Nathan, Nozomi and their family are dear friends and partners of the American Reformed Church in Woodstock and serve as missionaries to Japan.
A glimpse at what your support made possible
2023 was the year that we saw more doors opened for the worship leaders to practice the Children and Worship (C&W) program. There were three gatherings held to introduce the program to a local church in Tokai district (southwest of Yokohama). What was amazing was that those events were led by the local worship leaders who were certified at the C&W center in Yokohama.
Two Montessori preschools are currently using the program year-round and the teachers are seeing the spiritual growth of the young children.
In other cases, the program was used in the summer camp or worship session of Sunday school.
The worship leaders are in awe to see the children’s positive and voluntary responses. I heard several joyful reports; a praise song emerged out of children during the wondering time, spontaneously but in an orderly manner; children began reciting Psalm 23 after the story of the Good Shepherd; children began dancing after the story of the Exodus, and so on.
We are grateful that the used wooden figures, which were sent by several churches in the U.S., actually made it possible for the leaders to practice the program. We are so grateful for the RCA’s general financial to help us provide the textbooks in Japanese.
Our challenges in 2023
Constant provision of the wooden figures and other props has been our greatest challenge. Although we have many wooden figures provided by the RCA just as I wrote above, we need some of the materials, such as Noah’s ark, Tabernacle, Temple, 3D Good Shepherd and sheep, the Lord’s Table, and such. We had a gentleman who used to make nice props, but he is retired now. Nozomi makes some of them for the people who are in need or the Worship center in Yokohama would lend them to the leaders. We have workshops periodically to make some of them together, as well. However, we are still looking for a wood workshop to help produce the large items.
Please pray
1) For Nozomi to be able to continue equipping the new leaders.
2) For the growth of the worship leaders in their skills and their spirituality.
3) For more opportunities to practice the program consistently.
4) For more young children to meet the Lord.
Update from Nathan and Nozomi Brownell
November 2023
Dear Friends,
A warm greeting from Yokohama, Japan. We are happy to express our gratitude for your prayers and support in this letter.
Celebrating a visit from Grace Christian Church
In late February, we were blessed to have a visit of a team from the Grace Christian Church (GCC), Staten Island, NY. Rev. Jeff Chang and several elders came to Green House Youth Center. It was such a joyful afternoon of fellowship in faith. It had been a while since a team like that was able to come due to the international situation. We could share what God has been doing here in Yokohama through RCA missions in lively conversation in the same room face-to-face, which was a real joy.
We share a special connection with GCC through the Children and Worship program. We still remember the time we first visited GCC, more than 20 years ago. Nathan and I (Nozomi) were still serving at the Japanese American United Church in NYC. We were invited to GCC to learn how Children & Worship was practiced at their church. Now we are filled with joy to see that the church in the U.S. and the ministry in Japan are beautifully connected and working together. God has been working among us all this time. It was also a blessing that we could pray together for the various challenges that we face.
The baptism of a graduate
A couple weeks before Easter, Nathan received a joyful mail from one of the graduates of Ferris Girls’ High School, Risa Suzuki. She was his former student and a regular participant at the Green House afterschool ministry for junior and senior high school students. Even after graduation, she would come back to the Green House from time to time whenever we had special gatherings for the graduates.
She was in the school choir and loved to sing. During the pandemic when people were not allowed to sing together, she blessed us by sending a beautiful recording of the hymns for which she sang each of the harmony parts herself and layered them into one recording. When she came to the Green House in the winter, she shared that she was very close to deciding to confess her faith, but we were not sure how close she was. That is why it was such a great joy to receive her note with an invitation to her baptism. Nathan was able to attend her baptism which was held on Easter Sunday at International Christian University Church. Now she is working as a teacher at one of the mission schools (meaning a private high school which was founded by Christian missionaries) in Tokyo. We believe that the Lord will continue to raise her to share her testimony along the way with her students long into the future.
