Sharing Jesus Christ with more people to transform their work and life and to expand the partnership in which more leaders will be trained.
We all value friendship, and the roles friends play in sharing our struggles, and providing wisdom and encouragement in the ups and downs of life.
Tokyo Marunouchi Partnership aims to encourage and grow long-lasting friendships rooted in the truths of the Lord Jesus Christ between city-workers, as well as helping city-workers become connected with good churches.
We started in 2019, with the hope of forming a community which lives out the sometimes quiet and sometimes dynamic implications of the gospel in their lives in the centre of Tokyo through studying the Bible together.
Without God at work, everything is meaningless. But, as we see his gospel transform us and those around us, we are amazed at his grace and power, and we praise him. This gives us confidence to “expect great things of God; attempt great things for God” [William Carey].
We cling to the “joy of walking with the Lord” and trust that His power, His gospel, His Spirit, His love, and His glory will move even little people like us to be used by Him for His great works. We look forward to working together for God’s glory and to build a true gospel partnership in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Tokyo Marunouchi Partnership
Senior Partner: Thierry Richards
What you gain by being in the city center is primarily two things:
1) connection to people’s jobs and work; 2) accessibility.
Firstly, since the Industrial Revolution, for many men and women the majority of their daily interactions are around the workplace. Hence, for many of them, the place that they could be most evangelistically effective is also amongst these work colleagues. Hence, if the churches were able to support these workers in doing evangelistic ministry in their workplaces, it could be a wonderful opportunity for the gospel in Japan.
And secondly, being located in the middle of the city-workers office area also gives a natural work focus, and hence sermons and talks will more easily be applied to work, again making them more accessible for city-workers. However, in order to gain from all of these benefits of having a venue in the city center, a very large amount of money is needed to pay the rent.
There definitely are many dangers when you mingle Christianity with money. Some cults and religions are essentially organized in order to try and take money from their participants. And indeed, when working in the financial centre of Japan, these dangers may be even more prominent.
However, everybody in the world needs to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. Even those who may on average be more wealthy, such as many of those working in Marunouchi. In that way, though they may on average be materially better off than average, they are likely spiritually poorer than average. We must try to see the world through the eyes of Jesus, and have compassion, like our Lord Jesus did, on rich (like the tax collector) and poor (like the leper) alike.
Furthermore, the solution to the dangers of money is not to stay away from money or from people who have more money than average. Rather, the solution is to teach clearly and faithfully what the Bible teaches about money. And that is something that is probably even more important to do in the financial centre of Japan, where in all likelihood the idol of money is probably worshiped rampantly, causing pain, despair and ruin for many souls. LORD, have mercy on us here in the financial centre of Japan.
We can’t deny the danger that an inter-denominational ministry can result in competition with local church congregations. Therefore, TMP recommends for people participating in the Marunouchi Office Groups (MOGs) who are members of local churches to talk to their local church pastor and if necessary for TMP to talk with their church pastor and even for TMP to sign an agreement with their church, if that would be helpful.
We also have interns from various churches studying in our Samurai Projects (SPs) program, aiming to build partnership and cooperation amongst various churches and Christian organizations. Our goal is not to compete with local churches, but to build relationships of trust centered around the gospel. We also use our network to help those who work in Marunouchi and who are looking for a local church in Tokyo which fits their needs.
Statement of Faith
Our partnership is based on the following statements of the Christian faith, as revealed in the Bible
- “GOD” ：
There is one God in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. - “GOD’S WORKS”：
God is sovereign in creation, revelation, redemption and final judgement. - “THE BIBLE”：
The Bible, as originally given, the 66 books of the old and new testament, is the inspired and infallible Word of God. The Bible and Jesus himself is the supreme authority in all matters of faith and practice. - “HUMANITY”：
God created humanity in his image. The first human, Adam, had a right relationship with God, but tempted by Satan, he sinned against God and fell out of right relationship with God. - “SALVATION and JUDGEMENT by JESUS”：
The Lord Jesus Christ, God’s incarnate Son, is fully God; he was born of a virgin; he is fully human and yet without sin; he died on the cross, was raised bodily from death and is now reigning over heaven and earth. - Sinful human beings are redeemed from the guilt, penalty and power of sin only through the sacrificial death once and for all time of their representative and substitute, the Lord Jesus Christ, the only mediator between God and humanity.
- Those who believe in Christ are pardoned of all their sins and accepted in God’s sight only because of the righteousness of Christ credited to them; this justification is God’s act of undeserved mercy, received solely by faith in him and not by their own efforts.
- The Lord Jesus Christ will one day return in bodily form. The dead will be resurrected, and all will face the judgement of God. Jesus Christ will execute God’s just condemnation on those who have not repented and will receive the redeemed to eternal glory.
- “The HOLY SPIRIT”：
The Holy Spirit alone makes the work of Christ effective to individual sinners, enabling them to turn to God from their sin and to trust in Jesus Christ. - The Holy Spirit lives in all those he has regenerated. He makes them increasingly Christ-like in character and behaviour and gives them power for their witness in the world.
- “The CHURCH”：
The one, holy, catholic and universal Church is the Body of Christ, to which all true believers belong. - Each particular church community is an assembly of those who have been born again of the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the Word. The church is a community that obeys the will of God, worships God, studies the Bible, observes the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion, preaches the gospel, serves one another as the Lord’s servants, fights together for the faith of the gospel, engages in works of love, and looks forward to the Lord’s return.
Networks in our partnership
A Gospel Movement, planting gospel-centered churches in major cities around the world.
An Evangelical seminary following the Reformed Theological tradition.
An international Christian network aiming to support the progress of the gospel among Japanese people.
A missionary organization sending 700 Christian workers to 102 countries all over the world, including Japan, who are committed to the establishment, growth, and maturity of the church.
A club based on the principle of being a “Very Important Person in God’s eyes,” from Isaiah 43:4 in the Old Testament.