NAGOYA CHURCH PLANTING TEAM
our area
Aichi Prefecture, in which Nagoya is the largest city, has been called the “heart” of Japan because it is centrally located in the middle of Honshu between Tokyo and Osaka, and the region has played key roles in Japan’s history and culture over the centuries. Nagoya, the center of “samurai culture,” is also known for its excellent manufacturing sector, and the world headquarters of the Toyota Motor Corporation is here. As it is also a conservative and traditional region with more temples than any other prefecture as well as many Shinto sites, inroads for the Gospel in Aichi have been notoriously slow.
There is just one church for every 28,500 people in our prefecture. The Nagoya Church Planting Team is focused on establishing, nurturing, and growing churches in one of Japan’s most unreached metro areas. We long to share the love and grace of Christ with our neighbors and to see His name lifted up in our city.
our history
In 1974, second-generation missionary Bruce Young (son of John and Jean Young who began serving in Yokkaichi in 1948) and his wife Susan came to Japan, and in 1987, they moved to the east side of Nagoya. There they began the Nagoya Church Planting Team and then passed the torch of leadership on to Wayne and Amy Newsome in 1991. The Newsomes faithfully led the team for many years and successfully established Nisshin Christ Church, which is now celebrating their 25-year-anniversary.
The Nagoya Church Planting Team has launched and/or supported other churches in the region (Chita Zion Church, Megumi no Izumi Church, Fushiya Church, Shiga Church, All Nations Fellowship), as well as sent out and supported missionaries from the team who started new ministries such as Life Hope Network, Japan’s first crisis pregnancy center, and Christ Bible Institute, the reformed seminary in downtown Nagoya. Over the years of evangelism, discipleship, pastoral and elder training, and mercy ministry, the Nagoya Team has seen the Lord's provision in sustaining His work and providing direction for the future.
CHURCH PLANTING
While our team has been instrumental in beginning multiple new churches and ministry sites throughout our city, one of the well-established bodies of believers, Nisshin Christ Church, is currently the hub for most of our outreach activities and our model for church planting going forward. Missionaries and national partners work side-by-side in preaching and teaching God’s Word, training and ordaining elders, and reaching out to the community through children’s programs, music, college ministry, language classes, and special events. Nisshin Christ Church is the launch pad for raising up and discipling Japanese leaders and sending out partners to begin new church plants.
LANGUAGE CLASSES, KIDS GOSPEL, and BIBLE STUDIES
In order to spark new interest at our ministry sites and develop and deepen relationships with those in our community, teammates teach English language classes for various ages, including children, middle schoolers, and adults. We also partner with Nisshin Church members to host a large outreach program for children each summer called Kids Gospel (similar to VBS but with a music focus). In order to disciple and build up the Christians in our circles as well as to introduce Christ to those who are seeking, various teammates teach all-Japanese and bilingual Bible studies throughout the week.
COLLEGE MINISTRY
The university years are not only a key time to reach out to Japanese with the Gospel, but college ministry is also strategic in discipling potential leaders for tomorrow’s church. Nisshin Christ Church is near several major universities, making it an ideal location to be a college ministry center. Teammates enjoy hosting weekly large group student meetings at the church and more intimate Bible studies in their homes. For all but a few of the students, this is their first time in a church and their first encounter with Christianity. University student ministry in Japan is so exciting because young people are often among the most receptive to the Gospel, and our team has been privileged to see multiple students come to faith and be discipled thru our college ministry over the years. Because of our team’s unwavering commitment to university outreach, we are heavily invested in evangelizing, discipling, and raising up the next generation of Japanese Christians.
NAGOYA CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
In 2020, God called our team to launch a grace-based and covenantal Christian school in Nagoya with the purpose of supporting missionary families and other Christian families in our area. We believe that a Christian school to address the spiritual, educational, and social needs of missionary children is important infrastructure needed to care for families as they seek to fulfill our overarching goals of church planting. The teachers at NCS, who include missionaries trained in education, Japanese staff, and volunteers, seek to create a welcoming environment where students can thrive spiritually and academically.
Is God Calling You to Consider:
- reaching out to new contacts for a future church plant by leading kids’ clubs, language classes, or Bible studies?
- serving in music ministry in an established church or in a brand new church plant, as well as leading children’s outreach music programs?
- ministering to college students through Bible study, hospitality, and friendship evangelism?
- teaching elementary or middle school students (in English) at a Christian school for missionary children?
If you can answer “Yes” to any one of these questions, you might be among those God is raising up to join our team in Nagoya! Please contact team leader Ben Jensen and start planning your vision trip today!
