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Rural Japan Church Planter Training Center (2- and 4-year programs)
Serve in an active church plant while learning Japanese.
You may learn more at the following links (note, some details subject to change with time).
About the Training Center. Click here to learn more about the Training Center
Why Rural Church Planting? Click here to learn about the need in Rural Japan
Syllabus for Training Center Click here to see the detailed Syllabus
Openings each year in March. Apply immediately for 2022 and 2023. Applying 1 to 2.5 years in advance for future years is recommended. For those who already have raised support or are self-supporting, late applications for March 2022 can still be considered. Standard application deadline for 2023 is approaching soon. Three openings remain for 2022 for those who already have raised their support. The number of openings in subsequent years will vary, so apply early to hold your place. Open to single men or women, couples, or families. Roles are not based on or limited by gender. Bible school/seminary helpful but not required if one has other informal preparation. Start date flexible, but the beginning of March each year is best. Four year programs for those who do not yet speak Japanese or 2 year programs for Japanese speakers are available.
Long-Term Opportunities (more than 3 years; first or later terms)
1) Join the team of an existing RJTA missionary-led ministry. This category is open to new or experienced missionaries.
Region: North Tohoku, Prefecture: Iwate
Long-Term Opporutunities (more than 3 years; first or later terms)
1) Join the team of an existing RJTA missionary-led ministry. This category is open to new or experienced missionaries.
Region: North Tohoku, Prefecture: Iwate
LT-2 Rural Church Planting Team Member/Assistant
(Kita Sanriku Christ Church-KSCC in Iwaizumi/Tanohata/Fudai/Noda. Tsunami and Typhoon-Impacted Areas of North Coastal Iwate). Many seeds were planted through the relief work associated with this church plant, and now as the area has finally recently recovered is a key time to water them, and a subset may not be possible to maintain without extra hands. Much opportunity and open doors exists for the ministry to expand in nature, depth, and breadth but first more team members are needed. In your first term, you’ll study Japanese 5 to 20 hours/week (depending on your level), and simultaneously assist in the church plant in the remaining time. This is a great way to immediately use what you learn in real life and ministry where few speak English. You will learn (by hands-on doing) the ropes of rural church planting, participate in and contribute to a diverse range of activities vs. a narrow specialist role, add to the gift mix diversity via your abilities, and as language level and experience grow, have opportunities to lead specific aspects of the ministry or otherwise take on a growing level of responsibility. The ministry takes place in a four town/village area, with both centralized area or town-wide and also neighborhood-based activities (small/cell groups) and room for future expansion of both types of activities and sublocations. Depending on needs of the overall ministry at the time and your abilities, you may be involved in a mix of most of the following: playing guitar, keyboard, or similar at events, singalongs, and worship services, if able; major role in kid’s ministry in the church and community setting; elderly ministry which is a key part of any rural ministry; perhaps occasional English teaching ministry; occasional preaching; covering various things when pastor/lead church planter is away; leading Bible times at some events and classes; using skills and hobbies like cooking, crafts, outdoorsmanship, sports, or others in outreach; mobile café and church café/drop in center ministry; gradually increasing responsibility for neighborhood small groups; relational, friendship, and event evangelism; indoor and outdoor eventd; Easter and Christmas outreaches; substantial flyer and tract prep and distribution; craft and teatime ministry; mom/tot ministry; if able, teaching use of technology to the elderly; visitation (mainly in pairs, often with the pastor); rural jobs creation if able; short-term team volunteer logistics; involvement in community clubs/groups; seed sowing short-term trips to unchurched areas in the broader region; hospitality; various prep/setup/take down; renovation/minor construction; various background tasks; and if able, some website or other computer-based work.Beautiful natural setting with mountains, valleys, forests, farmland/ranches, rice paddies, rivers, and ocean all around. Great place to raise kids. The church is nondenominational, and cooperates broadly interdenominationally. Due to large elderly population, dress and music are casual and conservative. Roles are not determined or limited based on gender. Suitable fit for a Spirit-led evangelical or mainline non-charismatic or a mildly charismatic person. Either foreigner or Japanese. Must speak either English or Japanese. If you speak Japanese, it is not essential to speak English as it is in many host ministries. You also need not learn Japanese before coming, but must be willing to learn it once here. Opportunity is open to single men, single women, couples, or families. Roles are not based on or limited by gender. Bible school/seminary helpful but not required. Long-term 3-5 years initially, and potentially for much longer. Mid-term of 3 months to up to 3 years also possible. Openings for up to 3 units (unit = single, couple, or family). Option to learn Japanese and church planting here at the same time (recommended), or come serve here after first acquiring Japanese.
