By John Tsuji, Chairman of the Elder Board

As many of us on the Elder Board get up there in age, we are challenged with how to best transition the leadership to the next generation. Who will be the next leaders? What are our tenets and distinctives that need to be carried on? What are our goals for the next 5 years? And at the same time, we also look back as 2025 is the year we celebrate 75 years of God’s faithfulness to Faith Bible Church. What did and can we learn from the wise, godly, servant leaders of the past? I know I personally learned a lot from them, starting from their character and obvious love for God and others that they demonstrated through selfless service and action.

God has certainly been faithful to Faith Bible Church for the past 74 years plus, and as our name indicates, we will strive to continue to grow in our faith and to be grounded in the Word, but another characteristic of Faith Bible Church is that we are multi-generational. Why is that important? Psalm 78:5-6 says “He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which He commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.” God gave Israel His Word and His laws and instructions, which have now been given to us Gentiles, as well. And God makes it very clear that He wants His Word passed on to every generation. But He doesn’t just want us to teach the next generation, He wants us to teach the next generation to teach the next generation. That’s how those even yet to be born will be taught. And that is where I see some of the wisdom of the past leaders of FBC. It was never all about hiring a big staff to teach and run programs so that the congregation could just receive; it was about setting an example for even the lay members to not just teach the next generation but serve alongside them in a form of discipleship so that those being taught could then teach and in turn lead the next generation.

This past year, Megan Tsuji led a team of people (many of you were a part of it – thank you!) to renovate the nursery and toddler classes. It was much needed and appreciated, as we’re excitingly seeing the start of the next generation. Kenji and team are also working hard to build back up the Children’s Ministry both at the 9:30 Sunday School time and the 11:00 Worship Service time. And many of you are working hard with the Youth and College and Young Career groups. A lot of effort is being poured into the next generations, and as Elders, we do see the need for another pastor, so we continue to look for an Associate Pastor to help with these Family Ministries and to possibly lead the church into the next generation someday. But as mentioned, it’s not about hiring a big staff, so we also see the need to continue training lay leaders and are looking to start up leadership training this year. We are also adding “distinctives” to supplement our doctrinal statement with areas that help align us in doctrine and ministry philosophy. And as part of an effort to improve communication, we are planning to more regularly have ministry leaders join the elder meetings to share praises and needs and ways we can better support and pray for the various ministries and people involved in them.

As can be seen, passing on God’s Word to not just the next generation but to generations to come takes a lot of effort and planning and ultimately a heart and desire that drives us to action. This year, we are excited to both look back and to look forward at the same time. We will look back to remember God’s faithfulness and to learn from the past leaders and members of Faith Bible Church and how God used them, while we also forward to not just what God is calling us today but also to the generations to come. Thank you all for your part in this!

– John, for the rest of the Elders

This year we wanted to get back to some of the basics. In many ways we wanted everyone to find common ground in the foundational pieces of our faith. Knowing that Jesus is central to our faith, we chose to go through the gospel of John starting at the beginning of the year. The gospel of John as most of you know introduces Christ in a way that is accessible to anyone, including those who don’t know Jesus. In fact, the gospel was written in order to help people understand and believe who Jesus is: the Messiah, the Savior of the world.
At the conclusion of the gospel, that series was followed up with a study through the attributes of God, taking us through the summer. Although we could not cover every attribute of God, what we learned was again foundational to our faith.

In the fall, the natural follow up to the gospel of John was his follow up letter of 1 John. While the gospel of John was written that we may believe in Jesus, 1 John was written that we may know that we believe. The letter is filled with the evidences of true belief. And while it may have challenged our faith, it was written to give us confidence of our faith.

So, 2024 was a year that laid down some essential foundations for our faith. In 2025, we will look at some of the foundations that were most important historically for Faith Bible Church. We trust that God will continue to grow our faith as we stay true to the word.

– Pastor Mike Kurtz

Only by His grace, God continues to bless the 9:30 am Japanese worship service, blessing those servers who faithfully serve. This past year, we’ve experienced two special blessings. One is having an outreach worship service once a month on Saturday morning (“All House Church Joint Service”) to invite seekers from all house churches. The other is seeing elders stepping up to preach during Pastor Kohei’s absence for his 3 months sabbatical. After sharing the vision of “spiritual growth only comes from following Jesus,” and biblical & practical training on preaching, all three Japanese speaking elders of FBC prepared and delivered God’s Word in the worship service from September to November. During this period, the church members gathered for a time of prayer and Scripture once a month on the joint service Sundays. We pray that FBC continues to glorify God and welcome seekers for the sake of His Kingdom.

– Pastor Kohei Takeda

Sharing the vision of worship service and preaching training with the leaders.

