On October 25, the Overseas Department sponsored a seminar for church head ministers, fellowship heads, and Yoboku who had returned to Jiba from abroad for the Autumn Grand Service. About 180 people attended the seminar held at the newly built Tenri University Furusato Assembly Hall.<\/p>\n
Oyasato Fusekomi Committee Chairman Hiroyoshi Shimamura delivered a lecture entitled “The Day of Origin of the Oyasato Construction,” in which he cited passages from The Life of Oyasama<\/em> and the Divine Directions to explain the significance of the Oyasato Construction. He depicted the construction of the Place for the Service as “the very beginning of the Oyasato Construction.” It was begun in 1864 when Oyasama accepted Izo and Osato Iburi’s offer to construct a building as a token of gratitude for Osato’s recovery from illness. He pointed out that this construction was based on God the Parent’s acceptance of their true sincerity in desiring to express gratitude and make repayment for the blessings received. He then said, “Construction in this path is something we ask to be allowed to undertake rather than something we are asked to undertake.” Rev. Shimamura also outlined the history of the construction projects undertaken in the Home of the Parent for each anniversary of Oyasama. He closed his lecture by emphasizing the importance of sowing seeds of sincerity at Jiba as the source for advancing our salvation work during this season leading up to the 120th Anniversary of Oyasama.<\/p>\n The program included a video presentation illustrating the events and activities conducted over the previous year in various parts of the world as well as a lecture on missionary experiences delivered by Rev. Kenneth Kuniaki Hasegawa, head minister of Portland Church.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On October 25, the Overseas Department sponsored a seminar for church head ministers, fellowship heads, and Yoboku who had returned to Jiba from abroad for the Autumn Grand Service. About 180 people attended the seminar held at the newly built Tenri University Furusato Assembly Hall. Oyasato Fusekomi Committee Chairman Hiroyoshi\u2026<\/p>\n