LT-3) Rural Church-Based English Teaching/Partial Tentmaking
(Kita Sanriku Christ Church in Iwaizumi Town and Tanohata/Fudai/Noda villages, North Coastal Iwate). As an integrated ministry of the church plant, begin English classes (most church-related, some in preschools and such) to increase contact base. Also, attend church service and key events, study Japanese, and help out the church plant in other ways in remaining time. Intentionally seek to bridge contacts to the church members and ministry team, events, worship service, etc. Will likely teach 1 day/2 weeks in each of up to 4 to 10 locations in the 4 towns/villages, minimizing prep time and maximizing contacts. Teach ages 2 or 3 to 100. Most classes include a Bible time which you will also teach. Also co-host English café nights occasionally.This will be an integrated part of the broader ministry. Help getting started will be provided, and as much as possible, you’ll intentionally seek to bridge contacts made relationally via events and such to the ministry team, church members, and church activities. Native or equivalent English ability needed.Opening for 1 unit. Much of your income will be generated through the English classes, but you will likely need to raise 60-100% support for the initial year and perhaps 20% or so ongoing support for future years to supplement tentmaking income. For those who qualify for working holiday visa, the amount you need to raise may be somewhat less. Though most your time and some of your income will be via English teaching and quality teaching is an important testimony so is essential, the bigger purpose of the English classes must be kept in mind. They are one aspect of the broader integrated ministry, so while you will plan the details of your classes, scheduling, locations, when/whether to include Bible times in the classes (generally will be included), and such are ministry team vs. individual decisions. Also, while your ministry role will be mainly English teaching, as part of the team, you’ll also be asked to be involved in additional things at times. Long-term or Mid-term OK. You’ll also study Japanese; how much depends on duration intended. Roles are not based on or limited by gender. In the case of couples, one can fulfil this role and the other can have another role on the team, or they can each do half the English teaching and each also have other part-time roles on the team. This role is possible for those who may not be here long enough to become fluent or who are not good at language learning. Minimum duration of 10 months to 1 year. Longer is preferred. TESL certificate not needed, though a plus.
LT-4) Rural Japan Church Planting Network—Assistant to the Coordinator.
Location: Iwaizumi/Tanohata/Fudai/Noda Iwate highly preferred, but other locations possible, including overseas. Help enable RJCPN to catch up and scale up or move to the next level and for various projects to proceed more quickly by assisting with a wide variety of administrative needs and projects. Must have a heart for those without gospel access. The person will need to work within defined parameters for each project, but within those will need to be able to work fairly independently. Will be doing several tasks/projects at once, some of which are spread over long periods of time or ongoing intermittent and nature, and various ones may have a lot of start/stop/wait/restarts to them. So patience with the stop/start/continue pattern of varied tasks and the ability to juggle and adapt to non-constant tasks/ever-changing schedule is needed. The ability to keep track of details over time is also important. Involves considerable variety across tasks/projects, yet any given task can be quite repetitive. Much is computer/data/research related. While primarily behind-the-scenes in nature, some phone call and in person interactions are at times also part of the role. Analytical nature, detail orientation, computer literacy at basic level (Word, Excel, internet searches, email, and similar), ability to be consistent in approach to handling details, and ability to work with limited people contact yet able to relate well with tact when people contact is required. Part- or full-time, mid- or long-term, and option to combine with other openings at KSCC in Iwate. Suitable for a friendly introvert wanting to make a real difference in getting the gospel to where it is not yet locally present yet preferring to work behind-the-scenes. Duration options of two months to 5 years, but the longer, the more effective. This is best in person in Iwaizumi, Iwate, but some parts can be done from afar within Japan and a smaller subportin can be done even from overseas. Some Japanese ability a big plus, but not essential. Ability to read Japanese or even Chinese is a plus. Can be full-time or combine part-time with simultaneous language study. One full-time or multiple part-time openings.
