Church Multiplication

Ever see a dream come true? Well last week I (John) did. For decades the Church Planting Institute (CPI) has been casting vision for church multiplication. Many training events have seen growing vision for new churches. But as of yet most of what we have done, even though many Japanese have been crucial part, there has been little Japanese leadership. The Vision Festa on October 29-30 changed the playing field entirely.

Mission FestaLast week 65 key leaders from throughout Japan gathered for the first Church Multiplication Vision Festival. This was led by Japanese, for Japanese, in Japanese (Only about 5 missionaries attended). Japanese leaders came from all over Japan from Hokkaido to Okinawa and many places in between to form a national network for church planting multiplication. Leaders were from denominations, organizations, movements and networks currently engaged in church planting multiplication. For example they were the Japan Church Growth Institute network (JCGI), the cell church network (JCMN), several house church networks, Redeemer Grace City network, Miyagi Mission Network, CPI, and others.

Many of these leaders had spoken, trained, or attended many CPI events. There were many young leaders in the room who we pray will develop into a new generation of Japanese leaders committed and engaged in church multiplication. Along with group discussions, 15 key leaders sketched church multiplication and the future of Japan and several case studies on church multiplication. One Japanese leader passed out some of my research on church multiplication models and leadership.

Along with my CPI Leadership Team I have been requested to join the other 15 leaders caring for this movement. We will be evaluating this event and meeting next January to determine the next steps in developing. We have not seen the entire dream yet fulfilled but then through developing leaders and growing vision together we know God will bless this for his glory.

The challenge is large in Japan, the second largest unreached people in the world with 126 million people. We all believe that by following God’sJohn Seita and Seima At Vision Festa vision we can multiply disciples, leaders, and churches. The goal is a national movement which is broadly evangelical and Kingdom-minded. Many leaders talked about a large national vision of 50,000 churches in Japan, far more than the roughly 8,000 today.

This event did not take place all of a sudden but it had been building this entire year. Many believe that the wind may be changing in Japan. Thank you for your continued prayers. Ask God to speak to each leader about bold risk-taking faith and that we would be great listeners to the Spirit and each other.

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