A floating church on the Amazon,
00:00:16.04\00:00:18.05
a church plant in Romania,
00:00:18.08\00:00:20.38
and the sights
and sounds of Tokyo,
00:00:20.42\00:00:22.35
all this and much
more coming up next.
00:00:22.38\00:00:25.09
Hello, and
welcome to Mission 360.
00:01:07.33\00:01:09.36
I'm Gary Krause.
00:01:09.40\00:01:10.80
Today's program is
coming to you from Tokyo,
00:01:10.83\00:01:13.74
the largest
metropolitan area in the world.
00:01:13.77\00:01:17.84
According to some estimates,
00:01:17.87\00:01:19.21
some 36 million people
live in the Greater Tokyo Area.
00:01:19.24\00:01:24.35
And in a densely
populated area such as Tokyo,
00:01:24.38\00:01:27.68
I guess it's somewhat natural
00:01:27.72\00:01:29.08
that it is also
00:01:29.12\00:01:30.52
the vending machine
capital of the world.
00:01:30.55\00:01:34.09
It's estimated that
there is one vending machine
00:01:34.12\00:01:37.29
every, for every 23 people.
00:01:37.33\00:01:40.03
And in these vending machines,
which are obviously here 24/7,
00:01:40.06\00:01:44.53
you can find drinks,
you can find hamburgers,
00:01:44.57\00:01:48.30
you can find
chocolate, you can find toys,
00:01:48.34\00:01:51.21
you can find
popcorn, the list goes on.
00:01:51.24\00:01:54.61
But we'll be
looking more at Tokyo
00:01:54.64\00:01:56.24
on today's program,
00:01:56.28\00:01:57.61
but first up, let's
travel to the Amazon
00:01:57.65\00:02:00.18
to see what is being purchased
00:02:00.22\00:02:01.88
through your 13th
Sabbath offerings.
00:02:01.92\00:02:04.15
A floating church.
00:02:04.19\00:02:05.52
The Amazon River is a source
of food and income for many.
00:02:08.99\00:02:13.13
As you travel along the river,
00:02:13.16\00:02:15.10
you can see many
communities along the banks.
00:02:15.13\00:02:17.70
Here you will find
00:02:17.73\00:02:19.07
one quarter of our
planet's freshwater supply.
00:02:19.10\00:02:21.97
That's why boats are
necessary for transportation.
00:02:22.00\00:02:25.41
There are entire communities
00:02:25.44\00:02:27.01
with either no
knowledge of the Bible
00:02:27.04\00:02:29.08
or no churches.
00:02:29.11\00:02:30.45
Adventists here
found a fitting way
00:02:30.48\00:02:32.35
to reach more than
10,000 communities.
00:02:32.38\00:02:35.38
Thanks to your
past contributions
00:02:35.42\00:02:37.49
to the 13th Sabbath offering,
00:02:37.52\00:02:39.29
the floating church was built.
00:02:39.32\00:02:41.59
This custom boat
00:02:41.62\00:02:42.96
is a church that
carries the pastor's family.
00:02:42.99\00:02:45.63
It often works
alongside the ADRA Luzeiro boats
00:02:45.66\00:02:48.76
to provide health
care and hope to people.
00:02:48.80\00:02:53.00
The main goal
00:02:53.03\00:02:54.37
behind the
floating church project
00:02:54.40\00:02:55.74
is to reach places
00:02:55.77\00:02:57.11
we typically find hard to visit.
00:02:57.14\00:02:59.67
The floating church
offers an infrastructure
00:02:59.71\00:03:01.91
for a pastor or Bible worker,
00:03:01.94\00:03:04.51
a captain and
others to live aboard.
00:03:04.55\00:03:07.52
There's also an auditorium
00:03:07.55\00:03:08.88
where people from the community
00:03:08.92\00:03:10.25
can come to listen
to the Word of God.
00:03:10.29\00:03:12.49
The floating
church has an auditorium
00:03:12.52\00:03:14.59
that seats 120 people.
00:03:14.62\00:03:16.69
It's a comfortable space
00:03:16.73\00:03:18.06
for people to come
and learn about God.
00:03:18.09\00:03:22.43
I know what
difficulties they face
00:03:22.46\00:03:24.87
and how hard it is
for the gospel message
00:03:24.90\00:03:27.30
to reach the distant communities
00:03:27.34\00:03:28.84
along the Amazon River.
