For I will pour out water on the thirsty land And streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring And My blessing on your descendants.
— Isaiah 44:3
Vision Festa: an inspiring gathering of Japanese leaders
Ever since the Japan Evangelism Congress in 2017, Japanese Church leaders have been gathering together seeking to double the percentage of Christians in the country (Lord willing by 2023) and praying for a 10x10 blessing (by 2024) where Japan will receive 10 times the blessings.
Vision Festa is where leaders come together to share inspiring reports of what God is doing in Japan and this year we were encouraged once again by countless stories of how God is moving in Japan. Between the sessions, I heard stories of many coming to faith and several baptisms; far more than I am accustomed to hearing living here. Every year I leave inspired with what God is doing but this year felt special. It feels like God is on the move and that we are on the cusp of a breakthrough.
Ultimately these leaders are seeking to see a revival in the country and aspiring to plant 50,000 churches across the nation. For a nation that only has 8,000 traditional churches, this is some lofty goal. But, boy does the momentum seem to be growing.
On the eve of the upcoming Rugby World Cup and Summer Olympic Games pastors shared about having 500 festivals between now and the Olympics, hoping to see 1,000,000 people come to faith. It was so encouraging to see and I am deeply grateful that I get to live here during this historic time.
Pastor Nobu Nagai captured the spirit of the gathering best when he said,
“The Wind of God is Blowing… God is preparing the way for a movement!”
I hope you’ll join me in praying for God to pour out his water on this thirsty land… May we see the Spirit of God move in a mighty way here in Japan so that revival will come!
Enjoy some additional photos from Vision Festa.
Joe Handley, President
@jwhandley
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