こんにちは！(Konnichiwa!)
We love Japan and we want everyone in Japan to meet Jesus.
At the start of 2025 we’re moving to Tokyo to work with Soma Tokyo and Plant Japan, two ministries already embedded in the Tokyo that are faithfully sharing the good news of the gospel. We’d love to invite you to partner with us.
The Need In Japan
Of the more than 124 million people living in Japan, only 1% are Christian. With so few Christians, the vast majority of Japanese people will never have a chance to interact with a Christian in their lifetime, let alone hear about the good news of the gospel.
But there is another major problem just as serious, Japan’s work culture is crushing it’s people. Since the mid 90s Japan’s economy has been completely stagnate. But Japan’s work culture was already notorious for extreme hours since the 70s and 80s. So imagine what happens when you’re already working employees to death, but then you stop seeing any growth. Do things get better or worse for employees?
Why is this so concerning is because Christians in Japan, like the rest of the population, are exhausted and broke. People don’t have time, they don’t have money. They work 10-12 hour days just to get by. Though God can do anything, can we really expect major change in Japan when there are so few christians, with so little resources?
Though God can do anything, with so few christians, and those christians lacking time, energy, and money, can we expect that left on their own they can bring major change to Japan?
Can we expect to see major change in Japan when it’s church lacks people and resources?
Japan needs the support from the global church.
In response to the situation in Japan, we have decide to move to Tokyo and join two already established ministries.
Over the past year, we’ve had an opportunity to build a relationship with Soma Tokyo Church and James has been invited to join the staff. Lead my founding pastor Yoshito Noguchi, Soma Tokyo is committed to “making disciples and seeing gospel saturation throughout Tokyo and the rest of Japan.” James’s undergrad studies was in theology, and he has always hoped to pass on
As a member of the Acts 29 Network, Soma Tokyo is rooted in a larger family of churches we’ve been part of for a number of years. We’re grateful to have been invited into the work God is doing through their community!
We’ll also be working with Plant Japan, a nonprofit started by our friend, Kimberly Carlson. Kimberly has been serving the Japanese people for nearly 15 years and started Plant Japan with the goal of funding and supporting church planters in Japan. Hannah will lead the communications and marketing effort and James will be a consultant on the team.
After volunteering with Plant Japan remotely for the past year, we’re excited to be on the ground and participate in helping the organization grow!
How We’re Supporting The Japanese Church
Our hope is to gather a team who will support us through giving and praying on a recurring basis.
We have a few goals for our first six months living in Tokyo:
Settle in. We have a lot to learn and we’re expecting there will be a season focused on adjusting to life in Tokyo.
Improve our language skills. James is fairly conversational in Japanese and Hannah has a good foundation with a ways to go! Much of the first half of 2025 will be focused on improving our language skills.
Deepen our existing relationships. We’ve met wonderful friends at Soma Tokyo and through Plant Japan. We are looking forward to becoming a more integrated part of those communities.
Build our team. We will continue to raise funds and build our team of prayer and financial partners so we can support the church in Japan!
With your help, we can serve the Japanese people and support ministries already embedded in Japan.
The generosity of our church family across the globe will be instrumental in the work we will be doing in Japan. We’ve been given a great gift in the knowledge of who Jesus is and the life that he offers. His generosity towards us has compelled us to move to Japan and share what we’ve been given with others.
We can’t do this without you and we’re extremely grateful to anyone who comes alongside us.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
- 1 Corinthians 1: 3-4