The Odates Newsletter

Matt Chase and I are interviewing and hoping to recruit a few people to join our ministry as assistant pastors, college ministry interns, and children's ministry workers. Would you please pray for them to commit to joining and that their needs are fully provided?

           The Chases are going back to the U.S. for their home ministry assignment for about one year. They will come back in July 2022. Matt is planning to get as many credits as possible from Reformed Theological Seminary D.C., come under the care of his Presbytery be a candidate of the teaching elder, have a leadership assessment with MTW, and to raise funds for our church planting work. Please pray for his time in the U.S. is fruitful. Also, the church will lose seven people for one year, and their presence has a significant impact on us. So, please pray that the church can grow even in the small steps. 

Family update

           I (Haruaki) am working very hard on preaching, discipleship, Bible study, creating songs, etc. Also, I am making some programs for discipleship training for non-Christians (and seekers included), for church membership, for baptism and confession of faith.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support for our family and ministry!

Japan is still in the mess of COVID, but thankfully we are protected and doing well. The vaccination in Japan seems to speed up recently, so hopefully Asami and I will be vaccinated within this year. I hope to visit the U.S. once I complete the vaccination to meet my friends, visit supporting churches, do more fundraising, and attend the presbytery meeting of the Presbytery of Mississippi Valley for my membership is there. I am looking forward to that time.

Ministry update

             My church planting is going well so far. We are meeting at the house of a missionary family, the Chases, who are the core team of my church planting team. We have worship gatherings at their house twice a month, the second and fourth Saturday evenings. The Odates, the Chases, and Michael Flayhart are the regular attendees as the core team and its family. We have 2-5 visitors from my Japanese home church (Oyumino Christ Church) every time, also, one student from Chiba University occasionally. Because we have four kids and the Chases has five, I am trying to communicate with easy words when I preach. The missionaries understand Japanese, but not difficult theological/biblical terms. So, I choose the easy words and sometimes explain the specific terms. I also use a lot of pictures to help them understand. I write my sermon in English and preach in Japanese. If there is someone who cannot catch up with my Japanese, I give my English manuscript so that they can follow.

Asami is always reaching out to her non-Christian friends and having time together. Recently, she wrote a song with her non-Christian friend. It is interesting to see an unbeliever helping write a song praising God. Please pray for her ministry.

Hatsuho started taking a piano lesson from our friend. She performed at the talent show at her school and played "Amazing Grace." I hope someday she will join the worship team of our church and praise God with me.

Niji surprised us by showing strong leadership at a sports day of his kindergarten. He took the athlete's oath of fair play at the beginning of the opening ceremony. We were so proud of him as his parents.

Torah also did a great job on the sports day. He won the sprint and showed a high athletic ability. In addition, Torah and Niji started going to the gym twice a month to learn trampoline techniques. They are enjoying their time there, and it helps to consume their excessive energy.

Seika is growing fast. She can walk, run, and speak a few words now. However, we need to keep our eyes on her always. Please pray for her protection from any accident or injury.

Prayer request

           We hope to move into the city center of Chiba this year. To live in that area, we need to raise more support. It will be $1,500/month. Also, our church will need $20,000/year to rent a place to worship, do outreach ministries, hire staff, and so on. We are currently using Matt's house to worship. But when we start having more than 30 people, we need to rent a bigger place for gathering people.

           Please pray for the unity/relationship of my family because this is the smallest unit of the church, and the church we are planting in Chiba must stand on this foundation.

This button is a link to my account on the MTW (Mission to the World) project. The account

name is "Odate, O-Chan & Asami" and the account number is #92890.

Please join our church planting team with your prayer and support!