はじめての方へFOR NEW COMERS

The foundation for Sakai Evangelical Church was laid by Mr. and Mrs. Helge Jansson, a Swedish missionary couple who came to Japan in 1949. During this critical time in the aftermath of WWII they offered people the hope found in the Bible, and led many to Christ. Among those they led to Christ, there were the former Pastor Mitsuo Gakiya and his wife, Michiko. The missionary couple began our church with a small group of people using a dressmaking school as the meeting place. The missionary handed it over to the former Pastor Mitsuo Gakiya and church members in 1959, and our church moved to Daisen-cho in 1960 since it grew and needed own building to worship and to have fellowship. In 1997, our church moved into a second new building in Wakamatsu-dai, Senboku-Newtown, where we currently meet. A seminary called EBI was founded beside the church in 1961 to train people to be pastors; it is now known as KBI (Kansai Bible Institute). The gospel spread with the students, and new churches were founded in other cities such as Nara, Wakayama, Misaki, and Yao. The churches started to form a church group called JEC (Japan Evangelical Church), and now there are more than fifty churches within what is now JEC.

Because it was planted by Swedish missionaries, Sakai Evangelical Church has inherited certain Nordic cultural values: respect for humanity, the pursuit of moderation, and the appreciation of simplicity. The churchʼs operation and activity richly reflect these values‒we cherish the connection between people more than anything. As a result, we have assisted in the births of new churches in Tondabayashi, Kawachinagano, Niwashirodai, Senboku, and the opening of new branches in Tokyo, Gunma, Nagano, Aichi and Okayama. We seek to expand the work of the church in a natural way. We also value the ability to connect with other believers around the world, and have enjoyed maintaining our friendships with people from Sweden, Finland, the United States, Canada, Russia, India, Indonesia, and other nations. We try to approach all of our relationships‒international and local‒in the same spirit.

Sakai Evangelical Church started with twenty-three people on February 3, 1952. In 1975, we had over one hundred people in a worship service. Today, we have three services every Sunday, with about 250 to 300 in each one. We have mainly 4 groups in our church, that are men’s group called “Joshua”, women’s group called “Olive”, young adults called “Wing”, and children’s group called “Church School”.

Starting with the Sunday Service, we have several activities or meetings in a week. Joshua has prayer meeting in the first Saturday morning every month. Olive has her services in the first and third Friday morning. Wing also has a service called “Wing Worship” in the third Friday evening. We have Church School every Sunday morning, and it is separated according to age to teach them the Bible. 30 – 40 kids in total come to the classes regularly, and about 30 volunteering teachers are serving for the kids. In addition to the Biblical education we offer on Sundays, we also schedule picnics, summer camps, Christmas meetings and more. We value working with the children in our local community and offer a children’s church called “Rainbow Kids” on Saturdays for children in the neighborhood. We value the opportunities to reach out to the neighbors, we hold numerous concerts inviting musicians from a variety of genres, including gospel music and classical music. Concerts are usually held at a concert hall called “Big-i” in front of Izumigaoka Station.

You may assume I am from Okinawa because of my name, but I was born and raised in Sakai. The former Pastor (my father) moved to Sakai, Osaka during the turmoil of World War II. He met the Swedish missionaries, and my mother, and I was born. “If he had not left Okinawa…” “If the missionaries had not been there….” But I am here, now‒beyond many “ifs” woven in Godʼs history. Recently, our church has been moving forward, carrying “Rainbow Church” as its theme. A rainbow in the sky is Godʼs promise that dispels our “if.” It may be covering, encouraging, comforting, and shining upon you today. I would be very grateful if I could share and taste the grace of Jesus Christ with you. I am looking forward to seeing you.

Childrenʼs Class: Every Sunday 9:00 am Sunday Worship (Service): 7:00 am, 9:00 am and 11:00 am

The church has a parking lot. The nearest train station is Izumigaoka station on Senboku Line. On Sundays, there is a church shuttle bus. For more information, please call 072-290-0888 or email to info@sakaigospel.com