2) Come under the RJTA umbrella, but be placed with a non-RJTA local host ministry that RJTA can connect you with. Though we encourage you first to consider serving with an RJTA-related ministry, other possibilities exist if those are not compatible with your sense of calling. Email to arrange a Skype call to discuss additional possibilities that might be a fit.
3) If you already have a specific local team/ministry in Japan with which you wish to serve and are looking for an agency that may be open to that, please contact RJT/RJTA. Most such situations can be accomodated.
4) If you wish to remain with your current mnistry but either have not been with an agency but would like to be or if your agency or personal circumstances have changed in ways where you need to make a change to stay faithful to what God has called you to or due to altered policy or logistical or geographic realities--provided you are in good standing with your current agency-please contact RJT/RJTA about 'on field join' process. RJT/RJTA works flexibly with diverse circumstances. For example, RJTA missionaries are not limited geographically, budgets are determined flexibly, and tentmaking is allowed. Note, for those in independent ministry, you generally must speak Japanese and have at least 3-5 years ministry experience to join RJT/RJTA as those new to Japanare expected to serve a full term with someone experienced prior to leading a ministry.
5) If you feel led to plant a church or start a new ministry, speak Japanese, and have 3-5 years of ministry experience in Japan, RJT/RJTA may be a good fit for you. You may have a specific ministry or location already in mind. Or you may be exploring your second term options. Most situations can be accomodated, after a review process. But if you don't have a specific ministry in mind, here are some sample possibilities for experienced (second term and beyond) workers:
LT-31) Lead Church Planter, subset of unchurched not-yet-targeted towns and villages in Iwate, Nagano, Kagawa, Akita, Aomori, Miyagi, and perhaps elsewhere with nearby fellowship available.
Must speak Japanese, have been in Japan 3 or more years, have some church planting background, and desire to plant a church in an unchurched town yet also have another experienced rural church planter nearby in the same region for fellowship, perhaps periodic collaboration, and optional mentoring. Email for introductions.
LT-32) Lead Church Planter, 800 larger and 900 smaller unchurched areas in Japan.
See ruraljapanchurch.com for maps of where Japan’s remaining unchurched areas are. Sometimes a subset of newer church plants are not yet all on the maps so always double check the area is unchurched and untargetted before finalizing concrete plans. The maps have a 1-2% out-of-date/error rate. Also, Protestant churches/church plants were included, but Catholic and SDA churches were not included, which in Kyushu/Nagasaki may make a difference but not likely in most other areas. Prior to taking on this role, a new missionary should spend one term helping a rural Japan church plant elsewhere in Japan or else already have long-term ministry experience in Japan. At least 360 such lead rural church planters are needed, perhaps more.
LT-33) Remote Area Itinerant Evangelist.
Certain specific remote portions of Aomori, Akita, Iwate, Shikoku, Hiroshima, and in about half the other prefectures in Japan that are unlikely to ever be targeted for church planting and almost certain to disappear as villages, such as a zone of several contiguous untargeted unchurched remote and very low population villages in Hiroshima and Kochi Prefectures, for example. This itinerant role is not needed in most unchurched rural areas. In fact, in some areas, it could even be counterproductive. Even in areas it is needed, if done in certain ways, it could still do more harm than good. However, there are configurations of contiguous unchurched areas in some but not all prefectures and/or very isolated low population areas that probably cannot otherwise be reached and may benefit from this niche role if done in ways that are not counterproductive. Contact RJTA to consult on where an itinerant evangelist role may be beneficial and tips on ways to approach such w/o unwittingly being counterproductive. Most people would not find this role a good fit for them. This role is best for someone able both to work alone for prolonged periods and also work with others intermittently, with an unusually cooperative spirit and flexibility, yet also a self-starter. Ability to be very independent in some situations and submit and conform readily in others. Parachurch type role, so needs an especially humble mindset in relating to churches in the broader region. The focus is on evangelism in a large number of very small untargeted villages with a goal not of establishing a church plant or other lasting gospel presence for subsequent generations, but simply of bringing meaningful gospel encounters to the current—and likely the last --generation living in these villages. So while cultivating relationships with several churches in the region is part of the role, the main role is to recurrently sow and water seeds to share the gospel gradually over time in a circuit of a certain subset of unchurched untargeted remote small villages, then bridging those gradually seeking/saved to the nearest church (albeit far away) for whatever limited degree of relationship and periodic follow up is practical. Must speak Japanese, and like both door to door and relational evangelism. Willing to live out of a suitcase, rotating around multiple ministry sites over a vast several village area, and with the relational skills to sensitively develop multiple partnerships and to come alongside and respect and avoid undermining ministry already occurring in the region, while reaching out to those in the subset of remote isolated small villages otherwise not engaged nor likely to be. 2-year term or more is best, but shorter periods possible. Locations exist in about half the prefectures in Japan, after an initial1 week to 2 months of training in North Iwate.
