Bringing the Gospel to Japan

By Russ Parker, Pastor of Administration 

Japan is a country with 127.3 million people and boasts the third largest national economy in the world, tremendous technology, and many exports that make our lives unbelievably convenient. Along with this prosperity, however, there is a darker side of Japan that many are unaware of. There were 34,427 Japanese that took their own lives last year. Eleven percent of Japanese people say that they wish they had never been born. And 85% of teens wonder what the point of their existence is. Hope is something missing for so many in Japan. A culture where performance and shame often go hand-in-hand, Japan is in desperate need of discovering they are loved and valued by the Creator of the Universe – that they are being offered life through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on their behalf.

Japan is the second least-evangelized nation on the planet. There is one Christian church for every 16,293 people. In the city of Tokyo, there is only one church per 12,192 people and average attendance per church is 58. Out of every 1,000 people, only two attend a church. In many cases the issue is not the rejection of the gospel, but the lack of people telling of the radical love of God for His creation.

This summer LBF has the opportunity to send a team of musicians to take the Message of Hope to Japan. Partnering with Youth With A Mission Tokyo (YWAM), this team will tell of God’s love, speak the truth of God to people who are unaware of what His son Jesus did for them, and be obedient to whatever God may lead them to do.

The team will serve in music ministry and street evangelism in partnership with YWAM, participating in established, ongoing ministries in local schools, universities, and churches that desperately need encouragement and people to come alongside them. Our team and each of its members was selected because of their personal pursuit of God and His will for their life, their heart to minister the Gospel of Jesus through music, and their willingness to go to a different culture and embrace the people as brothers and sisters in Christ.

The Japan team leaves June 29 and returns July 9. We appreciate your prayers for our team as they prepare their hearts for service and raise the resources to fund this mission.