Location:  Convention Hall MA

Presenters: Seima Aoyagi and Jeremy Sink

An introduction to SERGE’s curriculum on Sonship (this is also featured in CPI’s Grace Week, which is being held this year). We cannot share the gospel with others without continually applying the gospel message to our own hearts. In this session, together we will think about practical ways to live the gospel, speaking to our hearts with the life-transforming message of the gospel. We invite you to bring your entire team to promote a gospel-centered culture within your team.

Seima Aoyagi

Pastor of Grace Harbor Church. He was saved through Hi-B.A. (high school youth ministry) and was baptized at Chiba Midoridai Church of Presbyterian Church of Japan (PCJ). While he was at Sophia University, he was active in KGK activities and was invited by a missionary to serve in college student evangelism for seven years. He then completed a Master of Pastoral Studies (M.Div 2008, Th.M 2016) at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, along with a church planting internship at Harbor Presbyterian Church in San Diego. In 2009, he was ordained in the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA). He returned to Japan in 2011 and began church planting in Toyosu, Koto-ku in 2012. Grace Harbor Church was established in April 2015. Resident of Tsukishima. Father of four children. He enjoys camping, surfing, and city walking.

Jeremy Sink

Jeremy is a missionary with Serge. Jeremy and Gina helped plant a church in central North Carolina before moving to Nagoya in 2012 to support church planting in Japan.  They helped plant All Nations Fellowship (ANF) in Nagoya where Jeremy served as the first pastor.  Jeremy leads Serge’s team in Nagoya that works to see new churches planted by offering support and resources to Japanese pastors, church planters, and their wives. Their passion is to see Japanese leaders thriving and succeeding in their own callings to reach Japan with the good news of the Gospel.

Location:  Convention Hall MB

Presenter: Dan Iverson

The great commission of Matthew 28:19-20 calls us to “make disciples of all nations.” This of course includes Japan and the Japanese.  We certainly have great challenges in Japan in our evangelism, but we also have great challenges in “making disciples”, and especially in making “reproducing, gospel centered disciples.”  Sharing from the Bible, and from three decades of experience in Japan as a church planter / pastor,  and from many mistakes, Dan will also focus on the important Biblical value – and CPI core value-  of being gospel centered in all this. 

Dan has served in Japan with MTW/JPM for 35 years.  He was lead church planter and then pastor for 28 years for Oyumino Church (PCJ), a multisite church in Chiba. He also served as the JPM Tokyo/Chiba Team Leader for 30 years, and as the JPM Mission Leader for 15 years.  Dan and Carol have 9 children, and 36 grand children at last count.Location:  Convention Hall MA

Location:  Conference Center A

Presenter: Richard McLaughlin

Anytime we seek to influence the thinking, behavior, or development of others, we are taking on the role of a leader. Why do we lead? What are we thinking? What are we doing? How do we stay on track? What can we learn by taking a closer look at Jesus in each of these areas? Please come and see…

Richard has served in Japan for 4 1/2 years, and taken multiple short-term trips there. He has served in church planting, in Christian higher education (Trinity International University [Illinois, USA] & Christ Bible Seminary [Nagoya, Japan]) and presently serves as Senior Pastor at Lakeside Church of Chicago.

Location:  Convention Hall SA

Presenter: Ryuta Kimura

Gospel Contextualization:  Seeing our culture through the Biblical lens & How do we contextualize the gospel without watering down the gospel truth?  

Location:  Conference Center B

Presenter:  Kevin West

The greatest evangelist is not an individual, but the whole church! This session will explore ways churches in Japan can strategize and mobilize to reach our communities and nation with the gospel.      

Kevin moved to Japan in 2003, married Nozomi in 2007, and has two children: Lia and Kai. Kevin has served in various Japanese-language and bilingual churches, including Mustard Seed Christian Church – Kobe (2016 – 2024). He is now leading a church plant in Saitama.

Location:  Belle Feuille (Basement, take steps to the ground floor before entering the hallway to the Hotel North Wing)

Presenters:  Tim & Chie Burns

Tim:  Grew up in Seattle, Washington, after being an elder at our former church, moved to Japan in 2013, a church planter in Nagoya at Logos Community Church.

Chie:  Born in Japan, moved to the states for college, graduated with B.A. in Biblical Counseling. After returning to Japan she serves as a part of church planting team, as a Christian counselor.  A mother of 3 children, Mitsuki, Emi, Mei.  An ACBC certified counselor.

Location:  Conference Center C

Trainer:  Yoshiya Hari

About a third of the cities, towns and villages in Japan do not have churches.  How can churches work together to create healthy communities in areas where people do not have access to the gospel?  We would like to share the vision and strategies of the Coverage Project and talk about how we can work together.

Born in Yokohama, Japan, Yoshiya studied in Yamagata and worked for a printing company.  After retiring as an engineer, he and his wife studied at a seminary and he became pastor of Saikyo Nozomi Chapel in 2003.  In 2011 he was appointed as the Asian Access JCGI Network National Director.  

For JCE6 he served as the project lead for the Church Multiplication Project and since JCE7, has been serving with the Coverage Project.L

Location:  Convention Hall SB

Presenter: Jay Greer

The church is central to God’s mission to reach the world. All local churches started as church plants. Let’s talk about God’s design for the church and how we can join in God’s global mission through the church.