LT-34) Opportunities for rural Business-as-Mission at small and large scale in fishing, farming, health care/home care/elder care, and perhaps IT industries, among others.
Must be a self-starter, Japanese speaker, and have an unusual combo of language, legal, business, and industry-specific skills/knowledge. Examples: 1) Rural BAM potential via jobs creation throughout unchurched areas of Japan. Young people need good jobs in their rural home towns or have to move away, so good rural jobs is a felt need in rural areas. Meeting it is a great way to show God’s love and the church’s relevance to the community. Also, more and more rural pastors must become bivocational, and home missionary church planters could increase if more had a way to generate sufficient income part-time to also minister part-time. 2) Japan’s rural areas will soon see a huge influx of foreign workers from counties with many Christians such as the Philippines and Indonesia to fill roles in the fishing, health, farming, elderly care, and similar industries. If they were intentionally largely filled by trained tentmaking missionaries from such places and dispatched together in small groups to plant churches ‘on the side’ in unchurched rural towns/villages they do their secular work in, the impact could be transformational. The potential for such at present is tremendous in Japan and rural Japan, but currently wide-open doors will in time close as secular entities increasingly meet these needs, unless Christians gear up soon to do so. Yet, a very unique skill set and high-level Japanese ability are needed to do this at a large scale. The right skills/people could organize such at a prefectural, regional, or even national level. Though few have this skill set, those who do could seize some historic opportunities in rural Japan that will not be open doors for that much longer. If one has the language, business, specialty, and legal expertise, organizing rural jobs and/or rural partnerships with secular industries on a wide scale, equipping and bringing many Christian tentmakers from Indonesia, Philippines, etc. to unchurched rural areas to fill them, etc., could be done. RJTA and RJCPN could help with some ideas and connections in some aspects, but not with the business/legal knowledge side of things. feel free to consult with RJTA and RJCPN in areas such as connection and training of tentmakers to fill the jobs you could create and connecting with rural secular farm owners, fishermen, agricultural and fishing cooperative local leaders, and such who will need to find ways for those industries to continue in light of increasing shortage of Japanese to fill these roles as older folks retire. 3) On an individual level, one could serve as a bivocational church planter in a rural area if their job can be done from anywhere remotely, such as some IT jobs. 4) some tourism industry rural BAM possibilities also exist. 5) In any case, Japanese ability, driving ability, and some related industry experience likely needed for rural BAM.
6) If you are a first worker in Japan with your group, consider a partnership with your gorup as the sender and RJTA as the receiver and an RJTA-led or other Japan ministry serving as local supervisor. Note to other agencies--mission agency leaders, field directors, direct missionary sending churches, mobilizers, This may be a good fit for the following situations:
A) if your mission agency or church has no workers in rural Japan or surplus workers in urban Japan who could relocate, consider seconding a willing worker as an intern first term to serve with RJTA at the Rural Church Planter Training Center in Iwaizumi Iwate, to then relocate elsewhere second term to plant a church in an unchurched rural area anywhere in Japan with your agency. This can give your church or agency a start or re-start in rural Japan--where all remaining unchurched areas are located. The person can intern for 2-3 years after language school or if your policy allows, better yet, come directly and study part-time while ministering part-time for 4-5 years. Any sending country OK. After a vetting process, RJTA’s partnering church in Iwaizumi can sponsor Japan end of visa if needed.
B) If your church or agency has no presence anywhere in Japan but you wish to send a worker here wtihout them being isolated, consider seconding them to RJTA to functionally be a part of RJTA's Japan field---with your church/agency as the Sending entity and RJTA as the receiving entity. RJTA can serve both Sending and Receiving functions or Receiving Functions only in partnership with another Sender. Inquire for details.
