A new digital ministry platform
East-West Ministries engages Japanese people through digital content, online conversations, offline meetings, and teaching
In February 2020, I was halfway through my eighth year of serving as a full-time missionary with East-West Ministries1 in the United States when I accepted the new position of Japan Field Leader. I was excited to travel to Japan in order to establish a formal presence for our agency.
One month later, the world shut down.
Little could we know at the time, but the landscape of conventional global missions was about to drastically change. Throughout the next several months, many of us were forced to rethink our missional methodologies. What emerged from this was the undeniable truth that through our Savior we “receive mercy and find grace to help in the time of need” (Heb. 4:16 ESV). It was from this profound reality that we began to see the Lord provide new avenues for witnessing, and for East-West Ministries, the seeds of our Media to Movement (M2M) plan were planted.
The growth of a ministry strategy in Japan
East-West began to partner with the amazing team of folks at Kingdom Training2 to develop a web-based approach designed to engage people online with the message of hope in Jesus Christ. The M2M strategy leverages the powerful digital influence of social media as a tool for the gospel. As millions seek existential answers from the glow of their screens, we invite them to respond to targeted Facebook ads offering the message of hope. We believe the timing for this approach has never been better, nor the harvest so ripe. Many people are living under the bondage of isolation inflicted by COVID-19 restrictions, and they are searching for relief as never before. The tremendous impact of prohibiting face-to-face gathering has created untold levels of depression and stress. To dispel this darkness, we share the light of the gospel.
Through many weeks of prayer, planning, and test marketing, our team created the “3 Light Cross, Where True Life Begins”3 brand (3lightcross.com). Our research showed that anxiety levels, deep depression, and an overall sense of displacement from society were all key metrics to target. Another metric was a sense of unfulfillment, one that saturates many Japanese people who live in long days of academic pursuit, demanding work responsibilities, and loveless marriages.
How we plan to reach Japanese people
By better understanding the felt needs of the target audience we hope to reach, we can create Facebook ads that effectively reach them. For example, acknowledging the intense cultural pressure on many Japanese to be productive and hardworking helps us craft ads that address this pressure. We can reach out through Scriptures such as “Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28), accompanied with questions like, “Would you like to understand true peace in your heart?”
Initial interactions to queries like these become touch points with the gospel. And for many Japanese people, it is the very first encounter they have ever had with Jesus. There is an enormous segment of the population that has never met a follower of Jesus or visited a church.4 For various reasons many Japanese people are uncertain, confused, and ultimately lost and broken. By asking specific questions, we seek to begin their healing by introducing them to the living Savior.
When an individual shows deeper interest and provides their contact information, they are redirected from Facebook to a landing page on the 3 Light Cross website. This information is used to connect the individual to a Christian who will share the gospel with them, encourage them to learn the Scriptures, and, if the person is interested, also invite them to meet some Christians.
The back end of our website is powered by disciple.tools, which is software developed to help organize the measurable data gathered in specific people groups. This intentional approach is a key part of our overall strategy to disciple people in Japan so that they can disciple others in their country. With M2M, we are building partnerships with many Japanese Christians, missionaries, and agencies who are also burdened for the lost in Japan. We are currently seeking a Japanese leader to serve on the ground, as well as digital responders who filter incoming communications and people who will meet face-to-face with seekers.
Digital media is the twenty-first-century printing press. As faithful stewards, we must learn to speak the language of technology and to use the far-reaching grasp of media to deliver the gospel message into every home, even those with closed doors. We are praying that today is the day that Japan will be “filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Hab. 2:14).
1. https://www.eastwest.org
2. https://kingdom.training
3. Play on words, Japanese three “san” sounds like sun. Since Japan is the Land of the Rising Sun, we wanted a subtle reference to the true Son.
4. Joshua Project, Country: Japan, https://joshuaproject.net/countries/JA (accessed Nov 18, 2021).