Communications at JEMA
We have four main channels we use to encourage, inform, and connect people serving in Japan
JEMA strives to encourage, inform, and connect people serving in Japan, and our communication channels play a vital role in helping us to achieve those aims. There are four ways JEMA uses: this magazine, an email list, our website, and a print directory.
Japan Harvest Magazine
This magazine, Japan Harvest, is perhaps the most visible and best-known ministry of JEMA, and it is the cornerstone of communications at JEMA. It is produced quarterly by a team of twelve editors, three fact checkers, a proofreader, and a designer. Japan Harvest’s purpose is to encourage, inspire, and equip members of the JEMA community.
All JEMA members (about 1,200 people) receive Japan Harvest as part of their membership. Non-JEMA members can subscribe to the magazine. It also is sent to various seminaries around the world and is available for purchase in the bookshop on the second floor of the Ochanomizu Christian Center.
And of course, there are the authors—you! Anyone with an interest in missions in Japan, whether a JEMA member or not, can submit articles to Japan Harvest.* Each issue of the magazine has a specific theme, but we also welcome general articles that are not directly related to the theme.
Every article is initially processed by an acquisition editor, edited by three editors, fact checked, and then laid out by the designer. The whole magazine is proofread before being sent to the printers. So you can see that a lot of work goes into producing each issue, mostly by volunteers. If you’re interested in joining the team, please get in touch with the managing editor, Wendy Marshall (wmarshall@jema.org). If you’re interested in writing an article, please contact me (docsimple111@gmail.com) or Rachel Hughes (rhughes@jema.org). If you’re interested in placing an advertisement in the magazine, please contact Ai Nightingale at the JEMA office (jema-info@jema.org).
You might be surprised to learn that Japan Harvest has a long history that stretches back to the early 1950s when missionaries poured into Japan after the war. Digital copies of back issues are available at the Japan Harvest website (https://japanharvest.org/japan-harvest-archives).
Email list
In addition to this magazine, JEMA has an email list with about 1,500 email addresses, and we send out regular mass emails. Some of those emails are about matters pertaining to JEMA, but the bulk of them are from JEMA’s endorsed ministries and other ministries. Most people who receive the magazine also receive these emails. If you don’t, you can sign up to receive them: fill out the form on JEMA’s website (jema.org). Anyone can send out emails to the community—to find out the rates and procedure, contact JEMA administration staff (jema-info@jema.org).
JEMA website
Another important component of communications at JEMA is the website jema.org. It mainly serves as the front door for people who want to find out more about our organisation, but it also lists upcoming events and has resource pages that members may find helpful, including the member care page that lists Christian counsellors and other resources.
Annual directory
Finally, JEMA produces an annual print-only directory of people serving Japan, which is available only to JEMA members. It lists about 1,200 missionary households, which includes a number of whom aren’t JEMA members. It’s a great way to find out about missionaries living in your area or to connect people with missionaries in other regions.
Please get in touch if you have any thoughts or ideas for new ways JEMA communications could serve the missionary community or for how it could improve its current services.
* Please note that, for various reasons, we don’t publish everything that is submitted to the magazine. Please read this article for more information about the behind-the-scenes at Japan Harvest: https://japanharvest.org/the-life-cycle-of-a-japan-harvest-article/