Every Sunday morning, one of the most important elements of our worship services is the singing. It is a way to engage our minds, hearts, and voices in the worship of God. I point out that “singing” is the main way we worship during this time. Behind the singing is the music. The band is simply the background and accompaniment to the singers — that is you! I am thankful that God has gifted us to help lead our church family in the worship of God every Sunday. But more than that, I am thankful for our singers — you! Without you, the music, while it could still be worshipful, would miss the mark.

Often when we are learning a new song or when we’re looking for new songs, we turn to YouTube. It is a great resource for not just finding songs but also helping with the creative process. But one of the challenges that comes with this approach is that almost always the music production is huge. Big band, perfect recording. The problem with this is that for probably 95% of churches, this is simply not a reality nor is it a possibility. Mega churches simply have far more resources than the typical church in the United States.

I am thankful that worship is not dependent on size or production. Not that we at FBC don’t strive for excellence in our playing; in fact, we are very blessed by the people God has brought into our ministry, and they are very, very capable. But a big sound and a big production isn’t the measure of good worship. The best indicator of healthy worship is the hearts that lead and the hearts that participate (that’s you!).

Every Sunday when the Japanese worship service opens, they typically lead with one singer and one pianist. You can’t get much simpler than that. And yet, that is exactly the kind of worship that calmed Saul as David played the lyre. Nothing big, nothing fancy (I presume) – just simple worship. Once a month now, Josh Kwok leads a time of worship on Friday night at the church, called “Selah”. Most often it is just him on guitar or piano. A great time to wind down the week and slow down to reflect on God. Again, nothing big, nothing fancy – just open hearts to worship.

I mentioned this not because I don’t think being big and fancy is a bad thing. I mentioned it because ultimately it really doesn’t matter. When the Bible says make a joyful noise (Ps. 100), some find that to be a little humorous. But really it just underscores the importance of the heart over the sound. The emphasis here is on joy.

As a music ministry, we may strive to play and lead well, after all we are to do everything to give what God deserves. But we also know that the more important thing is having a right heart before God, and being a part of the background with you in the foreground. We will continue to do our best, to add to our ministry, to improve our skills, and to strengthen our walks with God. That is an invitation for everyone! Let’s make a joyful noise in 2025 as we fill the sanctuary with gladness!

– Pastor Mike Kurtz

“Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) “… in every situation, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6) “Ask and it will be given to you…” (Matthew 7:7) “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:15-16)

These are just a few of the many verses in the Bible about prayer. We know that prayer is important, powerful, and that God answers our prayers. However, to be honest, I sometimes feel stuck, overwhelmed, distracted, and struggle to pray. I think I’m not alone in this. One of the things that encourages me is praying with others. “… if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:19-20) Through communal prayer, the Holy Spirit encourages me, reminding me of God’s love, His faithfulness, His heart for the lost, His mighty power, and His desire to work in and through us. “Ohana Prayer Time” is one of those places where you can experience this. We meet via Zoom on the first Thursday of each month to share and pray for one another’s needs. Everyone is welcome!

We’re grateful for our pastors and elders, who pray regularly for our congregation. If you have prayer requests, please email Mina or use the prayer request form at: http://fbcseattle.org/prayer-requests/. The elders and we would love to pray for you. We also have prayer partners available after the 11 o’clock worship service. Anyone with a prayer need is welcome to come to the front right corner of the sanctuary after the service, where leaders will be available to pray for you.

Let’s continue to be a praying church, “devoted to prayer.” (Colossians 4:2)

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:14)

– Sherwin & Mina Chen

In April of this year, we formed the new Children’s Ministry leadership team.  Our goal was to take this ministry responsibility off of Pastor Mike’s plate.  The team members of this new team are:  Dawn Hamasaki and Patty Mayeda who are the veterans and Jeanne and Kenji Kumai.  We have been meeting, planning and making many changes and adding many new people to this ministry.  Thank you to so those who chose to continue to serve in this way and thank you to those who are stepped up to join in this ministry this year.

On June 23rd, we had a Children’s Ministry Meeting which included all teachers and all helpers for both the 9:30am Sunday School program and the 11:00am Children’s Worship program.  There are over 50 people who are regularly involved in this ministry.  It truly takes a village to raise up, care for, teach, train, disciple and love our FBC Ohana children!  We thank God for the privilege it is to serve Him in this way!

On September 1st, we had a Children’s Ministry “New School Year Kick-Off Meeting”.   We recognized the Sunday School teachers and promoted our 9:30am Sunday School program at our worship service.  This included Nursery all the way through High School.

Thanks to all of our volunteer staff of teachers/ helpers! We thank the Lord that our 2024 year has gone smoothly, and we are all getting into the groove of our teaching routines.  We are also seeing that as time goes on, the kids are getting more comfortable and are building relationships with the teachers.

Many of you reading this don’t have kids so you may not know who are in these classes week after week.  I wanted to recognize all of our teachers for all of their hard work!