Sunday Afternoon Fellowship
Beginning in January this year, we started a new program called Sunday Afternoon Fellowship (SAF). We had attempted to start this program in 2020 but had to postpone it for a while. Now we are inviting the graduates of the mission schools and their friends for the time of Christian fellowship every third Sunday of the month. Madison Sagara (a Ferris teacher) and her husband Yusuke, who reside upstairs of the Green House, have been helping take some of the initiative to send out the invitations and welcome the students. We are glad to see the graduates coming back now as university students, graduate school students, early careers, and even as young moms! Each month we have more than half a dozen guests, plus our team and friends of Greenhouse, totaling between 12-24 people. We are continuing this program. Trusting that God will lead draw each one attending close to Himself.
Please pray for:
・The ministries of Green House:
1. For the junior and senior high school afterschool program
2. For SAF—especially for the participants to meet Jesus as their savior
3. For the growth of young Christian leaders
・Children & Worship
1. For new participants to join the training program
2. For those who are practicing the program to be empowered.
・For The Brownell family
1. For our eldest son Ken, who resigned from his corporate job to start his own business this past year.
2. For our second son Ray, who is currently a graduate school student at Tokyo Christian University preparing for the ministry and serving as an intern at a church in Tokyo.
3. For our third son Luke, who just entered college.
4. For continued physical and spiritual health.
Thank you so much for your faithful support! We pray for you as well.
In Christ,
Nathan and Nozomi Brownell
www.rca.org/brownell
Year Review from Nathan and Nozomi Brownell
January 2023
Thank you for supporting us in 2022. Your generosity is helping us reach the next generation with the gospel. Here are a few ways you helped make that possible this past year.
Three-way MOU between RCA, LTIR, and RESONATE (CRC)
With the signing of the three-way MOU (memorandum of understanding between RCA Global Mission, the Leadership Training Institute for Reconciliation (LTIR), and RESONATE (CRC) in October we open a new chapter of intentional cooperation. Both the RCA and CRC trace our mission roots to the very same missionaries, a history that goes back 150 years. However, for too many years we have each struggled separately with very similar demographic challenges and problems. Now we are resolved to work together to see this mission through to the next generation. We ask the Lord to use us to help raise the next generation of believers and to make us able to help call the next generation of missionaries. We offer ourselves to the Lord that the hope of the gospel would reach even to generations yet unborn.
“He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments… (Psalm 78:5-7).”
The Thanksgiving dinner outreach to graduates (now college and early career)
Every year we hold a Thanksgiving meal event to which we invite our graduates and friends of the Greenhouse Youth Center (approximately 30 people attended). This creates an organic way for us to practice that great life-giving habit of “counting our blessings and giving thanks to God” which we learned growing up in churches in the U.S. Hosting a Thanksgiving dinner here creates a very special place in time for our graduates to learn and practice that same life-giving habit of thanksgiving. The youth here are longing for this type of gathering with “real face time” and more personal connection. The recent Thanksgiving event, as well as last year’s Easter Teatime event, were not only well attended but continued to show us that there are real heartfelt needs of the soul among the graduates.
Easter Teatime
Thanksgiving Dinner
Christmas concert by local high school students – “Mustard Seed”
There was another largely organic event that became a highlight toward the end of last year (2022). I (Nathan) was invited to the annual school festival of another area junior and senior high school (Kyoritsu), where we have held outreaches before, but which had been hard to connect with for the past couple of years. I had a chance to attend their choir event. After their music, I asked for permission to greet the choir and thank them for the beautiful offering of praise to the Lord. Immediately after my greeting some of the students invited me to another concert later that afternoon, which was to be held by a small band comprised of three graduating senior high school students. The spirit of their performance and their original songs moved the audience. Afterward, I again asked for permission to greet these students and invited them to hold a concert at the Greenhouse Youth Center. The students eagerly responded. It took a few months to gain permission and schedule the event, but we were blessed to host their Christmas concert. The students invited many of their classmates, friends, and teachers. Their band is called “Mustard Seed.” We believe that the Lord will bless the seeds of faith which were planted in many young hearts that evening.
