Not just in the Japanese RP Church, but in many churches in Japan and other countries, Christians are dismayed that young people are leaving their churches. Sometimes people say this is inevitable because the younger generation has a different culture, values, and lifestyle. However, we need to consider how we are discipling people in church and passing on our faith to the next generation.

In this postmodern world, young people are bombarded with information and often try to satisfy themselves with everything they can get. They are surrounded by diverse values and cultures. They are seeking the truth but can’t easily find it. Even young people in the church can get lost in this complex information society.

Japan’s youth are under pressure. In 2014, 25,000 Japanese people took their own lives—about 70 suicides per day. Suicide was the leading cause of death for those aged 15–39. A study by Japan’s Cabinet office found that of the 18,000 child suicides from 1972–2013, a disproportionate number occurred on Sept. 1, at the beginning of the school year (courtesy of BBC News and Newsweek).

Getting true knowledge from the Word of God is the only solution for young people. They need to experience the true joy granted only from our triune God. In order to help young people, more mature Christians must demonstrate joy granted from the Lord in their own lives. We must ask, Are we truly finding our delight in the law of the Lord? Are we glorifying and enjoying our God in our daily life? It’s easy to blame the decrease of young people in church on young people. However, we as church members need to examine ourselves to see whether we have faithfully discipled them and passed on our faith to them.

My Testimony

My experience is a testimony to the importance of youth work. I was born in 1987 into a non-Christian family. My mother was baptized shortly after I was born, but my father has not yet been brought to faith. Because of my parents’ busy work schedules, I spent most of my time at my grandparents’ home.

My grandmother was a faithful Christian and a first-generation Reformed Presbyterian. She sang me Psalm 23 as a lullaby, and she taught me the Lord’s prayer as soon as I began talking. I was taken to church every Sunday, and I grew up hearing about God there. I was, in a sense, raised in a Christian home. My circumstances were blessed by the Lord.

After I entered elementary school, I kept on going to church and attending Sunday school. At that time I vaguely believed in God, but I didn’t think deeply about Him. I just felt like it would be natural to receive baptism sometime after finishing elementary school.

However, God did not allow this. My family and I moved to America and lived there for about three years. After I came back, I had to study for my entrance exam for junior high school. I stopped going to church, even after I entered junior high. I call this period the first rebellious stage in my life.

In 9th grade God led me to His church again. One Sunday, I just felt like going to church again, and I attended the worship service with my mother. I can’t explain why I suddenly felt like going to church. However, I am now sure that it was the Holy Spirit working in me. From then on, going to church every Sunday became my joy rather than a burden, and God mercifully granted me faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I confessed my faith publicly the next spring and received baptism.

I experienced the second rebellious stage when I was preparing to enter university. Again, I was busy, but I know that is not an adequate excuse for not going to church. I think my consciousness of my own sin was not deep enough. I did not fully understood my need to accept Jesus Christ as my own Savior, and that His cross was for my own sinfulness.

In spite of all my disobedience, the Lord never abandoned me. After I entered university, I met a wonderful Christian senior student, and he became my mentor. Through him, the Lord led me to Kirisuto-sha Gakusei Kai (Japanese Intervarsity Christian Fellowship), and I learned how important it is to serve in my own congregation. Now, despite my inadequate faith, I really want to serve the Lord all my life in any way He calls me.

I want to draw attention to my two rebellious stages as a Christian. Looking back at these periods, I remember that the only one who admonished me to attend worship service regularly was Dr. Patricia Boyle, who is in Japan as a missionary. I wasn’t mature enough to listen to her advice humbly back then, but I’m truly thankful for her comment now.

Moreover, no one in the church taught about important issues for a young Christian’s life, such as dating and marrying a Christian, keeping the Sabbath, and attending worship regularly, and so forth. Rather, I learned these in KGK, but it goes without saying that teaching these principles to young people is necessary in the church.

People in church often hesitate to deal with these sensitive issues. They may be afraid young people will leave the church if they do so. But it is a necessary part of our duty to pass on the faith to the next generation. As a third-generation member of the RP Church in Japan, I can see that it is a great challenge to our congregations.

The Ministry of KGK

KGK is an evangelical ministry to university students in Japan and is a member of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES). At present, there are around 1,370 students from evangelical denominations who are involved in the ministry of KGK. Larger groups may have up to 30 students. Some campuses may have only one Christian student that we know of.

Our goal is to encourage Christian students to evangelize others on their own campuses. However, training students to mature in their faith and encouraging them to serve in their own congregations are also important tasks. In fact, leaders in many churches in Japan are graduates of KGK. The ministry helps students learn to live as mature Christians and to serve as a part of Christ’s body in their local congregations.

My testimony shows that I experienced many blessings of God through KGK when I was a student. One of them was the fellowship with other Christians who were rejoicing to serve the Lord Jesus. Looking at their way of living, I honestly wanted to be like them and rejoice in the faith like them. This experience influenced me significantly to consider serving the Lord in full-time ministry. I’m sure many students feel the same way when they see older students serving God joyfully.

KGK plays an important role by assisting existing churches in Japan, but we also need to remember that these tasks are the responsibility of the church itself. If churches in Japan could bear such responsibilities by themselves, KGK would no longer be needed and should disappear. Churches in Japan, including RP churches, must seek to take over KGK’s role.

Young People in the Japanese RP Church

In Kasumigaoka RPC, not many young Christians are present for the regular worship service. We have four college student members on our roll, but three of them live far from Kobe. Please pray for their church life. Pastor Charles Leach holds English Bible study classes for young people every Friday evening. There is one class for junior high students and another for high school and college-age students.

In the presbytery, Pastor Kihei Takiura leads youth group, which gathers once every month to have Bible studies and prayer meetings. Altogether, about 5-10 young people from all the congregations in the Japan Presbytery participate. They also have a youth camp assisted by short-term mission team members each summer.

The number of third-generation members is declining, and we are experiencing the challenge of passing on our faith. Passing on our faith is not only teaching knowledge of the Bible, but also discipling young Christians to live out the gospel, to rejoice to live in faith, and to be transformed into the image of the Lord Jesus while beholding His glory.

Yusuke Hirata is s member of Kasumigaoka RPC in Kobe, Japan, and he serves as a licentiate in the Japan Presbytery. He completed residency as a medical doctor and is currently working in student ministry for KGK.