About Us
We are a network of Small Churches worshiping Jesus Christ in homes throughout Tokyo.
Currently, we have a total of four Small Churches, three in the Waseda area and one in Hibarigaoka, each one operating with its own church leadership.
Meeting in Small Churches allows us to experience the richness of the gospel of Jesus Christ expressed in the Bible through intimate community and warm fellowship. We desire to be a community living out our faith as the body of Christ under His headship (Ephesians 4:15) by loving one another (John 13:34) and encouraging and building each other up (I Thessalonians 5:11).
Our Story
Summer 2014
PrayYamanote (train-riding prayer ministry) started by EFCA ReachGlobal Tokyo City Team. We began to ask God for direction in church planting, ultimately leading to the Small Church model. PrayYamanote still takes place every Tuesday morning, in person and on Zoom.
Autumn 2016
Small Church gathering originally called “Missional Life Group” started in the living room of the Nakazawa's house in Waseda Tsurumakicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo.
March 2018
About six people were sent out from Waseda to start Hibarigaoka Small Church in Nishi-Tokyo City.
May 2018
Another five people were sent out to start Yamabukicho Small Church in Shinjuku-ku.
Summer 2022
Family Church for young families started in Takada, Toshima-ku.
Our Faith
We are a Protestant church network that upholds the evangelical tradition.
We believe that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, breathed out by Him, and that God sent His Son Jesus Christ to the cross to provide a way of salvation for us sinners through His sacrificial death and resurrection from the dead.
Our beliefs are summarized in the Statement of Faith of the Evangelical Free Church of America.
Church Planter
Shige Nakazawa
"Thank you for visiting the Tokyo Small Church Network website. About 30 years ago, during my time as a college student devoted to track and field, I was able to meet my Savior Jesus Christ through a missionary. It is my great hope and desire that the blessing which lies in knowing Jesus will spread throughout Tokyo, and that God will receive glory and praise."
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Father of four children with his American wife Luann
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Born in Waseda, Tokyo and raised in Arakawa as the eldest son of a Chinese restaurant owner
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B.A. in Lifelong Sports, Tokyo Gakugei University
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M.A. in Intercultural Studies, Biola University, USA
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Missionary, ReachGlobal (Evangelical Free Church of America)
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Ministry License, Evangelical Free Church of America
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Member of the Evangelical Free Church of Japan Ministerial Association
