendship.

—Michael
P.S. Check out how our mission trains Japanese Christians to lead Bible studies.

Help you students develop a Christ-centered worldview. Ask them questions about creation-fall-redemption-restoration.

The GROW process is a user-friendly process you can use to coach others (Goal • Reality • Options • Will do).  

When coaching, listen, inquire, focus, and encourage.

Christian coaching flows from the heart, from beliefs about empowering others. 

If you want to empower others, use a coaching approach.

Through the training and consulting I do at Christian Academy in Japan (CAJ), I work to help staff more effectively equip students to impact the world for Christ. What makes me smile? Seeing staff grow:
 
I’m smiling. It’s Tuesday morning on a professional day at CAJ. I’m standing outside of Room 203. I’m listening to a 7th grade math teacher animatedly talk about her Biblical perspective lesson with 10 or so CAJ teachers.
 
Her goal? To help these teachers more effectively help their students apply a Biblical perspective to what they study. She explains that in her math lesson, her students discussed and made posters on how God’s creation is orderly and has patterns.
 
The result? Her students connected math formulas with how creation is organized. Her students connected charts and graphs with how creation has patterns. And her students better understood how the organization and patterns of God’s creation help them live and what creation reveals about God.
 
I’m smiling. I’m smiling because she’s doing a good job and because the teachers are responding positively. And I’m smiling because a couple of weeks earlier on a Thursday afternoon in the staff workroom, I had collaborated with her to design her Biblical perspective math lesson.
 
Her math lesson went well, and now she’s helping her fellow teachers!

Want to learn more about God’s work in Japan? If so, then check out our 4-minute video!

Michael, how did you see God working in 2009? Students at Christian Academy in Japan (CAJ) continued applying a biblical perspective. Our mission’s church plants at Higashi Kawaguchi and Hitachinaka became independent churches. And 8 Japanese were baptized at Kurume Bible Fellowship. Thanks for praying.
 
Kim, what did you and Michael do in 2009? At CAJ in English 10, I taught 105 students from 13 countries. During class, my students reflected on questions like “What’s wrong with the world?” and “Who is my neighbor?” I also served as chair of the English Department and chair of a school improvement group that focused on curriculum.
 
Michael coached CAJ staff and missionaries, trained CAJ staff in how to increase personal productivity and in how to teach from a biblical perspective, and helped CAJ and 2 missions with organizational improvement by providing consulting and web-based resources, including 19 tutorials.
 
What has God been teaching you?

• Kim: Thankfulness for His blessings—family, friends, colleagues, students, and so much more.
• Michael: To pray—particularly for family and for the leaders I help.

Please continue to pray:

• Ask God to help us prepare effectively for home assignment.
• Ask God for a full staff for next year. CAJ needs a technology coordinator and teachers (band, elementary, 8th grade, and home ec).

Do you want to reduce your frustrations so you can get on with what God's calling you to do? If so, reflecting on these 5 questions can help.  

Your fellow teachers want to help their students better connect what they study and what the Bible teaches. You can help your fellow teachers by asking questions to DRAW them out.  

Organizational improvement can help you, those you work with, and your organization. Take steps to move organizational improvement forward.

When I think of improving my coaching, 3 areas come to mind. Those 3 areas are beliefs, skills, and process. 

If you want to get more done in less time at work, think about how you can manage yourself more effectively at work.

Before getting organized, make sure you're clear on what being organized means and how being organized can help you more effectively carry out your mission. 

Take steps to help your students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches. Get started today.

Help your students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches. Ask open-ended questions.

We're looking forward to celebrating Christ's birth, having Caitlin back from college, being together as a family, and eating Christmas pudding! Next week, Kim's students will be giving presentations. I'll be learning about a new standardized test that CAJ might give. What are you doing next week?

Please keep praying:

1. Praise God that we continue to have good health.
2. Ask God for good family time with Caitlin.
3. Ask God to draw Japanese non-Christians to Himself through the Christmas-related events CAJ parents are doing.
4. Ask God to provide staff for next year. CAJ needs teachers (band, home ec, elementary) and a technology coordinator.

We're grateful for your prayers, gifts, and friendship.

I tried it. To see the results of my taste test, click here.

Thankfully, my work at Christian Academy in Japan has been going much better than bean-flavored Pepsi tastes. I designed an online school improvement survey that students, parents, and staff took. And I've been preparing for 3 teacher workshops for Nov. 3. The workshops deal with helping students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches and with using assessment results to modify instruction. 

Please pray that as a result of participating in these workshops teachers will be able to more effectively help students learn.

