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The Ogden Japanese Christian Church was founded in the early 1900s in downtown Ogden, Utah. Originally founded to minister to the needs of the growing Japanese speaking population in the area, it has continued its mission spreading the good news of God’s love. Though we love and respect the roots of our Japanese founders, the church’s identity has changed throughout the years. We house worshipers of many ethnicities in our services, we provide activities for people of all age groups, and offer a unique, intimate worship environment where everyone is a friend. The youth group encompasses young adults in their teens and twenties, giving them a fun environment to learn about God, Asian culture, and socialize with other people in their age group.
What We Do
As a youth group, we are not stagnant, and do not believe that learning about our world and the difference we make starts and ends with one hour of reading the bible together. We believe in grassroots action and participating in making our world a better place. Each of our youth members is empowered with the morals that we are taught on Sunday, then given numerous venues to put our ideas to work. We participate in community activities. On any given day, you may find one of our members arranging a rummage sale or an Easter egg hunt for the neighborhood. Or we join together for our annual trip to Salt Lake’s Nihon Matsuri Japanese Festival , where we find lodging and fellowship in beautiful downtown Salt Lake City, before spending the day volunteering to help keep the Asian community in Utah alive and vibrant. We raise money and gather donations for numerous causes, including the National Souperbowl of Caring , Share Inc. Food Bank, and The Salvation Army . If you are looking for a place that teaches faith without action, this is not the youth group for you. If you are looking for somewhere that includes service, REAL life lessons, and where there are lots of friendly faces, this is the place!
Our Youth Members
Our youth group has no one face; we are each a unique person, each joining together to create a gestalt to work in God’s name. It is not unusual to see one member wearing the latest old navy fashions and listening to music on an I-Pod, another sipping a machiato and reading a contemporary novel, and another with brightly colored hair and a black well loved band t-shirt. We believe in a casual, inviting environment, where you come to God as you are comfortable, bring your unique personality, and have fun together. At OJCC, we do not believe in changing the person that you are, but instead, to strengthen it.
What Makes Us Unique
The church that we are has defined the youth group that we have become. First, as members of the Japanese community, we are given a unique opportunity to celebrate and provide an outlet for this beautiful and unique culture. We are always looking for fun and eager people to help us volunteer at statewide events, and even have a few in-church activities, such as our traditional Japanese New Year dinner. We also have a small, intimate environment, where everyone knows your name almost immediately. This allows us not only to socialize with our own age groups, but to know and love those who came before us and made the church what it is today. Finally, as members of the United Church of Christ and the Presbyterian Church, USA, we have plenty of opportunities for each member to serve, not only in context of the youth group, but at the church, state, and national level. We encourage involvement at all levels! For instance, at church, one can serve on the board, participate in the church pageant, or help with a fellowship luncheon for the congregation. At the statewide level, we encourage members to become group leaders at vacation bible school, to volunteer at Nihon Matsuri, and to volunteer with organizations such as Share Inc. Finally, we encourage national participation. In the past, we have had members attend summer camp at Mount Hermon , go to conferences with NAPYC , and even participate with The General Assembly . Remember, as Presbyterians, the members listen to the Holy Spirit, and are empowered to make their own decisions both for themselves and the church, not have the church tell them what they are capable of!
What We Post
Upcoming events will be posted on our bulletin board, so if you want info on what's going on at church or in the Utah Japanese community, keep an eye on that. Messages from our pastor will be posted on our blog, so please subscribe if you would like to receive them.
This Space is For
We are always looking for new friends. Of course, if you are a member, or looking to become one, this is the place for you! If you are looking for information on upcoming church-sponsored community events, such as the annual rummage sale or egg hunt, we’d love you to friend us. Also, if you want to know about cultural events open to the public, such as Japanese festivals and holiday celebrations, join us! We’d love to keep you updated.
Service Info
Our services are open to everyone, regardless of ethnicity, background, or current religious affiliation. We meet every Sunday at 10:30 AM. Our beautiful chapel is located on 580 23rd Street. Not only do we have a youth group, but provide ministry for all ages. Our Sunday School provides free child care during worship, and we have small bible study groups for older members. Following every service, we provide light refreshments for worshipers of all ages! Please join us! We’d love to meet you! Please message us for more info.