00:03:28.87\00:03:30.51
This touched me
in a special way.
00:03:30.54\00:03:33.01
I was moved by the
prospect of this project.
00:03:33.04\00:03:35.88
It was encouraging to imagine
how far this boat could go
00:03:35.91\00:03:39.08
to reach the riverside families.
00:03:39.11\00:03:40.95
This boat also
has onboard apartments
00:03:40.98\00:03:43.32
for the crew.
00:03:43.35\00:03:44.69
Reno Guerra is both the pastor
and the captain of the boat.
00:03:44.72\00:03:49.12
He and his wife
Natalia accepted God's call
00:03:49.16\00:03:51.89
to bring hope and
healing to the region.
00:03:51.93\00:03:56.77
As soon as the boat docks,
00:03:56.80\00:03:58.73
it's received with a lot of joy.
00:03:58.77\00:04:02.04
People are happy to
see the floating church
00:04:02.07\00:04:04.17
because it is a
beautiful and unique boat.
00:04:04.21\00:04:08.74
Pastor Reno sounds the horn
00:04:08.78\00:04:10.51
to catch the
attention of the people
00:04:10.55\00:04:12.08
who come curiously to look.
00:04:12.11\00:04:15.92
So the pastor invites the
people to a church program.
00:04:15.95\00:04:19.29
He enters a community
00:04:19.32\00:04:20.66
where the work already has begun
00:04:20.69\00:04:22.62
and calls the people to
come inside the floating church.
00:04:22.66\00:04:27.56
The boat is
usually docked for 60 days
00:04:27.60\00:04:30.80
as they talk about family,
00:04:30.83\00:04:32.40
health and community well being.
00:04:32.43\00:04:35.24
In the first year of service
00:04:35.27\00:04:37.04
two new
churches were established
00:04:37.07\00:04:39.17
through the floating church.
00:04:39.21\00:04:40.81
This past June,
00:04:40.84\00:04:42.18
the Gutierrez Church
00:04:42.21\00:04:43.55
opened as a result of
the missionary project.
00:04:43.58\00:04:46.31
This is the first
daughter church plant
00:04:49.35\00:04:51.65
of the floating church project.
00:04:51.69\00:04:56.29
The church that
floats is the mother
00:04:56.32\00:04:58.16
of all the
traditional church structures
00:04:58.19\00:05:00.30
that are built along the
banks of the Amazon River.
00:05:00.33\00:05:05.93
Indeed, miracles are
happening along the Amazon.
00:05:05.97\00:05:12.21
We noticed that
this project changes
00:05:12.24\00:05:14.74
what people think about God
and about the Adventist Church.
00:05:14.78\00:05:20.85
There is change
in their society.
00:05:20.88\00:05:23.82
People become calmer, happier,
00:05:23.85\00:05:27.39
more content and united.
00:05:27.42\00:05:31.49
The church helps
the community to realize
00:05:31.53\00:05:33.66
how they can work
together as one body
00:05:33.70\00:05:36.53
to develop social
projects for themselves.
00:05:36.56\00:05:38.97
I believe many
souls will be reached
00:05:51.31\00:05:53.82
through this boat.
00:05:53.85\00:05:55.55
This boat can reach places
00:05:55.58\00:05:57.05
where even radio signals
don't travel to reach hearts.
00:05:57.09\00:06:00.56
We pray
00:06:10.77\00:06:12.10
that this will be
managed and used well
00:06:12.13\00:06:13.80
for the gospel
00:06:13.84\00:06:15.17
to reach the
farthest places in the Amazon.
00:06:15.20\00:06:19.77
We have the opportunity
to navigate rivers and oceans
00:06:19.81\00:06:23.38
as part of our mission
00:06:23.41\00:06:24.75
to reach
unreached people groups.
00:06:24.78\00:06:26.85
Please pray for
the floating church
00:06:26.88\00:06:28.68
and the many missionaries
00:06:28.72\00:06:30.05
involved in flooding
the Amazon with hope.
00:06:30.09\00:06:33.46
And thank you for
supporting projects like these
00:06:33.49\00:06:36.09
through the 13th
Sabbath offering.
