Doyle C. Book first served in Japan in church-planting ministries for 17 years with Brethren in Christ Missions from 1955 to 1972. Upon returning to the United States, he received both a master’s degree and a doctorate in Missiology at Fuller Theological Seminary. He served at Azusa Pacific University as director of the English Language Institute and as lecturer in cross-cultural communication for Operation Impact in eight countries. He returned to Japan in 1987 as a tent-making missionary. He was appointed Professor of English Studies and Director of International Exchange at Orio Joshi Gakuen in Kitakyushu, a sister school of Azusa Pacific University. During this time he ministered in many churches and served as lecturer in a seminary and two Bible schools. In the spring of 1997 he resigned from Orio Joshi Gakuen to accept the position of chapel minister for the Bell Classic wedding chapel in Kitakyushu.
The materials offered here reflect my involvement for the past five years in the phenomenon known in Japan as Chapel Wedding Evangelism. My perspective on this movement is, no doubt, strongly influenced by my background of 32 years in church planting and other ministries in Japan, studies in Missiology, and teaching principles of church growth and cross-cultural communication in a university, two seminaries and other settings.
Many of the articles together form a rationale and apology for involvement in evangelism through weddings. Other items are offered as examples for those in need of ready-made materials in this ministry. The reader’s indulgence is requested where different papers deal with the same topics. Each article was written independently of the others, and some topics are discussed in different contexts.
All the materials are listed in numbered order on the next page. In the pages that follow, these will be grouped into three sections, according to their English, Romaji and Japanese content. There will be slight differences here and there in the titles that appear on these pages and those that are on the Web page.
Items 10 in English, 6, 8, 12, and 17 in
Romaji, and 5, 7, 11, 13, 15, 16, and 20 in Japanese have English cover letters
separate from the article itself. Please
read the cover letter for each item listed above before reading the article
itself in order to understand the reasons for the approach I have taken in
creating the article.
These pages are
not intended to be a “book” in the usual meaning of the word. Therefore they are not organized as
such?with consecutive page numbers, etc.
They are merely a gathering together of the various materials I myself
have used during the past five years along with my thoughts on the rationale
for and the approach to the chapel wedding ministry.
List of Materials
(E)=English (J)=Japanese (R)=Romaji
01.
Appeal to Wedding Businesses (The Real Thing) (E) 3 pages
02.
Appeal to Wedding Businesses (J) 3 pages
03.
Appeal to Ministers (E) 1 page
04.
Appeal to Ministers (J) 1 page
05. Wedding ceremony (J) 6 pages
06. Wedding ceremony (R) 7 pages
07.
Sample message (J) 1 page
08.
Sample message (R) 1 page
09.
Orientation Policy-Rationale and Approach (E) 5 pages
10.
Orientation Plan and Script (E) 8+14 pages
11.
Orientation Plan (script) (J) 16 pages
12.
Orientation Plan (script) (R) 18 pages
13.
Orientation Booklet Cover Letter (E) 1 page
14.
Orientation Handouts (J)
15.
Dedication Service for New Chapels (Program for Audience) (J) 7 pages
16.
Dedication Service (Minister's Program) (J) 11 pages
17.
Dedication Service-Romaji Minister's Notes (Scriptures not included) (R)
4 pages
18.
Christmas Candle Service (Minister's Script) (J) 6 pages
19.
Easter Service Notes (J) 2 pages
20.
Bible reading chart for NNA-22 New Testament (J) 4 pages
21.
Follow-up Materials (J)
22.
Minister Evaluation Form for Wedding Ministry (E) 4 pages
23.
Article for Japan Harvest ("You
say, 'Wedding Evangelism?'") (E)
7 pages
24. Cross Cultural Communication Factors (E) 6 pages
25. Letter to a Brother of Conservative Background (E) 4 pages
26.
Answering Objections to Chapel Wedding Ministry (E) 8 pages
27.
Letter to the Editor of the Japan
Harvest (E) 1 page
28.
A Strong Affirmation for Wedding Evangelism (E) 2 pages
29. Letter to a Friend (E) 2 pages
30. Follow-up in Wedding Evangelism (E) 4 pages
31. Vespers Vibes (E) 2 pages
32. Teary Times (E) 2 pages
33. Evangelism Begins Here (E) 3 pages
34. Orientation Message in English (E) 7 pages