The Serve Asia Podcast

In Rose Dowsett's two new books, she shares stories of seeds planted in the Philippines and across Asia, as well as the changes over her lifetime that have transformed the way we do mission. Listen to our conversation to discover more about Rose, what drove her to write these stories, and what mission looks like today.   Get your own copy of Rose Dowsett's new books here: https://uk.10ofth...

In the final episode of "Uncovering Japan" on theServe Asia Podcast, host Chris Watts reflects on conversations with OMF workers during travel through Japan in 2025, asking what their stories mean for listeners. He highlights that missionaries are ordinary people who feel fear and self-doubt, illustrated by AJ and a Japanese pastor agreeing to be "terrified together," and argue...

John Newton Webb, a pastor in Sapporo, describes sharing the gospel with thousands over 15 years, yet seeing few baptisms, and admits the daily discouragement of expecting little response. Others compare the experience to Jeremiah’s largely rejected ministry and emphasise living with “faith and faithfulness,” not measuring success by numbers, since God gives the growth. Workers highlight the impor...

John Timothy in Hokkaido describes daily life and ministry as far more exhausting in Japanese, including praying and speaking about Jesus accurately. Liz and Mike, still struggle with language and understanding cultural reasons behind behavior after 15 years here, while AJ compares the transition to feeling “reborn as a baby,” describing frustration and humiliation when he can’t do familiar minist...

Based on his first trip through Japan in late 2025 from Greater Tokyo to Sapporo, meeting OMF workers who partner with the Japanese church, Chris Watts hosts "Uncovering Japan". He highlights the surprising need for cross-cultural Christian workers in a highly developed country of about 126 million, where only around 0.5% identify as Christian, and numbers may be shrinking. Conversations...

Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City. Join Chris as his adventure in Vietnam continues. Today, we'll learn about Vietnamese coffee, piles of crunchy cashew nuts and how to cross a road filled with millions of motorbikes!

Welcome to Hanoi, where our adventure in Vietnam continues. Join Chris as he explores the history of Vietnam's capital city, sees wonderful water puppets, and tastes delicious Banh Mi. Chris even has a quick language lesson with 9-year-old Sophia. Theatres sounds from: BR_045_VN_HanoiTheater.mp3 by kevp888 --https://freesound.org/s/440650/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Kids Exploring East Asia in Vietnam. Join Chris as he travels to the mountains of this wonderful country. Meet the Hmong, Nung, and Tay peoples. Discover two incredible creatures and venture into the world's largest cave Son Doong! Draw a Pangolin Challenge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpone4Y7OI8 Share your drawing with us by emailing to uk.podcast@omfmail.com or sending them to our Insta...

We continue our conversation with Rob and Dr G about what it looks like to live alongside Muslims in Southeast Asia and the UK. This time, our guests explore practical steps to help us go beyond just saying hello to genuine friendship. Discover how prayer, listening, and openness can transform everyday encounters into meaningful relationships. Follow us and get in touch Instagram: @ServeAsiaPodcas...

What does it really look like to live alongside Muslims? In this episode, Dr G and Rob draw on years of experience to explore the joy and complexity of cross-cultural friendship: from shared meals and heartfelt conversations, and curiosity as well as challenges of privacy, belonging, and misunderstanding. Follow us and get in touch: Instagram: @ServeAsiaPodcast Email: uk.podcast@omfmail.com

As Jennie emerges from the shadow of her more well-known husband, you'll discover an amazing missionary pioneer and woman of faith and be inspired by the outstanding contribution she made to the gospel through the China Inland Mission. Stay tuned to hear about Marion Osgood's new book Jennie Hudson Taylor and learn about Jennie's life, her loves, and the adventures she experienced along the way. B...

Join Chris as we explore the sounds and sights of Thailand. Together, we'll meet some of the intriguing wildlife, discover more about Thai traditions and religion, and hitch a ride on unique transportation in this very noisy episode of Kids Exploring East Asia. Video available on Spotify or YouTube: https://youtu.be/-hIgnQPIOtE Sounds used in the episodes: Animal call recorded by Israel Benjum...

