Tachikawa Church of Christ

We are excited to be partnering with Tachikawa Church of Christ! This small but faithful congregation is in a prime spot for reaching their community. Tachikawa is a suburb on the Western side of the Tokyo metropolitan area. While not as densely populated as central Tokyo, most Americans would still consider it to be fairly crowded.

For over 60 years, the Tachikawa Church of Christ has faithfully stood in this area of Tokyo as witness to the Gospel. It is one of Japan’s larger congregations, with a membership around 30 individuals. Nao Fukushima serves as minister and evangelist along with his wife Noriko. They eagerly seek our help in reaching their community and are excitedly preparing for our arrival next year.

After spending six weeks with Tachikawa each of the last two summers, we are deeply grateful to be returning on a full-time basis. Living and working in this community long-term will allow us to build deeper relationships and develop more substantial ministry goals. Emily and I believe God is doing great things in the Tachikawa area, and we are humbled and honored to be part of the hands and feet of Jesus in this corner of the world.

Making Jesus Known

In essence, our mission is the same as any other Christian individual’s mission. We seek to bring glory to God through the advancement of His kingdom by making known the great news that the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus affords us the opportunity to become heirs of the promise to Abraham. In short, salvation in Jesus Christ removes the sin which separates us from God and through faith in His sacrifice, we may receive the grace and mercy God so desires to give to all of His creation. In practice, we hope to carry out this mission among the people of Japan – a culture far removed from Judeo-Christian norms that most of us in the West are accustomed to.

Quick Facts:

  • Japan has a population of over 126 million people.
  • Only about 1% of the Japanese population identifies as Christian
    (this includes Christianity of any form).
  • Practicing, faithful Christians make up a far smaller percentage.
  • Many churches consist of only a handful of members.
  • Between 50% to 80% of the population practices some form of Buddhism and/or Shintoism.
  • Ancestor worship is common – many people maintain shrines in their homes.
  • For additional details, see Les Taylor’s infographic.

Outreach & Evangelism

Evangelism in Japan is quite different from many other mission fields. A unique blend of cultural traditions and modern prosperity produces many obstacles to faith. By God’s grace, though, we believe it is possible to overcome these obstacles.

Genuine relationships with those in the Tachikawa community is a primary way for us to challenge these obstacles. Whether it be in shared events with neighbors, service opportunities to meet needs in the community, or events & programs at the church building, we believe that the Christian light shines strongest through authentic, natural relationships. Ultimately, we pray that these interactions will draw people to the source of that light, which is Christ. We want them to hear the shepherd’s voice through our lives. As people show interest, we will introduce them to scripture. By becoming acquainted with the Word of God, our hope is that the Spirit will lead them to faith in Jesus.

Ministry to Believers

Living as a faithful follower of Jesus in Japan is a difficult task. There are many cultural factors which make walking by faith challenging. That’s why an essential part of our ministry will be to build up our fellow Christians. We want our brothers and sisters in the Tachikawa church to remain faithful, and that their Christian walk grows and matures in faith. This is what discipleship is all about. Our weekly Sunday activities, including preaching & teaching, will be an important component. Yet, we also seek other opportunities outside of the weekly gathering to encourage our brothers and sisters in their faith such as enjoying meals in each other’s homes, extra events at the church building, and finding fellowship through civic activities as well. Additionally, we hope to find ways to encourage ministers, missionaries, and their families in other areas of Japan as they continue their Kingdom work.

Our Heart’s Desire

Our heart’s desire is to be faithful servants of God’s Kingdom in the Tachikawa community. We eagerly seek to make disciples and encourage them to be dedicated to the cause of Christ. We believe that God is moving in Japan – that God is drawing people to himself even here – and we want to be humble participants in that work. We pray that the relationships formed here will ultimately serve our primary mission: to encourage and increase God’s Kingdom.

He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the
workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore,
to send out workers into his harvest field. Go!”
~ Luke 10:2-3