There is a special unity among brothers and sisters in Christ, one that cannot be replicated outside of the cross – this symbol of our faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus. The cross is also a call for us as believers to invite others to join in this new life found in Christ.
For more than seventy years, NAB missionaries have served in Japan, collaborating with the Japan Baptist Conference. This special relationship was commemorated at the 2024 Triennial Conference last July when Ms. Kayoko Okura, a representative from the JBC, shared a letter of thanks and appreciation from the JBC Executive Committee Chairman.
This moment on stage at Triennial was part of an inflection point in the NAB mission in Japan. For decades, NAB missionaries have been serving in Japan under a legal entity, but when circumstances changed in early 2024, that entity needed to be closed. But that did not mean the NAB is done working in Japan, nor is our relationship with the JBC at its end. It just means we now have a new partnership with another mission organization, TEAM Japan.
For a number of months, NAB missionaries Yuri Nakano and Nick & Iris Hung have been serving in Japan alongside this nonprofit entity, allowing them to remain in Japan to continue reaching and teaching the people there. For the Hungs, everything about this is new. Having only recently arrived in Japan in September, they are still in language learning to help them reach the Chinese diaspora in Japan. Meanwhile, they are eager to learn and absorb valuable experience from former and current missionaries. For Yuri, the mission is still the same, even if her teammates have changed a bit. “Partnering with TEAM Japan is a small part of a larger movement I believe God is stirring to open up more possibilities for his Kingdom to grow here in Japan,” she said.
The unity of the cross as found in God’s people and extended to all others is on display in Japan through the work of NAB missionaries. Would you please consider giving in support of efforts such as these? Your gift of $100, $500, or more to the Global Missions Fund allows for the NAB International Office to provide the support crucial to times of transition like we are seeing in the Japan field. As Yuri said, “I am hopeful and glad NAB mission work in Japan is not over!”
Give to the Spring Mission Offering (CND)
Give to the Spring Mission Offering (USD)
You can also give via text message by texting your gift amount followed by “SPRING” to (204) 400-2238 for Canadian giving or to (916) 249-0534 for US giving.
Canadians can also give via e-transfer using givecanada@nabconf.org with “Spring Missions” in the note field.
The first episode of the NAB Stories podcast is now live and available to stream or download.
In this episode, host Drew Steinhart talks to Kevin Wong and Clifton Jang, pastors of NAB churches in the San Francisco, California, area. Kevin is the lead pastor at Cornerstone Trinity Baptist Church, and Clifton pastors their church plant, Cornerstone Trinity Excelsior (CTX). Throughout this conversation, their deep friendship with one another at the forefront as they share how God has shaped them and their churches and as they tell stories of what God is up to in their communities.
You can listen or download this episode directly from the NAB website or you can subscribe through Apple Podcasts or Spotify at the links below.
Listen to the NAB Stories Podcast
Time is running out to register for the next Multipliers Summit and Bonfire! The last day to register is tomorrow, April 11!
Both Multipliers Summit and Bonfire are part of Super Week 2025 – a handful of key, annual events for NAB leaders from across the conference that take place all in the same week in Chicago, Illinois, April 27–May 2.
For this year’s Multipliers Summit, we will be hearing from leaders already in our midst who have much to share with the rest of us; at Bonfire, we will have several speakers joining us virtually: David Fitch, Alan Roxburgh, and others. Both events will also focus on stories of what God is up to in the NAB through local churches.
All who attend Multipliers Summit are invited to stay longer to be a part of Bonfire, and everyone who attends Bonfire is invited to arrive early to participate in Multipliers Summit. Click on the link below to find out more details and register. (Cost varies depending on the events you attend and whether you pay by USD or CND.)