In this episode of Kids Exploring East Asia, join Chris on an exciting adventure through Thailand. Explore delightful food and diverse culture. Thailand's rich history and the unique role of elephants, as well as a taste of the tropical weather and famous fruits. Tune in for a fun, educational journey through the heart of Southeast Asia! Episode Highlights: Introduction to Thailand [00:00] Ele...

Increasing numbers of young people around the UK today are growing up across cultures, trying to work out their identity, sometimes struggling to feel like they belong and navigating challenging generational divides. How can intercultural churches respond and help grow intercultural disciples who live out the good news of Jesus? And what does all this have to do with taking the gospel around the w...

What does intercultural church look like Sunday by Sunday? How do ideas about community, unity in the gospel and preferring the needs of others play out in church life? What does worship, Bible teaching and communion look like in an intercultural church? In this episode co-hosts Reuben and Nathaniel explore all these questions and more in discussion with our guests. There's no one size fits all mo...

After laying the foundations of looking at intercultural church, in the second episode Reuben and Nathaniel share the stories of Justin Lau and Girma Bishaw as windows into the need for and value of intercultural church. We hope you are blessed by their stories. Justin Lau shares his experience of coming to church in the UK after growing up as a missionary kid to Singaporean parents in Japan. He g...

What's the difference between a multicultural church and an intercultural church? And why does it matter? Reuben is joined by OMF UK Intercultural Ministries Director Nathaniel Jennings and guests to kick off a new series 'Building Intercultural Church'. This first episode lays the foundations, defining intercultural church and exploring how it reflects and embodies the gospel we believe in. Our g...

Hey kids, are you ready for another adventure? This time Chris introduces us to the vibrant lives of three unique Chinese people groups: the Han, the Zhuang, and the Hui. Discover their rich histories, languages, and cultures—from the intricate art of calligraphy to the mouth-watering flavours of traditional cuisine. Don't miss out on this adventure that's bursting with fun facts and fasci...

Hey kids, are you ready for an adventure? Join Chris as he hikes through some of China's geography. Climb the dizzying heights of the Himalayas, where you find Mount Everest. Look out for snow leopards! Cross the sandy Gobi Desert on a camel. Journey down the Yangtze River for nearly 4000 miles. Get ready for an exciting tour of this incredible nation here on Kids Exploring East Asia! Watch th...

Hey kids, are you ready for an adventure? Join Chris as he introduces the fascinating country of China. Explore China's immense size and population, historical artefacts like the Terracotta Army, and the diverse landscapes, animals, and people. Get ready for an exciting tour of this incredible nation here on Kids Exploring East Asia! Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LDBt5ik...

David Robinson shares how his life changed from being an indifferent churchgoer to a risk-taking evangelist and the role Billy Graham played in the change! He shares about his decades of missionary work in Thailand and Cambodia and points us to the power of faith and personal relationships in spreading the gospel. David's strategic approach to church planting emphasises the importance of quali...

Roger Carswell, a dedicated evangelist and long-standing OMF supporter, joins us to respond to our podcast series on creation care and shares his tips for sharing Jesus in everyday life. Roger has been spreading the gospel for over five decades. He sheds light on prayerfulness and the use of Christian leaflets as conversation starters about faith. He encourages everyone to share their faith storie...

Your work is a great opportunity for making Jesus known across the street and across the world. Ngaira joins us to tell us about Work+Go, an event exploring this idea of gospel witness in and through our work. Saturday 4 November, Manchester. See you there. Book your tickets and find out more at workandgo.org Hear last year's speakers on the Work+Go podcast. Follow work+go on Instagram

In this episode of the Serve Asia podcast, host Chris Watts is joined by John, an OMF worker serving in Japan. Continuing the series on church planting, they discuss the importance of establishing groups of followers of Jesus all over the world. John shares his experience in church planting ministry in Sapporo, a city with a population of two million people. He also talks about his love for spendi...

In this episode, Chris Watts talks to Adam*, discussing the journey of God's leading that brought him and his family to serve in Southeast Asia. We examine the tension between his gifts and passions for church ministry and the restrictions there are on these in his current context in Asia. Adam shares how he learned to be about the building up of God's Church no matter the location, and ho...