We're grateful for your prayers, financial support, & friendship.

Michael
P.S. Don't forget to see the results of the Pepsi taste test.

How faithfully and effectively do you use your God-given strengths?

Leaders who are focused on their mission do 5 things. To what extent do you do these 5 things?

Reflection is powerful. Reflection helps students to understand concepts, plan projects, and apply a Biblical perspective. Reflection helps teachers to develop curriculum, engage students in learning, and apply what they learned during a Biblical perspective workshop.
 
If you worked at a Christian school, how would you provoke reflection? You could give suggestions. Suggestions provoke reflection, provided they fit the situation and the person is willing to receive them. I appreciate suggestions I receive, but I must admit that sometimes the suggestions don’t fit my situation and sometimes I’m not prepared to receive them. How about you?
 
Instead of giving suggestions, what can you do to provoke reflection? Ask questions. Why ask questions? Because questions are more likely to fit the situation. Because students and teachers are more willing to respond to questions than to suggestions. And because responding to questions involves reflection.
 
What questions do we ask CAJ students and staff? In English 10, Kim asks: Who am I? Who is my neighbor? What’s wrong with the world? What’s the significance of words?
 
When we train CAJ staff, we ask: How can you help students to think effectively? How can you help students to read better? How can you help your students to understand creation-fall-redemption-restoration?
 
When I coach CAJ staff, I ask: What does being organized look like? What helps you pay attention to your goals? What do you want to accomplish in the next month? What excites/frustrates you about your strengths?
 
Provoke reflection. Ask 1 person a good question. Today.


Thanks for praying:

1. Praise God that M, a CAJ graduate and Kim’s former student, was baptized on August 23.
2. Praise God that new staff and students have made a good transition to Japan/CAJ.
3. Ask God to help us ask questions that help CAJ students learn and CAJ staff be productive.
4. Ask God to give us the health and energy we need to serve effectively at CAJ.

We enjoyed being together as a family, eating watermelon popsicles, going to the beach, reading a lot of books, and preparing for this school year.

What are we doing this school year?
We’re supporting the spread the Gospel by serving at Christian Academy in Japan, a K-12 school for missionary kids. Kim teaches English 10, serves as English Dept. chair, and trains teachers to help students read more effectively. Michael coordinates school improvement, trains teachers to help students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches, and coaches CAJ staff & missionaries.

How can you pray for us?

1. Praise God for smooth staff transition for CAJ's new staff members.
2. Ask God for a good first day of classes at CAJ. Classes begin on Wed., August 26.
3. Praise God for good family time with Caitlin.
4. Ask God for a safe trip/smooth transition back to college for Caitlin. Caitlin flies to Toronto on Mon., August 31.

On your 4-minute trip to Japan, you'll meet Kazu and hear his testimony, attend mini CAJ teacher workshop led by Michael, and get the flavor of Japanese culture from seeing the kinds of ads posted on trains  and in train stations. To take your 4-minute trip to Japan, just click the 3 links. Enjoy your trip!

Thanks for praying!

• Praise God that Kim's work on her English 10 curriculum went well. She was able to further emphasize creation-fall-redemption, particularly in her introductory unit.
• Ask God to help new CAJ staff and students make a smooth transition to Japan/CAJ. New staff orientation begins Monday, August 17. Classes begin Wednesday, August 26.

We're grateful for you prayers, gifts, and friendship.

Here are the 5 new tutorials:

1. Explore the Biblical perspective teacher training standards
2. To learn more about developing student objectives, explore these 7 questions
3. To learn more about using assessment, explore these 12 questions
4. To learn more about using questions, explore these 11 questions
5. How can you pursue a growing relationship with God?

To see additional tutorials, click here.

What have you been doing this summer? We we've been staying cool by eating ice cream and sampling green, shiso-flavored  Pepsi (slideshow). Kim's been working on lesson plans for English 10, and Michael posted an online tutorial for CAJ teachers on making effective Biblical perspective assignments.

Thanks for praying!

1. Ask God to help Kim effectively revise her English 10 curriculum. She's working to further emphasize creation-fall-redemption.
2. Ask God to help members of a house church network to apply their July 25 training on sharing the Gospel. (Michael helped plan the training.)
3. Ask God to help new CAJ staff and students make a smooth transition to Japan/CAJ.

If you want to get your goals done, pay attention to them.

Keep in mind that organizational change is both uncomfortable and doable.

Leaders empower others. A key way leaders empower others is by asking questions.

Here’s a description of the June 27 gathering for house church members that Steve Weemes led. Steve is one of the missionaries that Michael helps through coaching/consulting. Michael helped Steve plan the gathering.