Mustard Seed concert and invitation
Visit by RCA Global Mission leadership
Another highlight was the visit by RCA Global Mission director Rev. Dr. JP Sundararajan and Asia mission supervisor Rev. En Young Kim. They visited each of the long-term mission couples serving in Japan, including us. This means they also visited Ferris Girl’s Junior and Senior High Schools. Ferris was founded by the RCA more than 150 years ago and this is where I (Nathan) teach during the week. Nozomi was able to help translate for them on their tour of part of the Ferris school system. Incidentally, Nozomi was recently chosen to serve on the board of regents of the Ferris Women’s University school system of which she is a graduate.
Our challenges of 2022
The restructuring of a partner organization
As shared in an earlier newsletter, one of our crucial partner organizations is going through a time of administrative restructuring. This process requires attention and care and is also one of our prayer requests.
Serving as a delegate to the Nihon Kirisuto Kyodan General Assembly
Another challenge this past year was serving as a delegate to the Nihon Kirisuto Kyodan General Assembly. For many years, the senior missionaries have carried this responsibility but, for some reason, it was my turn this year. Elders who have served at General Synod will understand the time commitment and may be able to imagine wrestling with all the complicated issues that come up and, in this case, all in a second language.
Issues with the “new normal”
We continue to seek ways to minister in a context still hampered by the “new normals” adopted by many over the past few years. It seems that some of the new normals have become ingrained habits. Those who grew up before the recent several years have a template for more human interaction, but for students who only know the way it has been for the past three years this appears to be affecting especially the young people in a not-so-good way. This continues to be one of our prayer requests.
Please pray
Ministry prayer requests
• Prayers for the very real heart and soul-felt needs of the junior and senior high school as well as the college and early career students we serve.
• Prayers for the restructuring of one of our partner organizations. I ask for the Lord's wisdom and guidance.
• Prayers for the various repair and renovation needs of our mission houses and facilities.
Prayers for family needs
• Prayers for travel to the U.S. hopefully during the summer of 2023. I have not been able to travel internationally since 2019 and need to attend to family concerns and various matters.
• Please pray for our first son Ken, who resigned from his corporate job to set up his own business this past year. We ask the Lord to bless his efforts. He had planned to find his own place and become fully independent, but that has been somewhat delayed by the circumstances of these past couple of years.
• Please pray for our second son Ray. He has been away at college and serving another church as an intern. Now he is also working on his thesis for graduation from Bible college. He is planning to go on to graduate school. Please keep him in your prayers as he prepares for the ministry.
• Please pray for our third son Luke, who will be graduating from high school and transitioning to college. Praise the Lord he has been accepted to a college. He will be majoring in the English language. Please keep him in your prayers.
Nathan and Nozomi
Update from Nathan and Nozomi Brownell
November 2022
Dear Friends,
Greetings from your missionaries halfway around the globe in Yokohama, Japan. We are grateful for your prayers and support. This marks the 15th year since we embarked on this mission. It is by God’s grace that we have made it this far. We are pleased to report that our family is healthy and well. Despite the darkness of the world around us, we are reminded that we walk in the light of Christ Jesus.
High School Ministries
Japanese society is still being affected by the COVID-19 situation. In late summer 2022, daily news covered a “7th wave.” Nonetheless, last spring the Lord continued to send us a small group of high school students for the weekly gatherings at the Green House. The girls from the area school kept coming back and we had really good quality fellowship and Bible time with them.
In July, we were able to hold an in-person special event for the Jr. & Sr. high school students from area local churches. Since many of the churches are not currently holding in-person youth groups, we have been offering the Green House as a good place for the youth to gather so they can encourage each other and receive some nourishment for the soul.
