Servant Leader Newsletter
October 2023
by Andrew Ichimura
JCE7 (Japan Congress on Evangelism) in September 2023 and “Paradigm Shift in Mission”
JCE7 was held at Nagaragawa International Conference Center in Gifu City from September 19 (Tue) to 22 (Fri) with participation of approximately 1,200 pastors, evangelists, missionaries, seminary students, and lay people from all over Japan. I also participated in the conference as a representative of the International VIP Club, and was encouraged and impressed by the following three points:
- Seeing young and mid-career leaders in their 40s and 50s, who will lead the next generation, taking on leadership roles and playing an active role in Japanese society with diversifying values and a rapidly digitalizing culture, I felt that there is hope for the future of evangelism in Japan.
- Not only by evangelism through words, but also the fact that evangelism is being carried out in ways that meet local needs, such as disaster relief, nursing care for the elderly, and children's cafeterias, demonstrates that the gospel is being shared through the fulfillment of social responsibilities. I sense great expectations for the future of evangelism in Japan.
- I was encouraged to see young people cooperating in missions. The fact that missionary work is being carried out in unity, in diversity, overcoming differences among churches, churches and mission groups, pastors and congregations, foreigners and Japanese, young people and the elderly, urban and rural areas, and so on truly gives me high expectations for the future of evangelism in Japan.
This conference strongly reminded me and emphasized the need for a "missionary paradigm shift" to share the "Gospel of the Kingdom of God" within the traditional Japanese culture to reach the hearts of the Japanese people. In this sense, the "VIP God's Kingdom Network" (Japan Roots Torah Scroll Study Group), which began in August 2021, is a "missionary paradigm shift" (a new way or approach) to convey the love of Jesus Christ and the gospel of the Kingdom of God within the Shinto and Buddhist culture of Japan. As a result, we reaffirmed that it has great power to change Japan.
“The Diet Christmas Banquet 2023" will be held on Thursday, November 30, at the Hotel New Otani Tokyo
The "Diet Christmas Banquet 2023" will be held for the first time in four years on Thursday, November 30, from 18:00 to 21:00 at the Hotel New Otani Tokyo's Houou Room (capacity of 300 people). The keynote speaker will be Mr. Shinsuke Sugiyama, former Ambassador of Japan to the United States and Advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The musical guest will be Mr. Toshiya Inagaki (baritone), and the MC Ms. Jyunko Akisawa (TBS-TV announcer).
Please pray that God's love and the gospel of the Kingdom of God will be shared boldly and clearly, that the eyes and ears of participants will be open to see and hear and respond in faith to the truth of the gospel. Please contact me (Ichimura) via email or LINE if you would like to have a brochure.
Andrew Ichimura
A3.business Faculty/Mentor
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Andrew Ichimura founded VIP Ministry Japan focusing on Christian business leaders in the context of the workplace there. He also serves as a mentor/faculty member for A3.business.
More Information
- This article was reposted with permission from Andrew Ichimura and originally appeared in his report, Servant Leader Newsletter, October 2023.
- Header photo courtesy JCE.
- Download the JCE7 flyer: JCE7-A3-flyer_2023.pdf
- JCE7 Official Website: Japan Congress on Evangelism (site in Japanese)
