29 April – 2 May 2025

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. – Isaiah 60:1 (ESV)

We’re filled with gratitude to God for an incredible time in Nagoya, Japan, where around 50 believers came together for a four-day conference filled with worship, fellowship, and a powerful sense of shared mission. The gathering brought together Japanese believers, church planters, and pioneers, along with brothers and sisters from around the Pacific Rim—Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Hawaii—as well as friends from Europe who came to serve and encourage.

Our heart for this time was rooted in Romans 1:11–12: “For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.” And indeed, we witnessed impartation and mutual encouragement through shared meals, conversations, and the joy of being together in the Lord’s presence.

A Time to “Arise”

The focal point of the trip was our four-day conference, aptly named Arise. It was a time set apart to encounter God together, to worship in unity, and to be refreshed in His Spirit. For many who are pioneering and planting churches—sometimes in isolation—it was especially meaningful to gather and worship freely with the wider family of faith.

We were richly blessed by the team from Living Stones Church in Kona, Hawaii, led by Ryan Burns, who led us in Spirit-filled sung worship throughout the conference.

Encouraging and Equipping the Church

We also received deep and stirring teaching from Mike Betts (U.K.), Hugh Pearce (U.K.), and Nilesh Raveendran (Japan). Each session built upon the vision of a church rising up in strength and mission, covering themes such as:

• A vision for the church to arise
• Grace-filled churches
• Spirit-empowered churches
• Churches built on apostolic and prophetic foundations
• A church commissioned to go

We were particularly encouraged by Masamitsu Morishita from Awakening Tokyo, who shared testimonies of street outreach in Tokyo where many are coming to faith. It’s evident that God is stirring hearts in Japan, and we rejoice in the openness to the gospel that’s growing across the nation.

Sent into the Harvest

Alongside the main conference, we hosted a daily training track led by Caleb Eby (NoPlaceLeft Japan). This time equipped believers to go into the harvest with practical tools for sharing the gospel and disciple-making. The training culminated in a bold step of faith as we all went out to local parks and shared the gospel. In less than an hour, over 50 people heard the good news—some hearing about Jesus for the very first time.

Community Church Nagoya

One of the key things about our visits to other nations is to spend time with the local church. On the Sunday we were so blessed to be with Community Church Nagoya, to see how God is growing them as disciples, and growing the church with new believers. This is the reality of pioneering! A small, but beautiful local church, with believers that are whole heartedly following Jesus, engaging in His mission to share the gospel and make disciples. Please keep praying for Community Church Nagoya, and Nilesh and Risa who lead this pioneering work.

Looking Ahead with Hope

We left Nagoya with full hearts and much hope for the season ahead. God is moving in Japan. The seeds sown during this conference—through worship, Word, and witness—are just the beginning. Our prayer is that the church in Japan will continue to rise in faith, empowered by the Spirit, grounded in grace, and compelled by the Great Commission.

To God be the glory for all He is doing!