By John Tsuji, Chairman of the Elder Board

Last year, I talked a bit about looking to the future, as we recognize many of the elders are getting up there a bit (in age). This year, we spent some time to reflect on the past. As most of you know, Faith Bible celebrated its 75th Anniversary this past September. It was a great time to remember God’s faithfulness, to acknowledge what He is currently doing, and to look forward to what He has planned for our church in the future. Special thanks to Theone and the army of volunteers who put countless hours of service into the planning and execution of the celebration. For me, it was encouraging to do some studying on the history of the church and especially to learn more about some of the faith-filled leaders of the past, for whom I have a great deal of respect. They had such a faith in God and His Word and a conviction for following the Great Commission of making more and better disciples, both locally and around the world.

A priority for missions and lay involvement have also been important from the start. Faith Bible even went without a formal pastor for its first 6 years. That’s not to discount the full-time pastors (Pastors Ray and Craig were able to join Mike and Kohei for the celebration), who have been a big part of FBC’s role in God’s kingdom work. We currently continue to seek another associate pastor with experience who can potentially grow into a senior pastor position at some point in the future. We have the job posted on a couple job sites but are open to word-of-mouth referrals, too.

The elder board meets approximately once a month. Our primary role is through the Holy Spirit’s empowering to teach and maintain what we believe doctrinally, disciple, shepherd and pray for the flock, oversee ministries and provide spiritual leadership, including staffing decisions, for the church. This year, we had a North-end Mighty Men of Faith discipling group and a Discipleship Class as we continue to seek God’s wisdom in how to best disciple and care for the entire church. We also realize the need to bring back Finance and Building Committees and can hopefully do that soon.

Besides myself, Pastor Mike and Pastor Kohei, the other elders are Kenji Kumai, Gary Kato, Ichiro Otsu, Hiroo Kuge and Yoshiyuki Aoyagi. Please pray for us as we strive to continue to place our “faith in our Creator who is able to fulfill every promise in the Bible to the uttermost” (quote from original chairman, Kumeo Tsubahara). Thanks for all your prayers, support and faithful service!

– John, for the rest of the Elders

As we reflect on the past year of worship and teaching at Faith Bible Church, we are reminded of God’s steady faithfulness in guiding, shaping, and sustaining us. Throughout 2025, we gathered each week with a shared desire to know Christ more deeply, to be shaped by the truth of His Word, and to worship Him in spirit and in truth. The following overview highlights the themes and studies that shaped our worship life this year, pointing us back to our roots while calling us forward in hope, obedience, and trust in the Lord.

The year began with going back to our roots. Faith Bible Church. The church officially opened its doors in 1950 in the present location on 18^th and Fir. Also official was the name where the founders emphasized the qualities of Faith and the Bible. To start out the new year, we went back to those roots with a 14-week series on the topics of faith, bible, and church. The series was a good reminder of the basics and the need to apply them to our lives and to our church community today.

The letter of 1 Peter is a letter of hope and encouragement for the struggling, suffering Christian. Knowing that this is a common theme throughout a follower’s life, we set out to learn how to live with hope in Christ regardless of our circumstances and situations.

Summer is a time when people tend to relax more, take vacations, and spend more time with friends and family. In that vein, the idea of a biblical sabbath shares a similar need for us as simply being human. Our summer series looked at the meaning and the need for Sabbath rest as a part of the rhythm of life.

In the fall, we returned to the Old Testament with a study through the book of 1 Kings. The book is a tragic look at disobedience and rebellion, while offering hope in a relentless God who is determined to carry out His plan of redemption. While the powers of the world appear to have control, the reality is, God is the One who reigns regardless of appearances and circumstances.

As we looked back on the essentials that carried FBC to the present, our desire is that we remain faithful to the Scriptures as we are grounded in the truth of the Scriptures. May 2026 be a year of challenging growth with the same commitment to bring glory to God by living out the truth daily.

– Pastor Mike Kurtz

The purpose of the Worship Ministry remains unchanged—to help God’s people worship Him together in a corporate setting, centering our hearts and minds on who God is and what He has done. Through gathered worship, we seek to glorify God, be transformed by His Word, and respond by following Him with faith and gratitude.

The core elements of our worship services remained consistent and intentional throughout the year: the Word of God, prayer, and songs. Through the Word, we listen attentively to God’s voice and are challenged to live out our faith more faithfully in daily life. Through prayer, we bring our needs, repentance, and trust before the Lord together as one body. Through worship music, the congregation is invited to praise God, express gratitude, and surrender.

This year, we began a new pre-worship initiative called “Morning Bagels,” a casual fellowship time held in the Well Room before the service. Its purpose was to encourage worshippers to arrive early, slow down, and prepare their hearts before God rather than rushing in at the last minute. This simple practice became a meaningful encouragement, helping many prioritize worship with greater readiness and reverence.

