At the seminar, Association President Harue Nakayama delivered her address. Referring to the Shinbashira\u2019s sermon at the Spring Grand Service, she spoke about the Service that Oyasama taught as a fundamental component of the path of single-hearted salvation and hastened us to perform even by shortening Her term of life. After saying, \u201cPerforming the service exactly as taught by Oyasama is the primary mission of Tenrikyo churches,\u201d she pointed out that it is important for all Yoboku and followers to connect themselves with their churches in order to make progress in their spiritual growth.<\/p>\n
The president then requested that branch chapter chairwomen reach out to followers, encourage them to visit their churches, and try to create a congenial atmosphere at their churches whereby people will feel like visiting again. She said, \u201cI believe that our most important task is to make sincere efforts so that we can be blessed with the state of churches that brings joy to God the Parent.\u201d<\/p>\n
She next mentioned that the Seminar for Branch Chapter Chairwomen will be held in the Home of the Parent between August and November this year; the seminar is designed to provide those chairwomen with an opportunity to receive the truth of Jiba and pledge together to make further progress in the anniversary-related activities. After noting that the chairwomen should bear in mind their role of nurturing others into true Yoboku, the president concluded her address by encouraging the participants to rely on the parental heart of God the Parent and Oyasama and live each day in high spirits with the mind of making repayment for the blessings they receive.<\/p>\n
In addition to the Seminar for Branch Chapter Chairwomen, the association is scheduled to hold various events and activities this year. The annual Women\u2019s Association Convention will be held in the Inner Courtyard of Church Headquarters on April 19. Other activities include regular events such as the Lecture for Mothers and various seminars, as well as hinokishin<\/em> activities.<\/p>\nBoys and Girls Association<\/strong><\/p>\nOn January 27, the Boys and Girls Association leaders\u2019 first meeting of the year was held in Dining Hall 2, drawing 1,738 participants\u2014including heads of directly supervised chapters and diocese chapters as well as members of the nurturing committees of those chapters.<\/p>\n
The meeting began with an address by the Shinbashira, who also serves as president of the association. Having made reference to the present season leading up to Oyasama\u2019s anniversary, he spoke on things that the participants need to bear in mind so as to nurture boys and girls who will carry the path forward in the next generation.<\/p>\n
Following the Shinbashira\u2019s address, Association Chairman Daiichi Umetani announced the guidelines for association activities this year: \u201cLet us embody an attitude of hinokishin<\/em> and nurture children who put the teachings into practice.\u201d He explained that the guidelines remain unchanged from the year before last so that the association members can further promote them. He then said, \u201cWhat is more, we adult leaders must also implement the teachings honestly and straightforwardly in order to make progress in our spiritual growth together with our children, thereby bringing ourselves closer to the parental heart of single-hearted salvation.\u201d<\/p>\nChairman Umetani also announced the following four concrete goals for association activities: (1) promoting the spiritual growth of adult leaders through seminars and study meetings; (2) conducting church sleepovers; (3) encouraging parent-and-child participation in hinokishin<\/em> activities in districts; (4) handing out Ritoru magajin<\/em> (the association\u2019s monthly magazine, available only in Japanese) to children.<\/p>\nMentioning that the association will be in its 50th year in 2016 (Tenrikyo 179), he put emphasis on promoting activities that reflect the original intention in founding the association and heightening adult leaders\u2019 awareness of nurturing children. He then said to the participants, \u201cI want you to conduct various seminars and study meetings, including the \u2018Vertical Mission Seminar\u2019 and \u2018Nurturing Seminar,\u2019 and encourage adult leaders around you to actively participate in those events.\u201d<\/p>\n
The points of emphasis for this year\u2019s Children\u2019s Pilgrimage to Jiba were announced as follows: (1) \u201cLet every church form a pilgrimage group\u201d and (2) \u201cLet us work to be blessed with first-time participants.\u201d<\/p>\n
Young Men\u2019s Association <\/strong><\/p>\nOn January 25, Tenrikyo Young Men\u2019s Association held this year\u2019s first meeting, which was attended by about 250 people, including chapter chairmen from directly supervised churches and dioceses.<\/p>\n
At the meeting, Association Chairman Masanao Nakayama announced the association\u2019s guidelines: \u201cIncrease the number of active members and grow spiritually.\u201d He explained the guidelines, saying: \u201cJust participating in activities and events will not make us active members. We intend to increase those members who maintain the awareness of being Arakitoryo, pioneers of the path, and who make daily efforts to sprinkle the fragrance of the teachings and help others be saved.\u201d<\/p>\n
He then talked about an upcoming event called Gatherings to Build Momentum for Salvation, which will be held at all directly supervised chapters between July and December this year after the conclusion of the Oyasama 130th Anniversary Yoboku Gatherings. The program of the Gatherings to Build Momentum for Salvation includes a lecture given by a committee member of the association headquarters and missionary activities. Expressing his hope that the gatherings will add momentum to other association activities, Chairman Nakayama encouraged active participation in the events. He said, \u201cI hope that as many members as possible, besides those who take a leading role in association activities, will attend the gatherings.\u201d He continued, \u201cBy making the gatherings a driving force, I want all directly supervised chapters to promote the activities that they resolved to counduct.\u201d<\/p>\n
Toward the end of his address, Chairman Nakayama touched upon one of the points of emphasis for the association activities, \u201cPromoting the Hinokishin Corps.\u201d After noting that this year marks the 60th anniversary of the Oyasato Construction Young Men\u2019s Association Hinokishin Corps, he requested that all directly supervised chapters strive to achieve their own targeted number of participants in the corps and put more efforts into increasing the number of young participants and first-time participants in the corps.<\/p>\n
The association\u2019s main activities for this year include the 90th Young Men\u2019s Association Convention\u2014commemorating the 60th Anniversary of Young Men\u2019s Association Hinokishin Corps\u2014to be held in the Inner Courtyard of Church Headquarters from 10:00 a.m. on October 27. Activities of directly supervised chapters include the association\u2019s Missionary Campaign Week for All Chapters, scheduled for the week of September 7\u201314. As for regional activities, the association encourages members to participate with their families in the Heart-Clean Campaign, which is held on the first Sunday of each month expect in January and August (second Sunday) and in September (third Sunday). This year\u2019s Action Day for the campaign will be conducted on July 6. Moreover, as part of activities to nurture young members, directly supervised chapters will conduct the Arakitoryo Orientation, which targets high-school-age members, between March and August.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Women\u2019s Association, the Young Men\u2019s Association, and the Boys and Girls Association held their respective first meetings of the year and announced their activity guidelines and plans for this year.<\/p>\n
Continue reading<\/span><\/i><\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":2375,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[13,20,21,37],"class_list":["post-2366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-featured","tag-bga","tag-twa","tag-tyma"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t
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<\/a>On January 27 and 28, Tenrikyo Women\u2019s Association held a seminar for the chairwomen of directly supervised chapters and diocese chapters at Moya 38 with an attendance of 255 people. The association announced that it will continue to promote its slogan for spiritual maturity, \u201cLet\u2019s follow the Divine Model and become the foundation for the Joyous Life,\u201d as well as its activity guidelines: \u201cLet all of us Women\u2019s Association members follow the path of making repayment for the blessings we receive. (1) Let\u2019s implement the teachings and grow spiritually to be true Yoboku. (2) Let\u2019s nurture those close to us into true Yoboku.\u201d<\/p>\n