9:30am Sunday School Classes:

• Nursery:  Zida Wang & Faith Kim and Daniel & Dawn Mar (back up: Chenmin Liu & Diane Agemura)
• Pre-K/ Kindergarten:  Kenji & Jeanne Kumai
• 1^st – 5^th Grade:  Daniel & Michelle Spray,  Jonathan & Patrisha Vlach, Lyanne Kurtz

11:00am Children’s Worship classes

• Nursery:  Ryan & Megan Tsuji, Edwin and Marguerite Sandico, Kevin & Sheila Chan, Lisa Tsuji & Hiromi Kuge, Doreen Chin & Chenmin Liu, Simon & Ashley Li
• Pre-K/ Kindergarten: Abby Ishimitsu & Andrew Lee,  Patty Mayeda & Melissa Nakamura, Jeff & Sherry Lin, Alane Louie & Michelle Ha, Kaleo Chan & Meghan Tsuji, Dan & Ayako Matsumoto
• 1^st – 5^th Grade:  Gifford & Tiana Cheung, Bill & Dawn Hamasaki, Marty & Lynn Dong and Tim Dong, Dawn Hogan & Rieko Kato, Dan & Ayako Matsumoto

Middle School/ High School (WOK):

• Kelsey Huang, Will Tong, Katie Li & Josh Huang

We thank God for our precious kids, babies all the way up through High School.  Our prayer is see our kids grow in their relationships with our Lord.  We want to provide a place where our children can connect with each other and with the teachers and learn God’s word.  We want We thank each of our teachers for their commitment and hard work through out the year!

– Kenji (for the Children’s Ministry leadership team)

Hello, we are the Vlachs. I am Trisha and my husband is Jon. We host a small group at our house every other Friday evening. We almost always start by sharing a meal together where we can talk, fellowship, and build those experiences that are so important to building community. After dinner we read through a section of the bible together and discuss what we are learning from this and ask questions to deepen our understanding. No question is too big or too small, some of our questions might lead us down some rabbit trails, like looking up meanings of names, and some we may not have answers to, but these questions often lead to great discussion.

Up until recently we had been reading through books of the bible together based on the Gospel Journey curriculum. When we finished that we wanted to start looking into the Old Testament and seeking ways that it also points towards the Gospel as well.  Right now, we are going through 1 Samuel.

We have a great group of people who are in all different stages of life. However, most of us found this group because we were just a little too old for CYC or looking for that next step. We are happy to have anyone come check out our group who would like to.

– Trisha Vlach

Our group, “My Space,” meets twice a month on Sunday afternoons for lunch and fellowship.

Most of us have young children, so it’s always a lively and fun time with the kids playing together.

We feel that it is God’s grace that we can share the joys and challenges of raising children and pray together. Members often invite their non-Christian friends to join us, and one family joyfully joins us regularly, along with about four other families who join us occasionally.

– Hiromi Kuge

In 2024, SoulFood was served twice a month for our FBC family to come together and share a meal. This ministry was more than just an opportunity to enjoy good food; it became a time for our FBC Ohana to connect and strengthen the bonds within our church family. As we gathered around the tables, the food not only nourished our bodies, but it was also a time to deepened our relationships with one another, while meeting and welcoming new faces. For the kitchen crew, SoulFood was a time to serve others in the same spirit that Jesus did during His life on earth—humbly and selflessly.

The SoulFood ministry also allowed various groups of all ages—from the WOK and CYC groups up to senior members—to come together and work as one. Each group contributed by preparing delicious meals with love and care, demonstrating that serving others is a privilege, regardless of age or ability.

As the different groups served in the kitchen, we were reminded of the powerful example Jesus set, washing His disciples’ feet and breaking bread with them. Just as He sacrificed His time and resources for the benefit of others, we too were called to lay aside our own agendas and focus on being servants of God. Through this act of service, both those who prepared the meals and those who received them were blessed, growing closer to Christ and to one another as we followed His example of love, humility, and service.

We thank each and every person who gave of their time lovingly and look forward to more SoulFood gatherings in 2025!

– Sheila Matsuda-Chan

“The Mission Continues”

October 5-6, 2024

Adult Program Speaker:  Bob Kennell
Youth Program Speaker:  Pastor Bob Do
Children’s Program:  Dan Matsumoto & Dawn Mar

We were so blessed to have Bob & Noby Kennell as our speakers this year.  In their crazy busy schedules with their calendars packed with travels, training and actual trips to Papua New Guinea, they made the time to come out to spend a whole weekend with us.  It is always such a blessing to hear them share.  My takeaway from the retreat was Bob’s challenge to us: “Go out into ‘our Jerusalem (greater Seattle area)’, and spread the Gospel and take the torch for the next generation (step up to serve at church to continue His Kingdom work, for the next generation)”.  Not only were we challenged by his messages and God’s word, but we were also blessed to be able to get to know them better as we were able to fellowship with them throughout the weekend.

