OUTWARD Passion

John Leading the Opening Session

John Leading the Opening Session

Some say last month’s CPI Conference was the best ever. One of our partners is Church Planter Seima Aoyagi who reported, “I serve on the CPI leadership team. Last month’s biennial conference had 415 adults and 113 kids.  CPI has two major focuses — church planting and gospel-centeredness — that drew and united people from all over Japan. Even though we have only 0.22% evangelical Christians in Japan, it is such an encouragement to see so many laborers in Christ get together with unity and passion to serve God’s kingdom in Japan.” One other missionary colleague declared that along with another church planting event (see last month’s newsletter) “the combined effect of which has been to re-ignite in my soul a passion for church planting and multiplication and faith in God to accomplish His Will…even in Japan. I am excited to see what God is going to do in the next year or two.”

Here are some personal and big picture highlights from the CPI National Conference.

CoverResize

  • We had not seen attendance numbers like this in over a decade. Quickly our 3 hotel resort campus filled and we had to secure rooms in another hotel. This was a “good problem” to have.
  • Elaine and I were involved in several training seminars on church planting and gospel renewal, all of which went very well.
  • Many Japanese leaders are talking about a possible change in the spiritual climate in Japan.
  • The Converge affiliated Japan Rengo had 18 leaders attend these meetings including their own Church Planters’ Summit. This was one of the largest number of Rengo leaders attending.
  • Participants reported that they plan to start 198 churches in the next 2-5 years.
  • Last year CPI trained over 300 in regional training, 2016 looks like a busy year equipping more workers for the church planting harvest.  Continue to pray for the breakthrough in Japan.
  • Elaine and I posted a video on YouTube https://youtu.be/9XTbTZZVCd0 just before 500 people descended on the hotels.

Leave a Reply