The Adventist church in Japan invited the General Conference and the Northern Asia-Pacific Division to partner with them to create Mission Unusual—a massive church planting and disciple making movement. Let's see how things are going!
Cities throughout Northern Asia, like Seoul, Taipei, Tokyo, and Ulaanbaatar are home to millions of people who have not heard the gospel message.
Reaching these vast cities seems daunting, and the work in sensitive territories is even more difficult to measure. Not even one percent of the 230 million people in the Northern Asia-Pacific region are Seventh-day Adventists!
Despite the challenges, Adventists pray for opportunities to share the light of Jesus in this territory.
The Adventist church in Japan invited the General Conference and the Northern Asia-Pacific Division to partner with them to create Mission Unusual—a massive church planting and disciple making movement.
Since Tokyo is the world’s largest city, this movement is an ambitious effort. Working closely with local Japanese church leaders, a team of church planting missionaries is on the ground, learning the language and deciding how best to share Jesus with the Japanese. The three missionary couples spend hours each day preparing themselves for the work within central Tokyo.
It’s not just the population size that makes outreach hard. There are many barriers to religion too. The Japanese society is largely secular, and many people adhere to eastern philosophy. Another challenge is overcoming the isolation of the older generation. Reaching out to them and showing them compassion can be tricky.
Missionaries like Yure and Lais have been creating connections with their neighbors. Simple tasks like shopping, visiting the local park, and practicing their growing Japanese vocabulary with strangers on the street are all opportunities to connect.
The missionary team gathers each Sabbath to pray, study God’s Word, eat, laugh, share challenges, and seek the Holy Spirit together.
Aya is a great example of a local church member who has taken the spirit of Mission Unusual to heart. She uses her home as a place of ministry, especially for parents and kids. Some have been introduced to the Bible for the first time in her living room. Others have even requested prayer for their families!
Amazing things are happening in Tokyo. With time, the ministry team will grow as plans are made to bring in Global Mission pioneers, Urban Centers of Influence, volunteers, and tentmakers in the future. The challenge of ministering to the world’s largest city can sometimes seem like too much, but God’s power can overcome all barriers.
We ask that you continue to pray for the Mission Unusual church planting and disciple making movement. Pray that the Adventists here will continue to develop new, creative ways to build connections with those around them. Thank you for supporting the mission offering, which fuels work like this.