The youth group (WOK ministry) was blessed by Bob Do who also was the guest speaker at the winter Lazy-F Retreat last year.  He was a hit once again as he is so gifted in connecting with the youth.  We appreciate the WOK leaders who sacrificed the adult sessions in order to serve our youth group.

The children had their own program.  They had special crafts, lessons and organized activities.  Thank you to Dan Matsumoto who recruited teachers and helpers and organized the program.  And thank you to Dawn Mar who had big part in helping with the crafts and curriculum.

Every year, we have our All-church Family Fun Night on Saturday night.  Thank you, Eric Lee, for organizing and leading this fun time!  It’s such a great time to connect as our FBC Ohana and to laugh and have fun together.

Thank you to the Ishimitsu and Machida families for their hospitality in preparing all of the yummy snacks and drinks.  Our fellowship time before and after each session would not be the same without the delicious refreshments!

Our goal each year is for us at FBC to come together as Ohana to grow deeper in our relationship with each other as we learn and grow spiritually together.  It is the only chance we have to spend a whole weekend together away from all other distractions.  We feel that community is a huge part of our ministry, and we thank God for this opportunity.

May the mission continue as we grow closer to our Lord Jesus!  As a body of Christ, may we continue to support and pray for our missionaries.  And may we continue to be a witness and to reach out to those around us and in our lives.

– Kenji Kumai

Do you like blended drinks, like blended Boba Tea, smoothies, milkshakes, slushies, and countless other varieties?  I do!  Why am I asking about blended drinks when this is a report on Ohana Care?

Hmmm, as I was thinking about how to characterize our year, Lisa Brouwer and I both – almost at the same time – summed up our year as “blended” with other ministries throughout Faith Bible Church.  And, that’s a good thing!

Blending how we reach out to and come alongside our FBC Ohana clearly involves working together and blending our distinctly unique ministries where we overlap each other as we serve!  Isn’t that the greatest thing to see, to experience, to be a part of, and to be the beneficiaries of?  We think so and hope that you do, too.

Over the years, we have shared some beautiful celebration of life services when our Ohana Care team and members of our Memorial Service Reception Committee come together to organize, work with families, and serve our Ohana.  Each year, we have celebrated the lives of amazing FBC friends and family whose lives serve as beautiful witnesses to the love of God in their lives.  We’ve witnessed the beauty of friendships formed as part of God’s family, and of showing the love of Jesus for the families as we serve them in this precious time of remembering.

In 2024, we started the year with the home-going of our beloved centenarian (102 years young!), Satoshi Dogen – lovingly known as “Uncle Sat”, and a very dear friend and mentor to many.  And, we remembered our dear Mary Akamine, the beloved daughter of Dr. Jack & Helen Akamine, sister to John, Joy & John, Ruth & Bill, auntie to Zach, Ben, and Andrew, and dear friend to many of us.

Working alongside each family brings the love of Jesus so up close and personal as we worked side-by-side, planned, picked up, and delivered whatever was needed for each celebration of life to be as reflective of the love we feel for Sat and Mary as possible.  If we were to count the number of FBC and family friends who helped, it would be well over 40 people serving and helping both in the Memorial Service and with the Reception!  Oh, the amazing times we shared as we planned the food, preparing, serving, arranging the flowers, the decorations, and coordinating with Pastor Mike so that he was kept apprised of everything that we were doing.   The love expressed for dear Uncle Sat and our beloved Mary, filled the whole church – the sanctuary, kitchen, serving room, and everywhere friends and family gathered to remember them!  To God be the glory!!

Throughout the year, members of our team also participated in providing meals, visiting families, fundraising, and – as we do in all of our ministries – we prayed with and for each other.  Our greatest common service to each other is:  PRAYER!

We stand beside our Ohana as a safety net to “catch” any needs that we can help with when another ministry may need some extra hands/, minds, and resources.  Two beautiful reminders from the Apostle Paul reflect our ministries at Faith Bible Church:  Galatians 6:10 – So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. And, Ephesians 4:12 – To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.”

As the body of Christ, we accomplish so much more together than we ever could on our own strength and resources.  As we work together, using the unique gifts and abilities God gives us, we express more and more of the fullness of Christ – and as unto Christ Himself – just as God planned when He brought us together!

