Thanksgiving and Anniversaries!
OMF Japan, Homeside and Fieldside, and a number of churches OMF partners with celebrate anniversaries this month. We rejoice and pray!
Japan Field Director
Please pray for good fellowship, sharing and discussion at the OMF Members’ Meetings on 3rd November. Pray for the Lord’s leading at the Designation Working Group (5th November) and for Field Leader-ship Team meetings (5th-7th November). Pray for many to be inspired for mission at the OMF Homeside (60th anniversary) and Fieldside (75th Anniversary) events from 22nd – 24th November.
Pray for those assisting with administrative tasks for these upcoming events.
Finance & Administration Sector Leader
Praise for a successful close to budget season and good teamwork. As the finance & administration team readjusts to a “normal” workload again, pray for the Lord’s wisdom in identifying the important versus the urgent, and that His love would be reflected in all they do. Pray for: November Field Leadership Team preparations, our newest team member as she grows in her role, for new Finance Managers to join us in 2026. May the Lord be glorified!
Hiragishi Izumi
Give thanks for 17 non-Christian guests at the House Party, and for new people coming on Sundays and to other events. Lord, please bring a harvest! Give thanks too for the fruit we see in the lives of church members. Please pray that Izumi Church would continue to grow more in faith, hope, love, and zeal for the gospel. Pray for the evangelistic Harvest Festival (2nd November), and our annual Churches Away Day (24th November), when the teaching will focus on Hokkaido’s Christian history and we spend time in prayer for this area. Two team members take holiday (10th-15th November), and then their leaving service/party takes place on the 23rd November (pray many of their contacts will come), before they return to Korea (26th November). Another team member takes a retreat from 10th-14th November. Another team member is preaching every week. Please continue to pray for provision for a new building.
Nayoro Grace Church
Praise God for the church’s second baptism this year on 26th October. Pray for one of our young people to walk with God daily and grow in fellowship. Pray for guidance in planning youth gatherings. Please pray for thorough discussions and prayerful decisions to be made during the church meeting on 16th November, and at the Nayoro Church Planting Committee meeting on 18th November.
Sapporo International Church (SIC)
Pray for the church as we celebrate its 41st anniversary. Pray especially for preparations for a joint commemorative worship service (2nd November), as we seek to reflect on the journey and see the faithfulness of God, as well as cast vision for the future. Pray for the building committee as they plan, meet architects, update budgets and raise funds. Praise God that the four worship services enable people from various language groups to hear the gospel preached in their language. Please pray for two non-Christian students who have been attending recently. Pray for helpers for the English Café. Pray for energy and health during this busy season.
Taihei Christ Chapel, Sapporo
Praise the Lord for the Thanksgiving event (25th October) at church and that some seekers came. Winter is coming to Sapporo; please pray for protection for everyone’s physical health, and for safety when driving in snow. Please pray also for our colleagues’ sermon preparation for 30th November.
Jōsui Megumi Church, Tachikawa, Tokyo
Praise God for good rest for the family during the autumn break, after a busy October. Please pray for: 1) Continued opportunities to connect with newcomers through guitar and English outreach; 2) Three seekers with longterm engagement with the church to come to faith; 3) Renewed vision for the church at its 30th anniversary on 23rd November; 4) The family serving here to have good spiritual rhythms and to draw closer to Christ.
Nakayoshi Church
Lazarus ministries has had an abrupt change of location; please pray for good adaptation. Monday’s Sidewalk Chapel, an outreach focused on the homeless population, has had so many new people, that team members are struggling to have enough food and to bring it to the park. At Nakayoshi, one believer was baptised, and in the park one lady has requested a Bible.
Tokyo Christian University (TCU) & Counselling
Thank God for blessing the seminar about burnout for pastors from the Japan Evangelical Church Association. Please pray for preparations for a mental health seminar for female fulltime workers from the Japan Evangelical Missionary Association (11th November), and for the pastoral counselling course at TCU (from 26th November). Pray for healing for each counselee.
Hirosaki Nozomi
Give thanks for the 10th anniversary of Nozomi Church! Pray for various preparations for Christmas outreach, as well as a blessed Thanksgiving Outreach event on the 8th November. Pray for regular seekers to take the next steps of faith, and for at least one baptism at Christmas. Pray for guidance about a church cemetery. Pray for one missionary settling into her term of service. Pray other missionaries’ Japanese study, and wisdom to balance this with other ministries and roles in OMF Japan. Pray also for them as they continue to seek God’s wisdom for the future.
