Our Purpose

Sending people out, so that the least reached might have everlasting joy through Jesus Christ.

Focusing on the unreached continues Jamison and Kathyrne’s vision. Jamison wrote, “It burdens us to know that over 126 million people in Japan don’t have Who we have. We cherish Jesus Christ. We know that He is worthy of love, trust, adoration and obedience, no matter what people group you belong to or culture you identify with. We simply want to play a small part in bringing these things about for people in Japan. We want Jesus Christ for Japan.”

Our Inspiration

On July 31, 2016, the Pals family were traveling to their final training session in Colorado, prior to their long-term deployment to be global partners with Christ Bible Institute in Nagoya, Japan. They were rear-ended by a semi-truck and Jamison (29), Kathryne (29), Ezra (3), Violet (23 mos.), and Calvin (2 mos.) departed to be with Jesus Christ. Jamison had written on his blog, “We want Jesus Christ for Japan. That’s what ‘the joy of Japan’ really means.” That vision hasn’t died. Death hasn’t won.

Our Action

We partner with Christ Bible Institute (CBI), the organization that Jamison and Kathryne were planning on joining when they moved to Japan. CBI’s purpose is to “equip Christians in Japan for the work of gospel ministry.” We believe in Christ Bible Institute’s goal to further the gospel and trust their partnership to steward the Pals legacy.  

One of the specific ministries that CBI launched is the Joy of Japan Center (JOJC) which was named after Jamison’s blog and supports church planting and development throughout Japan. 

Who are the least reached?

By “the least reached” we mean unreached people groups.

The Lausanne Committee has defined a people group as “the largest group within which the Gospel can spread as a church planting movement without encountering barriers of understanding or acceptance” (source).

According to Joshua Project, “An unreached or least-reached people is a people group among which there is no indigenous community of believing Christians with adequate numbers and resources to evangelize this people group without outside assistance” (source). Further, these groups are “less than 2% Evangelical and less than 5% Christian Adherent” (source).

How does this focus relate to the Pals family?

Focusing on the unreached dovetails with Jamison and Kathryne’s vision. Jamison wrote,”It burdens us to know that over 126 million people in Japan don’t have Who we have. We cherish Jesus Christ. We know that he is worthy of love, trust, adoration and obedience, no matter what people group you belong to or culture you identify with. We simply want to play a small part in bringing these things about for people in Japan. We want Jesus Christ for Japan. That’s what ‘the joy of Japan’ really means” (source).

He was right. Only 1.2% of the Japanese are professing Christians, and only 0.3% are Evangelical (source).