Dear mission partners
Announcement of Succession of The Leadership
Thank you so much for your understanding, prayer and partnership with Grace House.
I announce that I, Ken Ishibashi, have succeeded the responsibility of the president of Grace House since October 2018 while Kazue Ishihara, the former president has stepped aside even though she is still one of our crew.
The Lord planted vision and passion for Grace House into Kazue’s heart when she was running Christian fellowship at her house in Shianhei in 2005. Then she made up her mind to make places in Japan where people can have fellowship, eat together, host each other and become God’s family. In 2011, she bought a large house and opened it for various churches and mission organizations to have meetings and to stay in. I have been involved with Grace House since 2013.
God allowed us to grow this ministry in these few years. We have started managing a big house in Kamimaezu, Nagoya for short term guests and also long term share residents. Now around Nagoya, we run two share houses and two guest houses with three main staff and two associate staff. Also in Tokyo we manage six houses under partnerships with churches, pastors and Christian house owners. We really appreciate to work together with various partners and provide a broad range of services for countless people.
Also now we face serious challenges in terms of finance. It’s difficult to keep balance these days. We are praying and seeking whether if the Lord still has plan for us to help churches, mission organizations and individual Christians and unreached people even though we are sure that He has started this ministry and has helped us to fill needs of various people. We even think about closing this ministry as well as seeking help from Him. Anyway we trust that our way is in His capable hand.
“How wonderful it is, how pleasant, for God’s people to live together in harmony! (Psalm 133:1 GNT)” This is our backbone verse to build up a House for God’s family to grow up in and out of it. It is still very crucial for us even though the leadership has been succeeded.
We really appreciate your prayer and support for us. May God, who is the source of everything good and worthy, bless you richly.
October 2018
New Presicdent of Grace House, Ken Ishibashi