Mission in Japan

In the same year that we celebrate 50 years of the Church's life, we have been given the privilege and responsibility of taking the good news of Jesus to the other side of the world.

The information we have is that no Christian missionaries have been sent from Portugal to Japan since the Jesuits were sent by the Catholic Church in the 16th century. This is because, as is well known, that country has developed a highly protective attitude towards its culture and traditions, resistant to foreign influences and the introduction of new customs and religions. In addition, sending missionaries to Japan involves other major challenges: geographical distance and the high cost of living in that country. However, this historical, cultural and geographical context does not alter the fact that the Gospel is God's gift to all humanity at all times. And if the world seems smaller and smaller to us today, it is even smaller for the younger generations.

And so, after several years in which God worked on Rebeca's heart and will, she has her mission well defined: to bring her "art to a culture of silence, friendship to a culture of loneliness, forgiveness to a culture of shame: to shine the light of Christ in the Land of the Rising Sun". After sharing her call with the Church that saw her birth, we unanimously decided on May 4 to validate and support her move to Japan.

This mission will take place in partnership with MEVIC - Missão Evangélica Intercultural, with the support of the International Missions Board, and we expect it to last at least 2 to 3 years. Although God has used us before to initiate and support various mission projects, this will be the first time we have taken responsibility as a sending church for a mission abroad. In this process, we are counting on the support and guidance provided by MEVIC.

The limited material resources we have do not allow us to provide full financial support. For this reason, Rebeca will have to raise more money from other brothers and sisters who recognize the high spiritual need in Japan, have the desire to see the Gospel spread in that country, and therefore want to get involved with this mission.

We know that there are many obstacles, but there are also many opportunities: our countries have a historical connection that is revealed in everyday life, particularly in the language and cuisine; fado is much appreciated by the Japanese; like the Azores, Japan is an area of great seismic and volcanic activity; and even the emblematic flower of our islands - the Hydrangea - came from there. Most importantly, Japanese culture is interested in the deeper questions of life and is full of possible connections with the Gospel.

Clique neste botão abaixo, para baixar a apresentação do projeto.
Descarregar “Missão no Japão - Apresentação da Rebeca Couto (maio 2025)” Testemunho_public-web-version.pdf – Descarregado 1046 vezes – 7,18 MB

If God also moves you to be part of this missionary project, pray for the necessary and proper operation of every part of this great undertaking. Ask God for wisdom, not only for the church, but for the organizations that will be coordinating the project and, above all, for Rebeca, who is willing to go!

If, in addition to praying, you also want to contribute financially to this mission, you can contact our church or Rebeca. However, in this case, we recommend contacting MEVIC as a priority, as all the logistics will be managed by this agency. Below are the contact details, as well as the organization's IBAN and MBWay (Portugal). If you would like to receive a newsletter with regular information about this mission, please contact us using our contact form: click here.