– Theone Tollefson

As we start 2025, did anyone make any resolutions to spend more time studying God’s Word?  But similar to making a resolution for something like to start exercising, do you not know how to start or have someone to keep you accountable?  Well if that’s the case, the Gospel Journey Sunday School class may be just for you! We are a multi-generational, beautifully eclectic group whose sole purpose is to support each other in studying God’s Word and applying it to our lives.  We have been journeying together for 7 years and are blessed by our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who faithfully attend as we grow and glean from one another.  Diane Agemura, Leon Sampson, Jeff Yeager, Anthony Cheung, Lynne Otsu, Betty Inouye, Paul Alota, Joe Jackson, Sheilah Tsuji & Lucky Shay currently make up our special Sunday morning group. And special thanks to Leon, who leads the class when we are gone and to Diane, who helps support the tech.

Every week we study a passage from the Bible (currently going through the Old Testament) and then at class, we go over what we studied together.  It is very encouraging to see the desire to dig into God’s Word and to hear the questions and insights from others while we discuss and learn together.  We even went on a field trip together to a Seder dinner as we were learning about Passover.  We also start each class with a time of prayer, when we share requests and many praises, as we’ve seen God answer many of our requests over the years.  And even through the relatively short interaction of the Sunday School time, we have come to get to know each other well through the times of sharing requests and praises, as well as the time spent studying, learning and applying God’s truths.

Anyone is more than welcome to join us either in person at 9:30 in the English library or via Zoom, as well. “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25).  Hope to see you at Sunday School!

– John & Lisa Tsuji

The English-Speaking Adult Sunday School Class or SSBTK (Sunday School by the Kitchen) has enjoyed learning through our “Just Like Us” series which focuses on the stories of heroes of the Bible and the lessons they learned through their relationship with God. The class just finished our study of the Apostle Paul and are moving to an Old Testament character. SSBTK is an intergenerational class that provides a good way to become more involved with FBC and to fellowship with other students with a variety of FBC backgrounds.

– Marty Dong

This past Christmas season, Sacred Road delivered 633 shoebox gifts along with a message of Jesus’s love. Our FBC Ohana once again had the privilege of partnering with them. Thank you for donating gifts and making financial contributions for youth hoodies. The youth look forward to receiving new Youth Group hoodies every year, and they know whose birthday they are celebrating. The gifts, candies, cookies, and food delivered to them by Sacred Road come with the sweet fragrance of Jesus’s love.

I feel privileged that we can take part in their ministry each year in a small but significant way. Each year, FBC’s foyer filled with shoebox gifts is one of my favorite heartwarming sights.

February: FBC invited Fishii Tillequots-Umtuch, the leader of the youth ministry, to come and make an announcement about a summer mission trip.

Summer Mission Trip: In July 2024, we were privileged to send a team of 9 wonderful members: Amy, Ryan, Kelsey, Buddy, Sammy, Jessica, Yukimi, Rachel, and Joshua. Thank you, Amy, for leading the team and to all for the good work done in His name. Also, thank you to the FBC Ohana for donating toward the mission trip and for bringing school supplies.

2024 with Sacred Road Ministries closed with the sending of Amy Li from our church. We were so excited to send out our first full-time missionary to Sacred Road, just in time with our Christmas shoeboxes. (Amy and her friends took the shoebox gifts.) Thank you for your prayers and support for Amy. We can look forward to a deeper understanding and closer partnership with Sacred Road next year.

From Amy: The new year is in full swing over here at Sacred Road! We took down and put away our Christmas trees and decorations, got a head start on “spring”, deep cleaning, and some things that were put on pause last month have started back up again, including discipleship groups (D-groups) with the youth on Sunday afternoon, praise and worship nights on Sunday evening, and our first youth group of the year. Happy to report that spam musubi was a hit with the youth and staff at the potluck dinner on Sunday! You guys taught me well. Spreading the ohana spirit over here in White Swan!

Last month, I moved to Yakima and started working just in time for a busy Christmas season. We packed over 600 shoeboxes (distributed around 400), hosted Christmas parties in nearby reservations (Lapwai, ID and Warm Springs, OR) and locally at the Toppenish Boys & Girls Club, here at Tuesday youth group (where the youth received their hoodies!) and Sunday service at Hope Fellowship Church, delivered Adopt-A-Family gifts and food boxes to families who had a difficult year, and much more.

On a personal note, I’m adjusting well over here and loving small town, ranch life. Cows and horses on the side of the road along my morning commute, cheap gas prices, zero traffic, and breathtaking stars, sunrises, and sunsets. Thank you for your prayers for me! I’m learning a lot and it’s easy to get sucked into the busy-ness of ministry, but I’m trying to embrace the slower pace of life as I get to know people and build community here, rather than just rushing the process. In these rare moments of pause, I just think to myself, I’m so thankful to be out here, even with some of the difficulties. Many of the things I’m doing here are the same as what I did at FBC, like hanging out with the youth, playing with the young kiddos, getting to know the older folks at church, cooking, cleaning, etc. In that way, life isn’t so different and I see God’s hand in preparing me for this ministry. One more beautiful, tender moment of seeing God work… hearing the youth sing their favorite songs at praise and worship night – one, an old hymn put to new music, “Isaiah 43” by Indelible Grace, and another, “Psalm 42” by CityAlight. I’ll end with a verse from the latter: “Morning by morning, new mercies are streaming/I trust in your goodness where I cannot see/You have been faithful whenever I wandered/Lord, give me the hope that I need” – Amy Li

The cycle of despair is turning into hope in Yakama. Fishii and Tionna are living examples of despair transformed into hope. We have 9 openings for the mission trip, June 28–July 5th this summer. “Please, come and see.”