C) If you are either a Japanese church or foreign missionary led ministry in Japan and wish to receive workers that you already know or that RJTA may know in your local ministry but have no partnering agency, contact RJTA to learn more. RJTA can serve as the in country overall umbrella with you as the local supervisor of someone serving on your team and either RJT/RJTA and/or their home country church serving as Sender.
Mid-Term Opportunities (3 months to 3 years).
(Great for gap year, retiree, those exploring a long-term call, prior to gaining further Biblical training and returning longer term, those wanting to give a fraction of their life to missions but who don’t sense a long-term call, etc.).
During pandemic, first 2 weeks will be largely in isolation, though perhaps with some computer-based ministry tasks. Also, currently, border restrictions prevent entry for under 90 days from most places, but longer periods with visa are possible. Host ministry can help with visa.
Region: North Tohoku.
MT-1. Rural Japan Church Planting Network (RJCPN)
Research and Administrative Assistant to the RJCPN Coordinator. Iwaizumi, North Iwate. Can be done for periods of 3 months to several years. See description under long-term.
MT-2. Kita Sanriku Christ Church General Assistant and Visitation Partner. “Right hand man—or woman”/Helps Ministry.
North Iwate. Help free up more of the lead church planter/pastor’s time for things requiring a long-term presence and Japanese ability, by taking on a variety of delegated administrative, behind-the-scenes prep, and other tasks someone without Japanese ability and in Japan for a shorter time could do. The role in essence is helping with anything and everything, whether shallow or deep, mundane or complex. In addition, accompany the pastor on visitation. Though largely behind the scenes, you also at times will help with events or other people-oriented ministry too. 2 months to several years. Female or couple preferred. Gift of helps, multi-tasking, broad array of basic abilities, dependability, and able to find fulfilment when helping with ‘whatever is needed’. Basic computer literacy is helpful. No Japanese ability is needed, but you may want to learn a bit anyway. A retired person, gap year student, or similar might be a great fit. A church sending a different person for a few months to a year at a time recurrently would also be great.
MT-3. Rural Church Planting Assistant, Kita Sanriku Christ Church, North Iwate.
See description under long-term. Much applies, but proportion and variety of tasks varies with duration and language ability. Also, less time on language study and more on ministry for mid vs. long-term workers.
MT-4. Church-based English teaching, Kita Sanriku Christ Church, North Iwate.
See description under long-term. Minimum term of 10 months. Or multiple sequential back to back people covering a period of not less than 10 months with at least 10 days overlap between prior and next person. Preferably, someone to continue each year—such as different people back to back at a rate of one per year or else one person for multiple years. In other words, once started, it is desirable to maintain continuity of the classes.
MT-5) Multi-Location Shared Church Planting Assistant, Iwate.
With coordination by KSCC, assist multiple separate ministries in Iwate. On the days allocated to serve with ministry A, you’ll be under the direction of ministry A’s leader; on the days allocated to serve with ministry B, you’ll be under the direction of ministry B’s leader, and so on. Each ministry is separate and distinct with its own approaches and styles. Some of these ministries might include: a daughter outreach post in Hirono (Ono/Takeishi) led by the long established Kuji Church; the rural church plant KSCC in Iwaizumi/Tanohata/ Fudai/Noda; the rural church plant in Taro; and the rural church plant in Karumai Iwate/church revitalization in SannoHe Aomori/Outreach Outpost planting in towns/villages around San no He Aomori. You may also, if able, take on responsibility to pioneer an outreach outpost in Niisato/Kawai as one of the multiple ministries. 1 unit. Suitable for someone who doesn’t mind driving a lot, can work under different leaders/styles/denominations at each location, follows through on commitments, and who prefers either a narrower specialist niche role (such as playing guitar or keyboard, or distributing flyers or kid’s ministry, for example), someone who likes to just be available for whatever whenever when a particular need for an extra hand exists, or someone who would thrive on the variety of being assigned to several different ministries, depending on the day, during the course of a week or month. Could also include occasional short trips to elsewhere in Aomori or Akita prefectures.
