Church planting with JEMS in Miyako, Japan
This video was created by two SEND missionaries in Japan. There are many factors that contribute to Japan’s resistance to the gospel; undoubtably there is a spiritual component, which Richard Nakamura discusses during a visit to Asakusa temple.
This video was produced by Nathan Mikoski, a follow SEND missionary currently in Japan. To learn more about his ministry, check out his website here: http://www.telljapan.com/
This month we visited a Free Methodist church, a Lutheran church, a Baptist church and a non-denominational church. Each one was unique, with it’s own atmosphere, traditions, and doctrinal emphasis. From what I’ve read and heard, the church today is getting more liberal, and straying away from the truth of the Word of God. As a general trend I suspect this to be true, however I did not sense this to be the case in any of these churches we had the great privileged of visiting. All were faithful churches, and all had their own distinct flavor.
The Free Methodists were a particularly friendly group. This was very noticeable in the Japanese language service which we attend once a month. My experience with Japanese people is that they are somewhat reserved. But as soon as the time came to greet each other everyone was out of their seats, walking around trying to shake hands with every last person in the place. Coming from a non-denominational church I was impressed by the strong support lent by the denomination to the church. The English speaking service had needed a new Pastor, so the denomination arranged for an interim to come and fill the void, and after a time of careful searching found a perfect match and sent him as a permanent replacement. The transition seems to be going really well.
The Lutheran service we attended was also in Japanese, it was the church my grandma attended before she passed away in February. Their service followed a rich Christian tradition rooted in doctrines cherished since the Reformation. There was much participation by the congregation; responsive readings and prayers, culminating with sharing communion. Communion was probably my favorite part of the service (granted it was again all in Japanese, so I had trouble following the rest of it). Everyone gathered around in a circle, kneeling at the alter while the Pastor brought the bread and the cup to each of us. It was a very intimate moment, kneeling there in a circle with all these believers as we shared in remembering Christ’s sacrifice for us.
The Baptists were perhaps the most conservative of the churches we visited, and in hindsight I probably should have worn a tie. Yet despite being slightly under dressed, we were immediately welcomed and accepted. What struck me most about this church was their passion to be faithful to God and the truth of His Word. They were painfully aware of the previously noted trend of Churches falling away from the truth and authority of scripture, and determined not to follow suit. Furthermore, missions was something that got these people excited, and we had a great time talking with many of them after the service.
The non-denominational church was more the style I’m used to, except that it was a church probably ten or twenty times larger than my own. The feeling of being lost in the crowd was offset by small groups. We spent the first service in a Bible Study that one of the small groups had. I observed the same closeness and friendship that my small church had among its members in among the members of the small group. And when we all migrated into the main service with hundreds of others, there were lots of people waving, and seeing other friends and mingling on the expansive patio afterwards. And the worship band was pretty amazing.
I went into each of these churches with a sense of apprehension, and left feeling like I had just visited long lost relatives. Despite the differences in styles of worship and traditions and customs, the distinguishing marks of Christians were present. These people had a love for God, a love for His word and a love for each other, a love which they almost immediately extended towards us. We were, as Paul said, members of one body, connected and drawn together by Christ, who is Lord of us all.
Now we start praying for the prefectures in Kanto area. Kanto area includes the whole Tokyo metropolitan area, and it has 31% of the population.
<Kanto Area>
May 10: There are now 2,600 churches in the seven prefectures of Kanto. This is 23 less than 6 years ago. Adding the growing population, this means that there was on church per 15,139 in 1999, but now there is only one church for every 15,648. The number of baptisms and children in Sunday School continues to all in the Kanto area. Pray that each church will be revived and filled with His Spirit.
May 11: Pray for the ten cities which have only one church each. Pray for the 152 towns and villages which presently have no churches, and especially for the 19 with populations of over 20,000. There are millions of Japanese in the Kanto area who are living in utter darkness, facing eternal death. Pray that His Word will become a lamp unto millions of feet and a light unto their paths.
<Birth Rates>
Japan’s birthrate has fallen to a new record low of 1,29 during 2004. “The falling birth rate threatens to leave Japan with a labor shortage in decades to come as well as eat away at the country’s tax base. The national pension system, which relies on current workers to support the elderly, will also be strained as the birthrate declines.” (Associated Press, 2004-6-11) Pray that churches in Japan will see this problem as a an opportunity to show God’s love and salvation.
*All information and prayer requests taken from “Operation Japan -Prayer Guide- Third Edition” -Japan Evangelical Missionary Association, 2005. To purchase a copy of “Operation Japan” book or the Interactive CD version, go to: http://www.jema.org/joomla15/index.php?option=com_banners&task=click&bid=10.
May 2: Church websites have become one of the primary ways that pre-Christian Japanese find their way to local churches. Over 2,300 churches have their own websites. Some Japanese are going on the internet to find ways to commit suicide. Others are finding life and salvation.
May 3: Pray that through the radio and TV broadcasts, Christians will be strengthened and people will be led to local churches. The Japan New Media Missions Association is actively preparing for a satellite broadcasting ministry.
May 4: Pray for the work of Life Line. It was started by evangelical Christians, and has expanded to become a broader tool for helping people with various needs even suicide prevention. Many of the volunteer staff are Christian.
<A story from Life Line ministry>
“It seemed that I had a good marriage, but it failed. Then as the Japanese economy got worse, so did my life. The man I was living with went bankrupt. He tried to work hard to start his business up again, but instead he died. I lost the home I was living in, and his son disappeared with all the money that was left.
Feeling alone and helpless, I headed for the famous suicide cliffs. I knew that if I jumped into the ocean, my miserable life would end immediately. But I was afraid. As I approached the cliffs, I saw a sign, ‘If you need help, call Life Line‘. I called the number, and soon a Christian pastor arrived and took me to a nearby church. Indeed it was a Life Line. I not only found help for continuing my life here, but I also found eternal life.”
Pray for the many Japanese who contemplate suicide. Pray that churches and progras like Life Line will be used to bring eternal life to those in despair.
May 5: Pray for the work of Friendship Radio, with nationwide 24-hour programming through a cable radio system. Pray that many will be touched by this ministry.
<A story from radio ministry>
“When I was in my twenties, I listened to cable radio all the time. One day I happened to tune into Friendship Radio, and heard a Christian program. Through that program I became interested in Christianity. I wrote in to the station and they introduced me to a church in my city. It was there that I found Christ as my Savior.”
*All information and prayer requests taken from “Operation Japan -Prayer Guide- Third Edition” -Japan Evangelical Missionary Association, 2005. To purchase a copy of “Operation Japan” book or the Interactive CD version, go to: http://www.jema.org/joomla15/index.php?option=com_banners&task=click&bid=10.