In My Own Words: Missions in Japan

  • Sep 18, 2008
  • Series: In My Own Words

by Matt and Caroline Newkirk
Members of the CTK community are personally involved in the church's vision to see people changed, our community renewed, and the city transformed. This space will be dedicated to highlighting cases where the CTK vision is worked out in the practice of our members. The goal is to connect people to the work that is going on in their church. In this report, Matt and Caroline Newkirk talk about their recent trip to Japan.

Dear Christ the King Presbyterian Church,

Hello from Chicago! We are back from our time in Japan and are settling into our new home. Let us begin by thanking you again for your financial and prayerful support of our internship in Japan last month . . . (you can check out our blog from Japan [here] for pictures and a "play-by-play" of our time there).

The two seminary classes that Matt taught went very well. All of the students in both Greek I & II passed, which was quite an accomplishment considering the intensity of these two-week courses. We enjoyed getting to know these four students, not only in class, but also during several lunches and by spending time with them over at "our house" (we had a running joke that Matt was filling their heads and Caroline was filling their stomachs!). Matt also spent time preaching a three-week sermon series on Genesis 1-3 at All Nations Fellowship (an English-speaking international church plant). In this series, he presented the high value of humanity in creation, the grace of God in creation and redemption, and the faith that humanity exercises for salvation from sin.

Caroline faithfully helped with and taught children's Sunday school for four weeks at All Nations Fellowship. In addition, she organized and hosted a weekly seminary fellowship lunch (whcih wa a huge encouragement to the students and faculty) as well as several other fellowship events . . . We both felt that our particular gifts were needed and used the entire time we were in Japan.

Perhaps the biggest spiritual impact of our trip occurred when we visited the local Shinto shrines. Our first visit to a shrine made it very clear that the Japanese are a people-group steeped in blatant idolatry. While we were (quite comfortably) exploring the shrine, which is at the top of a tall stone staircase decked with gargoyle-like statues, a Japanese man approached the shrine, dropped some yen (coins) in the repository, clapped his hands, bowed to the ground, and repeated the ritual. It reminded us of 1 Cor. 10:19-20, where Paul writes:

"Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons."

This man, who was created in the image of the true God and designed to reflect and worship Him, was worshiping demons instead. He had "exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator" (Rom. 1:25). What a travesty, not just for this lost Japanese man, but mostly for the Creator God who alone is worthy of all worship and praise! Japan is an island packed full of such people, and this experience, along with many others, served to confirm our sense of call to pursue service there long-term. This prospect is very exciting for us, but we also know that we have a long road ahead. We will begin studies at Wheaton College Graduate School this week, which will serve to equip us to teach and minister in the spiritual wasteland of Japan long-term.

Between now and four years down the road when we plan to finish our studies, we want to keep assisting with the ministry in Japan as much as possible. We are hoping (Lord willing!) to travel to Japan once per year during this next season in order to continue ministering at Christ Bible Seminary. It is easy for potential missionaries to "lose the vision" due to time and distance, and we strongly desire for that not to happen to us. Additionally, the seminary is in desperate need of qualified faculty now more than ever. More and more students are inquiring about attending, which is wonderful, but instructors are few and far between. Even during our time there this summer we received news that another potential professor, who is nearing the end of his doctoral training, will not be returning to Japan to teach due to its distance from the U.S. and the difficulty of the spiritual soil. We hope and pray that our calling to minister in this distant and unreached land will not diminish during our training, but rather increase and blossom until we are finished and released to go!

We thank you again for partnering with us in the gospel ministry to the ends of the earth. God's kingdom work across the globe is accomplished by "goers" and "senders" working together, using the various resources that He has given each of us. You have sent us well! We ask you to keep us and the nation of Japan in your prayers and to consider the possibility of continuing to partner with us in the future.

For His glory,

Matt & Caroline