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Over the last few years a huge number of Vietnamese have moved to Japan to study and work. By the end of 2020 almost 450,000 Vietnamese were living in Japan, the second largest community of foreign residents in the country, and a more than fourfold increase since 2014. Encourage Japanese Churches and Christians to reach out to and disciple Vietnamese living in Japan, as well as be involved in reaching out to and discipling them yourself.
There are still very few Christians in Vietnam. However, Vietnamese are on the move and it is an opportunity for them to discover Christ! While living and working in Japan, Vietnamese are open to new relationships and ideas. Away from family and community they have a freedom to explore Christianity, although their time to do so may be limited. Many are lonely and isolated. Of the 450,000 Vietnamese currently living in Japan, most will eventually return to Vietnam. We want them to come to Christ, be discipled and equipped to become disciple-makers themselves, contributing to the church in Vietnam and beyond. We want someone with a heart for evangelism and discipleship who is able to share a vision to reach out to the Vietnamese in their midst with the Christians and churches of Japan. They will need to have both Japanese language and Vietnamese language and the skills to both mobilise for outreach and model it. They will need to encourage and equip, investing in the lives of potential Japanese coworkers and Vietnamese young adults. This is a pioneering ministry which needs someone with excellent relational and cross-cultural skills as well as the ability to take initiative. This is a new ministry and the worker would need to be ready to travel around the country, identifying the few Vietnamese churches, and Japanese churches and Christians with a desire to reach out in this way. In time, we hope to develop a team with some more focused on mobilizing the Japanese and others more focused on directly working with the Vietnamese.
As a Diaspora Returnee Ministry/Beyond Borders worker, you could be involved in: Training, networking, evangelism and discipleship in the form of: - Offering training for groups/ churches/ organizations to equip them to reach out to the Vietnamese around them. This may include: -Supporting and equipping local Christians in their own outreach to Vietnamese -Directing them to good literature -Offering advice -Helping in their relationships with Vietnamese - perhaps with communication in the mother tongue where necessary -Leading Bible studies -Leading small groups -One on one relationship building -Organising outreach events -Setting up returnee groups to prepare young adults/students for their return home and model Church in their home country -Showing hospitality -Offering practical help in accessing resources -Helping with adjusting to life in Vietnam -Making occasional trips to visit Returnees
-Japanese language and culture competence. -Vietnamese language and culture competence or a willingness to learn these. - Good people skills and communication skills -Able to share the gospel, teach the Bible, disciple new believers -Mentoring or discipling experience -Good understanding of returnee challenges -Pastoral gifts and the gift of hospitality -Able to function in English -Experience of cooperative working with a variety of churches and mission organizations is helpful. -Experience training others is desirable -Ability to work cooperatively with other missionaries, other mission organizations and with local ethnic Churches. You will need perseverance and flexibility. You may have a constantly changing group to whom you are reaching out. (This is due to the pressured environment that many of the Vietnamese you are reaching out to are operating in) We are looking for individuals or couples with a pioneering spirit to be able to both mobilise and equip local Christians for this ministry and to reach out to and disciple interns/students, starting a new work as little currently exists.
If you already speak Japanese but not Vietnamese, you must be willing to live in Vietnam for at least two years under OMF's Vietnam Field ministries. If you already speak Vietnamese but not Japanese, you must be willing to learn Japanese for at least two years under OMF's Japan Field ministries. If you are already proficient in Japanese and Vietnamese but would be relocating to be based in Japan then you may find yourself living and working in a third culture and would need time to adjust to it yourself. You must be willing to relocate to Japan, and to relate to the leader of Diaspora Ministries in Japan, the Japan Homeside, and the International Coordinators for Vietnamese Diaspora Ministries. These relationships will be for oversight, encouragement and accountability and in part virtual.
Japan needs workers to partner with the Japanese church in the task of sharing the gospel and making disciples.
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Waves of migration have scattered 85 million East Asians across the world. Seize opportunities to share Christ with them in your home country.
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