Periods under 90 days usually require no visa, but at present they do because of the pandemic, and are not possible at all from most countries. So, short-term service is suspended during the current pandemic stage except for those willing to isolate or near-isolate for the first 2 weeks, coming at least 6 weeks total, and either already in Japan or from a small subset of nations from which short-term entry to Japan is possible—inquire for details. By mid-to late 2021, short-term service from other nations likely will become possible and easier again. Housing and local transport are often though not always provided, and especially if under 4 people, but varies with location. Kitchen for self-cook often available, but need to buy your own groceries. nder 20 years old requires parental approval letter. 20 is the age considered an adult in Japan. Trip insurance that includes medical coverage is recommended for all. A contribution to the host ministry to cover things like extra utilities used, gasoline for local transportation, ministry supplies, flyer copies/tracts, and such is recommended, if able.
Short-Term trips do not generally directly involve an agency in most cases. However, RJTA none-the-less does help connect interested persons with short-term opportunities. Some possibilities include:
Region: North Tohoku
ST-1) Standard Short-Term Rural Mission Trip(1 week to 90 days). :
One time or recurring. Assist a Church Plant Underway in a Recently Targetted Previously Unchurched Area Assist a rural church plant Kita Sanriku Christ Church in North Iwate via seed sowing/watering events such as mobile cafes or singalongs for the elderly, kids events, and others, distribution of flyers and tracts, music, crafts, English classes/activities, ethnic cooking, and similar, or as otherwise needed by the specific ministry. Flexible to serve however needed at the time. Come once, or 1 to 4 times a year on a recurrent or ongoing basis. This is a pioneer location (first church plant in an area); helping in these locations contributes to broader and deeper continued engagement of what was until recently an untargeted unchurched area. Teams of around 1 to 4 people from within Japan or abroad desired. Sometimes larger teams OK, but smaller is ideal for rural areas. Larger teams need a driver and rental car and may be split at times into subgroups between background prep back at the church, flyer/tract distribution, and events/direct contact ministry. But a team of 4 people 3 times a year is preferable to a team of 12 at once. If all housed at the church, maximum team size is 12.
ST-2) Seasonal Short-Term Missions Trip—Event Focus.
One time or every year. Broad seed sowing, follow-up, and Easter or Christmas event helpers (part or all of late March and April or late Nov through Dec 26) at Kita Sanriku Christ Church rural church plant in North coastal Iwate. Help with two of the most key times of follow-up each year with the nearly 2000 contacts made via tsunami and typhoon relief work in the four towns via 20-30 Christmas and 15 to 20 Easter events in various neighborhoods, plus Christmas tract/present or Easter tract/egg or candy distribution door to door. Also, a time where most of the 20,000 living in the four towns receive a flyer invitation to an outreach event and are reminded of the church and of Jesus, whereas flyer distribution is less widespread at other times. As time permits, during the Christmas season, after distributing tracts in areas we have many contacts, tracts are also distributed in neighborhoods where we have few, if any, contacts. At least one on the team ideally should play keyboard or guitar at basic level for Easter hymn or Christmas carol singalongs at events and casual mini-concerts. Come prepared for an especially busy schedule of flyer/tract distribution, helping with events, etc, and for cold weather. Ideally, 1 or 2 from a larger team would come early to help with much of the flyer distribution and behind the scenes prep during the 4-8 weeks ending on Dec 26, and the rest of a potentially larger team (if they have rental car/driver) join later just for the 2-3 weeks leading up to Christmas during the event season. And similar at Easter. These are the two best times a year for a bit larger teams, though even small teams are a blessing.
ST-3. Seasonal Short-Term Annual Recurrent Missions Trip—Seed Sowing Tract Focus.
Must have driver, rental car, and experience driving in snow. Two week minimum, four week maximum for main larger team, with optional second month for 1-4 people. One car/driver for every four locations and 4-5 people. At least one on each sub-team with some survival level Japanese is needed, and keyboard or guitar ability preferred. Commit for a team from same church/group to come back annually for several years, continuing to water the prior year’s seeds—adopting specific locations and returning to them annually. Stay in Iwaizumi at night (or other places arranged by KSCC), but be dispatched to do Christmas flyering, annual event, and Christmas tracting in 4 or more different unrelated unchurched areas of Iwate, Akita, or Aomori. Three days per location spread over 2 weeks, 4 different locations total in 2 weeks for every 4-5 persons and car/driver. So a team of 10 for 2 weeks could cover 8 locations in 2 subteams. Maximum team size of 12 so maximum of 3 subteams covering 12 locations in 2 weeks or 24 locations in 4 weeks. KSCC will order the tracts in advance, but the team will need to cover the cost of the tracts. Option for smaller team to remain longer though January to distribute a second round of follow-up tracts in the same locations. The teams may be unaccompanied part or all of the time after an initial training by the KSCC pastor, though occasionally the KSCC or other pastors/missionaries in the region may participate in some—not all--of the events. With some basic guidelines/guidance, the team will plan and carry out the events after flyering at least 2 days ahead, and will distribute the tracts a day or more after the events, rotating to different locations each day. Continue annual events as long as possible over the years, hopefully until someone arises to take long-term responsibility for church planting in these untargeted areas. When/where/if key responses occur, there are churches/pastors within the region as well as various other resources for follow-up that can be introduced for some degree of follow-up with specific individuals who start deeply seeking or believe. May evolve into a permanent outreach outpost of one of these churches or perhaps a church planter will arise from among the short-term team members or among individuals who come to faith. But until then, the main purpose is to bring at least annual gospel access to those living in areas that remain untargeted until someday they become targeted. This is largely soil preparation for the time being. ST-2 and ST-3 can be combined, as long as there are at least 4-8 people and one driver/car. This involves a lot of walking in cold weather.
