Sharing PEACE Through Jesus Otaku

The characters, the stories, the art style, Megan had always loved Anime — a genre of Japanese animation for movies and TV shows. When she found other Anime fans at Saddleback and realized their passion was a great ministry opportunity, Megan and the others launched Jesus Otaku — a ministry designed to reach out to the Anime community. Though Anime has grown in popularity, it still often seems like a niche genre. But passionate fans form clubs, attend events, and share their favorite shows with each other.

Many individuals in the Anime community often feel like they don’t fit in with the normal crowd. People who don’t understand the genre are often dismissive and judgmental toward Anime fans, leaning on negative stereotypes that result from misunderstandings and lack of familiarity. These stereotypes often lead to further isolation.

But Megan and the Jesus Otaku group loves dressing up in cosplay, attending conventions, and discussing their favorite Anime characters and stories. Anime ministry uses this shared interest to bridge a relational gap to reach out with the hope of Jesus. These communities and events are often overlooked by Christians and church outreach activities. The Otaku ministry is filling a wide void, reaching an audience that may not hear about Jesus or church through more traditional avenues. As part of their outreach strategy, Megan and the Otaku ministry headed to the Anime Expo in LA, sharing the message ‘you are loved just as you are,’ through a creative art book that the ministry created and handed out.

“The theme of the book explains that every person is strong, extraordinary, and loved just as they are,” Megan explained. “We’ve noticed that it’s really common for people in Anime to hide who they are and escape through cosplay. We want to remind them that they are great, that they don’t have to hide, and that they are loved.”

Through simple, one-on-one conversation, Megan was able to bridge the gap between her faith and her interests and the hope of Jesus, with people who had never really heard this message before.

When God opened the door for Megan and the group to go on their second PEACE trip to Manila and Japan with other Jesus Otaku members, Megan didn’t hesitate. And since that first trip, she’s returned to Japan with several different PEACE teams and seen God continue to move in the churches they partner with and the people that they meet.

During her most recent trip, Megan had reconnected with her host mom from when she was studying abroad, and an elderly woman seated nearby in the restaurant introduced herself and jumped into their conversation. This was a very abnormal act for Japanese culture, but Megan and the other PEACE team members welcomed this woman into the conversation and had a great chat with her while they were in the restaurant. The woman began opening up to Megan and shared some of her life story. Megan listened intently to the stories and got to share a lot of what their PEACE team was doing in Japan. Megan’s host mom was blown away by the kindness the team had shown to a complete stranger. Her host mom had always been suspicious toward Christianity but seeing this kindness in action opened her to asking more about faith and what it meant to be a Christian.

“Though building these relationships can feel like a slow process, there is a really deep connection that can be built,” Megan said. We all have these same basic needs to be loved and feel like we belong. And taking the time and showing that love to these people goes a long way t opening the doors to sharing our faith.”

Click HERE to learn more about Jesus Otaku

Learn more about PEACE at saddleback.com/peace