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The 107th Women\u2019s Association convention was held in the Inner Courtyard of Church Headquarters on April 19\u2014the day after the Oyasama Birth Celebration Service was conduced.<\/p>\nThe 107th Women\u2019s Association convention was held in the Inner Courtyard of Church Headquarters on April 19\u2014the day after the Oyasama Birth Celebration Service was conduced.<\/p>\n
Under its slogan for spiritual maturity, \u201cLet\u2019s follow the Divine Model and become the foundation for the Joyous Life,\u201d the association continues to promote the same activity guidelines as the previous year, which are: \u201cAs we move toward the 140th Anniversary of Oyasama, let\u2019s be thorough in ensuring that we nurture ourselves and others sincerely\u201d; \u201cLet\u2019s convey and spread the original intention of God the Parent\u201d; and \u201cLet all of us\u2014young and old alike\u2014savor the joy of salvation work.\u201d<\/p>\n
The association had prepared for the convention by promoting the slogan \u201cLet all of us members return to Jiba with the people we have invited\u201d and by setting the period of two months between March 1 to April 30 as \u201cBesseki Month.\u201d<\/p>\n
The day of the convention was blessed with beautiful sunny weather under clear skies. The event drew approximately 35,100 members both from across the country and from overseas. At 8:00 a.m., as the announcement for the start of registration echoed through the Sanctuary precincts, members began to arrive in groups, each led by a flag bearing the name of its chapter.<\/p>\n
At the eight registration booths set up by the entrances to the Sanctuary precincts, staff members wearing matching hats greeted everyone in a cheerful voice. Each participant was handed a stationery pad as a commemorative gift as well as a program flier.<\/p>\n
At 9:30 a.m., Women\u2019s Association President Harue Nakayama escorted Successor-Designate Daisuke Nakayama and other distinguished guests into the venue. The ceremony started off with the singing of the Eight Verses of the Yorozuyo. Following a pledge by a representative of new members and a progress report delivered by Committee Member Yuri Tanaka, President Nakayama took the podium to give her address.<\/p>\n
She stressed that as we move toward the anniversary of Oyasama aiming to grow spiritually and bring joy to Oyasama as much as possible, those of us who have been taught God\u2019s intention and are walking the path with our sights set on the Divine Model of Oyasama need to dedicate ourselves entirely to imparting the fragrance of the teachings and helping save others. Mrs. Nakayama went on to say that it is necessary for us to first internalize the teachings if we are to fulfill the task and that this requires studying the teachings, staying connected to the church, expressing gratitude for the daily blessings, and doing hinokishin<\/em>. By doing so, we can make the teachings our own, build virtue, and thereby grow into useful Yoboku, she noted.<\/p>\n Remarking that although the roles and tasks given to each member may vary, every effort is indispensable for the realization of the Joyous Life, she told the congregation, \u201cLet each of us, young and old, be proud and feel the joy of playing a part in the path to the Joyous Life and spread the wonderful teachings of God the Parent to as many people as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n Then, the Shinbashira\u2019s message was delivered by Directer-in-Chief of Religious Affairs Yoichiro Miyamori. In the message, the Shinbashira pointed out that the role that the Women\u2019s Association is intended to fulfill is to advance toward the realization of the Joyous Life World desired by God the Parent by utilizing the attributes given to women. Noting that for this path to continue for endless generations, it is essential to nurture, guide, and diligently care for those who walk it, he said to the members, \u201cI ask all members of the Women\u2019s Association to fully utilize the attributes given to you and dedicate yourselves to nurturing and caring for those who will walk this path in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n Mentioning that there were now only nine months remaining until the 140th Anniversary of Oyasama, he asked the members to devote themselves, as followers who believe the teachings and especially as members of the Women\u2019s Association, to spreading the fragrance of the teachings and helping save others as well as to nurturing and caring for those who would follow them on this path. He asked the listeners to be fully committed to this effort so that they may greet the day of the Anniversary without regret.<\/p>\n After the Shinbashira\u2019s message, Yamakage Chapter Chairwoman Takiyo Imanishi delivered a pledge on behalf of all members. The members then sang the association song.<\/p>\n Following the convention, the members performed the service together. In the afternoon, commemorative gatherings were held by the respective directly supervised chapters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The 107th Women\u2019s Association convention was held in the Inner Courtyard of Church Headquarters on April 19\u2014the day after the Oyasama Birth Celebration Service was conduced. Under its slogan for spiritual maturity, \u201cLet\u2019s follow the Divine Model and become the foundation for the Joyous Life,\u201d the association continues to promote\u2026<\/p>\n