Through preaching, the congregation was challenged by God’s Word across 6 sermon series, focusing on the essential foundations of the Christian faith. We explored Christian values of God’s Kingdom, the power of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts, the practice of Sabbath, and the Lord’s Prayer, learning to fix our eyes on God and His Kingdom rather than on ourselves. More recently, beginning in January 2026, we also began learning about the significance and depth of Christian unity within a diverse community like Faith Bible. Some series were accompanied by daily devotional emails sent by the pastor, and many in the congregation faithfully engaged with God’s Word throughout the week.

Prayer continued to be a vital focus of the Worship Ministry. As a church, we consistently lifted up missionaries engaged in both global and local missions. In addition, the worship chair led focused prayer points every Sunday: prayer for (1) children and their physical and spiritual growth, and for (2) the salvation of the lost and for making disciples of Jesus. These simple practice reminded our focus and united in God’s missions, remembering what Jesus has done for us first.

Worship music was faithfully led by 3 teams under the leadership of Mina Chen, Hiroo Kuge, and Mihoko Cheung. Each team served with dedication and humility, fostering congregational participation rather than performance. We are also grateful for new volunteers—Kokoto Kudo, Yukimi Kuge, and Mimi Shiraki—whose willing service encouraged the entire church and reflected God’s ongoing work of calling and equipping His people.

We stand in awe before God, confident that He never fails to bless and transform those who worship and follow Him. As the church grows deeper in worship, we trust that God will continue to grant spiritual fruit and blessing, and we look ahead with hope for continued growth in wholehearted worship.

– Pastor Kohei Takeda

“Morning Bagels” – Pre-Worship Fellowship

2025-2026 sermon series

Have you wondered when music became such an integral part of worship? Well, it’s been there from the very beginning. The OT is filled with references to psalms and musical instruments, making a joyful “noise” with lyre and cymbals and voices lifted up in praise. We see commands to sing hymns and spiritual songs in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. In fact, we even see Jesus and His disciples singing a hymn at the last supper (Matt. 26). Music has been an integral part of worship for as long as history has been recorded.

There is something about music – particularly music that praises God – that prepares our hearts to receive God’s word to us. Without it, a worship service becomes much like a classroom. Not that the classroom element is a bad thing – it’s actually an essential thing – but praise with music has a way of directing our hearts toward God. Classrooms can tend to focus on the head, but worship prepares our hearts to take in the word for a greater purpose – to worship Him more.

As we serve our church family with the experience of music in worship, that is our goal. We are privileged to have many among us who are willing and capable to help lead us to worship God. The Music & Media ministry continues to evolve as new people get involved. This year Kyle Walker stepped up to become a worship leader. His history at Chinese Baptist Church as a child and youth has taught him the value of reaching across generational lines. He has that “old soul” quality about him. The same is true of Yusuke Maruo, who just started leading worship more recently. Again, God has brought in these “old souls” to bring us together as a diverse community to worship as one.

In addition to Kyle and Yusuke, we have seen the emergence of others getting more involved this past year. Hailey Crawford (vocals), John Eldrige (keys), Jack Fukuchi (everything!), Trevor Ishimitsu (keys), Kotoko Kudo (vocals), Yukimi Kuge (piano), and Mimi Shiraki (drums). Their serving is an example and encouragement to us all. We thank God providing the resources to help us worship Him in song.

Media Team

This year we have asked Nathan Crawford to do the heavy lifting of the audio side of the ministry, maintaining and making the necessary adjustments to the system. Along with Nathan, Diane Agemura and Paul Mayeda have continued to serve faithfully throughout the year.

On the video side, Daniel Mayeda continues his responsibilities of setting up and running the presentation content each Sunday as well as providing video content as needed.

We are thankful for these behind-the-scenes individuals who are only really noticed when something goes wrong for no fault of their own! Thank you for being there to keep things going and thank you for helping make our worship services run smoothly week after week.

– Pastor Mike Kurtz

Every first Friday of the month, the church Sanctuary is opened in the evening for an hour of reflective worship. And in each hour, the Lord has moved hearts and blessed those in the room in many ways. As I mentioned similarly in last year’s Grapevine article, I am always hearing that this hour was a needed thing for them. So, praise God for His work in this small ministry.

On the theme of discipleship, at first glance, it doesn’t seem like Selah would be the fertile soil in which discipleship blossoms once a month. However, in my experience, part of walking with Jesus necessitates time alone with God. Even Jesus Himself required a retreat to pray to the Lord by Himself after teaching the crowds (Luke 5:16). So, why not also follow Christ’s example of prayerful reflection and worship too? Personally, serving in this ministry has kept me grounded by having dedicated time baked-in to my schedule to reflect on the LORD’s character and goodness, allowing me to sit and think about the ways He has worked in the week or month that is praiseworthy. With the surrounding “hustle” culture of the working world and an increasing trend of people seeking instant gratification, why not slow down, meditate on God’s Word, talk to Him, and give your heart and soul the space to sit at the feet of our Lord like Mary did (Luke 10:38-42)?

