The simplest answer is that there is a need. When praying about where to begin our ministry, we compiled a list of the largest cities in the world with the lowest number of Christians. We limited the list to cities in which we would be legally free to plant a church. Tokyo was at the top of the list according to population, with two other Japanese cities (Osaka and Nagoya) on the list as well. Tokyo also has one of the lowest amounts of Christian population by percentage. These two factors, a high population and very few Christians, made Tokyo a perfect fit with our vision to reach unreached urban areas.

For the last decade, Tokyo has ranked within the top five most expensive cities in the world. Rental prices for two-bedroom apartments average anywhere from $2,500 to $4,000 per month depending on the area. In order to establish a thriving congregation within Tokyo, it is necessary to live among the people of Tokyo. This incarnational ministry requires a level of resources that is higher than all but a few places on the planet.

We are open to the possibility of getting jobs both to offset the cost of living as well as integrate into the community. However, we are committed to mastering the Japanese language in order to clearly communicate the Gospel to Japanese people. Therefore, we believe we must devote our initial season in Japan to focused language training. The only jobs we are presently qualified for within Japan would be English-speaking jobs, thus undercutting our language learning process.

Because of the high property costs and population density of Tokyo, it is very difficult to secure large, permanent meeting spaces. Purchasing a meeting space for a few hundred people would cost tens of millions of dollars. In light of these factors, a more decentralized approach seems to fit. This approach has worked in other dense Asian cities such as Seoul and Singapore.

In a cell-based church model there is less specialization than most people are familiar with. Essentially the team members will have the similar goal of helping establish and develop cells. Over time, the goal is for the team members to shift toward focusing on equipping cell leaders leader cell groups rather than leading all the cells themselves. As needs and opportunities arise a certain level of specialization will take place, but not at the expense of promoting thriving, multiplying cells.