Mission in Japan: from and to the world

With a goal of building networks between international churches across Japan, Ethnic Ministries Network Japan hosted their second joint worship event, a Thanksgiving Celebration, on November 4, 2019. The gathering took place at the Senkyo Church in Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, where the first gathering was launched the year before.

A team of Chinese, Brazilian, and Japanese musicians specially organized for this event led the worshippers with energetic music. The guest speaker was Takahito Iwagami, the General Secretary of the Japan Evangelical Association (JEA). Iwagami encouraged those gathered to attend the 7th Japan Congress on Evangelism (JCE) scheduled for 2023. Attendees responded positively.

“At the 6th JCE, my perspective shifted from ‘our worship’ to ‘God’s worship’,” one attendee remarked. “I anticipate it will be broadened even more at the seventh congress.”

Another commented: “Ministry in Japan will not happen without the participation of international believers.” It is estimated there are as many international Christians living in Japan as Japanese Christians.

Iwagami preached from Acts 2:4-8, referring to Jesus’ call for us to become witnesses to the ends of the earth. “This is to be done with the power of the Holy Spirit, which is different from our own strength,” he reminded the attendees. “The power of the Holy Spirit transforms us so that we can be a witness for Jesus. A witness for Jesus shares about Jesus’ suffering, his death on the cross, and his resurrection. We go to worship weekly to receive his grace.” Iwagami shared with the worshippers that Jesus lives within his witnesses. “God does not expect only powerful preachers and skillful ministers to work for him. He expects each of us to be his witnesses.”

Here are some stories from various international church networks that were shared during the event:

Through discipleship and evangelism, Japan Chinese Christian Center (JCCC) serves through mission work in Japan and around the world. Last year this organization held nine conferences on Bible study and discipleship programs. They have also recently participated in disaster relief programs. JCCC aims to raise 800 Bible study leaders, 400 church-led Bible studies, and 200 missionaries.

The Japan Council of Philippine Churches reported on their own annual gathering, along with news of a special event aimed at Japanese mission held in the Philippines in 2018. They regularly cooperate with several mission organizations such as OMF International.

The Christian Nepali Society gave a report on how a church movement is increasing throughout Japan and shared their thoughts on Japanese mission.

In Hadano, in Kanagawa Prefecture, there are three churches sharing the same building: the Japan Holiness Hadano Christ Church worship in Japanese, the Brazilian Evangelical Holiness Hadano Church in Portuguese, and the Bolivian Evangelica Santida Church in Spanish. They shared their experiences of worshiping in the same building. They also are working to provide opportunities for Brazilian schools to interact with the local Japanese community.

There were testimonies about a Filipino church in Hachioji doing outreach in Yokohama and Shizuoka and a Filipino church in Kami-Itabashi expanding widely to become an international church, and also a personal testimony of a family that was transformed.

From Christian Shimbun, November 17, 2019
Translated by Hiromi Kiuchi