City to City Japan exists to help leaders build gospel movements in Japanese cities. The vision of City to City Japan is to join with God to see major city centres in Japan worshipping Jesus Christ as Lord so that God will renew them spiritually, socially and culturally. City to City Japan is a resource for church planting and renewal in the cities of Japan. Our purpose is to catalyse new church plants and strengthen existing churches through our programs and resources.
We are a part of City to City Asia Pacific, which is, in turn, part of Redeemer City to City in New York City. The movement began out of the vision of Redeemer Church to see a renewal of Gospel-centred church planting in the great urban cities of the world, and is very much connected to the former pastor of Redeemer, Dr Timothy Keller.
We are not bound to any denomination, as we know that it will take many churches to reach a city. City to City Japan is under the governing direction of its board, chaired by the Rev. Makoto Fukuda, and which includes ministry experts from a wide range of backgrounds and denominations. The Director of City to City Japan is Damian Grateley. At the same time, we are working with many partners and friends to see Japan's cities transformed by the gospel.
An Asia Pacific family of churches helping one another proclaim the good news of Jesus.
In recent years, God has been at work to stir His people to plant new churches in the cities of Asia Pacific. Many of these churches have doctrinal commitments that they hold firmly to, yet are not tied to historic denominations. Whilst convicted by Scripture that churches govern themselves through a plurality of elders, they have a strong desire to not be isolated from others, but rather to work together for mutual strengthening and mission.
The name Resound comes from 1 Thessalonians 1, where Paul thanks God for the Thessalonians who received the gospel with much power, became imitators of those who preached the gospel to them and the Lord, turned to God from idols and became an example to all the believers in the region. In verse 8, Paul writes that both the Word of the Lord and their faith “sounded forth” from the Thessalonians into the regions beyond their church. It is our desire that the good news of Jesus would resound from our churches as people hear God’s Word and see how God has transformed our lives.
Our purpose is to:
Provide a platform for meaningful relationships for pastors and leaders of like-minded churches for encouragement and edification.
Work together to help each other become healthier churches that are compelling witnesses for the gospel in their cities
Partner together in mission (planting and strengthening other churches) for the forward movement of the gospel in Asia Pacific.
