Missionary of the Month

Ben and Julie Jensen
Mission to the World
Nagoya, Japan

Ben and Julie Jensen and their children are serving on Mission to the World’s church-planting team in Nagoya, Japan. The Japanese are considered to be the world's second largest unreached people group with less than 0.5% being evangelical Christian. Nagoya is the third largest metro area of Japan, and Aichi, their prefecture, is the least-churched region of Japan per population. The MTW Nagoya church-planting team has been active in the region for over 35 years, and members from the team have planted several churches in the area and originally started the reformed seminary to train Japanese pastors (the seminary leadership is now its own team). The Nagoya church-planting team seeks to evangelize and disciple new believers, build up the Japanese Church and begin new church locations, train local leaders, and provide care and support to Japanese Christians who are also striving to make disciples in their own culture.

The Jensens are currently leading the university outreach ministry at Nisshin Church, which aims to introduce young people to the church community, provide a warm atmosphere of care and friendship, and share the Gospel in word and deed. Opportunities for relationship and Gospel ministry are seemingly endless among Japanese college students, and the Jensens have developed a special love for this age group. Ben was also recently made the new team leader of the Nagoya church-planting team, a role which brings many more responsibilities and ministries.

Prayer Requests for 2024:

1.     “University outreach and ministry - We are thankful that university ministry at Nisshin Church is going very well. Many students are attending our weekly outreaches, and many are hearing about Christ on a regular basis. Pray for strong community to be built among the students, for deepening relationships of students with our Christian staff, and for the Holy Spirit to open many hearts to the truth of the Gospel.

2.     Christian students - Please pray for the small group of Christian young people attending Nisshin Church. Being a Christian in Japan can be very lonely and these students need encouragement, community, and support. Please pray for the spiritual growth of several new Christians we are discipling.

3.     Preaching - Ben continues to preach at Nisshin Church on a rotating basis; currently he is preaching with the help of a translator, but he plans to continue progressing in Japanese so that he can preach in the language starting later this year. Please pray for him in this, as preaching in Japanese is so challenging.

4.     Family care - We would ask for continued prayer for our family, that we would get the rest we need, that we would be spiritually faithful to walk with the Lord individually, that we would love each other unconditionally and with grace and forgiveness. Please pray for our children to each feel loved, protected, content, and part of an important purpose living as third-culture kids on the mission field.

5.     Nagoya Christian School - We are so very grateful for the small Christian school that our team has officially started. Currently, we have just 10 students in K thru 7th grade, but already, Nagoya Christian School has been a huge blessing to our family. Homeschooling on the mission field is often extremely isolating and lonely for moms and children, and our family was really struggling with the hardships of it. Thankfully, now that NCS is meeting four days a week with teachers and other students outside our home, our sons are so much more content with their school situation and life in general in Japan. Please pray for our current teachers, for their energy, perseverance, and joy in the midst of a challenging first school year. Pray for more teachers and students to join NCS in the days ahead.

6.     Church-planting - Please pray for the future of church-planting in our area of Nagoya. Nisshin Church, started and sustained for many years by our team leaders, will be celebrating their 25 year anniversary in 2024, and our team is so thankful to see this local body of believers becoming established in the community, no small feat for a Japanese church. Now our team’s vision is to plant a daughter church in cooperation with the Japanese leadership of Nisshin Church, also no small task, as most Japanese churches do not feel like they have the resources and personnel to do church-planting. Please pray for wisdom, direction, and Japanese support in this future endeavor of our missions team.”

Forestgate Supported Missionaries