Meet the Kettemans, IM Missionaries to Japan
Jack and Ashley recently completed a 2.5 year internship and have been appointed to return to Japan as career missionaries. After 14 years of youth/family ministry in the States, they moved to Tokyo near the end of 2018 to join the Hope Alive church-planting team, helping establish a bilingual church in Tokorozawa.
The Kettemans hope to return to Japan in the Summer of 2022. As new career missionaries, they will begin the next term in a full-time language school for 2 years, still participating at Hope Alive on a smaller scale, then re-entering full-time ministry better equipped to share the Gospel in the Japanese language.
The Kettemans have three kids: Jane, Callie, and Carter.
– Jane loves reading and playing percussion, piano, and basketball. Her favorite Japanese snack is ume boshi (pickled plum).
– Callie also loves reading, playing flute, singing harmony, and running. Her favorite Japanese snack is onigiri (seaweed-wrapped rice balls).
– Carter is learning to read, loves Legos ®, dinosaurs, and vehicles of all kinds. His favorite Japanese snack is Hi-Chew ® candy.
Why Japan?
We’re serving in Japan for two reasons: God’s call and the immense need. The Japanese people are considered the 2nd largest Unreached People Group (UPG) on the planet. Less than 1% of Japan’s population of about 126,000,000 is made up of Evangelical Christians. There is only 1 church for every 16,000 people, and many Japanese people have never even met a Christian.
Depression, stress, social disorders, and other mental health struggles are widespread, and suicide is the leading cause of death for those from age 44 down to 10 year-olds. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in suicides among mothers. Japan needs the Good News of Jesus and the Living Hope that only He provides
24 Unreached People Groups in Japan
A few years ago (thanks to IM Missionaries to Japan), God used this powerful video to help spur us toward serving in Japan.
God also called us to this ministry through a variety of experiences and interactions, as well as prayer and Bible study. The Lord brought Japan into our lives in a number of ways:
- Through longtime family friendship with IM Missionaries to Japan.
- Through short-term trips that allowed us to explore the culture, participate in ministry, and have our eyes opened to see how many are walking in darkness without Christ.
- Through God’s weaving of Japan into our daughter Jane’s life from a young age.
- Through the Lord directly impressing obedience to His call on Callie’s heart.
- and through an immediate open door to be part of a new church-planting team, just at the time we said “yes” to serving overseas.
Learn more or give to the Hope Alive Church Planting Japan IMpact Project
Learn more about Hope Alive Church and ministry at hopealive.jp
Learn more or give to the Hope Alive Building Purchase Japan IMpact Project
How they are ministering to people in Japan
How you can pray for the Kettemans
- Spiritual growth, deep roots for new Japanese believers
- Opportunities to meet seekers and invite people to Hope Alive
- Continued growth of Hope Alive Kids ministry
- Our kids to thrive through the constant transitions of life between two cultures and to develop deep, flourishing relationship with Christ
- Open Doors (Colossians 4:3-4), Open Hearts (Ephesians 1:17-18), Open Mouths (Ephesians 6:19)
Jack and Ashley Ketteman
You can partner with the Kettemans to reach people in Japan with the Gospel.