Two Little-known Truths about Evangelizing Japan
- The Japanese are the 2nd largest unreached people group on the planet.
- Japan, a country of 127 million, has less than one half of 1% Christian believers.
The Japanese continue to need missionaries, your prayers, involvement, and your generosity. Without outside help, the Christians in Japan do not have the resources to evangelize their own country. Thanks for being part of our team to accelerate the gospel in Japan.
New Vision for New Churches in Japan
To work with the Church Planting Institute (CPI) for over 20 years has been a great blessing in envisioning, training, equipping, and renewing missionaries and Japanese for church planting. For over 20 years there has been a growing burden for a CPI like ministry – for Japanese, led by Japanese, in Japanese. As we have been sharing on Home Assignment, it happened our last term in Japan. In 2014, 65 leaders gathered for the first Church Multiplication Vision Festa. Last year that number swelled to 180. John has had the privilege to work with some of the key leaders, many who are dreaming about 50,000 churches in Japan, the same number of convenience stores. These leaders have established a key project on church planting for the Congress on Evangelism.
Japan 6th Congress on Evangelism (JCE6)
This month there will be a key meeting in Japan to consider the unfinished task of bringing the gospel to every Japanese. Every 7 years there is a national meeting of leaders to consider the challenges and opportunities in Japan. They are anticipating 2,000 Japanese leaders gathering together for worship, prayer, training and discussion. John will be flying back to Japan to take part in the Church Multiplication Project Team where he is a member. Several months ago, John was handpicked for this team. One of the Japanese members wrote John, “I am glad that Kodaira Sensei has asked you to be a member of the JCE6 project team. It would be perfect that you are involved in it. I know you have been praying for this for many years. Praise God.” Pray as the Project Team meets with other leaders that church planting vision would expand. There are other Vision Festas planned in the years ahead. We hope John, CPI, and others can foster this growing movement.