• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Jesus♥日本

faith, love, and memories

  • Hello ^-^
  • The gospel is…?
  • Resources
    • Videos
    • Apps
    • Links
  • Blog
  • 日本語日本語

Black Gospel Music; Preaching to the Choir in Japan

2011-06-30 By Kermit

A couple weeks ago the Hallelujah Gospel Family again had their annual gospel charity concert. I first learned about this movement in Japan last year and am still amazed at how God is drawing people to Himself through black gospel music.

The past couple months leading up to the day of concert we hosted black gospel music workshops and song rehearsals in various churches across Japan, worship leaders from California came to lead those times. They taught proper English pronunciation and explained the meaning of the gospel message in the song lyrics. The following video was a workshop led by Gregory and Ruth Hooper from Sunrise Church.

I sang and participated at some of the workshops, but my primary responsibilities centered on backstage details and assisting the production manager of the concert. This however gave me greater opportunities to see all that went into preparation for the concert day. My favorite experience was attending the gospel choir and wadaiko drummers collaboration rehearsal.

9326701591_4800524e77

9326701499_f5be040809

9329494594_bebdc590ec

After the rehearsal I had lunch with some members from the choir most of whom were not Christian. One lady, who has been part of the Hallelujah Gospel Family for several years, told me that she really feels God when she sings but can not be Christian because she has a kamidana in her house. In light of the many cultural barriers to becoming Christian in Japan God very much at work drawing His children near to Him.

The day of the concert, about 400 choir members came together from different parts of Japan… about 80% were not yet Christians but took great joy in singing praise and worship songs. The leaders of the Hallelujah Gospel Family and workshop leaders truly are preaching to the choir.

A part from stage construction, setup preparation, and last minute details the primary focus of most of the day was centered on one final celebration rehearsal before doors open to the general public. Songs were sung and prayers were prayed all done in the name of Jesus Christ with the hope that all would truly come to know the love of the One they sang about.

The gospel charity concert was more than just a fundraiser or church event to attract people in from the outside to hear the gospel. The primary ministry was with those in the choir, the concert itself was just an overflow of celebration with and for everyone involved.

Above was the performance the gospel choir and wadaiko drummers rehearsed for. “Kimi Wa Aisareru Tame Umareta” is the name of the song, it means “you were born to be Loved.” Below Ruth shared a bit about faith in God before her duet with Bola Taylor.

9326700997_bf33f95c7e

9326700655_1c11087099

9326701179_543c01e8e8

This entire event from the workshop leaders, the stage and lighting personnel, and those who managed various other details was volunteer based. On top of the 400 choirs members there were 800 more in attendance, about 90% of them where not Christian. Altogether they donated about 540,000円 ($6,700) to the disaster relief efforts of CRASHJapan.

Your prayers that God would continue to bless this community are appreciated. For the leaders of the Hallelujah Gospel Family network who work hard to make sure the choirs remain church based and not choir director dependent; for church members to build relationships with the choir members; for the choir members who sing God’s praise to experience Him change their lives; and for all those who are directly and indirectly effected by this growing movement and community in Japan.

Related Posts

  • Black Gospel Music; a movement of God in Japan!Black Gospel Music; a movement of God in Japan!
  • Disaster relief through WorldVenture in JapanDisaster relief through WorldVenture in Japan
  • To Tohoku and back… and back again?To Tohoku and back… and back again?
  • Last weekends SEEK09 Japanese outreachLast weekends SEEK09 Japanese outreach

Share this:

  • Tweet

Filed Under: News & culture Tagged With: charity, CRASHJapan, Gospel music, Hallelujah Gospel Family, Japanese drummers

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Don McDowell says

    2012-05-08 at 9:38 pm

    Keep up the great work. Delighted.

  2. Zita Collins says

    2012-09-15 at 9:18 am

    Awesome!!!! So inspired by this….how can I help?

