Believing in Japan

June is mercy ministry month in Grace City Church Tokyo. As we seek the prosperity/peace of the whole city (Jer. 29:7) we desire to see a greater Tokyo by also reaching out to those in need. Tokyo knows relatively few homeless people and ministering to them is challenging, because the government dislikes churches meddling in their policies to invisibly solve this ‘social problem’. As new church plant we are considering how we can help strategically and effectively. However there are many other areas of need, often stages before becoming socially ostracized.

One area of need is the so-called hakenmondai. The problem of non-regular workers being laid off en masse in the current economic slow down. It seems this may not be a problem of city center Tokyo, which in Japan is the symbol of succesful salaried workers, the Japanese dream. However, around New Year suddenly a little village of tents appeared in Hibiya Park, right between the government district and the fianncial district. This hakenmura (literally village for non-regular workers) provided housing for hundreds of people who were deprived of housing or food after they were suddenly laid off. Ironically this village was right in front of the department for labor and welfare…

What can we do as church? There are hardly any Christian organizations reaching out. The few churches brave enough to do so happen to be led by pastors from Korea and even Myanmar. Will our church be able to make a difference? Other areas we are thinking of that relate directly to our target group is counseling. There is still a taboe on counseling as you will not talk about your deepest emotions and weaknesses. Talking to a professional counselor over the past few weeks confirmed the vast need in this area and the potential as church to really serve the city through a professional counseling ministry. As a first step we are preparing to hold stress management or communication seminars with a follow up project.

Talking to our launch team about mercy ministry we stressed two things. First of all it is important that the motivation for a mercy ministry must begin at the grass roots. Tim Keller writes in the Church Planting Manual: “Mercy is a command of God, yet it cannot be simply a response to a demand. It must arise out of hearts made generous and gracious by an understanding and experience of God’s mercy. It is the hearts of the congregation that must be melted until they ask, “Where is my neighbor?” “

And that directly connects with the second aspect of mercy ministry. What is our motivation? It feels great to help someone. At our next prayer walk we will all bring food packages to give out when we walk the underground catacombes of Tokyo station. Handing those out to homeless people will certainly make us feel good, having a sense of starting a concrete mercy ministry, however small. Yet, when our hearts will be motivated by how it will make us feel, we are self-righteouss and it will not last nor be effective. The right motivation is in the Gospel. We show mercy (diakonia), because we received and were healed through diakonia by Christ! So the start of Grace’s mercy ministry will focus on the Gospel as the only power that can transform our hearts ánd the city!

We may need a little extra mercy, too , having  a group of ten young Dutch young professionals come to Tokyo from July 8-22. This short term mission team from our home church in the Netherlands will come to see the vision and help us make new contacts (see prayer requests). Several events will see a fusion of Dutch and Japanese culture as exactly this year 400 years of Holland-Japan relations are celebrated. We value your prayers for this venture. We trust we will have a great time with lots of fun, but also honestly pray this will affect the group to be ambassadors for urban mission in Japan back home. Many more workers (and supporters!) are needed to show God’s MERCY in Christ for the (young urban) Japanese. Lord have MERCY!