“Bless the Lord, O my soul
And forget none of His benefits” (Psalms 103:2)

– Joshua Kwok

The Prayer Ministry committed to serve the church through interceding for our leaders, ministries, individuals, and the community.  Throughout the year, we witnessed answers to prayers in many ways, and we give glory to the name of the Lord.

We continued to hold Ohana Prayer Time, our monthly prayer meeting on zoom on the first Thursday of each month. While maintaining consistent attendance can be a challenge at times, we consistently sense the presence of the Holy Spirit, and are encouraged as we pray in unity with brothers and sisters in Christ.  One of the highlights of our prayer time is hearing people share testimonies answered prayers, as we praise and give thanks to our God together. As it says in Jermiah 33:3 “Call to Me and I will answer you,” these testimonies remind us that God hears and answers the prayers of His people, and encourage us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

We deeply appreciate the elders and leaders of FBC who continue to pray for each person of FBC. FBC ohana, please know that you are being prayed for. If you have any specific prayer requests, please feel free to email Mina (mina@fbcseattle.org) or submit them through this link (https://fbcseattle.org/prayer-request). Additionally, prayer partners are available on Sundays after 11:00 a.m. worship service in the right front corner of the sanctuary. Please look for the designated leader, usually the worship chair for the day.

As we look ahead, the Prayer Ministry remains committed to deepening the church’s prayer life and continue to seek God and His will together.

– Sherwin & Mina Chen

In 2025, as always, summer came and went before we knew it.  And that means that the new school year starts up.  And so does our Children’s Ministry Sunday School program.  The teachers get a couple of months off in the summer to rest and re-charge.  And we appreciate each and every Sunday School teacher who commits to showing up and teaching our children at 9:30am every Sunday.  We also appreciate all of the teachers and helpers who are on a rotation through out the year to teach during the English worship service from 11:00am each Sunday.  Our kids are blessed to learn God’s word and His teachings every Sunday.

“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”  Mark 9:37

Jesus clearly loves and cares for our children.  We want to welcome our Father and worship Him by welcoming our children to worship and to learn with us adults each Sunday.

This year, we are so excited and grateful to have new teachers who have stepped up to join the Children’s ministry to serve our kids.

For Sunday School/ 9:30am classes:

• Norin & Marsha Crawford – Pre-K and Kindergarten class
• Peter Chen & Ayako Kasai – 1^st-5^rd grade class
• Paul Mayeda and Emma Wu – Middle School class

For Children’s Worship / 11:00am classes:

• Caroline Zhu and Athena Situ – Pre-K and Kindergarten class
• Mimi Shiraki – Nursery
• Ryan & Megan Tsuji – Nursery

Thank you to all of the teachers who have stayed on to continue to serve in this way.  So many have been so faithful in serving in the Children’s program for so many years and decades.  We thank God of each and every one of you!

– Kenji Kumai

We (Faith and Zida) are thrilled to share how God has been working in our CYC small group of mostly young career, married couples. We call ourselves the “Faithbook Friends,” a name we came up with in jest but that reflects the vision we have for our group: to be an inclusive space for people to know God more, walk spiritually together as friends, and witness His faithfulness.

God has been abundantly faithful in deepening our knowledge of Him throughout the past year. During the 2024-2025 small group year, we went through An Unexpected Revival by Erica Wiggenhorn—a workbook-style study on the book of Ezekiel. Our group often turned the book’s relatively simple content into engaging and critical discussions about faith, religion, and life. This year, we’re doing a topical study of shame through Esther Liu’s book, Being Known and Loved, and we’re empowering folks to get more involved by having different members lead Bible studies each week. Overall, these discussions have been vulnerable, reflective, and fruitful.

God has also been faithful in creating a genuine sense of spiritual community within our group. Last year, we had monthly testimonies and randomly assigned meet-ups, two tools we used to grow closer together as brothers and sisters in Christ. Before we went on a short small group break in September 2025, we rounded out our year with a small group cabin trip in Sedro-Wooley. It was a fun, restful time to reflect on the joy of Christ-centered community. This year, we are continuing the tradition of monthly testimonies to hear about how we all came to know God, but instead of monthly meet-ups within our group, we are organizing monthly joint small group hangouts to develop stronger connections with other people at FBC (so you may receive an invitation from us this year to hang out)!

Lastly, we’ve witnessed His faithfulness in meeting our needs and guiding us through our current life stages. We end each gathering by sharing praises and struggles before supporting each other in prayer. Our members faced many challenges this year, including demanding careers (such as medical school and residency), major exams, job hunts, health issues, and wedding planning. We are anticipating that 2026 will be another year of big decisions and potential transitions for many of our members. However, we trust in God’s plan, and we would love it if you could pray for us.

