English in Niseko and Snowboard/Ski Outreach

Do you love Jesus? Do you speak English? Do you love to ski or snowboard? Combine your passion and abilities to serve alongside a Japanese church in one of the best powder snow destinations in the world. There is a need for English teachers for Niseko Church’s English program.

Job Description

Japan has the largest unreached action sports population in the world and Niseko is at the heart of it. There are a lot of people reaching out to the internationals coming through Niseko, but only a few focus on the Japanese locals. Niseko Church is a cozy church reaching out to the Japanese. As the tourism industry is booming, many of the locals need English to get jobs. This is a need the church could meet and connect people to Jesus and the church through teaching English.

Niseko Church has the vision of reaching the unchurched population in the whole area. You could join the pastor (who is a snowboard instructor) and his wife on their little ministry team to meet the urgent need for English classes in the local snow sports community. In a very practical way you could show God’s love through teaching and building friendships. In you free time you could be on the slopes to make friends and invite them along to church. 

Niseko has 4 distinct seasons: the flowers come out in spring, it gets hot in the summer, the autumn colors are spectacular and the winter comes with lots of the best powder snow in the world for skiing and snowboarding. The winters are cold and long, which some struggle with, but if you love winter sports it’s a blessing!

Niseko is a resort town with only a few residents. The locals all live in nearby Kutchan, where the church is also located. It is a small city of about 16,000. It is also not far from the mountains, the seaside, hot springs, and some of the most beautiful nature spots in Japan. It is difficult adjusting to the differences of Japanese culture and Japanese is one of the most difficult languages in the world, but is is a relatively safe and convenient place to live. 

Responsibilities

* Raise the church’s profile through teaching English. 

* Make friends on the slopes and be a bridge between the mountain and the church.

* In summer, skateboarding, mountain biking and hiking are also possible avenues of outreach in the area.

* Depending on the length of your stay, OMF may be able to provide a crash course in Japanese at the OMF language center.

Qualifications

* English teaching experience

* Intermediate to good snowboard and/or skiing skills

* Good with kids 

Living Situations

Applicant should be able to live in a dorm situation, looking after every day life responsibilities independently, able and willing to invest in their own spiritual life, and have a servant heart.