00:06:36.12\00:06:38.19
My guest is Pastor Doug Venn,
00:06:57.35\00:06:59.51
and Pastor Doug works with me
00:06:59.55\00:07:01.75
in the office of
Adventist Mission.
00:07:01.78\00:07:03.65
He's the director
00:07:03.69\00:07:05.02
for mission to the cities
for the General Conference
00:07:05.05\00:07:07.06
and also director
00:07:07.09\00:07:08.42
of our Global
Mission Urban Center.
00:07:08.46\00:07:10.23
Doug, thanks so
much for joining us.
00:07:10.26\00:07:12.26
It's an honor to
be with you, Gary.
00:07:12.29\00:07:13.63
Yeah.
00:07:13.66\00:07:15.00
So what we're
going to talk about now
00:07:15.03\00:07:16.36
is the challenge of Tokyo.
00:07:16.40\00:07:17.90
I mean, give our
viewers some sort of a view
00:07:17.93\00:07:20.90
of the challenge factor.
00:07:20.94\00:07:23.17
What are we facing
with a city such as Tokyo?
00:07:23.20\00:07:26.78
Well, the Adventist
work in any of the cities
00:07:26.81\00:07:30.45
is we have the
opportunity to expand it.
00:07:30.48\00:07:34.32
And so it is, again,
with the situation in Tokyo.
00:07:34.35\00:07:37.52
We did some analysis
and there, every church,
00:07:37.55\00:07:42.69
imagine every
church trying to reach
00:07:42.72\00:07:45.03
over 2 million people.
00:07:45.06\00:07:47.00
And so, that's
part of their challenge,
00:07:47.03\00:07:48.73
and that's why I'm excited.
00:07:48.76\00:07:51.20
We have a new initiative
00:07:51.23\00:07:53.30
that's going to be
looking at changing that.
00:07:53.34\00:07:56.57
Terrific.
00:07:56.60\00:07:57.94
Now, Dr. Ng who is my boss,
00:07:57.97\00:08:00.11
the secretary of
the General Conference,
00:08:00.14\00:08:03.08
came up with this
idea of Mission Unusual.
00:08:03.11\00:08:05.81
What do we mean by this?
00:08:05.85\00:08:07.22
Well, Mission
Unusual is this initiative
00:08:07.25\00:08:09.88
where we're
trying to take our work
00:08:09.92\00:08:12.95
to prepare the
planet and its cities
00:08:12.99\00:08:16.29
for Christ's soon return.
00:08:16.32\00:08:18.19
So it's really global
mission. Yes, exactly.
00:08:18.23\00:08:20.63
And we're wanting to expand
00:08:20.66\00:08:22.40
and to see how we can
start new groups of believers,
00:08:22.43\00:08:25.73
whether that's going
to be in church planting
00:08:25.77\00:08:28.27
or through centers of influence,
00:08:28.30\00:08:30.17
or we're truly wanting to
have total member involvement
00:08:30.21\00:08:33.24
with our students
who will come and help
00:08:33.27\00:08:37.58
through our
Adventist volunteer services,
00:08:37.61\00:08:39.91
and kind of a comprehensive plan
00:08:39.95\00:08:42.85
to then actually make disciples.
00:08:42.88\00:08:44.99
So, Doug, I know
that you have spent
00:08:45.02\00:08:47.19
quite a bit of time in Tokyo.
00:08:47.22\00:08:48.62
I know that,
00:08:48.66\00:08:50.26
Greg Whitsett from our
Center for East Asian Religions
00:08:50.29\00:08:52.49
has spent time there.
00:08:52.53\00:08:53.86
Why?
00:08:53.90\00:08:55.23
What role
00:08:55.26\00:08:56.60
are the Global Mission
centers playing in Tokyo?
00:08:56.63\00:08:58.40
Well, what we're doing is
00:08:58.43\00:09:00.04
we're trying to support
the initiative and of the,
00:09:00.07\00:09:04.11
and the ideas
00:09:04.14\00:09:05.47
that the
Japanese leadership have.
00:09:05.51\00:09:07.74
And so, in this situation,
00:09:07.78\00:09:09.48
we're coming in
and trying to support
00:09:09.51\00:09:12.85
that local initiative,
00:09:12.88\00:09:14.88
whether it's
through kind of resources,
00:09:14.92\00:09:18.59
whether it's through finances,
00:09:18.62\00:09:20.86
thanks to our
donor's mission offerings
00:09:20.89\00:09:24.09
as well as then to find
out some structural ways
00:09:24.13\00:09:27.83
of how we can align
the entire Adventist family
00:09:27.86\00:09:32.13
to support what's happening
on the streets there of Tokyo.
