Bringing the Gospel Alongside Local Churches　”Donkey Tract”

Supporting Local Churches in Japan

Fewer than one percent of the people in Japan identify as Christian, and many go through life without a clear opportunity to hear the Gospel.

At the same time, many local churches face challenges such as aging congregations, limited staff, and restricted financial resources. Even when a church has a strong desire to reach its community, it may not have enough people to carry out a broad outreach effort on its own.

TWR Japan connects local churches with short-term mission teams from overseas through a ministry called Donkey Tract.

The Meaning Behind the Name

The name Donkey Tract comes from the biblical account of Jesus Christ entering Jerusalem on a donkey.

The donkey that carried Jesus did not draw attention to itself or seek honor. It simply served with humility and obedience, carrying the Lord where He was going.

In the same way, we desire to carry the Gospel of Jesus Christ to people with humility and obedience.

We are not the center of this ministry. Our purpose is to serve faithfully and help bring Christ’s message of hope to communities throughout Japan.

What Donkey Tract Does

Participants visit a local church and listen to the pastor or church leaders explain the community, the church’s ministry, and its prayer needs.

After praying together for the church and the surrounding area, the team distributes Gospel tracts and information about the local church to nearby homes.

This is not simply an effort to distribute large numbers of flyers.

The ministry respects the work that local churches have already been doing and helps them create new points of connection with their communities.

We pray that one tract may become someone’s first opportunity to encounter the Gospel and eventually connect with a local church.

Participants Who Dedicate a Week to the Lord

Many Donkey Tract participants have a sincere desire to serve the people and churches of Japan but are unable to commit to long-term missions because of work, education, family responsibilities, or ministry commitments at home.

Instead, they dedicate approximately one week to serving the Lord alongside Japanese churches.

Many participants personally cover their travel and accommodation expenses. Others come with prayer and financial support from their home churches.

They use limited vacation time and travel into an unfamiliar language and culture in order to serve local churches and help bring the Gospel to nearby communities.

Their dedication is a significant encouragement to churches in Japan.

For overseas participants, it is also an opportunity to understand the realities facing Japanese churches, hear directly from pastors and believers, and pray more specifically for the salvation of Japan.

Even though the visit may last only one week, the relationships and prayers that begin during that time often continue after the participants return home.

Outreach That Respects Japanese Culture

Many people in Japan are cautious when approached unexpectedly about religion. Japanese culture also places a high value on privacy, courtesy, and respect for the local community.

For this reason, Donkey Tract follows the guidance of each local church and seeks to respect Japanese culture, customs, and regional circumstances.

Participants receive orientation on appropriate behavior, communication, and ways to distribute materials respectfully.

We do not pressure people or force conversations. We deliver Gospel information with courtesy and respect.

Church contact details and service information are included so that anyone who becomes interested can later contact the local church in a comfortable and appropriate way.

Encouraging Local Churches

Donkey Tract brings the Gospel to local communities, but it also encourages the churches that serve them.

Churches that have partnered with the ministry have shared that:

• They were able to carry out outreach that would have been difficult to do alone.
• They were encouraged to know that Christians overseas are praying for Japan.
• Their members rediscovered the importance of reaching their local community.
• The outreach helped make the church’s presence known in the neighborhood.

We understand that the results of evangelism are not always immediately visible. Nevertheless, we believe that every Gospel seed planted with prayer can bear fruit in God’s time.

From Short-Term Missions to Ongoing Relationships

In recent years, relationships that began through Donkey Tract have developed beyond tract distribution into ongoing partnerships between Japanese and overseas churches.

Churches now continue to pray for one another, exchange information, and arrange return visits.

Some have also begun holding joint camps and other activities that bring together younger generations from Japan and overseas.

When young people from different cultures worship, pray, study the Bible, and spend time together, they encourage one another in faith.

For young Japanese Christians, these gatherings provide an opportunity to experience their connection to the worldwide body of Christ.

For overseas participants, they offer a deeper understanding of Japan’s spiritual needs and may inspire future involvement in missions and church partnership.

A one-week mission trip can become the beginning of lasting friendship, cooperation between churches, and ministry involving the next generation.

Connecting Media Outreach and Local Churches

Distributing a tract is not the end of the ministry.

It is important that those who become interested have opportunities to learn more about the Gospel and connect with trustworthy Christians and local churches.

For this reason, Gospel tracts are distributed together with information about a nearby church.

TWR Japan also hopes to use radio programs, podcasts, videos, and online content to help people continue exploring the Gospel, especially those who are not yet ready to attend a church.

By connecting personal outreach, media ministry, and local churches, we hope to create a pathway from receiving one tract to learning more about Jesus Christ and beginning a journey of faith.

Current Challenges

Donkey Tract requires extensive preparation and coordination.

This includes communicating with local churches and overseas teams, arranging transportation and accommodation, providing interpretation, preparing tracts, planning distribution areas, managing safety, and conducting participant orientation.

At present, much of this work is handled by TWR Japan’s limited staff while they are also responsible for other ministries.

As a result, even when churches and overseas teams are interested in participating, we may not always have enough time or personnel to respond to every opportunity.

Ongoing follow-up is also needed to support relationships between churches and to help develop joint activities such as camps for younger generations.

To continue Donkey Tract in a safe, culturally appropriate, and genuinely helpful way, we need a dedicated coordinator and a stronger support team.

Support Needed for the Future

We hope to develop a stronger structure that includes:

• A coordinator who connects local churches with overseas teams
• Interpreters and staff with cross-cultural experience
• Production and printing of Gospel tracts and church information
• Support for transportation, lodging, meals, and logistics
• Training and orientation for participants
• Follow-up with churches after each outreach
• Ongoing support for relationships between Japanese and overseas churches
• Coordination of joint camps and other next-generation activities
• Continued Gospel engagement through media
• A growing network of churches throughout Japan

With a dedicated coordinator, we will be able to listen more carefully to the needs of each church and plan outreach that is appropriate for its community.

We will also be better able to develop the relationships created through short-term missions into long-term church partnerships and opportunities for the next generation.

Our Vision

We do not want Donkey Tract to remain a one-time tract distribution project.

We want it to become an ongoing ministry that encourages local churches, develops partnerships across national borders, and plants Gospel seeds throughout Japan.

Our goal is to help people move from receiving one tract to learning about the Gospel, connecting with a local church, and beginning a relationship with God.

We also hope that encounters beginning through a one-week mission trip will grow into lasting friendships between churches, meaningful interaction among young people, and future involvement in the mission of reaching Japan.

Partner With Us in Carrying the Gospel

Please pray that local churches in Japan will be encouraged and strengthened to reach their communities.

Please pray for the participants who dedicate their time and financial resources to serve in Japan, that God will protect them and use their service fruitfully.

Please also pray that God will provide a coordinator, partner churches, interpreters, support staff, and the financial resources needed for this ministry.

May each of us become like the donkey that carried Jesus—serving with humility and obedience as we carry the Gospel to others.

Together, we can encourage local churches and bring the hope of Jesus Christ to communities throughout Japan.