We hope you are doing well this Christmas season. There is something that has been on our hearts for some time now that we would like to share with you. This past summer we were accepted as short-term missionaries to Japan through Mission to the World. We will be making a two-year commitment and serving with the church planting team in the Chiba area, just east of Tokyo. We are praying that God will provide a financial and prayer support team that that will enable us to attend Pre-Field Training in July, and leave for the field shortly thereafter.
Mission to the World has an established church planting team in the Tokyo/Chiba area who have been serving Christ in that region since 1989. They have planted a total of 8 churches and partnered with 8 others in the area since that time. Additionally, they also operate Covenant Christian School International, a hybrid home school/Christian school for the children of the missionaries and for Japanese children as well. You can find out more about their ministry on their website, MTWTokyo.com.
The team in Chiba has expanded and has been blessed to have a great impact on the Tokyo/Chiba area, but this has resulted in the team members being spread thin. In particular, they need help performing the administrative tasks of the team, which occupy a significant amount of the team leader's and other missionaries' time, which could be spent focusing on and expanding the ministries to the Japanese people. These tasks are necessary, but the team members could be more effective in ministry if the administration for the team was handled by others. This is where we come in. We feel called to help the team in Chiba to be more effective in ministry by filling the administrative roles on the team and allowing the missionaries to spend more time in their ministries with the Japanese people.
In addition to supporting the team in Chiba, we have also felt a call to help with the Japan Church Planting Institute, held every other year in Hakone, Japan. The Church Planting Institute provides training, encouragement, fellowship, and rest for missionaries and pastors from all over the nation of Japan, and their families. We have helped with the Church Planting Institute in various roles over the past 8 years, and will continue by helping to plan the next conference from our new home in Japan. You can learn more about the Japan Church Planting Institute at their website, JCPI.net, and also at the website for the U.S.-based support team which has provided their children's program, administrative support, and the media team, at JapanCPI.com.
While working with Mission to the World in Tokyo/Chiba, our responsibilities will include:
- Partnering with the MTW Chiba Team in administrative roles, including team finances
- Providing technical support to the MTW Chiba Team and the Church Planting Institute
- Managing the web communications portal for the Church Planting Institute
- Assisting with planning and preparations for the Church Planting Institute conferences
- Building relationships with the Japanese people to guide them towards a saving knowledge of the Gospel
If you are interested in learning more about the need in Japan and our call to this ministry, you can find us on FaceBook via the group "The Walkers are going to Japan!" We’d love to talk to you, and you can reach us via email at TheWalkersInJapan@gmail.com. We look forward to sharing many stories of God's blessing on us during the coming year, and we hope to greet you next Christmas from our new home in Japan!
Merry Christmas, and may the Lord bless you during this new year!
"For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."
Luke 2:30-32
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