What We Will Do

Long-Term Options (2+ years) What does this assignment in Japan involve? Learning a new culture. Teaming with other believers. Worshiping with them. Serving under a Japanese pastor. Making new friends in the community. Sharing Christ with them. Linking them to the church. Using your gifts, abilities and interests. Making disciples. Trusting God to build His church… Invest two or more years of your life partnering with a Japanese pastor and congregation! An Overview of Missional Partners Experience… * working on a team with a Japanese pastor to help extend the kingdom of God in Japan. * a rewarding relationship with a long-term missionary designed to teach and equip you. * using your gifts and abilities in ministry to impact others. * friendships as God touches lives through you. * helping a church to be salt and light in a needy area. * the challenge of impacting a strategic nation where less than 1% of the people know Christ. * sacrificing and living outside your comfort zone. * sharpening through regular interaction with other missionaries. Grow in… * character and spiritual formation. * personal prayer and applying God’s Word to daily life. * awareness of your giftedness and ministry skills. * ability to live cross-culturally. * working under the leadership of a Japanese pastor and with Japanese Christians. * ministry effectiveness. * capacity to communicate in Japanese. * love for God’s Church! As a Missional Partner, you will be assigned to work with a Japanese pastor in a ministry setting. Experienced missionaries will serve as your role models, and provide assistance in helping you use your gifts and abilities in ministering under a Japanese pastor. While English teaching is one tool for building relationships, many other ministry opportunities exist depending upon the needs of your Japanese church and upon your giftedness. These outreaches will be focused on making friends in your community and may include: music, drama, cooking classes, leading Bible studies, teaching English Bible classes or Sunday School classes, children’s programs, camps, coffee houses, etc. The focus of your efforts will be to share Christ with friends and make disciples, enfolding them into your church. If you want to do something lasting for Christ, now is a great time to be a Missional Partner in Japan. The most effective long-term strategy is to plant churches. There are many models out there, and room for many methods. However, Asian Access does this through our Missional Partners ministry. Missional Partners is a strategy of church planting by networking 3-7 Japanese churches in a region together for a 3-year cycle. Missionaries may be used as catalysts in this process. Invest 2 or more years to come alongside a visionary Japanese pastor and congregation in its work. Missional Partner – Program Details Program Description: Initial focus on language acquisition and developing skills in church development specific to region (i.e. house church model), evangelism, church planting, and coaching. Remainder of term will focus on partnering in local church development and regional church multiplication movement efforts. Your purpose will be: to partner with local church in holistic outreach to make disciples of Christ, develop leaders, and churches; to learn from seasoned missionaries and Japanese partners to actively grow and develop during first term of service. Duties: * Specific to Initial Period of Equipping/Foundation Building * Completes part-time language study. Acquires a minimum of level four on the JLPT (Japan Language * Proficiency Test) and any other standards set based on outcomes specific to work context. * Acquires thorough knowledge of history and culture related to region, local setting and partnering church. * Establishes trust relationship with partnering church leadership and members. * Exhibits thorough understanding of partnering church vision and personal contribution toward accomplishing that vision. Focus on Church Development/Church Multiplication Movement * Participates with Japanese partners in holistic outreach and training resulting in successful outcomes established by team. * Utilizes personal gifting, talent, skills, experience, etc. to build bridges between community and church for relationship building and outreach. This could include teaching conversational English, cooking, music, or a host of other possibilities, depending on the individual’s abilities and local needs. * Contributes to deepening trust relationships with assigned pastor and church. * Contributes to regional Church Multiplication Network as requested by CMN leader and in collaboration with partnering church. * Catalyzes innovation for reaching Japan for Christ in partnership with Japanese Christians. * Demonstrates ongoing commitment and skills toward language acquisition and relating cross-culturally. Mission related * Contributes to vibrant community life of area team. * Participates in Asian Access regional and mission-wide gatherings and regular online updates. * Participates in a mentoring relationship with assigned seasoned missionary/missionaries. * Participates in ongoing missionary training program. * Maintains donor base adequate to supply personal and ministry needs. * Maintains all documentation necessary for legal presence in Japan using six-month check up form.