– Rieko Kato

We are so blessed to continue our partnership with the School of Promise in Chiang Mai, Thailand! Regular FBC support in the form of child sponsorship and the provision of funds to help the staff with medical and other emergent expenses helps to continue this bright light of hope in an otherwise spiritually and economically dark region.

In March, many FBC hands and hearts worked to hold a fundraiser for the School at Lighthouse Christian Church. The 70 who attended were treated to a delicious Thai meal made by our wonderful Lucky Shay and daughter, Linda Takano. By God’s grace and the generosity of many, we exceeded the goal of $10K in funds raised.

In July, Lauren Maeda led a team of 16 to support the School in teaching due to the shortage of staff during the summer months. Our FBC volunteers were joined by the Bauson family and Bob and Noby Kennell to put on a week-long VBS for the elementary students, assisted by the older students at the School. Interacting with the staff and getting to know the students and some of their families were highlights. Participants increased their awareness of human trafficking in this region and gained a deeper appreciation of the purpose of the School.

In November, The School held its 15th Anniversary Celebration. More than 300 people, including Gary and Rieko Kato, could join in the festivities, praising and thanking God for all he has done over the years. Prior to leaving Seattle, the Katos collected Christmas gifts for FBC sponsored children and delivered them, saving sponsors the expense and hassle of shipping and bringing joy to the students.

Other highlights at the school included the baptism of 14 people at Promise Church, the start of the very first AWANA program in Thailand at the Church, the 2nd high school graduation with all students pursuing higher education, and the sharing of the gospel in the community in word and deed after record floods. I am so humbled and honored to be a part of what God is doing in and through the School. I have been learning this year what it means to be a servant. It is not doing the things that you like or even the things that you are good at or have experience doing. It is being faithful to do what it takes to meet the need at hand with the resources God provides. The staff and students at SoP inspire me to grow in courage to serve in whatever way God directs.

– Dawn Hogan

2024 was another big year for the homeless ministry and as I look back, it is evident that God knows what He is doing and what He has planned for us.

2024, operated the same way as previous years, but the spiritual growth of volunteers and the commitment is what I believe set it apart. A few years back, I shared with the Board what I felt was God’s heart behind this ministry. What I heard the LORD say was, “mobilize” and as I inquired more and more, the LORD revealed he sought to “mobilize” our FBC Ohana spiritually through this ministry. And this year, I felt that break through has occurred. Praise God.

In the kitchen, I see many new and familiar faces interacting with one another and bonds being built. It’s always a joyful and fun time making sandwiches and hearing people laugh and get to know someone that, maybe, they haven’t before.

On the Streets, there is something powerful happening within our ministry every time we go out. Walls are being torn down, volunteers are seeing the homeless as God sees them, and we are witnessing the Holy Spirit working through us. There is always, at least, one instance where the gospel was shared, and a genuine conversation about Jesus was had.

Our “debrief & prayer” times have become not only a place of sharing, but a time of “iron sharpens iron”. We are gathering to praise God, challenge each other, and encourage each other after a day of maybe difficult conversations or situations we witness in the brokenness and darkness of this world.

God is moving in Seattle, and He is moving within us… We are growing in numbers, growing bolder, and becoming more equipped to share the Gospel!!! Praise God!

We are coming up on 5 YEARS of this ministry (April 2025!!!), and I’m so blessed to see the growth not only in the ministry, but seeing the volunteers grow in compassion, courage, and faith. God has been raising up faithful and consistent individuals in this ministry who are growing every time they step out on the street! And some of these individuals are coming from outside of FBC! There are so many stories of heart-transformation in our volunteers that I’ve witnessed that I truly believe that God’s main purpose of the FBC Homeless ministry is to disciple, stretch, and equip our Ohana to live out the Great Commission.

– Justin Kumai

By faith Mas and Sue Ozaki had a calling to minister to the nursing home residents at Keiro.

By faith, some from the Japanese Ministry took the baton from the Ozakis when they retired.

By faith Rita Milligan took over with five teams helping. The 5th team was comprised of Shigeko Williamson, with the help of her husband, Alan, who prepared delicious, nutritious bento for us.

