ARI Sundays in September 2026

August 24, 2026
Makiko Abe

Would you like to participate in a Christian church service with ARI participants?
This is a chance to learn about their backgrounds, faith, and country’s culture! Interpretation will be provided and everyone is welcome to attend.
For more information or questions, please use the contact form or call us: 0287-36-3111
If you would like to contact us on the day of the service, please call the respective church.

● We are pleased to announce that the sermons and testimonies shared by participants during past “ARI Sundays” are now available on the website. Many of our participants have shared their personal experiences of God’s miracles and grace encountered throughout their life journeys. Their stories are a profound testament to faith and resilience. We invite you to read and be inspired by their journeys! United Church of Christ in Japan (UCCJ), Tochigi District – International Mission Committee Website: https://nskyoukai.wixsite.com/kokusaisenkyouiinkai

[ARI Sundays in September]

20 (Sun)
9:30-
Yokohama Christ Church (NSKK)
(235 Yamate-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture, Tel: 045-622-0228)

10:15-
UCCJ Ujiie Church
(3093-2 Ujiie, Sakura-shi, Tochigi Prefecture, Tel: 028-682-9006)

10:30-
Church of Christ in Japan Utsunomiya Matsubara Church
(2-7-43 Matsubara, Utsunomiya-shi, Tochigi Prefecture, Tel: 028-622-1043)

UCCJ Yojomachi Church
(3-5-11 Nishi, Utsunomiya-shi, Tochigi Prefecture, Tel: 028-634-6702)

UCCJ Utsunomiya Uwamachi Church
(4-25-13 Fujimigaoka, Utsunomiya-shi, Tochigi Prefecture, Tel: 028-624-1904)

UCCJ Ashikaga Church
(1-14-11 Egawa-cho, Ashikaga-shi, Tochigi Prefecture, Tel: 0284-43-8615)

UCCJ Midorino Church
(845-3 Fujioka, Fujioka-shi, Gunma Prefecture, Tel: 0274-22-0480)

UCCJ Ota Hachiman Church
(1-14 Hachiman-cho, Ota-shi, Gunma Prefecture, Tel: 0276-25-4334)

Yokohama Union Church
(66-2 Yamate-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture, Tel: 045-651-5177)

11:00-
Japan Evangelical Christian Church Takanezawa Christ Church
(1-10-7 Koyodai, Takanezawa-machi, Shioya-gun, Tochigi Prefecture, Tel: 028-675-6155)

27 (Sun) 10:30-

UCCJ Nishinasuno Church
(1-232-438 Tayuzuka, Nasushiobara-shi, Tochigi Prefecture, Tel: 0287-36-4820)

UCCJ Utsunomiya Church
(4-1-36 Sakura, Utsunomiya-shi, Tochigi Prefecture, Tel: 028-622-7882)

Men's Dormitory & Guest House

Participants and volunteers live in separate dormitories for men and women. The dormitory includes shared lounges, kitchens, showers, and laundry facilities. Wi-Fi is not available.

Poultry House

The poultry facilities include free-range chicken coops and a brooding house. More than 400 chickens are raised, producing over 80,000 eggs and approximately one ton of chicken meat each year.

Pig Pen

Participants learn a variety of pig farming techniques through hands-on practice. Both deep-litter and concrete-floor systems are used, and manure is recycled into biogas and fertilizer.

Goat House

Goat milk (over 200 liters annually) and meat are used for food, while manure is used as fertilizer. During the day, the goats roam freely in the pasture.

Forest

The forests surrounding the campus are managed through selective thinning for firewood and charcoal production. Leaves and other organic materials are collected for use in agriculture.

Fields

On 2.5 hectares of farmland, approximately 100 varieties of vegetables and crops are grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. The entire community helps manage the fields as part of its commitment to learning and self-sufficiency.

Rice Paddies

Rice is cultivated in paddies both on and off campus. Various organic rice-growing methods are studied and practiced, including weed control and fertilization using ducks.

Workshop

The workshop is a space for repair and recycling activities. It contains machinery, welding equipment, woodworking tools, and a variety of materials.

Feed Mixing Room

Livestock feed is produced here using both manual and mechanical methods. Continuous efforts are made to improve feed quality and sustainability.

Administration Building

The first floor houses the reception area and administrative offices, while the second floor contains staff offices and the Director’s office. The Farm Shop (Agricultural Training Room) is located adjacent to the building.

ARI Shop

The shop offers ARI-grown produce, processed foods, books, and handicrafts from the home countries of ARI graduates.

Farm Shop (Agricultural Training Room)

The facility serves as the hub of agricultural activities at ARI. It includes classrooms, storage for tools and farming materials, and facilities for drying and storing crops.

Oikos Chapel

Originally a 100-year-old traditional farmhouse, the chapel has been renovated into a place of worship. Daily morning gatherings are held here, along with meditation, dialogue sessions, gospel choir practice, and other community activities. Oikos is a Greek word meaning “home.”

Manna House (Food Processing Room)

This facility is used for producing and storing processed foods such as cookies and jam. The ground floor also contains a poultry processing facility.

Fish Ponds

Fish are raised for both food and agricultural purposes.