NISEKO CHURCH
About us
Find out about who we are...
Our Story
We are a Protestant Evangelical Church based in Kutchan town, covering the Niseko area.
Started in 1953, by missionaries, David Hayman (AU) and Doug Abrams (UK), the church was one of the first started by OMF (formerly CIM) in Japan.
The present church building was constructed in 1969.
The church is a member of JECA (Japan Evangelical Church Association).
Our staff
Pastor Murata and his wife, Yae live in the Niseko area with their 2 boys and a dog.
The Pastor (Keita) was brought up in a Christian home, and previously worked for the Word of Life Press, as well as living and working overseas before settling in Niseko. He then studied at Hokkaido Bible Institute and became the Pastor of the church. During winter months he works part-time as a Snowboard Instructor.
Yae also grew up in a Christian home, but left the church for a while. However at University she went to New Zealand on a working holiday and came to realise that the God of the Bible is real. She loves Niseko, and her hobbies are Snowboarding, gardening, etc
Our beliefs
We believe that the One, true God created the Universe. God loves us, and wants to show us love and mercy through Jesus Christ.
We believe that Jesus Christ was nailed to a cross, and died as punishment for our sins, and rose again three days later. And we also who believe, will not die, but have eternal life. As a church, we confess the Apostle's Creed, which has been confessed since the days of the Early Christian Church.
Vision and Mission of Niseko Church
Vision
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind… Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthews 22:37, 39 and 40
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Mathew 28:19-20
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To Love God - through worship and other activities
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To Love People - through fellowship as a community of God’s family
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To Spread the Gospel - through discipleship training and team ministry and as a church serving our community.
Mission
To Love God
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We believe that praising and worshiping God are acts of loving Him. Through worship, we are transformed from being self-centered to being God-centered, fully exhibiting our God-given human attributes as we were originally designed. Worship ultimately leads to blessing. We prioritize our worship to God over anything, and we are committed to offer worship times that are filled by God’s presence and love.
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Our church strives to offer activities and fellowship to all who confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord of all, regardless of where they are from.
To Love People
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We need each other as we cannot live alone. We are committed to creating a community of God’s family that values fellowship, prays for each other, encourages and supports each other, and loves each other.
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Our church is open to everybody, both those living in this community and visitors from overseas. We endeavour to help people feel comfortable through translation in services, a convenient location, and appropriate building design. We serve outsiders through programmes like our parent and child English classes.
To Spread the Gospel
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To be united as one team in spreading the gospel. (Ephesians 4:1-16)
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To glorify God by giving thanks to Him for the beautiful countryside of Niseko which He created.
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Psalm 19:1
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To give witness to the next generation.
“We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.” Psalm 78:4
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To enable people to meet God and grow in Him. To also send disciples from Niseko to the world. (Matthew 28:18-20)
Our church loves God and people. We desire to be filled with God’s presence and glorify Him.
We desire to see the gospel spread from Niseko just as it first spread from Galilee to the world.