NorthTohoku and Beyond
MT-6. Furlough replacement.
For periods of 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 6 months, and a year in various parts of Japan. Generally, requires at least conversational Japanese ability and often fluency. Ideal for retired missionaries and perhaps former English teachers or Japanese majors/teachers. For example, there is sometimes a need for 3 months in the summer in Aomori every 3 years, from 1 to 3 months annually in North Iwate, in January in central Iwate, in a suburban part of Nagano City in the summer for about a month or two annually, and potentially in many other prefectures. The need is great throughout rural Japan for sabbatical coverage for Japanese pastors and for furlough coverage for missionaries, but the supply of available persons is low. Generally, this role involves preaching and leading the worship service weekly, and keeping as many other activities going as possible, whether English classes or cooking classes or kid’s outreaches or neighborhood events or whatever the specific church may need. Important to do things as much like they already are being done as viable, not to change the approach. A missionary open to frequent relocation could even make this their long-term ministry. A Mid-termer could cover multiple locations at different times during their term or a single location.
MT-7. Additional opportunities exist similar to those mentioned under long-term so not repeated here.
This includes additoinal locations with non-RJTA lead teams, as well as those already listed above with RJTA-led teams.
Short-Term Opportunities (1 week to 90 days).
Short-Term trips do not generally directly involve an agency in most cases. However, RJTA none-the-less does help connect interested persons with short-term opportunities. Some possibilities include:
Periods under 90 days usually require no visa, but at present they do because of the pandemic, and are not possible at all from most countries. So, short-term service is suspended during the current pandemic stage except for those willing to isolate or near-isolate for the first 2 weeks, coming at least 6 weeks total, and either already in Japan or from a small subset of nations from which short-term entry to Japan is possible—inquire for details. By mid-to late 2021, short-term service from other nations likely will become possible and easier again. Housing and local transport are often though not always provided, and especially if under 4 people, but varies with location. Kitchen for self-cook often available, but need to buy your own groceries. nder 20 years old requires parental approval letter. 20 is the age considered an adult in Japan. Trip insurance that includes medical coverage is recommended for all. A contribution to the host ministry to cover things like extra utilities used, gasoline for local transportation, ministry supplies, flyer copies/tracts, and such is recommended, if able.
Region: North Tohoku
ST-1) Standard Short-Term Rural Mission Trip(1 week to 90 days). :
One time or recurring. Assist a Church Plant Underway in a Recently Targetted Previously Unchurched Area Assist a rural church plant Kita Sanriku Christ Church in North Iwate via seed sowing/watering events such as mobile cafes or singalongs for the elderly, kids events, and others, distribution of flyers and tracts, music, crafts, English classes/activities, ethnic cooking, and similar, or as otherwise needed by the specific ministry. Flexible to serve however needed at the time. Come once, or 1 to 4 times a year on a recurrent or ongoing basis. This is a pioneer location (first church plant in an area); helping in these locations contributes to broader and deeper continued engagement of what was until recently an untargeted unchurched area. Teams of around 1 to 4 people from within Japan or abroad desired. Sometimes larger teams OK, but smaller is ideal for rural areas. Larger teams need a driver and rental car and may be split at times into subgroups between background prep back at the church, flyer/tract distribution, and events/direct contact ministry. But a team of 4 people 3 times a year is preferable to a team of 12 at once. If all housed at the church, maximum team size is 12.
ST-2) Seasonal Short-Term Missions Trip—Event Focus.
One time or every year. Broad seed sowing, follow-up, and Easter or Christmas event helpers (part or all of late March and April or late Nov through Dec 26) at Kita Sanriku Christ Church rural church plant in North coastal Iwate. Help with two of the most key times of follow-up each year with the nearly 2000 contacts made via tsunami and typhoon relief work in the four towns via 20-30 Christmas and 15 to 20 Easter events in various neighborhoods, plus Christmas tract/present or Easter tract/egg or candy distribution door to door. Also, a time where most of the 20,000 living in the four towns receive a flyer invitation to an outreach event and are reminded of the church and of Jesus, whereas flyer distribution is less widespread at other times. As time permits, during the Christmas season, after distributing tracts in areas we have many contacts, tracts are also distributed in neighborhoods where we have few, if any, contacts. At least one on the team ideally should play keyboard or guitar at basic level for Easter hymn or Christmas carol singalongs at events and casual mini-concerts. Come prepared for an especially busy schedule of flyer/tract distribution, helping with events, etc, and for cold weather. Ideally, 1 or 2 from a larger team would come early to help with much of the flyer distribution and behind the scenes prep during the 4-8 weeks ending on Dec 26, and the rest of a potentially larger team (if they have rental car/driver) join later just for the 2-3 weeks leading up to Christmas during the event season. And similar at Easter. These are the two best times a year for a bit larger teams, though even small teams are a blessing.