By faith, some of the team members, Ichiro and Lynne Otsu, Melissa Nakamura, Phyllis Solem, Betty Inouye, and Nancy Mayeno—took the baton and ran the race that is set before us in proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ when Rita retired. Richard and Keri Nakamura and their family joined us upon their return from Japan as well as Tom and Hiromi Gerety. Shigeko and Alan also were faithful in preparing the bentos for us.

By faith, most of the the same team went to Nikkei Manor when God opened that door. Before long, Keiro Nursing Home closed its doors.

By faith, Jeff Yeager and his team are continuing the services at Nikkei Manor. See his report.

By faith another team went through the open doors at Merrill Gardens in Renton beginning in February 2024. Marty and Lynn Dong, Jeff and Sherry Lin and their children, Chloe, Elliot, and Zariah are the team members as well as Betty Inouye. Phyllis is available when needed; Nancy Mayeno continues to serve the Lord as coordinator. Singing, bringing a message of hope, and visiting with the residents help to give those attending a taste of a church service right where they live. Here are some photos taken at the December 8, 2024 service. Hebrews 12:1-3

– Nancy Mayeno

I was able to help lead our efforts to continue a long-standing relationship FBC has had with Nikkei Manor (Keiro prior to) for the second half of 2024.

Thanks to the help of Betty Inouye, Leon Sampson, Mihoko Cheung, and Ayako Matsumoto, we were privileged to share God’s love and Christ’s desire for all of us to have a relationship with The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit! This is done through worship in song, teaching and fellowship.

We remain hopeful that God provides a way to continue this ministry into 2025.

I can say I felt really blessed to be able to be with the residents and staff on our monthly visits. Over time, you get to see some of the same people and I believe they feel loved in our willingness to show up and be with them!

– Jeff Yeager

Imagine seventy-five years of missions at FBC. Early on, the founders of FBC decided that sharing the hope of the Gospel with people around the world was an essential part of FBC’s DNA. It would become one of the hallmarks of what FBC stood by. Members would sacrifice by meeting in a simple facility, just to be able to use the funds to send out more missionaries around the world. In the early days, over sixty percent of donations received by the church went directly to support the work of missionaries. The focus was on reaching unreached people groups and church planting in Japan. In the past seventy-five years FBC has sent out over 500 short term and career missionaries. FBC missionaries have reached three previously unreached people groups and have translated the Bible and established churches among the Siar, the Malaumanda and the Bisorio people. FBC missionaries and friends have planted over 12 churches in Japan. This year was a year of transitions. Rich and Keri Nakamura with SEND and Weymann and Helen Lee with Teaching Leaders International officially retired from ministry. New missionaries who have made a one-year commitment to ministry are Amy Li serving with Sacred Road Ministries in Yakama and Yanlin Li and Joanna Tien serving in Japan with CRU.

Listed alphabetically below is a brief summary of our member and associate missionaries. So much more could be said about each special member of our global Ohana. Member missionaries are those we sent out from our Ohana. Associates are close friends with deep ties to FBC.

Dave and Akiko Bauson minister in Chiang Mai, Thailand, at the School of Promise. The school’s goal is to rescue, train and provide a Christian education for children that are at risk of being forced into trafficking. Akiko is teaching secondary English and communicates with sponsors. Dave engages in training and discipling the Thai teachers in Bible and Spiritual life. He serves as a preaching Elder in Promise Church, a church plant meeting at the school. They are looking to expand the support base for the school and engage in a three-year campaign to raise 2.5 million dollars to build a new high school campus. They are looking for housing and transportation for their summer 2025 home stay.

John and Joy were sent out by FBC to minister in Central Asia with Compassion and Mercy Associates. Joy spent part of 2024 on home service, encouraging family members who have experienced tragedy and loss. John was busily involved in teaching and preaching, helping with Beautiful Gate Ministry. This group reaches out to people with disabilities who are ostracized in their country. The ministry has been involved in relief work and has planted 7 churches among the disabled. Joy returned to join John in December, and in an answer to prayer has allowed Joy more flexibility in returning home periodically.

Steve and Miku Inouye were sent out by FBC to minister in Northern Japan. One highlight of the year was to have the first ever retreat for their Christian Foster Family Group. JEMS Japan Missions Director, Rick Chuman spoke to the adults and JEMS missionary Karena Kenmotsu served in children’s ministry. Steve and Miku were also able to share at one of their supporting in Nagoya. They also remained actively involved in Hope Cafeteria and the New Hope Christmas program.

Mako and Ting Ting were sent out by FBC to minister in an East Asian metropolis. Mako served as an associate pastor of WSBC, a church that reaches out to the international community. In June, they were able to travel to Seattle and Portland for a time of home service. Mako was able to reconnect with friends and family for the first time in over 5 years. It was Ting Ting, Ezra and Boaz’s first trip to the United States. Returning to Asia, they hope to reestablish campus outreach and develop closer ties with the local church.

