Japan is one of the least-reached countries in the world. The need for workers is real and urgent. But does that mean we will take anyone?

In this episode, Chad Farmer and Jay Greer talk through what they are actually looking for when someone says they want to go to the mission field — and what gives them pause. They work through the qualities that matter most, the red flags that are hard to ignore, and the question that frames it all: are you the part of the body of Christ that should be sent?

This is not meant to discourage anyone. It is meant to help the right people get ready well.

Scripture: Matthew 9:38, 1 Timothy 3.

Next episode: what a missionary actually needs to carry — the Word, the gospel, and why it matters more than you think.

Chad and Jay serve with the Mustard Seed Network, a network of gospel-centered church-planting churches in Japan — mustardseed.network

Voiceover by Ben Mayer — benmayerdonethat.com

Theme music composed by Studio Inlight — inlight.co.jp

Japan has fewer Christians per capita than almost anywhere on earth. Two missionaries who have lived and worked there for a combined three decades want to talk about why that matters — and what it actually looks like to go and to send.

In this episode, Chad Farmer and Jay Greer introduce Both Ends of the Rope, explain what the name means, and lay out the theological foundation the whole show is built on: the Great Commission, the church as the agent of mission, and why the gospel — not just good neighboring — is what missionaries are there to bring.

This episode is for anyone who wants to understand what Christian missions actually is before deciding what to do about it.

Chapters
00:00 — Intro
01:30 — What "Both Ends of the Rope" means
05:32 — The rope metaphor: William Carey and Japan
09:02 — The Great Commission: why we go
11:14 — What church planting actually looks like
15:03 — Why the church is not optional
18:02 — God works through the church
21:00 — The gospel vs. social programs
25:31 — The Great Commandments without the gospel
28:00 — When the gospel takes root in Japan
30:01 — "I feel like I am not right before God"
31:44 — 1 Timothy 3: the church as pillar

Scripture
Matthew 28.19-20 · Acts 14.21-23 · John 13.34-35 · Ephesians 2.8 · Ephesians 3.20-21 · Ephesians 5.25 · 1 Timothy 3.15 · Revelation 7.9

Both Ends of the Rope is a podcast about Christian missions. Chad and Jay serve with the Mustard Seed Network — a network of gospel-centered church-planting churches in Japan. mustardseed.network

Voiceover: Ben Mayer — benmayerdonethat.com
Theme music: Studio Inlight — inlight.co.jp

Follow
Chad → @chadfarmer.tokyo
Jay → @jaygreer
Mustard Seed Network → @mustardseednetworkjapan

If this episode was helpful, share it with someone thinking about missions — or with the church that's supporting them.

Both Ends of the Rope is a podcast for those who send and those who go. Hosted by Chad Farmer and Jay Greer from Tokyo, Japan, we talk about missions and the local church — who to send, how to support missionaries well, how to evaluate the work faithfully, and what long-term faithfulness looks like on the field.

Episode 1 coming soon.

Voiceover by Ben Mayer — benmayerdonethat.comTheme music composed by Studio Inlight — inlight.co.jp

Chad and Jay serve with the Mustard Seed Network, a network of gospel-centered church-planting churches in Japan — mustardseed.network