As part of our Global Church Initiative, a team of students will participate in a week-long vision trip to Japan during their 2023 Spring Break. The trip is a partnership between Westminster Seminary California (WSC) and Mission to the World (MTW)—the missions arm of the Presbyterian Church in America. As a vision trip, it will allow students (and spouses) to enlarge their perspective by seeing first-hand the challenges and opportunities for the Gospel in Japan. Evangelical Christians make up less than 1 percent of the Japanese population. Nevertheless, the Lord is doing exciting things through the Gospel to build his church there.
WSC alumnus Mark Bocanegra (MDiv 2017) is a church-planter and MTW missionary pastoring just outside Tokyo. Rev. Bocanegra is organizing an exciting itinerary for our students. They will interact with five different MTW teams in the regions of Tokyo and Nagoya. This will expose students to church planting, theological education, and other ministries and will include visits to the Kaihin Makuhari Grace Church and Christ Bible Institute.
The goal of this trip is first for students to go, see, listen, and learn from missionaries and non-American reformed churches. Some may also pursue summer internships in Japan. Others will return with an enlarged vision of how to pray, support, and send missionaries from their future churches. Another goal is for the students to bring back to the WSC campus and community a fresh vision of the global horizon of Gospel ministry and reformed church-planting. This is a way for the seminary to renew its commitment to its mission, namely, the theological education and preparation of students to serve Christ, His Gospel, and His global Church. If you would like to give financially to support this trip, please visit the Japan Vision Trip Donation page.
