The Christmas party (sponsored by VIP and TMP) was held! Over 100 people gathered for a grand celebration!
On Wednesday 6th December 2023 we experienced a wonderful answer to prayer and a significant moment for the work of the gospel in Marunouchi. Marunouchi workers put on a Christmas Party in the Marunouchi Building in the middle of Marunouchi, and they invited their non-Christian colleagues, such that 110 people attended, with 30% of them being non-Christians.
Five years ago, when the idea of the Marunouchi Office Groups was being conceived, this kind of event was what we were praying for and dreaming of. In order to facilitate this kind of event, we began an umbrella organization called Tokyo Marunouchi Partnership (TMP). The problem that we identified was that in this Marunouchi area, the center of the business and banking world in Japan, the few Christians who are present feel all alone, and they feel like they cannot relate the message of Jesus to their work or to their colleagues. Our prayer and dream was that these Christians might be able to get to know other Christians nearby in their office buildings and through the Bible they might encourage one another to enjoy and live for Jesus, and to speak of Jesus with their colleagues and friends. This partnership in the gospel of Jesus Christ amongst workers in the Marunouchi area was our prayer and our dream in the summer of 2018.
“Stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel.”
Philippians 1:27b
In order to help this partnership in the gospel develop, we began a Tokyo Marunouchi Partnership Board of Directors in the summer of 2019. This Board made up of Marunouchi workers, as well as pastors, has been governing and guiding the work over these years. And in 2019, we also began employing a few staff members, and began renting a small office in the Yusen Building in Marunouchi. Then in 2020, we began the Marunouchi Office Groups work in order to see this partnership in the gospel formed, by encouraging bible-centered and outward facing small groups to form in each of the 40 office buildings in Marunouchi. Over the past five years, we have gradually seen the number of these small groups (Marunouchi Office Groups) increase to ten, with half being groups open to anyone, and half being groups within particular companies. We thank the LORD for these beginnings. He is clearly the one who has begun this work, and who has led it, provided for it, and guided it each step of the way.
Then in early 2023, with the staff team having increased to 8 people, and with the Tokyo Marunouchi Partnership organization having become a General Legal Entity, the LORD opened the door for TMP to be officially recognized and accepted by Mitsubishi Estate, who own half of Marunouchi. This enabled TMP to apply for and be allowed to rent a larger office in a building owned by Mitsubishi Estate, and to use various conference rooms owned by Mitsubishi Estate. After years of praying for the LORD to open the door for effective gospel ministry, he had opened a wide door in the middle of Marunouchi. We thank the LORD.