Here are some significant past achievements of A3...
Pioneering of summer short-term missions:
Scrum Dendo program (1974-1996)
Nearly 2,100 workers, primarily college students, participated in this program. Many of them went on to full-time Christian service as pastors and as missionaries, including several who are now in key leadership in organizations in Japan, such as Southern Baptist Mission Society, MTW (Mission to the World), Campus Crusade for Christ, TEAM (The Evangelical Alliance Mission), SEND, American Baptists, etc.
Summer Teams (1996-2005)
Over 100 Summer Teams (750 people) served in Japan in this program which influenced the short-term team approach to summer missions that churches and schools in North America presently employ. This program is now known as j-Teams.
Establishment of the Japan Church Growth Institute
A leadership development partnership that has trained nearly 300 of Japan's top pastors. Though this group comprises just one percent (1%) of the evangelical ministers in Japan, they pastor over eleven percent (11%) of all the believers in the country. Their congregations account for a significant amount of the church growth that has taken place in Japan. The branch of this ministry formerly known as JCGI Network is now A3/Japan.*
Nationalization of leadership of JCGI Network*
Though the JCGI Network* was a missionary initiative, it has been successfully transitioned into the hands of the Japan leaders. Nationally recognized pastors serve as members of the Board. The National Director, the Country Resource Coordinator, the Regional Deans, and every member of the staff is Japanese. The curriculum has been rewritten in Japanese by Japanese for Japanese.
Establishment and nationalization of music ministry
A3 missionaries Mark and Sylvia Ramquist, initiated the work of Song Rise. This was for the purpose of using music as a form of evangelism among the youth culture in Japan. It also existed to train musicians in the local church and to enhance the quality of worship in Japanese congregations.
A major portion of the ministry is now in the hands of Eiji and Shoko Horii, who lead a group called The Japanese Continentals. The ministry is thriving as an indigenous ministry.
Raising up Christian leaders in Japan
Today there are over 100 pastors, missionaries, and Christian workers in Japan who came to Christ through the witness and outreach of A3.
20/20 Vision of A3/Japan
In the early 1990s, the 20/20 Vision was articulated as the integrating vision:
To deploy 100 church multiplication teams
- To establish 1,000 reproducing congregations
- To enfold 1 million new followers of Christ,
- who will in turn send 1,000 missionaries from Japan to the cities of Asia that will be home to
- 1 billion people by the year 2020 AD.
In 2020, A3 celebrated all that God achieved through this 20/20 vision.
The introduction of the cell church ministry concept
In the early 90s, the Japan Church Growth Institute hosted a series of consultations with leading pastors throughout Japan with Dr. Ralph Neighbour, Jr.. His teaching represented a major paradigm shift for Japanese pastors. The cell church network is now being led by one of the most outstanding graduates of A3's Japan Church Growth Institute. It is a preeminent model for innovative congregations across the country.
Friendship Golf
A3’s career missionary, Fred Cheney, initiated a creative approach to reaching men with the Gospel through the game of golf. Recognizing that most non-Christian men had very little interest in the church or any of the traditional forms of outreach of the Christian faith in Japan, Fred capitalized on their fanaticism for the game of golf. He began bringing Christian professionals who played on the PGA Tour to Japan for clinics, banquets, and for special golf outings. Today the work of Friendship Golf is in the hands of Japanese businessmen and pastors who have formed the Friendship Golf Association.
Yamagata Church Multiplication Project
In 1996 A3 initiated a partnership with five visionary pastors and congregations in Yamagata to begin a new experiment in church multiplication. Long considered to be one of the most difficult challenges in Japan, church planting suddenly became easier by networking a group of churches together who would move through the experience of establishing new churches. Surprisingly these five churches were able to successfully establish five daughter churches within a period of just thirty months. A year later, each of the five churches initiated a process of beginning yet another round of church multiplication. Simultaneously, the five new congregations, which had been established, began preparing for reproducing themselves in church plants in their communities.
This church multiplication model has attracted attention across the country from leading pastors as well as from leaders of other mission organizations. Read one pastor's shocking claim about A3's church multiplication strategy after being a part of such a network.
Expansion Outside Japan into Asian Countries
In 1996, work was expanded outside of Japan for the first time, as the first pastor training session was launched in Mongolia. This expansion represents the fourth phase in our mission. Eleven other countries have since been added to the work since 1996, with a vision to be established in 20 countries as the Lord opens the doors. The A3 Leader Development Model has now been expanded into over 20 additional countries, increasing the potential reach of our leader training to more places.
go2japan: a new way to recruit missionaries
A3 designed a new way to recruit missionaries for Japan. go2japan was started in 2008 to leverage the power of the internet to raise awareness of the need for missionaries in Japan and to help find them. See this website here: www.go2japan.org...
A Strategic Partnership for Japan [2011 – present]
Asian Access and SIM USA partner to send more church-planting missionaries to Japan
In 2011, a strategic partnership uniting Asian Access and SIM USA was launched, aiming to send more church-planting missionaries to Japan. By leveraging the strengths of the two mission-sending agencies, our two organizations began maximizing effectiveness toward the goal of planting 1,000 church congregations in Japan by 2020. This has been an award-winning, innovative partnership. Read more about this strategic partnership here...
Re-Engineering Pastor/Church Leader Training into the Business Sector
The A3 leader development model, which is proven effective among pastors of local churches, was contextualized for the marketplace in 2014 when A3 launched its first-ever R&D project for CEOs in Seoul, South Korea. A3 entered the marketplace, taking our focus on missional outcomes that utilizes a transformational process, a vibrant learning community and an integrated curriculum to those who can shape their workplace, their community and their society.
Renowned economist Peter Zhao said,
"This is exactly what Asia needs, an A3 for business leaders!"
Read more about A3.business here...
Eastern Voices
Insight, Perspective, and Vision from Kingdom Leaders in Asia In Their Own Words
Eastern Voices is a platform whereby leaders from Asia can be heard. They have much to add to the discussion. Leaders from the West can and should learn from leaders in the East.
See video interviews, read excerpts, and purchase the book: https://easternvoices.org
ABOUT A3 Home | History | Past Achievements
- JCGI Network is now simply known as A3/Japan.
- Read about how two A3 summer missionaries led a young Buddhist woman to Christ and how she impacted 19,000 college students!
