For those of you in North America, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. We did manage to get a turkey this year (no pumpkin pie yet though!)
Last month we talked about putting out into the deep, about stretching into what the Lord has next. Here's what that's starting to look like.
Something Organic Is Happening
Two weeks ago we held our first prayer gathering since the Week of Prayer. We are calling these Bonfire Gatherings. The purpose is to carry forward the heart of what we experienced in the prayer room: an invitation to gather with others, bring your life in God and see His fire burn bright in Tokyo.
About 20 people gathered to pray and wait on the Lord, including a group that had already planned to do outreach that evening after the prayer time. Thanks to our partners, we rented a great space just around the corner from the Week of Prayer venue.
The turnout was great, but what was even better was the spontaneity. Most of the participants were from the Week of Prayer, but there were some new faces too. People came hungry, and there was expectation in the room. We had believers from a variety of backgrounds, some who didn’t speak in tongues. But there was freedom and flow. The presence of God was there and people left encouraged.
It’s what we really want to see, what we need for a movement: people taking initiative and relationships forming organically. It’s still at the very beginning stages, and very fragile, but the ingredients are there, and we want to continue to move forward at the speed of relationship. We have another Bonfire Gathering this week, and for now we're keeping it monthly as we discern how the Lord is leading us.
A Larger Vision
Last month I was invited to attend the Global Harvest Summit in Jeju, Korea—over 900 leaders from around the world, including a group of Japanese pastors, several of whom I was able to invite. I was also honored to co-host a break-out session with another Japanese pastor on the spread of the gospel in Japan. I really enjoyed how the summit seemed less about the presentations and more about the connections and conversations between the participants.
Throughout this season, we've been asking the Lord: How can we stand alongside the body of Christ in Japan and add strength? We're starting to see how He's answering that question. Collaboration has become more and more a key word for us, and I think it's key to how the gospel will spread in this nation.
Historically, this has been lacking in Japan. When missionaries came in the late 1800s, different denominations competed with each other. After WWII, mission organizations have basically operated in silos. One Japanese pastor friend from the conference explained to me that historically the gospel work in Korea took a different approach—missionaries communicated with each other, prioritized unreached areas, worked together strategically. Perhaps this also played a role in the striking difference in how the gospel has impacted each nation.
We know what ministry in Japan has been, but it doesn’t mean it has to stay that way. What if Japan became known as a nation where churches and missions organizations collaborated well? Where we were known for good communication, camaraderie, support of one another?
I believe it could happen. A lot of young missionaries and new ministries have been coming to Japan or wanting to come. Connecting with them and offering mentoring has become a significant focus for us this year. We can't meet with everyone who reaches out, but we do what we can to welcome those who come. My heart is to give them a better foundation to lead from than what I had when I came 25 years ago.
We're also part of conversations about hosting a Tokyo gathering in 2027 similar to the Jeju summit. I’m meeting monthly with some other pastors and leaders to pray into it together. A gathering like what we are dreaming about could be a real catalyst for creating a new paradigm of collaboration for gospel work in this nation.
Another exciting development: Kumi has been asked to serve as the Japan Coordinator for 24-7 Prayer, the international prayer movement that was behind our Global Week of Prayer in September. Having an established prayer movement as a partner gives us a credible platform to help churches across Japan step into deeper prayer life and mission.
Thank You
Several of you responded generously to our last newsletter, and we are deeply grateful. Your giving is helping us start 2026 from a place of strength. If you've been considering joining us as a financial partner in this season of stretching out, that invitation remains open—we would love to have you with us.
We love you, we thank God for you. 2025 has been amazing. We have seen some wins and taken some ground. Kumi and I feel so privileged by your partnership. Thank you for walking this journey with us.
As we close out 2025 and look forward to 2026, would you pray with us:
- For wisdom as we build community and navigate new relationships
- For an outpouring of the Spirit of God in our upcoming Bonfire evenings
- For the conversations forming around the 2027 Tokyo gathering
- That the Lord would continue to gather hungry hearts who will carry His heart for this nation
Love from Tokyo.,
-J