Missionary Erik Froyland had a vision of establishing a place where people
can come and enjoy relaxation, finding rest for body, soul and spirit.
The vision was realized as a Diakonia Center in Sakura, Chiba prefecture,
the first implementation in Japan in 1990. Just before entering the year
2000, a parcel of land by the foot of the Yatsugatake mountains was purchased.
The first buildings were completed and dedicated September 15, 2003. This construction is made with Pure Wood technology from Austria. It is
beautifully located in the surrounding forest. Based on the concept of Diakonia, Yatsugatake Central Church is built
with two small prayer rooms and one larger sanctuary. An average of fifty
persons gather for Sunday Morning Services each week. The Center belongs
to an interdenominational organization, New Life Ministries.
New Life Ministries
The "Diakonia Center" with the Yatsugatake Central Church belongs
to an organization called "New Life Ministries". This religious juridical body was created in 1959 and first named Norwegian
Missionary Alliance. The name is identical with the interdenominational
mission in Norway, who sent missionaries to Japan after World War II had
ended. Another Norwegian mission group in Japan was working with literature
evangelism, concentrating on printing bibles for China and other countries.
In 1997 the two groups joined hands and also invited the TV Ministry, "Harvest
Time," and the cult research and rehabilitation center, "The
Word of Truth," to join the religious body together with five churches.
New Life Ministries is an ecumenical mission, encouraging bridge building
between mission groups, organizations and local churches. Biblical sermons are important, but even more important is the daily
walk with Jesus, the Christian testimony..