Bob and Noby Kennell were sent out by FBC to reach the previously unreached Bisorio and Malaumanda people in Papua New Guinea. This past year, they provided much needed teaching and counsel, and Bob continued the translation work of the Old Testament. In the summer, they ministered with Ethnos 360 in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where Bob previously served as the director of ministry in SE Asia. They were essential members of FBC’s summer VBS team at the School of Promise. Stateside, they also support the Ethnos 360 work in Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea remotely from their Pennsylvania location. Rachel Closs joined the Bisorio ministry, focusing on ministry to women and children.

Charleen Kiyabu continued her international ministry with Cru. She ministers in Orlando, reaching out to the immigrant population there. She collaborates remotely with contacts in the Middle East and Central Asia, many who are in precarious situations. She is working on a training curriculum to help national staff to train others to develop oral Bible stories.

Weymann and Helen Lee were Associate FBC missionaries who serve with Teaching Leaders International, a ministry dedicated to training National ministry leaders. Weymann completed ministry by teaching in Serbia and finishing with a hermeneutics course in India.

Amy Li joined Sacred Road Ministries, serving primarily on the Yakama Reservation. She jumped right into Christmas on the Rez, helping distribute 633 shoebox gifts at multiples locations in Washington, Idaho and Oregon. Her primary roles as an associate staff member will include Youth Ministry, Intern and Team Coordination and Administrative support.

Rich and Keri Nakamura stepped down from ministry with SEND International in Texas. They convey thanks to FBC for many years of support.

Scott and Terri Sasaki were sent out by FBC to serve with Ethnos.360 at the Lapilo Centre in Papua New Guinea. Both Scott and Terri are home for extended medical leave. They are both in the middle of their own battles with different cancers.

Paul and Carol Suzuki are associate missionaries serving with SEND International in Japan. Paul has served as Asia regional director. They spent much of their time with their home church in Chicago and are now spending time with Paul’s parents in Hawaii.  We were blessed to have them share at the Fall Ohana Retreat, and they plan to return to Japan in March of 2024.

Chris and Missy Takano are associate missionaries serving in Germany, at the Black Forest Academy. The Black Forest Academy supports students of missionary families from 62 countries.  Chris was asked to fill the role of Middle School Principal for the 2025 to 2026 school year. Missy teaches Bible and mentors one on one. She has started a blog at missytakano.com

Yanlin Li and Joanna Tien serve in Japan with CRU. As new missionaries in Japan, they have hit the ground running. Over the last month they have kept busy, hosting a vision team from America, having a Christmas outreach, and attending the Japan Cru biennial national staff conference.

Naomi Y was sent out to serve with CNet in the Middle East. This year she and JD got married and Naomi in now based in France. All of her CNet colleagues have had to move, and they are praying for PEACE and the opportunity to return and aid in the recovery work. Currently they mentor by phone. Thankfully eight local study groups continue to meet, with a total of 40 local believers.

Harriet and George Walker are associate missionaries based in California. They work with InterAct Ministry, serving as missionary trainers. They took part in missions’ conferences in Alaska and served as a keynote speaker for the United Indian Mission in Arizona. They also continue to partner with Bob and Noby Kennell, translating the Bisorio Old Testament. George was able to travel with Bob and Noby this year to aid in teaching and translation work.

FBC Ohana, thank you for being amazing supporters of our missionary family. Although we are not close to what the founders of the church were able to do, we currently disperse 40 percent of funds received to missionaries around the world. Our missionaries need our support and prayers. It can be said, “Missionaries have a bull’s eye on their backs and footprints up their chest”. Since our people serve in closed countries, a number of amazing tales and projects must remain secret and kept confidential.

Please pray and reach out to our extended Ohana serving as an extension of FBC. Together we can support our extended family who sit and serve on the edge of the world.

Mahalo,
Gary Kato for the mission’s ministry

• Senior Pastor:   Mike Kurtz
• Associate Pastor:   Kohei Takeda
• Pastoral Assistant:   Marty Dong
• Office Manager:   Mina Chen
• Giving Records/Reimbursements:   Jeanne Kumai
• Media Technician:   Daniel Mayeda
• Custodians:   Jeff, Maki & Natalie Yeager

• Chairman:   John Tsuji
• Vice Chairman:   Kenji Kumai
• Secretary/Treasurer:   Mike Kurtz
• Members:
  Yoshiyuki Aoyagi
  Alan Fukuda (Emeritus)
  Gary Kato
  Hiroo Kuge
  Ken Kumasaka
  Ichiro Otsu
  Kohei Takeda

• Ohana Care:   Theone Tollefson
• Prayer:   Sherwin & Mina Chen
• Sacred Road Ministries:   Rieko Kato
• Seniors:   Kevin Chan