– Faith & Zida

The House Church is a small-group ministry that meets in homes to integrate discipleship and evangelism by sharing meals and life stories. Its distinctiveness lies in bringing believers and nonbelievers together in the same relational and safe space, rather than separating them into different programs. Around the table, faith is experienced through everyday relationships, where the gospel is both lived and shared.

This model is rooted in the Early Church described in Acts 2, where faith was practiced as lifestyle. The early Christians welcomed both Jews and Gentiles into daily life, centering their community on God’s Word, prayer, communion, and fellowship (Acts 2:42). This life-on-life pattern continued daily as “they broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:46-47). In this context, discipleship and evangelism naturally flowed together.

In each gathering, believers share Scripture alongside testimonies of how God’s Word is lived out in daily life. House churches intentionally welcome people regardless of belief, background, culture, or language, creating a safe and relational environment where trust can grow and spiritual conversations emerge naturally. The gatherings also include a designated time to listen to the children and pray for them, called “Olive Blessing,” embracing and blessing children as Jesus did.

“Yea-Chen,” led by the Yeager’s and the Chen’s, is one of such house churches that bridges most nonbelievers to the wider church community. The group meets every other Saturday during lunchtime, with an average of 10–12 people consistently committed to gathering and sharing life  at Sherwin and Mina’s house. During these meetings, participants—both believers and nonbelievers—share blessings and, at times, openly express struggles related to topics such as marriage, parenting, or finances. The group always concludes by praying together, giving thanks to God while seeking His guidance and protection.

These gatherings are marked by mutual trust, vulnerability, and prayer, always pointing all participants to depend on God. Believers also model humility and authenticity by sharing their own struggles in faith.

One shepherd who had never felt comfortable sharing her conversion testimony sensed God’s leading to share her story with her nonbelieving friends. Trusting God, she courageously obeyed. Her openness encouraged many, and the following week many of the nonbelieving members attended the Christmas service to hear the Good News.

We praise God for Maki, Mina and Sherwin’s faithful love for Him and for their friends, shown through opening their homes, preparing meals, and sharing God’s story with faith and joy.

– Pastor Kohei Takeda (on behalf of the shepherds of Yea-Chen, Maki Yeager & Mina Chen)

What is the purpose of the SoulFood ministry, and how did God begin this work among us? As we look back on 2025, it is good to be reminded of the why and how behind this ministry, so that we may give thanks with a broader perspective for what God has done.

SoulFood is a hospitality ministry with two primary purposes:

• To connect people to the church community
• To connect diverse volunteers with one another through serving together

More than simply providing food, SoulFood creates welcoming spaces where relationships can grow, unity can be strengthened, and the love of Christ can be experienced in practical and tangible ways.

The ministry began in 2022, shortly after the pandemic, during a season when many people felt distanced and disconnected from the church community. As leaders discerned and followed God’s invitation, SoulFood was launched in response to this need, using hospitality as a means to rebuild community and welcome people back. As the ministry has continued, God has faithfully revealed His goodness by connecting new people and deepening relationships across the church, reminding us that He is always at work building His one body.

In 2025, SoulFood experienced significant growth and strengthening through deeper collaboration with small groups and house churches across the church. At the beginning of the year, a sustainable system was established by the ministry core team—Sheila Chan, Mina Chen, and myself—which enabled the church to offer lunch consistently once a month. As a result, attendance at SoulFood following worship services—typically on Joint Sundays—increased, with an average of 120 to 150 people gathering, representing growth compared to previous years.

In February, a kick-off meeting was held with small group and house church leaders who expressed interest in collaborating, where the vision for SoulFood was shared. As a result, 17 small groups & house churches, involving more than 120 volunteers, committed to preparing a meal at least once between March 2025 and January 2026. Volunteers represented a wide range of ages and backgrounds, from seniors to junior high students, both Americans and Japanese.  Each Sunday, two different small groups were paired to serve together, creating opportunities to build relationships across generations and cultures, including partnerships between senior groups, Japanese small groups, and CYC.

Through God’s grace and the sacrificial, collaborative efforts of the small groups, SoulFood became not only a ministry of hospitality, but also a visible expression of unity in diversity within the church. We are deeply grateful for what God has done in 2025 and eagerly look forward to what He will do in 2026. Praise the Lord.

– Pastor Kohei Takeda

The “FBC Ohana Retreat” used to be called the “Family Conference” as long as I could remember.  And then there were some concerns that those who may not have actual related people at church may feel out of place.  So, the name was changed to “FBC Fall Conference” a couple of decades ago, since we always had our annual conferences in the fall.  But in 2022, when we started the annual conference back up (after Covid) we decided to change the name to “FBC Ohana Retreat”.  We wanted to go back to the “family” focus as well as to add a little warmth by calling it a retreat instead of “conference”.

