News update as of July 13, 2007...

Our Tomioka church planting project has been formulated within the context of a partnership with the mother church, Kodama Evangelical Free Church. The primary initiator of the church planting project has been the pastor, Rev. Matsumura. We have immensely enjoyed working along side him and his wife, and have been blessed with an excellent relationship. However, because God is now leading the Matsumuras back to their former Bible translation ministry with Wycliffe, they have resigned from the pastorate at Kodama EFC. We wish them God's blessing.

But at the same time we wonder how we can continue our Tomioka church planting project without the Matsumuras. Our difficulty is compounded by the fact that the core family who were the only members of the church planting team living in Tomioka have chosen, without any explanation, to no longer be involved in the outreach aspects of the project. This means we no longer have any key players in our church planting partnership at Tomioka. Without a lay family at the center of the work and without a pastor to give it leadership, our partnership seems to have evaporated.

News update as of August 31, 2007...

Nevertheless, we have decided to continue Ann's evangelistic English classes at Tomioka on a monthly basis. The Matsumuras, now missionaries with Wycliffe, will maintain their home base in Kodama while they take periodic trips to Indonesia and Malaysia. Mrs. Matsumura will continue to help in the outreach English classes. One of the ladies in the English classes has volunteered the use of her ballet school facility for Ann's classes. So it looks like we are getting a green light from the Lord to continue with our evangelistic ministry in Tomioka.

The pictures and information that are found on the following pages reflect the past activities of our church plant at Tomioka.

Mother church: Kodama Evangelical Free Church (KFC)

Pastor and Mrs. Matsumura of KFC

Christmas party at Kodama EFC on Dec 24, 2006

Gingerbread house making with Kodama EFC young people at our place on Dec 30, 2006.

The Tomioka church plant is just in its beginning stages. But for over a decade the Kobayashi family has had a vision for a new and much needed church in Tomioka city where they live. The Kobayashis, who are active members of the Kodama EFC, form the nucleus of the church plant. We share in the leadership of the church planting project.

Tomioka is about a two hour drive north of our house in Tokyo. It has a population of 50,000. The city has only one evangelical church, and that church has an attendance of less than 10 people.

Click to enlarge above panorama of Tomioka. You will need to scroll horizontally to see the enlarged photo. (Enlarged size: 200KB, 2652x569 pixels.) The one below, with Mt. Asama in the background, is 178KB, 2000x528 pixels.