  3. Santha Kumar says

    2012-10-19 at 11:26 pm

    Very good site which is helpful to my spiritual life. Thanks

  4. floretta hudson says

    2013-01-18 at 2:52 pm

    I am a gospel singer from Brooklyn NY. It is my desire in 2013 to travel to Japan and share my gift of song. I am a soloist and psalmist. I have sang for numerous R&B, Pop, Hip Hop celebrities from Tina Turner to Sting to Stevie Wonder but my love is gospel music. I sing, teach and train vocalists and choirs alike. I would love an opportunity to share with your group. So please keep me in mind as you continue to branch out and build your outreach ministry. Thank you. Floretta Hudson (516-526-2662).

  5. paul yoram mwaisakila says

    2013-05-01 at 12:56 am

    we have a christian choir group known as TULIENI CHOIR GROUP, from nzovwe mbeya tanzania where i am a choir master.
    We wish to have with you a relationship/friendship and invite you to visit us and share our vision and mission becouse we believe GOD will make something speacial both you and us and others at large.my mobile phone 0759917064.we have also started preparing our website

  6. paul yoram mwaisakila says

    2013-05-01 at 1:12 am

    we have a christian choir group known as TULIENI CHOIR GROUP from nzovwe mbeya tanzania.Iam a choir master of the group.We wish to have with you a relationship/friendship in order for you and us learn much as GOD will make something special .we invite you to come and see our vission and mission which we hope will be beneficieries to both you and us.We are in the process of having our website which we hope will facilitate our mission.my mobile phone 0759917064

    • paul yoram mwaisakila says

      2016-02-04 at 1:20 pm

      We have know opened our website.You can visit us and we actually need your support as we need to establish any good project related to our mission and vision. Be blessed!

  7. Malik Young says

    2013-08-07 at 5:58 pm

    Hello My Name is Malik Young,
    I am a gospel Artist/Workshop Conductor From NJ, Now living in France..I travel the world with my gospel music Workshop, mostly france Germany Austria and i just finished 2 Amazing workshops 2 weeks ago in Italy and guaynna. I have been to Japan in the Past with Vy Higginson the creator of “Mamma I Want to Sing” I also am the choir Director of the most famous gospel choir in France Gospel Pour Cent Voix. we do a very Big Tour of about 6 months out of the year to audiences that range from 3000 to 20,000 people. I would be so interested in bringing my workshop ministry to Japan again, I think It would be a wonderful way to bring people together with a common goal. If this is interesting to you please contact my by email or Facebook 🙂 on facebook I have many pictures of my past workshops and concerts so you can see the type of work i do. Please keep me in mind as you move forward. Thank you and be Blessed
    Malik Young

    • Kermit says

      2013-08-07 at 10:45 pm

      Thank you for the message. Your experience sounds amazing! I am actually no longer on staff with this group… I was just administrative help, but it was still a lot of fun. Wanted to let you know though that I passed your message along to those who help in this ministry, so if I hear anything I’ll let you know. Blessings!

      • Kermit says

        2013-08-27 at 12:03 am

        If you could contact this gospel choir directly I was told that someone would get back to you. Here is the link to the Hallelujah Gospel Family’s webpage. Blessings!

  8. imade moses says

    2015-04-06 at 9:23 am

    Peace Be Unto You

    I am Brother Moses a Nigerian Nationality base in Ghana. I want to join your Gospel Group.Please how can you help me

    May God be with you

    Moses

  9. shiba Mbabazi says

    2015-04-30 at 5:24 pm

    Dear Sir/Madam,

    How are you?

    We are in christian preaching church based in Uganda Kampala Africa due to the growing demand
    of the word of Godin churches and worship center’s we would like to extend our word to your
    side in way that we want to visit your church but on doing this we are asking your church if
    can issue us invitation letter so that we can secure preaching visit from your embassy as soon as we have visa
    we shall visit your church

    I will be glad to have your email

    Thanks

    Shiba Mbabazi

Primary Sidebar

My Tweets

Footer

  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo
  • YouTube