The word “Ohana” is rooted in the Hawaiian culture.  And this is so appropriate because FBC has always had so many dear saints from Hawaii.  In Hawaii, Ohana encompasses a wide network of relationships. It includes:  Blood relatives, the extended family (multigeneration families) and the chosen family (close friends, neighbors, and community members).  The central philosophy of Ohana is that everyone in the group is responsible for one another.  It implies a sense of obligation, loyalty, and mutual support.  If you are Ohana, you are bound together, you share food, you share hardships, and you share joys.  And we at FBC know how to share food!  Haha!

The above definition of the word Ohana is what I pulled up from Gemini/AI.  But at FBC, we look at the word of God to see what a community looks like.  We want to continue to grow in our faith, to learn what it means to follow our Lord Jesus Christ, to follow His examples and to live as He wants us to live.  As the body of Christ at FBC, we are Ohana, the family of Christ with Him being our head and we being His body and family.  This year, at our Ohana Retreat, we had the joy and privilege of learning what Discipleship is, what it looks like in our daily lives and how we can follow Christ as our Lord and Savior.

Once again this year, we were able to have Adult sessions, our WOK (youth group) program and a Children’s Program all going on separately at the same time.  We were blessed with Lane Sanford as our Adult Program speaker.  It was so good to have Lane’s wife Karrie (Bob & Noby Kennell’s daughter) and their youngest daughter Lilly join us as well.  The Youth Program was led by a panel made up of people from different life experiences and upbringing.  Those on the panel were:  Tony Encarnacion, Josh Huang, Kelsey Huang, Steven Ma and Rachel Shin.  The Children’s Program was led by Sara Boyd.  This was the first time for Sara to join us this year.  She did an amazing job with our children!  Sara works at Cedar Park Christian School as the Bible Department Head and High School Ministry Director as well as teaching in the area of Apologetics.

We want to thank all of the volunteers and helpers who stepped up once again to serve in so many different areas of the Ohana Retreat.  What a true blessing it was to spend the weekend together, share meals together, have sweet times of fellowship and learn the Word of God together as His Ohana.

– Kenji Kumai

THE THREADS IN OUR FBC OHANA QUILT

Have you ever wondered what brings our church family together in both joy and sorrow? Each prayer, act of support, and celebration is a thread in our ohana quilt. Together, we reflect Christ’s love.

This year, our Ohana Care Ministry continued to follow God’s leading as we came alongside members in need and in times of celebration. Our “Mothers of Ohana Care” (as I’m going to refer to them) —Gloria Nakamura, Helen Akamine, and Grace Spray—spent over six (6) decades serving. This year, each of them became the loving – though sometimes reluctant – beneficiaries of the very ministry they fostered, prayed over, and led for these 6 decades!!  Many have been praying, friends played cards with them, shared meals, and celebrated birthdays. I remember the laughter around the table and the gentle prayers offered for healing and comfort. Their story shows how kindness returns, multiplied, and through this expression of love, we have seen the love of God lived out through each other.  What a perfect living testimony of how the good you do comes back to you – and then some!!  Thank you, FBC Ohana, for showering them with your love and prayers!

We honored Steve Whalen with a memorial and we believe that his family felt the support of our ohana as we remembered his years of service here at FBC. Steve and Keiko moved to Pennsylvania to be close to their daughter, Jeremy & Maria and family, but their connection to FBC remained strong. I recall the quiet moments of remembrance and the stories shared by those who loved him. We also celebrated the life of Koharu Sera, who lived to the age of 103 years and 9 months. Koharu loved the Lord, took up line dancing at 87, and generously shared her wisdom and warmth with everyone, often calling us just to check in! Her sons, Jerry (Phyllis) and Larry (Karlyne), shared her thoughts with us as we celebrated FBC’s 75th Anniversary, reminding us of her joyful spirit and the love she had for our church, lunch bunch friends, and ohana.

Earlier, we comforted and supported families grieving and celebrating the lives of Yohko Tada and David Shimono. Many prayed for David during his battle with cancer. His wife, Peggy, cared for him with tireless love. I remember seeing Peggy’s strength and the gentle support from friends who visited, brought meals, and sat quietly by her side. Love flowed from family: Kenny, George & Nancy Fujimoto, Carol & Mark Richards, Darren & Nikki Carrido, and FBC ohana: Bob & Noby Kennell, John & Gloria Nakamura, Ruth Wassynger, Dr. Gary & Rieko Kato, Watson & Alane, Maddie, & Sydney Louie, Patty & Paul Mayeda, Joy & John Friberg, Mike & Lyanne Kurtz, and other friends here at FBC.  Family gathered for an intimate military burial, led by his best friend Bob Kennell. Our FBC Ohana surrounded these families with prayer, meals, and companionship. We saw the power of community in every visit, every shared meal, and every moment of comfort.