ST-3. Seasonal Short-Term Annual Recurrent Missions Trip—Seed Sowing Tract Focus.
Must have driver, rental car, and experience driving in snow. Two week minimum, four week maximum for main larger team, with optional second month for 1-4 people. One car/driver for every four locations and 4-5 people. At least one on each sub-team with some survival level Japanese is needed, and keyboard or guitar ability preferred. Commit for a team from same church/group to come back annually for several years, continuing to water the prior year’s seeds—adopting specific locations and returning to them annually. Stay in Iwaizumi at night (or other places arranged by KSCC), but be dispatched to do Christmas flyering, annual event, and Christmas tracting in 4 or more different unrelated unchurched areas of Iwate, Akita, or Aomori. Three days per location spread over 2 weeks, 4 different locations total in 2 weeks for every 4-5 persons and car/driver. So a team of 10 for 2 weeks could cover 8 locations in 2 subteams. Maximum team size of 12 so maximum of 3 subteams covering 12 locations in 2 weeks or 24 locations in 4 weeks. KSCC will order the tracts in advance, but the team will need to cover the cost of the tracts. Option for smaller team to remain longer though January to distribute a second round of follow-up tracts in the same locations. The teams may be unaccompanied part or all of the time after an initial training by the KSCC pastor, though occasionally the KSCC or other pastors/missionaries in the region may participate in some—not all--of the events. With some basic guidelines/guidance, the team will plan and carry out the events after flyering at least 2 days ahead, and will distribute the tracts a day or more after the events, rotating to different locations each day. Continue annual events as long as possible over the years, hopefully until someone arises to take long-term responsibility for church planting in these untargeted areas. When/where/if key responses occur, there are churches/pastors within the region as well as various other resources for follow-up that can be introduced for some degree of follow-up with specific individuals who start deeply seeking or believe. May evolve into a permanent outreach outpost of one of these churches or perhaps a church planter will arise from among the short-term team members or among individuals who come to faith. But until then, the main purpose is to bring at least annual gospel access to those living in areas that remain untargeted until someday they become targeted. This is largely soil preparation for the time being. ST-2 and ST-3 can be combined, as long as there are at least 4-8 people and one driver/car. This involves a lot of walking in cold weather.
ST-4. Individual/Small team “Any Time” seed sowing,
assisting the Kita Sanriku Christ Church Church plant in North Iwate via the 8 Tract series project to get the gospel into the hands of all 20,000 individuals within its focus area of Iwaizumi/Tahohata/Fudai/Noda in a more comprehensible way than a single visit or tract can do and without any individual household being left out. In a period of 8 to 12 weeks, distribute an 8 tract series which builds the foundation for the gospel and then includes the gospel and various opportunities for response. The series is delivered to each home in a given neighborhood at a rate of one a week per neighborhood. In an 8-12 week trip, about 15 neighborhoods can be covered by an individual. If able to stay for 10-12 weeks, also help with a follow up neighborhood outreach event after the tract series delivery is complete in a given neighborhood. This can be done almost any time of year if you can come for 2-3 months. With 100-120 neighborhoods, individuals or small teams could come several times over a period of years before the project is complete. It is great for individuals/couples who like to walk/distribute tracts. KSCC will handle the follow up. But the tract project will allow KSCC to focus follow up and limited time for visitation on those found to be most open to the gospel. So, though it is rather repetitive, it is a very synergistic way to contribute to the ministry here in a short period of time almost any time of year by 1 or more and often with less lead time needed. No Japanese ability is required. Most the project will occur in Iwaizumi/Tanohata/Fudai/Noda. But at KSCC’s discretion, some neighborhoods in nearby untargeted unchurched towns/villages such as Niisato, Kawai, Kuzumaki, and KunoHe also could be included.
