THIRD PLACE WORSHIP is a Japanese interdenominational worship band, founded in the summer of 2018 out of the Third Place ministry. Made up of people in their 20s and 30s from different churches, it writes worship songs in Japanese and organized, during the pandemic, a tele worship project that brought together dozens of churches across Japan.
THIRD PLACE WORSHIP was born in the summer of 2018 in Japan, as an offshoot of an interdenominational ministry called Third Place. The band's name reflects this idea of three places: family, the church each person belongs to, and this third, shared space where believers from different backgrounds come together. All the members, musicians as well as sound engineers, video makers, and designers, are in their 20s and 30s and remain connected to their own local churches rather than to a single congregation.
Christianity remains a minority faith in Japan, where Christians make up about 1 percent of the population, spread across denominations that are often isolated from one another. THIRD PLACE WORSHIP chose to respond to this through shared worship: during the Covid-19 pandemic, the band organized a tele worship project, a collective remote recording that brought together more than a hundred participants from dozens of Japanese prefectures around the song Kami no kazoku, literally Family of God.
- Origin
- Japan (interdenominational ministry, with no single headquarters)
- Style
- Interdenominational worship in Japanese
- Active since
- Summer 2018
- Good to know
- Tele worship project during the pandemic, bringing together more than 100 participants across dozens of Japanese prefectures
How did THIRD PLACE WORSHIP get started?
The band was born in the summer of 2018, growing out of a Japanese interdenominational ministry named Third Place, whose goal is to bring together believers from different churches around a shared space of worship. Rather than forming a closed group, its founders chose to welcome musicians as well as creatives (sound engineers, video makers, designers) who each remain connected to their own local church.
What makes THIRD PLACE WORSHIP distinctive?
In Japan, where Christians form a small minority often scattered across many denominations, THIRD PLACE WORSHIP plays the role of a bridge between churches rather than representing the colors of just one of them. This calling took on real weight during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the band launched a tele worship project: a remote recording that brought together more than a hundred participants from dozens of Japanese prefectures, at a time when gathering in church was impossible.
Where should you start with THIRD PLACE WORSHIP?
Start with Kami no kazoku (Family of God), the song born from the tele worship project, which captures the band's spirit of unity well. Continue with their Japanese cover of the classic Lord I Lift Your Name On High, then with All Things New, their most recent single.
songs
神の家族 (Kami no kazoku)
A title meaning Family of God, this song is tied to the tele worship project carried out during the pandemic, which brought together more than a hundred participants from dozens of Japanese prefectures.
御名を掲げて (Lord I Lift Your Name On High)
The Japanese version of the worship classic written by Rick Founds, one of the most widely sung worship songs in churches around the world.
すべてが新しい (All Things New)
The band's official single released in 2024, available on streaming platforms under the title All Things New.
Discography
- 2024All Things New (すべてが新しい)
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Frequently asked questions
Who is THIRD PLACE WORSHIP?
THIRD PLACE WORSHIP is a Japanese interdenominational worship band, founded in the summer of 2018 out of a ministry called Third Place. Its members, aged 20 to 30, come from different churches and denominations across Japan.
Does THIRD PLACE WORSHIP sing in Japanese?
Yes, all of THIRD PLACE WORSHIP's songs are performed in Japanese, including their adaptations of international worship classics like Lord I Lift Your Name On High.
What is THIRD PLACE WORSHIP's best known song?
Kami no kazoku (Family of God) is the song most associated with the band, born from the tele worship project carried out during the pandemic, which brought together more than a hundred participants from dozens of Japanese prefectures.
Does THIRD PLACE WORSHIP belong to a specific church?
No. THIRD PLACE WORSHIP is an interdenominational ministry: its members each remain connected to their own local church and come together in this third, shared space of worship, without depending on a single denomination.
Why is worship in Japan distinctive?
Christians make up about 1 percent of the Japanese population, spread across many denominations that are often isolated from one another. Bands like THIRD PLACE WORSHIP seek to build connections between these churches through shared worship projects.
Where can you listen to THIRD PLACE WORSHIP?
THIRD PLACE WORSHIP's songs are available on their official YouTube channel, as well as on streaming platforms like Spotify, which features their single All Things New, released in 2024.