Some serve quietly, like Ruth Wassynger and her sister Joy F. Ruth provides meals, runs errands, and spends time with those in need. Joy helps from afar, rounding out Ruth’s care. Both are part of our prayer group, started over 60 years ago by Helen and Grace. Prayer is the foundation of our ministry. It sustains us and connects us, even when we are apart. I am grateful for the faithful prayers that have lifted up so many in our church family.

These acts—prayer, meals, visits, and selfless giving—are the stitches in our FBC Ohana Quilt. Together, they create a warm covering for our church family. Through every celebration and challenge, we see God’s love at work. Every act of kindness sown in faith brings a harvest of blessing, often greater than we expect. Scripture tells us: “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9).

Throughout the year, Lisa Brouwer and I share how God is working as we pray with our prayer group and as we learn of needs within our church.  We have seen the Lord provide ways for us to come alongside our FBC ohana to share His love through prayer, support, and celebration. “Do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:10). Each act of love and service build up the body of Christ.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Special Note:  Every Memorial Service Reception is led by one or more of our 3 Co-Leaders and their wonderful teams:

Memorial Service Committee Co-Leaders and their teams:

• Theone Tollefson and Lisa Brouwer
• Patty Mayeda and Melissa Nakamura
• Rieko Kato and Diane Agemura

– Theone Tollefson

We give thanks to God, who faithfully blesses His church and advances His Kingdom. The remodeling of The Well Room is one small but meaningful example of His work among us.

For many decades, this room served as a Japanese library. Especially after covid, however, it was no longer used primarily as a library and had already become a space for meetings, Bible studies, and small gatherings. After prayerful discussion, Japanese leaders discerned that God was leading them to reimagine the room—not only for one ministry, but to bless the entire church. This decision reflected humility, flexibility, and a hopeful investment in the future rather than a hold on past forms.

The purpose of the project was to create a welcoming and safe space for prayer, fellowship, meetings, counseling, and Bible study—a place where people can gather, be refreshed, and draw near to God. We also hope this project encourages a growing culture of renewal and growth throughout our church.

We are grateful for the joyful, collaborative, and sacrificial work at every stage of this project:

• Japanese elders and house church shepherds, who prayerfully discerned the vision;
• All those who took the first and often unseen steps, clearing over 30 boxes of books and bookcases, and preparing the room; and
• Lulu Kao and Doreen Chin, their small group, and all who supported them, who painted, built furniture, decorated, and brought the space to life.

We pray that The Well Room will continue to be a place of welcome, renewal, and blessing for many, and a reminder that God works through faithful steps—both big and small—to build His church.

– Pastor Kohei Takeda

The Well Room Renovation

Hi Church Fam!

It’s Lulu here to talk about the new renovation room named: The Well Room. First off, I wanted to say thank you for the opportunity to help create a beautiful space for people to feel welcome and at home. When I was first presented with this task, I was super nervous because I had never renovated anything before, but got excited thinking about the intention and possibilities this room had to offer. The initial start of planning to remodel the room was in May 2025 and we were able to finish in September 2025.

Before this project, I was busy planning Erik and I’s wedding (part 2). During that time, I was feeling quite lonely and detached from the church community. I think God knew exactly what I was feeling and what I needed at the time. God brought different groups with different talents together, united under a common desire to serve. Will Tong’s small group helped paint the walls and assemble furniture, while John & Lisa Tsuji helped with wood-working for coffee cart, protecting the carpet, and teaching us how to use a drill. The help of Doreen Chin, Erik Lee, and Pastor Kohei were instrumental in organizing tasks and logistics. Most importantly, the grace of God enabled us to finish the project “Well” (haha get it?). Serving along side everyone really encouraged my walk with God and made me feel closer to the community.

It started with a vision of having a space that can welcome newcomers, a meeting room to connect with others and God, and a place of prayer. Keeping all that in mind, we wanted to pick furniture and decorations that would bring peace and comfort for all people groups and across generations. It really has been a privilege to be a part of this project and to be able to serve God and the church in this way! Our hope is for all to feel that they can come into the space for rest, encouragement, and connection.

– Lulu Kao

Since its launch in 2020, the Japanese Discipleship Class 101, Path to Life, has joyfully completed its sixth term. This 12-week intensive course is designed to help participants learn the essentials of the Christian faith – both intellectually (systematically) and relationally – through the Scriptures.

The purpose of this class is clear: to gain a solid understanding of saving faith and to respond by actively pursuing that faith. The course covers core theological foundations and practical Christian life, including confession of sin, grace, atoning love, the Triune God, the redemptive narrative of the Bible, faith and salvation, and Christian growth.

