Welcome!
Kaihin Makuhari Grace Church (megumi kyoukai) is a community of Christian believers from Chiba, Japan and around the world. We gather each Sunday to worship the Lord, hear from His Word (the Bible), care for each other, and live out the hope we have in Jesus Christ. Our worship service is primarily in Japanese, and sermon translation into English is available. There are also members and attendees able to speak other languages such as Chinese, Korean, and Tagalog.
We welcome you, as God has welcomed us and invites you.
Praise the Lord, all nations! / Extol him, all peoples!
For great is his steadfast love toward us, / and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 117)
Who We Are
KMGC is a Reformed, Presbyterian church and a member of the Presbyterian Church in Japan denomination. The Bible is our foundation as we seek to live for the Triune God and enjoy Him. We believe the truths of the Bible are most helpfully summarized in the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Westminster Catechisms.
We fellowship in a variety of ways (especially cell groups) and seek to keep sharing the Gospel, living in light of God’s amazing grace.
Our church’s shepherding team (Session) includes Pastor Mark Bocanegra (missionary from the Presbyterian Church in America) and Elders Kohta Aoki, Muneyasu Nasu, and Kiyofumi Oba.
History
KMGC was formed in 1999 by Pastor Yoshinobu Hirohashi and his family in the Makuhari Baytown neighborhood, standing on Isaiah 43:19’s promise: “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” The church was formally organized within the Presbyterian Church in Japan denomination in May 2001, and was particularized in 2010. God has been with us and caring for us each step of the way.
Vision
Our vision statement is that “Kaihin Makuhari Grace Church exists to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” We have eight core values expressing this vision: Worship, Prayer, Discipleship, Fellowship, Evangelism, Mercy, Transformation, and Reproducing (new churches).
What We Do
Sunday worship is the center of our life together, when we meet with God as His gathered people.
Sundays:
9:00 am Sunday school
- Lamby club for younger children (and caregivers)
- Youth group (middle and high school)
- English Bible Study
10:45 am corporate worship service No dress code; come wearing what you love. Children are welcome to worship with their families, as part of the community.
“Can I participate even if I do not understand Japanese?” YES! Our services are primarily in Japanese, but a sermon translation is available here. We also have many members and attendees from other countries who can be helpful in several languages.
We usually have Bilingual (Japanese+English) sermons each Second Sunday, typically preaching in English with interpretation into Japanese.
After worship:
2nd Sundays: Kaihin Makuhari International (KMI)
We enjoy monthly lunch fellowship and English conversation on the second Sunday of each month.
4th Sundays: Singing Fellowship (sanbikai)
We enjoy singing praise to God in Japanese and in English from 1:00pm on the fourth Sunday of each month.
Cell Groups
Cell groups are one of the important ways to grow closer to each other and in knowing God.
In addition to the Sunday English Bible Study, two cell groups are held mainly in English:
– Vine & Shrub (Wednesday evenings in Funabashi city)
– Living Hope (Friday nights twice-per-month on ZOOM).
Please inquire if you are interested in visiting a cell group or other fellowship.
Where to Find Us
If possible, please contact us before you visit.
We meet at:
Patios 20, Utase 3-chome 4, Mihama-ku, Chiba-shi Japan
(Please contact us for the precise room number).
If you visit by bus, you can take the Marine Route bus (1) or (2) from Kaihin Makuhari Station (north side of the station) and get off at “21-bangai” (21番街）.
You may parallel park on the streets around us, but be very careful not to park within 10 meters (33 feet) of any bus stop sign (even across the street from one is a no-parking area) or less than 5 meters (17 feet) from an intersection.