CRC (Christian Reformed Japan Mission)

How would you describe your mission?

The Christian Reformed Japan Mission is part of the denominational mission agency of the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) in North America. We started working in Japan in 1951, after being invited by the Reformed Church in Japan (RCJ), and we focused primarily on church planting in Kanto.

Who are your partners?

Ministering in Japan is a challenge, and we are grateful to be networked with others, including the RCJ, Christian Academy in Japan (CAJ), CRC Media Ministries (which focuses on Internet evangelism and radio broadcasting), and World Renew (which supports a long-term response to the Great East Japan Earthquake).

What significant changes happened in the past five years?

During the past five years we shifted from planting churches ourselves to helping Japanese Christians and churches increase their capacity for mission so they can plant even more churches.

Also, like other missions, we responded to the Great East Japan Earthquake. Key projects include:

• Higashi Sendai Volunteer Center which operates Sakura House in Higashi Matsushima City,
• Nozomi Center in Yamamoto-cho (southern Miyagi-ken) which provides a base to help re-build the local community and reaches out to those in temporary housing, and
• Team Rikuzentakata that carries out a visitation program to those in temporary housing.

What’s your vision?

We want to see RCJ churches and Japanese Christians with increased capacity for mission. We want to see RCJ churches and Japanese Christians planting churches, leading Bible studies, and developing leaders. At CAJ, where seven of us serve, we want to see students getting equipped to impact the world for Christ.

What are your strategic priorities for the next five years?

In October of 2013, we had our five-year field evaluation that included a review and update of our strategic priorities, which now include:

1. Increasing the mission capacity of two groups of RCJ churches through consultations, leadership training, Bible study training, and young adult ministry.
2. Exposing church leaders to other expressions of Christian worship and witness through the worship symposia and vision trips in greater Asia.
3. Continuing involvement in disaster relief.
4. Exploring new possibilities for ministry to children and youth.
5. Raising a prayer movement for the people of Japan.
6. Equipping CAJ students to impact the world for Christ.
7. Increasing our participation in mission networks.

Find out more online:
Bible study training: crcna.org/pages/gcb.cfm
Christian Academy in Japan: caj.or.jp
CRC Media Ministries: jesus-web.org
Leadership training: timothyleadershiptraining.org
Nozomi Center: nozomicenter.com
Reformed Church in Japan: rcj-net.org
Worship Symposium: worship.calvin.edu/symposium