Young Adult Ministries
Since the beginning of this year (2022), we have been opening the Green House to a new ministry for young college and early career adults. As noted above, because of the COVID-19 policies, many local churches virtually gave up in-person gatherings completely while other churches have been limiting their in-person gatherings to Sunday morning worship services only. It quickly became apparent to us that the young people who had been coming to the churches have largely lost their faith community or opportunities to fellowship with other young believers. So, two of our sons, Ken and Raymond, have been reaching out to such young adults. Once a month, they invite an area pastor to join them for an in-person outreach gathering at the Green House. Ken cooks the food and Raymond (who is a Bible college student), helps lead the program. This group is still small, but there is usually someone to join them. It is a joy to see our sons reaching out to their generation in this way. Please pray that young souls can meet the Lord and flourish.
We also have an outreach to the graduates of the mission schools. A couple of times a year we extend an invite to the graduates who used to come to the Green House weekly program while they were in high school. For example, in April, we hosted a special Easter teatime. Several joined and enjoyed the fellowship and a Bible-based message. We will invite them again for a Thanksgiving meal with fellowship.
Children and Worship
We are so grateful to receive the wooden figures for the Children & Worship from some of our supporting churches! During these past couple of seasons, due to the various limitations on activities, we have focused on training small groups of worship leaders. It is amazing to see how God is using each of them to lead C&W in many places across Japan. Not only it is wonderful that many children and adults can experience C&W, but the joy of the worship leaders is overflowing! These ladies (and a few men) love the Lord and love the children. They are eager to serve Him, and through C&W, God has granted a very practical way for them to do so. As they wrestle with the scripture to tell the story, they find themselves so engaged in the Word and this draws them closer to the Lord. They will use these precious second-hand wooden figures you’ve sent to us. Indeed, it is as if these wooden figures came here on a mission trip. Now we will see how far these figures will go out from here across Japan!
We are also so thankful for the second printing of the Japanese version of the first C&W textbook, “Young Children & Worship,” which is now being published with a new improved binding and cover from this year.
Other updates:
Serving as a delegate to the General Assembly
I (Nathan) was asked to serve as a delegate at the General Assembly of our partner denomination, the Nihon Kirisuto Kyodan. This September was the first General Assembly to be held in person since the beginning of COVID-19. It was a long three days of meetings with votes on many issues for the future of the church in Japan. Fortunately, there was good fellowship among some of the delegates.
Nathan with Rev. Terada and a cluster of some of the young pastors who are involved in youth outreach.
The Mt. Fuji Climb
Below are a couple of photos from my first climb of Mt. Fuji. I finally took the challenge and climbed to the tallest point in Japan. At 3,776 meters, the mountain is tall enough to feel the lack of oxygen, especially for those of us who spend most of our time at or near sea level. Although we climbed in mid-July it was like winter at the top. This trip made me ever more grateful for God’s amazing creation. And I am grateful for the small team of Japanese and international friends from the local gym who helped make that climb possible. We encouraged each other along the way. I found it harder coming down than it was climbing, which was because of a knee injury and surgery which I sustained years ago. Nonetheless, it was a great experience from which I learned a lot. I should like to write more about it in the future.
Japan mission partnership between RCA Global Mission and CRCNA RESONATE
We are glad to report that, based on years of dialogue and pioneering cooperation between the missionaries here on the field in Japan, the denominational representatives of both RCA Global Mission and RESONATE (CRCNA) have signed an even more solid and intentional MOU (We had already been cooperating on some projects based on an earlier MOU). This MOU is now a three-way agreement between the mission arms of RCA Global Mission and RESONATE (CRCNA) connecting with the Leadership Training Institute for Reconciliation (LTIR), which is a legal mission entity here in Japan. Through this partnership, we aim to raise up leaders for the church of tomorrow for the glory of our Lord. This has the potential of being a historic event marking a new chapter in the Japan mission.
Rev. Wayne Jansen (RCA) signed on behalf of RCA Global Mission and Rev. Nathan Brownell (RCA) signed on behalf of our mission group in Japan with Rev. Yamashita (LTIR) and Rev. Paul Yu and the representatives of RESONATE CRCNA.
