As part of our efforts to return to mission work in Japan, we have launched the Ten Partner Project. The goal of this project is to find ten partners (either individuals or churches) who will support this work for $200/month or more. If we received that level of support across just ten partners, we would be able to begin our preparations to return to Japan. If we averaged $300/month, we would nearly meet our sustainable budget goal!
On this page, you will find a wealth of information about our family and our work, along with information on how you can partner with us. Thank you for considering this work!
Where We Are Going
Our family will be working in Japan with the Matsudo Church of Christ, where we worked from 2012-2017. Matsudo is part of the Greater Tokyo Area, and boasts a population of nearly 500,000 itself, so there is much Kingdom work to be done in the city. The Matsudo congregation is small, but has existed for over 50 years. However, the average age of the church has steadily increased. They currently have no minister, and the church will likely disappear within a generation unless something changes.
Our Vision For Japan
We’re told in scripture that the nations of earth will bring their “glory and honor” into God’s holy city (Rev. 21:22-27), and it is our heart’s desire to see many Japanese people taking part in that promise. We have a vision of following Christ’s Great Commission, making disciples and helping them grow in their walk with God. We envision the Matsudo church filled with dedicated disciples using their individual gifts to serve each other and to have an impact for the cause of Christ in the community. We envision bringing our own talents to the local work and the broader kingdom work across the country. Our vision is to do all of this using both tried-and-true methods, while also using modern tools and our unique gifts to serve the kingdom in Japan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Short answer: a long, interconnected series of events! Long answer: Leslie lived in Japan from ages 10-13 years old, and was even baptized there in 1996. Towards the end of his college undergraduate years, he began looking into how to go back to Japan for mission work. During this time he came in contact with Brent & Sandy Rogers who lived in Okayama Prefecture. Several years later (3+ years after Leslie and Sara married), an email came from Brent saying there was a kindergarten looking for an English teacher in their area, and they were hoping a Christian would take the job so they could help with the mission work. Leslie ended up getting that job, and so our family moved to Japan for the first time in 2010. After that first year, we decided we wanted to come back as full time missionaries, which led us to our first work in Matsudo from 2012-2017.
During our previous “missionary journey” to Japan, we committed to 5 years. This time, however, we are planning to stay indefinitely. We don’t have a set timetable, but we are committed to long-term work in the country as long as God sees fit to bless and lead us in the work. In other words, we are planning to make Japan our home!
Our goal is to be back in Japan by March of 2020. Of course, in all of this we entrust our plans to God, believing he will guide us according to his will.
Our work will be multifaceted, involving everything from personal Bible studies to teaching at JSE (Japan School of Evangelism) to media ministry and more. Our primary focus will be on serving the Matsudo church, helping the remaining members grow as disciples of Jesus, as well as building connections in the community that we can use to point people to Christ. However, we will also serve beyond this both locally and nationally as much as possible. Find our more about our mission plans by clicking on the following link: Our Mission.
Our sponsoring church is the La Grange Church of Christ in La Grange, Texas. We are excited to be partnered with this wonderful congregation!
Our full statement of faith can be found on this page: Statement of Faith. We believe the core elements of the Christian faith which comprise the gospel are non-negotiable, as our connection to Christ hinges on our fidelity to these. (Gal. 1:9). It is important that we stand firm on the truth of God’s word, and call sin for what it is (Eph. 4:17-25). However, on peripheral doctrines where honest questions exist, we believe it is important to extend grace and to “bear with one another” in love. We do not wish to take part in divisive quarrels which lead to discord and strife within God’s church (2 Tim. 2:14ff). We must be actively seeking to grow in knowledge of God’s truth (2 Pet. 1:5), but this is an exercise best done together with fellow believers, as we seek to grow and mature together (Eph. 2:19-22).
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Ready to partner with us? In order to join our mission, please fill out the form below. This information will be sent directly to us, and forwarded immediately to our sponsoring church. Thank you so much! We are excited to partner with you and to get to work, producing fruit that is credited to you for your partnership (Phil. 4:17).