What does outreach in Japan look like?

Many people have asked me what I do on a daily basis.  No doubt, the idea of outreach conjures up a number of images.  If your image is of me standing on a street corner, harrassing people and warning them of their impending doom....you may need to reconsider....

The plan for outreach here is simple...meet people, become friends and share with them the good news of Jesus Christ...it's that simple.

So, how do we meet people?  There are two main ways we are doing this:

1. Street Teams 

We go into coffee shops (like Starbucks) and fast food places (like McDonald's), usually in groups of 2 or 3, and sit at a table next to someone of the same gender.  As the minutes pass by, we find a way to start a normal conversation with the person sitting next to us (for example, if someone is readying what looks like a textbook, I may ask something as simple as, "Are you a university student?  What are you studying?". 
Somewhat surprisingly, the Japanese (particularly young people) love talking to foreigners, so more often than not they are happy to stop what they are doing and engage in conversation.

Importantly, our focus at this stage is to get to know the person and just have a normal 'chat'.  Of course, if I am asked what I am doing in Sapporo, I will say that I am a church volunteer, but I will also mention that I am an English teacher.  Sometimes this leads to further questions about church, etc, but other times not.

If we have met someone who was very eager to talk to us and wants to meet again, we exchange email addresses and plan to meet again...thus, a new friend has been made!

2. Street Band

Ok, so maybe the idea of getting a small band together to play Christian music on the street would seem to be incredibly weird if done in English-speaking countries, but in Japan it seems entirely normal...given that so many other people play live music in parks and arcades here in Japan.

People will often stop and listen while we are playing.  Again, this is another opportunity to meet people and become friends.  But with Street Band, it is much easier to talk openly about church because...well, we're playing church music anyway, so why not tell them about it!  And it is much easier to invite people to church if they are interested.  If not, we can exchange contact details and arrange to meet again.

The idea behind Street Teams and Street Band is really that simple.  It is not about 'bible bashing', but rather about making friends and taking opportunities to share the Gospel message.  It is demonstrating the same love for people that Jesus showed when He walked the Earth.  Then, as time goes on (and that may be a short time or a long time, depending on the person), a friend will become more and more interested in church and want to come and check it out.

And so their journey begins......