Imagine that you’re serving a house church. It’s challenging work. To do that work, you need ETA:

• Encouragement
• Training
• Accountability to apply your training

It’s June 27, and you’ve traveled 2 hours to attend an ETA gathering. You’re hot and tired. You’re sitting in a circle with 9 other Christians involved in house churches. And you’re glad you came because you’ll get to talk with others about evangelizing the lost. Read More...

Do you want to help your students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches? To value those connections? And to get feedback you can use to modify instruction? If so, give your students a Biblical perspective assessment.

Reflecting on 4 questions can help you figure out how much time you should invest in each of your goals.

On Father's Day, Cailtin and Anneke gave Michael 2 pet beetles named Mike and Bob.

• Tuesday, Michael made a 1-minute video entitled "To Close the Gap, Do 4 Things."
• Wednesday, we prepared our milk cartons for recycling.
• And on Saturday, Kim is playing in the 2nd round of the national volleyball tournament for neighborhood teams. There are 9 players on each side.

Please keep praying:

• Praise God that Kim's summer school students got better at writing persuasive essays. Thanks for praying!
• Praise God that Michael was able to help a missionary develop a workshop for a network of house church leaders. The missionary is doing the workshop on Saturday.
• Ask God to help new CAJ staff to make a smooth transition to Japan/CAJ.

To close the gap between the words of your mission statement and the reality of your current situation, do 4 things: focus on your mission, empower others, work smart, and pursue excellence.

Three new tutorials have been posted on Close the Gap Now:

1. Lead by asking questions: Want to more effectively lead by asking questions? Then take this self-assessment that covers beliefs about leadership, inquiry skills, and how you use questions. After taking the self-assessment, you’ll design action steps.
2. Empower others to strategically pursue God's calling: Your coaching client wants to clarify and strategically pursue God’s calling. That’s great! How can you empower your client to do this? By asking these 10 questions.
3. Energize, focus, and unleash Christian school staff: As an administrator at an international Christian school, you know that staff play a vital role in carrying out the mission. Because your care about your staff, want to be good a steward of the staff God has provided, and want your school to carry out its God-given mission, you ask yourself, “How can we energize, focus, and unleash staff both personally and professionally?” 

To explore these and other tutorials, click here.

Use assessment to help your students value and get proficient at connecting what they study and what the Bible teaches.

If you want your organization to more effectively carry out its God-given mission, increase your investment in your staff.

Make sure you schedule time for your key priorities before you schedule time for other things.

Michael, what are you feeling encouraged about?
I’m encouraged that staff members at Christian Academy in Japan are reporting that my coaching helps. A school principal told me that my coaching helped her clarify her thinking, test her ideas, and get the confidence she needed to try new things.
 
And I’m encouraged that teachers are continuing to apply the Biblical perspective training I provided in the fall. They are identifying Biblical principles they want their students to learn, documenting those principles in the curriculum, and helping students learn them.
 
Kim, what are you encouraged about?
My English 10 students wrote essays on who they are spiritually, culturally, and personally. I was encouraged by the results:

• “Being a student at Christian Academy in Japan has transformed me spiritually. Although my family is not Christian, being in a Christian environment has led me to become a Christian.”
•  “I thank God for His allowing me to live overseas; I see it as a blessing. I think it was His plan all along to reduce the shyness in me by thrusting me out into the unknown so many times.”
• “As a human, I am a reflection of God and therefore have value (Gen. 1.27, Matt. 10.31). As a Christian, I am a child of God (Eph. 5.1). These truths are liberating because they mean that I do not need to focus on obtaining value and love—I already have them.”

Michael, what can we pray about?

1. Ask God to help us finish the school year well. Classes end on June 5, and meetings end on June 12.
2. Ask God for good family time. Caitlin is back from college, and we’ll be together until August 31. 

It's important to pursue your God-given calling. Reflecting can help. Here are 7 questions you can reflect on.

Make sure you ask God for help, define mission achievement, measure mission achievement, and take action.

What did Kim's students learn during the poetry unit?

• “God values poetry….the Bible is full of poetry...that uses a lot of parallelism.”—Korean student
• “Poetry is an important part of many cultures.”—Japanese student
• “Poetry can evoke unwanted and possibly harmful emotions.”—American student

How are participants in Michael's 2/27 workshop applying what they learned?

• “I am starting to reevaluate the things I am doing to see if they fit with my God-given mission.”
• “Today made me think about how to relate my day-to-day activities with God’s calling.”

Thanks for praying!