Throughout its history, the class has welcomed a wide range of participants—from long-time Christians, including elders and ministry leaders, to non-believers, from high school students to seniors. Over the years, many seekers have been baptized after confirming their faith, and many believers have experienced renewed faith through this class. Across the six terms at Faith Bible, the majority of participants have already completed the course, reflecting strong commitment and enthusiasm for spiritual growth.

Students engaged actively throughout the term, asking thoughtful questions and participating in lively and meaningful discussions. The class was marked by humility, curiosity, and a genuine hunger to know God more deeply.

The spiritual fruit of this term was especially encouraging. One highlight was that a seeker confessed her faith during the course and expressed a desire to be baptized in 2026. Another blessing was that Kotoko Kudo who was baptized in the spring experienced strengthened faith and visible transformation in her Christian life, including a commitment to daily devotions, active volunteering in various ministries, and stepping into a leadership role within the JxJ ministry. After the class concluded, students shared their testimonies during the Japanese worship service, expressing what they believe and how God worked in their lives through the class. Their testimonies became a powerful encouragement to the entire congregation.

We give thanks to God for His faithfulness and for the transforming work He continues to do through His Word—drawing seekers to faith, strengthening believers, and building up His church. We also ask the church to continue in prayer as we plan to move forward with Discipleship Class 201: “Path to Renewal” in 2026.

Glory be to God.

– Pastor Kohei Takeda

Did you know that over 75 years ago, Faith Bible Church started out as a Sunday School class?  And it’s continued to be a high priority ever since.  It was part of the commitment to the truth’s of God’s Word, and Sunday School is a great way for people of all ages to learn them. So if that’s something you are feeling led to be a part of, we encourage you to try out the Gospel Journey or any of the other SS classes. It’s also a great time of fellowship, sharing and supporting each other in prayer.  We would love to have you join us!

This past year, we have spent time in several of the books of the Old Testament but will currently be studying the Gospel of Mark. The Bible is an amazing book written by many people across a couple thousand of year but all inspired by God and consistent in revealing God and His love, relationship and plan for us from beginning to end. No matter how many times you may have read and studied the Word, there is always more that God desires we learn and apply to our daily lives.

And one thing we try to put into practice is to encourage, share with and pray for each other.  Some of us have been meeting for 8 years, and it has been exciting to see how God has answered prayer, many that have been raised up for years.  We meet in the library at 9:30 every Sunday or via Zoom for those who are not able to attend in person.  Sunday School is more than a tradition at Faith Bible Church; it’s importance was established at the start.  We look forward to learning God’s Word and sharing life together with you!

– John & Lisa Tsuji

SSBTK – AKA Sunday School by the Kitchen – AKA Adult English Sunday School

SSBTK had a great 2025 year with our “Just Like Us” series. In our studies, we examined the lives and situations of primarily Old Testament characters. Some of these characters are well known (such as Joseph) and others (such as Abigail) are little more obscure. We studied how God used these different lives and how we can learn lessons to apply in our own lives. The “Just Like Us” series prepared us for our new 2026 series, “More Than Us – the Life of Jesus through the Gospel of John.”

SSBTK is a multi-generational learning opportunity that serves also as a support and prayer group and an easy way to become involved with the Faith Bible Community. Please come join as at 9:30 in the room by the kitchen!

– Marty Dong

“By all these things, I have shown you that by working in this way we must help the weak, and remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.”(Acts 20:35 NET)

We were blessed in partnering with Sacred Road Ministries in many ways.

1. We partnered by sending Sammy Dong as a Summer intern to Sacred Road Ministry. She truly enjoyed getting to know the youth and was able to care for the children at Hope Fellowship and at Totus Park. Her patience and hard work blessed those she served in Yakama including our missionary Amy Li. She also blessed the FBC Ohana with her devotion to the Yakama children and her willingness to step outside of her comfort zone.  Personally, I was very blessed to get to know her better and was encouraged by her compassion and love for the children in Yakama. Thank you, Sammy.
2. By sending. This year our mission team was led by Kelsey Huang and included Byron Chien, Doreen Chin, Jessica Hung, Jodi Eldridge, Joshua Huang, Kelsey Huang, Kyle Walker, Lauren Mayeda, Micah Lind, Michael Pu, Tyler Omoto, and Yukimi Kuge.  Your prayers and financial support were much appreciated.  The support they raised was more than enough to cover the Kids club snacks and the whole team week. With the reminder the team was able to donate 51 backpacks for the children at Hope Fellowship which is an integral part of Sacred Road Ministries. The parents messaged the staff as to how thankful they were watching their children wearing their new backpacks. After their return, the FBC Ohana, including me, was blessed and inspired by the stories and articles from our team. Thank you to the team.
3. Our annual Christmas Shoe Box and fund raising for the Youth Hoodies blessed many of our brothers and sisters in reservations in Yakama, Idaho and Oregon. The Shoe-box gifts were also used to reach out to tribal members who have yet to believe.  We can share in the joy of giving and ministering to children we have watched grow up with new hope.   FBC supporting Sacred Road is an expression of forgetting about ourselves and receiving joy and fulfillment as we give without expecting anything in return.  I hope many of our Ohana can feel the impact of this verse as they gave from their hearts. “And the king will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.’” (Matthew 25:40 NET)

