Why Tamarisk now?
I have witnessed the decline of many churches in Japan. Pastors are exhausted, and although they realize that much of what they do is missing the mark, they struggle simply to sustain a single Sunday service. In many modern Japanese churches—even in those that appear “large and successful”—members tend to see church as nothing more than a personal religious option, much like a Buddhist temple. For most Christians, church is viewed as a place to find a little emotional comfort in life’s difficulties and a guarantee of a destination after death.
There have been attempts at church growth, and some cases have even been considered “successful.” Yet the underlying aim of such growth is often to make the church a bigger temple-like institution. And when the growth surpasses the senior pastor’s management ability, almost inevitably, abuse of leadership becomes exposed.
In the midst of this, however, there are younger church planters who are seeking to rediscover what Jesus intended His church to be. The problem is that these capable young planters often labor alone and without consistent coaching or mentoring. While large sums of overseas funds are poured into supporting missionary families who lack leadership capacity and language skills, church planters who are actually birthing new churches must hold full-time jobs, support their congregations with their own family’s finances, and still try to pioneer new churches. Some belong to denominations and may receive some training at annual conferences, but this is not tailored to current needs, nor is there any system of ongoing coaching. Independent church planters, meanwhile, often cannot afford the costs of receiving coaching due to the high expenses of running a church.
I (Fumi) have experienced this personally. However, I was blessed with pastors who personally supported me—covering airfare, lodging, and conference fees—so that I could attend training conferences in the U.S. Thanks to this support, Crossroad Church has continued to grow over the past 20 years. From this experience, I came to believe that if we could identify capable leaders already engaged in church planting, provide them with coaching, and cover their costs for ongoing training and education, this could become the spark of a true church multiplication movement here in Japan.
On a personal level, I have been gathering support from overseas donors and using it to coach young pastors and leaders who otherwise could not afford to be coached and mentored but who have tremendous potential if given the right mentoring. I have met with them face-to-face and over Zoom and we are already starting to see the fruit in the pastors lives and in their churches. In 2025, this work was officially launched as the Tamarisk Church Planters Network Japan.
How It Works
Monthly coaching via video or in-person sessions focused on next steps to see their church grow in:
• Their appreciation of God’s love for them.
• Their understanding of the Gospel that Jesus and the apostles taught.
• Their passion for the Kingdom to saturate them in their everyday life.
• Their heart for the lost to be saved.
• Their ability and desire to reproduce more disciples and churches.
Coaching sessions will lead network pastors to concrete and attainable goals that uniquely engage their congregation and community with a focus on relational evangelism and discipleship.
Conferences
A few times a year, Tamarisk hosts small gatherings where pastors who receive coaching can meet, encourage one another, and grow together in fellowship and shared learning.
- Case studies from individual churches
- Lectures by speakers from Japan and abroad
- Times of discussion and prayer
If you are interested in joining a conference, please contact us through the Contact page.