• Praise God that Mari will be baptized at a mission post on April 5.
• Praise God that the March 2-3 accreditation visit went well. The visiting team was pleased with CAJ's progress.
• Praise God for providing teachers for next year (Bible, learning resource center). Ask God to provide teachers for next year (secondary science and math; elementary classroom and ESL).

Here's lesson model that uses best practice to point students to God.

Ours went well:

• Mon-Tues: School vacation! We spent time with our mission.
• Wed: Michael worked at CAJ on curriculum and with a mission on strategic planning.
• Thurs: Kim's students studied Hebrew poetry.
• Fri: We had rainy weather.

We're grateful for your prayer support:

• Praise God that Michael's Feb. 18 work with a mission on strategic planning went well.
• Ask God to use Michael's 2/27 productivity workshop at CAJ to help the 27 participants to serve more effectively.
• Ask God to provide teachers CAJ needs for next year (science, learning resource center).

Thanks for being involved in God's work in Japan!

Want to increase your effectiveness? Do right things, then do things right.

Here's what's going well for us:

• Kim is excited that a student wrote, "Christians know that we will face death at some point, but we should be honored to live such a life God has given us. Life has worth because we are made in the image of God."
• Michael developed 3 sets of questions CAJ teachers can use to deepen their understanding of Christian education (course, subject, and creation-fall-redemption-restoration).

Please keep praying:

• Praise God that we've been healthy all through cold/flu season. Please keep praying.
• Ask God to provide the teachers CAJ needs for next school year (science, learning resource center).
• Praise God that CAJ teachers are applying the 18 hours of Biblical perspective training Michael provided. As a result, CAJ students are better connecting what they study and what the Bible teaches. 

We're grateful for you prayers, financial support, and friendship.

Here's what a student wrote about Kim's English 10 class:

"One class that helps me think like a Christian is English class. We have a lot of group assignments. When we give out ideas people around me give opinions from a Christian prospective. Just from that, I learn something about Christianity. Also, we always pray in English since it's my first period in school."

Thanks for praying!

• Though it's cold/flu season, we've been healthy. Please keep praying.
• Kim's English 10 students did well in grammar.
• Michael’s strategic planning work for CAJ and 2 missions is going well.

To help your students better connect what they study and what the Bible teaches, DEAL with student learning needs:

• Define the student learning needs.
• Explore the how you can respond to the student learning needs.
• Act.
• Look at the results.

Kim, how did you see God working in 2008?
Japanese were baptized, including 7 adults at Kurume Bible Fellowship and Mrs. Tanzawa (Kim’s former English conversation class student). Our mission post at Higashi Kawaguchi continued moving toward independence (scheduled for this spring). And CAJ students continued applying a biblical perspective. Thanks for praying.
 
Michael, what did you and Kim do in 2008?
I provided biblical perspective training for teachers at CAJ, coached over 20 CAJ staff and other missionaries, helped 2 missions with strategic planning, facilitated a network of cell church planters, and published articles in Christian School Teacher and Japan Harvest.
 
Kim helped her English 10 students connect the literature they studied and what the Bible teaches, further developed her curriculum, served as English Department chair, and led a CAJ teacher workshop on reading strategies.
 
What has God been teaching you?
Kim: To trust Him with my kids’ lives—especially Caitlin’s, as she has gone off to college. Caitlin’s just as much in God’s hands when she is far away from me in Canada as she was when she was near me in Japan.
 
Michael: To be patient—at times I want God to work faster, and I’m learning that God’s timing is perfect.

We had a missionary family over for lunch and then spent the afternoon together as a family. It's really great having Caitlin home.

God continues to work in Japan! Praise God...

• That on Dec. 21 at our Hitachinaka mission post, Hiroshi was baptized and Akiko reaffirmed her faith and joined the church.
• That on Dec. 23 at Kurume Bible Fellowship's candlelight service, the real meaning of Christmas was presented to non-Christian Japanese.
• That on Dec. 25, 6 people joined the church of Rev. Ashida, a Japanese pastor whose son is in Kim's English 10 class at CAJ.

Please ask God...

• For travel safety for Caitlin as she flies back to Toronto on January 2.
• To help Kim prepare effectively for her grammar unit (starting Jan. 6) and to help Michael prepare effectively for assisting a mission with strategic planning (Jan. 7).

Do you want to help your students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches? To value those connections? And to get feedback you can use to modify instruction? If so, give your students a Biblical perspective assessment.

The backdrop is a snowy night at a famous Buddhist temple. There are no shepherds, no wise men, no angels. But there are Santas. Many of them. In fact, the temple is crawling with the little red-clad characters, some of them carrying paper umbrellas.
 