Prayer Requests
Please continue to pray for the strengthening of the church in Japan and, most specifically, for the next generation of Japanese Christians to be raised up. Please pray for God to continue shaping who we are and what we do so that there will be fruit that will last.
May the Lord bless you all as you serve the Lord with passion wherever you are!
…that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being… Eph3:16
In Christ,
Rev. Nathan & Nozomi Brownell
brownell@firstpurpose.org
Watch this Video
(Sept. 2021)
Dear Friends at Woodstock Church,
A warm greeting from Yokohama, Japan. We are always thankful for your prayers and support for the mission in Japan. Although we feel isolated and frustrated, at times, due to what is going on in the world, every time we think of you we are encouraged to know that we are not alone but representing all of you in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. We are so grateful for your prayer cards, birthday cards, and encouragements through emails. They mean so much to us.
We are happy to announce that we have completed the translation of the C&W textbook, “Following Jesus.” It was published in early August. Many of you may know that Nozomi has been working to help translate and publish the two books in this series for several years. It is a miracle of our Lord that we were able to bring it to publication during this difficult time!
God has given strength by his Holy Spirit to several people for the completion of this project. First, the translators. Three translators worked on this project: Rev. Mieko Sakon, Mrs. Kazuko Nishibori, and myself, Nozomi Brownell. Rev. Sakon and Mrs. Nishibori have been the prime movers and shakers of the Children & Worship in Japan for the past 18 years. They had already started the C&W seminar in Tokyo before our family was sent to Japan for mission in 2007. Thanks to them, Nozomi had a very warm welcome when she arrived here. Despite their busy lives as full-time pastor in Tokyo and as pastor’s wife in Shizuoka prefecture, their hard work on this project has been noteworthy. Mrs. Nishibori, who is also a very talented artist, made beautiful cover artwork for the book.
Second, God strongly inspired the editor of the publishing house, Mr. Katsuyoshi Nishimura. From a human point of view, this project might not have been attractive to many publishers, especially during this time when all churches are struggling to even open their doors for worship services. Needless to say, many children’s ministries are either canceled or being held online. However, Mr. Nishimura shared our vision and took a firm step of faith to pour out his energy into the project. Without his professional guidance and very kind support, the book couldn’t have been completed.
Third, there is a circle of Christian educators and pastors who passionately support this project. We believe that there are seasons for everything. During this age of uncertainty and anxiety, people are starving for the truth and peace in Christ more than ever, especially young souls. Our supporters believe that it is time to equip ourselves for the upcoming harvest of souls. Along with us, they believe that this book will play a role in the harvest and bear fruit.
Lastly, we must not forget to mention that this publishing project was made possible by the precious financial support from the Reformed Church in America (RCA). The Children and Worship fund helped us tremendously. Thank you so much for giving to this ministry. We praise God that this book was the fruit of the partnership of Christians in Japan and the U.S. It will be shared by even more people and will produce more spiritual fruit in the coming years. It will be my joy to share periodic updates with you.
Please continue to pray for . . .
1. This translation of “Following Jesus” and for our earlier translation of the other textbook in this series “Young Children and Worship.” Pray that these will be fully utilized in Japan to reach many young children.
2. A woodworking shop to help produce the wooden figures. In the meantime, we are planning to make a woodworking shop to provide a stable supply of the materials for the C&W program. Please pray that we will be able to make a good space, gather the necessary tools, and gain the skills to meet the need.
3. Wisdom to provide good training sessions. Although there are people who want to join the training, the activities of many people are still restricted and limited under the influence of the COVID-19.
We are praying for the church in the U.S. as well. May the work of the Holy Spirit cover all of us making us faithful servants of the Lord wherever we are. Blessing to all of you.
Hope in God,
Nozomi Brownell
Dear Friends at Woodstock ARC,
Greeting in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ from the mission at Yokohama, Japan. We are always grateful for your unstinting support. God continues to enable us to do His precious ministry through your support.