ST-5. Rural Missions Explorer Short-Term Mission Trip: (1 week to 90 days).
An individual or couple coming for a week to a few months to serve short-term in one or several rural church plants including Kita Sanriku Christ Church in North Iwate and potentially some others elsewhere in North Tohoku, to explore coming back to serve long-term with one of them in the future Also suitable for an experienced urban Japan missionary considering serving in rural Japan your next term and wanting to ‘taste rural ministry’ firsthand.
ST-6. Construction team--
building or renovation of a new church building in North Iwate (KSCC). Timing TBD and likely not for another 1-2 years. But if flexible on timing please be in touch about your potential availability.
nationwide (or at least multiple regions).
ST-7. Recurrent Short-term Scout or Long-Term Itinerant Rural Evangelist On the Job Field Experience/training.
1-2 week opportunity once or twice a year. Dates and location to be determined based on schedule of inquirers and host/trainer. Inquire several months ahead if possible. This is an on the job training field work experience involving primarily door to door visitation and some other approaches to learn how to sow seeds in rural unchurched towns without doing more harm than good to prepare you to lead recurrent short-term trips to a specific unchurched area in Japan that you adopt in the future. This experience can also be one step in preparing to serve as a multi-location mid or long-term itinerant evangelist in small population remote areas where church plants may not be feasible/sustainable. Some conversational Japanese ability is needed by at least half the team members. Those with experience in rural seed sowing also can join, as it is good to have multiple experienced persons in addition to the host/trainer(s) and the newbies. Partners in Japan will followup further on seeds sown during the field work experience. As much as possible, experienced and inexperienced persons will be paired as visitation partners. And Japanese speakers with non- speakers.
ST-10. Standard Short-Term Rural Mission Trip: Assist a Church Plant Underway in a Previously Untargetted Area (1 week to 90 days).
Available in multiple regions of Japan, and especially North and South Tohoku and Shikoku. Assist a rural church plant in various ways as desired/needed by the specific ministry. It is key to be flexible to serve however needed at the time. Likely roles vary with location. Come once, or 1 to 4 times a year on a recurrent or ongoing basis. Locations actively open to such teams include churches in many parts of Iwate, Aomori, Miyagi, and Kagawa. All are or include some pioneer locations (first church plant in an area). Some possibility of opportunities also in Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Fukuoka, Saga, and Nagasaki.
ST-11. Missions Explorer Short-Term Mission Trip (1 week to 90 days).
An individual or couple coming for a week to a few months to serve short-term in one or several ministries to explore coming back long-term in the future, with one of these ministries or elsewhere in rural Japan.
ST-12. Multiple Ministry Location Short-Term Rural Mission Trip—large orsmall team OK.
Larger teams will be broken into subgroups but re-gathersweekly on its day off (or in some cases, each night) but serves and stays in groups of 3-4 at several independent ministry locations in a prefecture/region simultaneously or a smaller team that is dispatched together but sent to different areas each day and is shared among ministries, but returns to a primary location each night. In North Tohoku, KSCC is available to coordinate this among a variety of participating independent ministries it has relationships with, but each ministry location leader will be in charge of the ministry that occurs at their own location so the short-term team should be aware the way of doing things will vary with location. Only the timing and numbers and accommodations/transport logistics is coordinated across all the locations, by mutual agreement. Teams of up to 12 to 30 can be accommodated. In most cases, a driver/car rental is needed for most or all subteams. Or alternatively one designated person from the team can be primarily in a full-time driving role w/o time for other ministry. Includes mix of assisting rural church plants in previously unengaged areas, giving a boost to established rural churches, and seed sowing in untargeted unchurched rural areas.
ST-14. Half Mega City/Half Rural Mission Trip.
Option for all or part of a short-term team serving in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Kobe, Sendai, or one of Japan’s Mega Cities to serve half their time in such places and half their time in rural areas in other prefectures, such as 1 week in each or 3 days together in a MegaCity, then half the team continuing there and half going to rural Japan, for example. Or mid-termers and long-termers primarily in urban Japan also could be sent to rural Japan to work with a rural ministry such as described elsewhere herein for a month or two during their total time of service. A mission trip within a mission trip.