This Japanese advent calendar isn’t like any I’ve ever seen in the U.S. The Santa labeled the 25th seems a little more familiar, flying a sleigh across the sky. But the 25th isn’t the final date. The really big date, the date the whole calendar is leading up to, is January 1—the biggest holiday of the Japanese year.
 
Sure, the stores in Japan play up Christmas. (Anything to move more merchandise.) But it’s still a small celebration. When dad gets home from work, there might be a small Christmas cake (white sponge cake, white frosting, and strawberries on top) and a present for each of the kids. Few Japanese have any idea that Christmas is about God being born as a human baby so He could grow up and die for the world.
 
The good news? Japanese want to find out more about this “Western” holiday. This means that friends and neighbors who usually decline an invitation to church are interested in coming to a candlelight service or a Christmas party. So, missionaries put on Christmas events during which they share the Gospel.
 
We’re grateful to be a part of this Gospel presentation. We’re glad we can:

• Invite friends to our church’s candlelight service.
• Decorate our front windows with the manger scene.
• Answer any questions that come our way.
• Support the massive outreach effort by educating missionary kids and by training/coaching missionaries.

And we’re grateful for your prayers, financial support, and friendship.

We're thankful that...

• God's loves us, has saved us, and gives us opportunities to be involved in His work in Japan.
• You're involved in God's work in Japan. We appreciate your friendship, prayers, & financial support.
• Japanese are becoming Christians.
• Kim's students grappled with shalom. 
• The Nov. 3 workshop I led at CAJ resulted in teachers developing Biblical perspective lessons plans (slideshow). Thanks for praying!
• We're safe/healthy and that Caitlin continues to feel good about being at Redeemer University College.

Through coaching, you can empower others to grow. While effective coaching does involve technique, at a deeper level effective coaching is about your heart, about your beliefs, about who you are. Coach from your heart.

Imagine that you are a church planter in Japan. Imagine that you want your church members to think about a current challenge. What can you do? You can use the GROW process. Read More...

Thanks for praying—God is answering your prayers!

• Praise God that 3 of the 4 Japanese adults baptized on Sept. 27 have already shared during the Sunday service about God's work in their lives. Last Sunday Mr. Y said, "I really need Jesus...I would like to live every day accountable before God and keep remembering that every day is God's day."
• Praise God that Kim's students continue to connect what they study and what the Bible teaches. On a recent test on Cry, the Beloved Country, one student wrote, "God gives hope to those who have none. Because of the hope, some broken things can become new.”

Read More...

5: # of slideshows & videos I posted online in Sept.

4: # Japanese adults who were baptized on 9/29 at Kurume Bible Fellowship. Before getting baptized, each person shared a testimony. Please pray these 4 Christians will continue to grow in Christ.

3: # of coaching sessions I have next Tuesday with CAJ staff.

2: # of airplanes Kim will take to fly to see Caitlin in Ancaster, Ontario (Oct. 9-15). Please pray for travel safety and a really good visit.

1: # of essays Kim's English 10 students wrote this week. Please pray that Kim's students will continue to connect what they study and what the Bible teaches.

Thanks for being involved in God's work in Japan.

The point is not to have goals. The point is to achieve goals. To achieve your goals, take 4 steps: pray, put, take, and reflect.

Want to empower others? Provoke them to reflect. How? By asking open-ended questions.

Our vision is to equip students to impact the world for Christ and to empower Christian leaders to pursue God’s calling.

Now, imagine. Imagine that…

You’re a Japanese mother. You and your husband became Christians 2 years ago; none of your relatives are Christians. Your daughter Tomoko is 4. You want her to love Jesus. You go to church and Sunday school. You want more Christian influence for Tomoko and for her to think Christianly. You want to send her to a Christian school. We serve at CAJ, which provides a Christian education for over 150 Japanese students. Read More...

Help your students develop a Christ-centered worldview during class by teaching Biblical perspective lessons and giving Biblical perspective assessments.

As teachers, we ask questions. This strategy doesn't always work, as this video shows.

Want to help your students better understand and apply a Biblical perspective? Ask questions!

God calls us to manage ourselves within the time He gives us, not to manage time.

By targeting Biblical perspective, teachers can help student apply a Biblical perspective to what they study.

If you want to achieve your goals, get a coach. Your coach will listen, ask questions, and provide the support, encouragement, and accountability you need to achieve your goals.

You are? Good. Try going for 1 hour without asking or thinking a single question. That’s right, not one question. How do you think you’d do? Read More...