We are especially thankful for your prayers and financial support during this peculiar season, as we understand that you, too, are experiencing hardships due to the COVID 19 pandemic.
We are indeed true partners in mission as we are bound together by the same eternal hope which enables us to press on through this challenging season.
The churches here, in Japan, are struggling but focused on maintaining their ministries. Due to the many reasons the average age of the congregations is quite high this means that many members have been unable to come to church during the pandemic. As a result, only a few have been able to attend weekly worship services, but ironically, because of the small number of attendees some of the churches have been able to remain open for Sunday services because they are not about the threshold of numbers mentioned in the restrictions. Fortunately, these few but faithful are able to meet for worship every week and we mail letters with copies of the worship programs and drafts of the pastor’s sermons.
As for Children and Worship, we have been able to hold two workshops this Summer. Four worship leaders gathered for each time of worship, learning and making the model Mt. Sinai for telling the Bible stories. It was a time of learning as well as a time of deep fellowship with hope. We prayed together and discussed how to adapt the C&W ministry when people are discouraged from gathering in large groups. We also wondered together how to encourage the churches during this time when there is a great hesitation to start new ministries. One of the participants said, “Although now is a hard time, it is surely a God given time to strengthen our resolve and to enhance our abilities to lead the children. Let us continue to provide this opportunity for the spiritual nourishment and skill learning for all the worship leaders and the candidates”. So, we are planning to increase the number of training sessions but limit the number of participants each time in order to allow for less congestion in our training space in order to show consideration for the guidelines suggested by the health commission.
This season we are especially grateful to Pultneyville Reformed Church in upstate New York which sent us many of their extra wooden figures and other materials. When we visited them, during our home assignment last summer, they responded in this very kind and practical way to support C&W in Japan. Now, we are giving and sending those figures to the worship leaders. Japan has 47 prefectures (something like smaller versions of states). Once one of our first C&W supporters here had boldly prayed that God would place Children & Worship Centers in each prefecture to reach out to the children. Now, after 13 years, we have 21 worship leaders who have come through the training, and they are serving in 9 prefectures (Kagoshima, Niigata, Nagoya, Shizuoka, Saitama, Gunma, Tochigi, Tokyo and Yokohama(Kanagawa). Three of them are trying to set up the Worship Centers right now and they are absolutely helped by the donated figures. Japanese children will hear and see the Bible stories with those lovely wooden figures. Thank you so much!
As you know, our wider ministry is also focused on the next generation in Japan. We continue to reach out and teach young people whenever and wherever it is possible. The church where we are serving resumed its children’s program in June. Praise God, most of the children have returned and are coming week by week now. We were even able to hold a day camp at the church and the kids and their parents joined. It was a wonderful time to bless them as ‘the children of Light’.
Because the COVID-19 situation continues to impose some limits in terms of numbers for fear catching the disease or spreading it to others unknowingly, we are forced to wear masks and to keep some distance from each other as if we are harmful to others even though we are healthy. Now some of us are concerned about the unintended consequences on the minds and souls of the young children growing up in this circumstance, being restricted from the healthy communication.
The Bible assures that we are blessed to be blessing to others and we are the light of the World as we are the children of the Light in Jesus Christ. I (Nozomi) was extremely glad and grateful to be able to tell the story of “the Light” to 8 children and their families who joined the camp that evening. I could see the light of wonder and awe sparkling in their eyes as they saw the small candles the received and shared the light from the Christ Candle. It was wonderful to see that go home with the blessing and mystery of the Gospel in their hearts and minds. They are the ones who will carry on the ministry into the future.
Please continue to pray for the church and the next generation in Japan that they will be strengthened. We are discerning ways to reopen the Green House youth programs hopefully from this Fall. Please pray that God will give us wisdom and courage. We, too, are praying for you and for your church.
Hope in God,
Nozomi Brownell