Gary, Chenmin Liu and I had the privilege of delivering the shoebox gifts to Hope Fellowship. We were also able to join the staff in packing some of the shoeboxes. It was also very nice to see old friends at Sacred Road Ministries. All of us enjoyed being Santa’s elves choosing items from the many donated toys and gifts.   Each winter, when we collect donations at FBC, I am reminded of God’s abundant love.  And it leads me to give thanks to God for our sweet FBC Ohana and the genuine love that is shown to our first neighbors. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

What is to come in 2026:

The 2026 Yakama mission trip is scheduled for June 27 to July 4th. Ten spots are available.

As Micheal Pu remarked, about the 2025 trip: “Overall, going to say Sacred Road was an encouraging experience.  It was amazing to get to talk to other believers there and hear about how God has been working in their lives and communities.  It was also lots of fun to get to know everyone on the team better that week, shout out to the 2 veterans Laurn and Tyler and the 2 youth Micah and Jodi.  I would encourage everyone to go and see how God is working there for themselves next year.”

In His Hands,
Rieko Kato

On my morning walks at our holiday family vacation house, I marveled at the loaded citrus trees in the neighborhood. So much fruit! It reminded me of the School of Promise. Through difficulties, trials and many obstacles, God’s people are producing an abundance of good fruit (John 15:5)!

Here are some examples from 2025:

• Baptizing five people in February, including three SoP students
• Training the older students to help younger students at AWANA, to lead worship at Promise Church, to teach Sunday School at the Hosea Center, to help at English Camp and to translate the message
• Reaching out to the community by welcoming 500 community members to the spring ceremony for the 10 graduating seniors, offering Thai as a second language program, putting on a Parenting Workshop and offering an English Camp during the October break
• Teaching the Word to middle schoolers at a Camp that focused on what the Bible says about relationships with the opposite sex
• Strengthening the School’s administrative and financial support via a new stateside Development Coordinator (Eric Verstraete) and via an infusion of funds from Barnabas Aid

This year, Akiko has been including an introduction to a scholarship student in her monthly updates. Despite the fact that many of the students are from broken homes, I am inspired to read how hopeful, creative, talented and energetic the kids are. Thanks to you and other faithful brothers and sisters, these students have the chance to know their creator and walk on a path of hope and freedom.

– Dawn Hogan

In 2025, God continued to work through the homeless ministry, bringing encouragement and opportunities to serve. One of the meaningful highlights this year was seeing families, including children, get involved in meal preparation. It has been a blessing to watch our church community come together across generations to serve those in need and share the love of Jesus in practical ways. We also partnered with the Seattle Union Gospel Mission, who joined us to share about their ministry and provide training for our volunteers. This partnership helped equip us better to meet the needs of the people we serve.

Another important focus for us was maintaining consistency in our outreach. By faithfully serving month after month, we have built stronger relationships within our team as we develop in Christ through thoughtful conversations during our debrief sessions. Through these ongoing efforts, we continue to see God’s hand at work in our lives, using us to bring love and the gospel of Jesus to our homeless neighbors. We are grateful for the growth in our ministry and look forward to continuing this journey into the new year.

– Daniel Mar

The Merrill Gardens (MG) ministry had a blessed year in 2025. The MG ministry conducts a monthly service at the Renton Merrill Gardens retirement home and ministers to both FBC members and other MG residents. The ministry team consists of team leader Nancy Mayeno, the Dong family, the Lin family, Phyllis Watanabe and Betty Inouye. The service averages about 25 people, including the team. The ministry addresses the need for MG residents to enjoy a worship experience when their health conditions hinder them from attending services outside the MG campus. The service starts with prayer and music, followed by a Bible message and communion.

We’re blessed to have such a strong team serving together! Nancy Mayeno is our capable leader and organizes the group each month for our service. Phyllis Watanabe leads our musical worship, with hymns and worship songs that are familiar to the residents. Betty Inouye is our prayer warrior and constantly reminds us to keep our focus on Jesus. Marty Dong generally shares the Bible message, and we’re grateful that Dr. Gary Kato provided messages and medical information when Marty was out of town. The Lin family are all significantly involved – providing technical setup and support, ushering duties, communion serving, and adding much joy for the residents!

The MG team appreciates the support and encouragement from the whole FBC community.

– Marty Dong

• 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
  Ichiro Otsu
  Kohei Takeda

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