Kanagawa’s capital, Yokohama, is the second largest city in the nation and where the Protestant Church began. In 1859, the first Protestant missionaries arrived in Yokohama, and a prayer meeting was started in 1872. Nine students were led to faith and eleven people from this group became the charter members of the first Protestant church in Japan, organized on March 10, 1872.
- Population: 8,600,109
- City with only 1 church: 1
- Towns/villages with no church: 6
- Church/person: 1: 17,269
Dec 17: Many of the churches in the Yokohama and Shonan areas are the first churches in Japan. Pray that these churches will sense the unity of Christ in the gospel.
Dec 18: A family in Yokohama celebrates a heritage of five generations of Christians. The first Christian in the line was also one of the first Protestant Christians, who became one of the first pastors. There are now 25 living believers in the family. Pray that every Christian parent will also see the next generation following Jesus.
Dec 19: Pray for “Harbor View of Christmas”, a special evangelistic outreach in which 100 churches cooperate. There are usually 600 people who come to hear this gospel presentation.
Dec 20: Pray for the many well-known Christian schools in this prefecture: Ferris Women’s School with 3.150 students, Kanto Gakuin with 16,350 (Jr. high through college), Meiji Gakuin Univ. Yokohama Campus, Aoyama Gakuin Univ. Atsugi Campus, Toyo Eiwa Women’s Univ., and others. There are 63 Protestant kindergartens and 27 day-care centers here with 10,600 children.
Dec 21: Pray for the many children and adults who attend English conversation classes at churches and Christian schools throughout Japan. For most it is their first time to read the Bible.
Dec 22: For Christian general hospitals: Kinugasa Hospital with 299 beds and Neo Gospel Clinic.
*All information and prayer requests taken from “Operation Japan -Prayer Guide- Third Edition” -Japan Evangelical Missionary Association, 2005. To purchase a copy of “Operation Japan” book or the Interactive CD version, go to:http://www.jema.org/joomla15/index.php?option=com_banners&task=click&bid=10.