ST-4. Individual/Small team “Any Time” seed sowing,
assisting the Kita Sanriku Christ Church Church plant in North Iwate via the 8 Tract series project to get the gospel into the hands of all 20,000 individuals within its focus area of Iwaizumi/Tahohata/Fudai/Noda in a more comprehensible way than a single visit or tract can do and without any individual household being left out. In a period of 8 to 12 weeks, distribute an 8 tract series which builds the foundation for the gospel and then includes the gospel and various opportunities for response. The series is delivered to each home in a given neighborhood at a rate of one a week per neighborhood. In an 8-12 week trip, about 15 neighborhoods can be covered by an individual. If able to stay for 10-12 weeks, also help with a follow up neighborhood outreach event after the tract series delivery is complete in a given neighborhood. This can be done almost any time of year if you can come for 2-3 months. With 100-120 neighborhoods, individuals or small teams could come several times over a period of years before the project is complete. It is great for individuals/couples who like to walk/distribute tracts. KSCC will handle the follow up. But the tract project will allow KSCC to focus follow up and limited time for visitation on those found to be most open to the gospel. So, though it is rather repetitive, it is a very synergistic way to contribute to the ministry here in a short period of time almost any time of year by 1 or more and often with less lead time needed. No Japanese ability is required. Most the project will occur in Iwaizumi/Tanohata/Fudai/Noda. But at KSCC’s discretion, some neighborhoods in nearby untargeted unchurched towns/villages such as Niisato, Kawai, Kuzumaki, and KunoHe also could be included.
ST-5. Rural Missions Explorer Short-Term Mission Trip: (1 week to 90 days).
An individual or couple coming for a week to a few months to serve short-term in one or several rural church plants including Kita Sanriku Christ Church in North Iwate and potentially some others elsewhere in North Tohoku, to explore coming back to serve long-term with one of them in the future Also suitable for an experienced urban Japan missionary considering serving in rural Japan your next term and wanting to ‘taste rural ministry’ firsthand.
ST-6. Construction team--
building or renovation of a new church building in North Iwate (KSCC). Timing TBD and likely not for another 1-2 years. But if flexible on timing please be in touch about your potential availability.
nationwide (or at least multiple regions).
ST-7. Recurrent Short-term Scout or Long-Term Itinerant Rural Evangelist On the Job Field Experience/training.
1-2 week opportunity once or twice a year. Dates and location to be determined based on schedule of inquirers and host/trainer. Inquire several months ahead if possible. This is an on the job training field work experience involving primarily door to door visitation and some other approaches to learn how to sow seeds in rural unchurched towns without doing more harm than good to prepare you to lead recurrent short-term trips to a specific unchurched area in Japan that you adopt in the future. This experience can also be one step in preparing to serve as a multi-location mid or long-term itinerant evangelist in small population remote areas where church plants may not be feasible/sustainable. Some conversational Japanese ability is needed by at least half the team members. Those with experience in rural seed sowing also can join, as it is good to have multiple experienced persons in addition to the host/trainer(s) and the newbies. Partners in Japan will followup further on seeds sown during the field work experience. As much as possible, experienced and inexperienced persons will be paired as visitation partners. And Japanese speakers with non- speakers.
ST-10. Standard Short-Term Rural Mission Trip: Assist a Church Plant Underway in a Previously Untargetted Area (1 week to 90 days).
Available in multiple regions of Japan, and especially North and South Tohoku and Shikoku. Assist a rural church plant in various ways as desired/needed by the specific ministry. It is key to be flexible to serve however needed at the time. Likely roles vary with location. Come once, or 1 to 4 times a year on a recurrent or ongoing basis. Locations actively open to such teams include churches in many parts of Iwate, Aomori, Miyagi, and Kagawa. All are or include some pioneer locations (first church plant in an area). Some possibility of opportunities also in Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Fukuoka, Saga, and Nagasaki.
ST-11. Missions Explorer Short-Term Mission Trip (1 week to 90 days).
An individual or couple coming for a week to a few months to serve short-term in one or several ministries to explore coming back long-term in the future, with one of these ministries or elsewhere in rural Japan.
ST-12. Multiple Ministry Location Short-Term Rural Mission Trip—large orsmall team OK.
Larger teams will be broken into subgroups but re-gathersweekly on its day off (or in some cases, each night) but serves and stays in groups of 3-4 at several independent ministry locations in a prefecture/region simultaneously or a smaller team that is dispatched together but sent to different areas each day and is shared among ministries, but returns to a primary location each night. In North Tohoku, KSCC is available to coordinate this among a variety of participating independent ministries it has relationships with, but each ministry location leader will be in charge of the ministry that occurs at their own location so the short-term team should be aware the way of doing things will vary with location. Only the timing and numbers and accommodations/transport logistics is coordinated across all the locations, by mutual agreement. Teams of up to 12 to 30 can be accommodated. In most cases, a driver/car rental is needed for most or all subteams. Or alternatively one designated person from the team can be primarily in a full-time driving role w/o time for other ministry. Includes mix of assisting rural church plants in previously unengaged areas, giving a boost to established rural churches, and seed sowing in untargeted unchurched rural areas.
ST-14. Half Mega City/Half Rural Mission Trip.
Option for all or part of a short-term team serving in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Kobe, Sendai, or one of Japan’s Mega Cities to serve half their time in such places and half their time in rural areas in other prefectures, such as 1 week in each or 3 days together in a MegaCity, then half the team continuing there and half going to rural Japan, for example. Or mid-termers and long-termers primarily in urban Japan also could be sent to rural Japan to work with a rural ministry such as described elsewhere herein for a month or two during their total time of service. A mission trip within a mission trip.