00:09:32.17\00:09:35.90
That's what
we're talking about is,
00:09:35.94\00:09:38.14
let's do a team effort here.
00:09:38.17\00:09:39.51
That's right.
00:09:39.54\00:09:40.88
Let's have Adventist volunteers.
00:09:40.91\00:09:42.24
Let's have some missionaries.
00:09:42.28\00:09:43.61
Let's have
Global Mission pioneers
00:09:43.65\00:09:46.38
and all come
together with this one goal
00:09:46.41\00:09:48.58
to build the
church up in this city.
00:09:48.62\00:09:50.22
That's correct. Yeah.
00:09:50.25\00:09:52.09
That's why it's so unusual
00:09:52.12\00:09:53.46
is because imagine
00:09:53.49\00:09:54.82
the Adventist
family working together,
00:09:54.86\00:09:56.79
aligning its
resources, imagination,
00:09:56.83\00:09:59.23
and that horsepower
00:09:59.26\00:10:00.60
of truly total
member involvement
00:10:00.63\00:10:02.00
for what purpose?
00:10:02.03\00:10:03.37
It is for mission to the cities.
00:10:03.40\00:10:04.73
And in this case, it's
the world's largest city.
00:10:04.77\00:10:07.64
Now you've met with the pastors,
00:10:07.67\00:10:09.07
you've talked to
some of the young people.
00:10:09.10\00:10:11.07
What is the feeling
there about this initiative?
00:10:11.11\00:10:13.38
I think that there is
a energy and a excitement
00:10:13.41\00:10:18.35
that they're
seeing what God can do.
00:10:18.38\00:10:21.12
You remember the
time when Elisha had,
00:10:21.15\00:10:24.69
was surrounded
there in the city,
00:10:24.72\00:10:26.76
and his servant
was just focusing
00:10:26.79\00:10:28.56
on the enemy army.
00:10:28.59\00:10:30.33
And so I see that
right now through this,
00:10:30.36\00:10:33.90
the last several years,
00:10:33.93\00:10:35.36
that not only we
00:10:35.40\00:10:36.73
as the leaders of
the General Conference,
00:10:36.77\00:10:38.87
but also the Japanese
00:10:38.90\00:10:40.24
and, you know, in the past,
and their team after division,
00:10:40.27\00:10:43.91
they're starting to
see like Elisha did,
00:10:43.94\00:10:46.78
through eyes of faith,
00:10:46.81\00:10:48.14
to see actually
that God has a plan
00:10:48.18\00:10:50.21
for that great city.
00:10:50.25\00:10:51.58
God has a plan for
us to expand the kingdom
00:10:51.61\00:10:54.05
and to prepare many
more disciples there
00:10:54.08\00:10:57.12
with the Japanese background
00:10:57.15\00:10:58.99
who are ready for
Christ's soon return.
00:10:59.02\00:11:01.32
So you mentioned
that each Adventist Church
00:11:01.36\00:11:05.03
at the moment in Tokyo
00:11:05.06\00:11:07.36
has a mission field
of 2 million people.
00:11:07.40\00:11:09.13
That's correct.
00:11:09.16\00:11:10.50
So the goal of Mission
Unusual is to plant churches.
00:11:10.53\00:11:13.54
How many do we want to fund?
00:11:13.57\00:11:15.14
Well, right now, it's exciting
00:11:15.17\00:11:17.41
that the local
leadership has a vision
00:11:17.44\00:11:19.97
to actually start a
church planting movement.
00:11:20.01\00:11:22.84
And so, we're in the process
of mentoring young adults,
00:11:22.88\00:11:26.98
now whether they're going to
be a professional or a student,
00:11:27.02\00:11:31.45
to actually
become disciple makers
00:11:31.49\00:11:33.96
and to actually start
and mentor other disciples
00:11:33.99\00:11:37.73
who will start other
new groups of believers.
00:11:37.76\00:11:39.96
And so, we're
wanting to start a movement.
00:11:40.00\00:11:42.30
Yeah, and I love to hear that.
