THIS WEEK: Sunday, the 18th
11:00 AM WORSHIP
FELLOWSHIP TIME: after the service
Sunday, January 18th – During the 11am worship, Rev. Dr. Tom Hastings will preach from Matthew 6, on “Saying Yes To God’s Forgiveness in a World Where Some Things Don’t Heal.†The hymn of response will be Forgive Our Sins as We Forgive #390, and to get a flavour of this powerful song, check it out on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRTLG7jPszA
After the worship service will be a robust fellowship time. We will also go over to the lovely ICU cafeteria and have lunch together with Tom – all are invited!
***
About the preacher – Rev. Dr. Tom Hastings is a Senior Research Fellow in Science & Religion for the Japan ICU Foundation, New York (Supported by 3-year grant award from the John Templeton Foundation); a Visiting Research Fellow from the Center for the Study of Religion & Culture, ICU; and a Visiting Research Fellow at the Kagawa Archives & Resource Center among other teaching responsibilities. Tom and Carol, and their 4 children attended WTUC 1995-2008 and were vital members of our congregation. They are now also the very happy grandparents of four photogenic grandchildren, and would be happy to tell stories.
***
        58th Annual Women’s Conference (January 30 – February 1, 2015) — Inspired by Isaiah 58:11 “You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring,” the 2015 Women’s Conference is entitled Inner Gardening with Hennie Symington as our speaker.  Here is also a link to a promotional video (on YouTube) that you can also share. It is only 1 minute 44 seconds long. http://youtu.be/egrWIelgD9E
        Registration is now open. We have online registration and also a PDF that can be printed out available at our website http://wocon.net A number of women from WTUC attend every year, and we would love to see that number swell = )
***
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION CORNER (we value your prayers & involvement in this vital ministry)  Any questions, please contact Pastor Teresa at wtucrev@gmail.com, or Julie Rogers for HS; Amy Harbaugh and Steve Bennett for Upper ES and Lower MS, grades 4-7; and Carrie Bennett for Lower ES, grades K-3.
All classes will resume in January – everyone is welcome!
Little Kids: all are welcome to go with Sammie after the Children`s Message to have fun learning about Jesus and John the Baptist.
Multigenerational and Adult Sunday School January 25th, 9:30am.
***
Upcoming Preaching Ministry and Community Time
January 18th                 Rev. Dr. Tom Hastings preaching, Communion, Healing prayers
January 25th                 Rev. Dr. Jim Sack preaching
February 1st                 Rev. Christian Zebley preaching, Communion
February 8th                 Pastor Teresa preaching
***
MULTIGENERATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL!! ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL!!
We have Multigenerational Sunday School from 9:30 in the cafeteria the second and fourth Sundays of the month. Who is welcome? All ages. We will be creating, discussing, 
playing games, acting out bible stories and more. Sunday School will start up again in January – 1/25, 2//8, 2/22 …
At the same time, The Sacks host the Adult Sunday School, also at 9:30 am in their living room. The method used is the, “Swedish Bible study method,†interacting with the texts for the service through our own life experiences. Their home is right across the Lutheran Campus from our sanctuary. Best coffee in town = ) Come and enjoy! (At times Adult Sunday School is held in the Upper Room, on the 2nd floor above the Sanctuary.) All are welcome. Need more information, contact wtucrev@gmail.com any time = )
***
WTUC Announcements:
*Questions or concerns? Feel free to email wtucrev@gmail.com anytime.
*Please enjoy and refer our website https://wtuc.net/ and FB page (West Tokyo Union Church) to others. Please make any suggestions for additions to the Pastor Teresa and/or Steering Committee.
*If you’d like to be added to the WTUC church email list, please contact Gene Witt ewitt@asij.ac.jp
*If interested in joining the WTUC Prayer Chain, let Pastor Teresa or Prayer Chain Coordinator, Kayo Ozawa, know of your interest. Please submit prayers to wtucrev@gmail.com or Kayo Ozawa.
*Sign up for snacks for fellowship time with Ann or on the list on the white board for next year. We appreciate your contributions to our community life!
*Each week we will be setting up the chairs for worship and preparing the sanctuary, anyone around at 10:30am is invited to be involved in the fun = ) Each week we will also return our sanctuary to it`s classroom style after the fellowship time.
*Interested in baptism or membership, please contact Pastor Teresa.
*Interested in a paid position setting up and/or taking down the chairs of our sanctuary? Contact Pastor Teresa at wtucrev@gmail.com
***
Scripture for sermon Matthew 6:1-15
Concerning Prayer
5 “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.[b]
7 “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.Â
9 “Pray then in this way:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10Â Â Â Â Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Â Â Â Â Give us this day our daily bread.[c]
12Â Â Â Â And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13Â Â Â Â And do not bring us to the time of trial,[d]
but rescue us from the evil one.[e]
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15 but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.