00:11:42.33\00:11:44.40
Because we're not
talking about static,
00:11:44.43\00:11:46.67
we're just going to try
to fill up existing churches,
00:11:46.70\00:11:50.14
which is we want to do that,
but we want to multiply this.
00:11:50.17\00:11:53.11
Amen. Amen.
00:11:53.14\00:11:54.48
We want to see God's
kingdom expanding rapidly.
00:11:54.51\00:11:57.68
So what are the good signs
00:11:57.71\00:11:59.05
that are
happening at the moment?
00:11:59.08\00:12:00.42
Well, right now, we've
seen that we had a recent,
00:12:00.45\00:12:06.05
over the last several
years we've been working on,
00:12:06.09\00:12:08.69
you know, starting
with the Gideon's band
00:12:08.72\00:12:10.86
of, you know, about
1,200 Japanese pastors
00:12:10.89\00:12:14.83
to then actually then,
00:12:14.86\00:12:16.30
who they will then
start mentoring others.
00:12:16.33\00:12:18.97
And so we're in
that process of making,
00:12:19.00\00:12:22.30
encouraging that vision
00:12:22.34\00:12:23.67
for discipling a
church planting movement.
00:12:23.71\00:12:27.51
So we've also
seen how God is working
00:12:27.54\00:12:30.25
on the hearts of the people
00:12:30.28\00:12:31.75
where we've had recent
public evangelistic meetings,
00:12:31.78\00:12:35.28
where people
have come to Christ.
00:12:35.32\00:12:37.65
I remember one story from Osaka,
00:12:37.69\00:12:39.95
where there was a man,
00:12:39.99\00:12:41.39
God actually
gave this man a dream.
00:12:41.42\00:12:44.16
And through that dream,
00:12:44.19\00:12:45.89
he was able to come into contact
00:12:45.93\00:12:48.16
with our Adventist family,
00:12:48.20\00:12:50.00
and he joined the
Adventist movement
00:12:50.03\00:12:52.87
as a result of having a dream
00:12:52.90\00:12:54.64
and our team,
they're in the city,
00:12:54.67\00:12:56.60
you know, doing a campaign
00:12:56.64\00:12:58.67
and so, whether we
also see other signs
00:12:58.71\00:13:01.94
where we have our
entrepreneurs preparing to say,
00:13:01.98\00:13:05.31
how are they going to set
up in the world's largest city,
00:13:05.35\00:13:08.98
that one of the places
00:13:09.02\00:13:10.35
where even a square
meter of real estate
00:13:10.39\00:13:12.65
is over a million dollars.
00:13:12.69\00:13:14.29
So how are we going to
have centers of influence
00:13:14.32\00:13:16.99
in that great city as well?
00:13:17.03\00:13:18.36
So we see that different parts
00:13:18.39\00:13:20.76
of our Adventist
family working together.
00:13:20.80\00:13:23.00
And that's what I'm excited
about this Mission Unusual
00:13:23.03\00:13:26.00
is the opportunities
that this has for us.
00:13:26.03\00:13:28.30
Wonderful.
00:13:28.34\00:13:29.67
Thanks, Doug,
for sharing with us.
00:13:29.70\00:13:31.34
Viewers at home,
this is really exciting.
00:13:31.37\00:13:33.51
This is an opportunity to work
00:13:33.54\00:13:37.15
under the
guidance of the Holy Spirit
00:13:37.18\00:13:38.78
to build up God's kingdom
00:13:38.81\00:13:40.45
in, you know, in
the Book of Jonah,
00:13:40.48\00:13:43.72
God finishes
that book by saying,
00:13:43.75\00:13:45.45
"Should I not be concerned
about this great city?"
00:13:45.49\00:13:48.89
And we're concerned about Japan
00:13:48.92\00:13:50.46
and already donors
have been stepping up.
00:13:50.49\00:13:53.09
We are pledging
from Global Mission
00:13:53.13\00:13:54.83
to put millions of dollars
into this project, into people,
00:13:54.86\00:13:58.13
not just into
buildings but into people
00:13:58.17\00:14:00.00
who will make a
difference for God's kingdom.
00:14:00.04\00:14:02.20
Thank you for your
continuing support.
00:14:02.24\00:14:03.74
We'll be right
back after this break.
00:14:03.77\00:14:05.71