DC ’91
At a nationwide youth conference hosted by Youth for Christ in Washington DC summer of 1991, Jennifer stood up at an altar call. A call that was before an altar of commitment, though not in regards to salvation as altar calls traditionally go.
It was a commitment of service- to give the rest of her life in service to God.... whatever, wherever and however that meant. A commitment far larger than she or the others who also stood on that day could possibly have understood at the time.
The Church Office
A prophecy back in 1994 was spoken over Jennifer before she ever knew or understood that there were still prophecies being spoken over God’s people. A prophecy so simple and short yet, one that couldn’t have been more accurate or revealing about things to come... about things that are happening now. A prophecy that was meant to be a simple encouragement from one of the pastors in a season of struggle, contending and pain. “You’re going to become a strong leader...”
Japan, The Cousin & IHOP-KC
Growing up in two totally different parts of the country, she in Alaska and he in Pennsylvania, they only really ever saw each other during summer vacation. It wasn’t until shortly after Jennifer moved to Japan and her cousin Ryan was on his way to IHOP-KC (around 2001 for an internship on one of the worship teams) that they discovered a mutual passion for God.
First, through the occasional email and eventually through weekly phone calls, Jennifer was introduced to the house of prayer model and along with it a whole new paradigm on prayer and worship.
What started as casual interest in this new model of church that somehow was but at the same time very much wasn’t “church” grew into a heart cry for God, "to please send someone to start a house of prayer in Japan."
Tuesdays
Depending on how you look at it, one could say (as Jennifer herself often does) The Altar IHOP actually started back in August of 2006 when she met, her now good friend, John, a missionary family kid who was born in Hawaii and raised in Japan. After a few very crazy weeks of God events, he asked her if they could start meeting weekly for prayer meetings.
They agreed it was a good idea and decided to pray for a few days about where exactly to meet. Feeling led to have the first session at Tokyo Station, John brought another tribesman Shinji along.
About 7pm on August 24, 2006 the three sat outside the station and prayed Jeremiah 33.3, Jeremiah 29.11, sang a song titled “You Said,” then prayed some more over Japan asking Abba to make good on His promise in Psalm 2.8 and to somehow use them in the process.
The following two prayer meetings led them to Shinjuku then Shibuya, two major centers of business and transit in Tokyo.
After several more location changes, two amazing salvation stories, lots of personal healing times and the addition of a few more prayer team members, The “Tuesday Tribe” made one last transition to Aoyama-ichome, where they met in a coffee shop until late 2007. When, due to life changes (shifting work schedules, an upcoming wedding and the like) they disbanded for what was intended to be a season.
The Altar IHOP, Meadville
It was four years from the time Jennifer first heard about a house of prayer until she was actually able to visit one in person when, in February of 2005, she was invited to speak at The Altar IHOP.
In March of 2006, she found herself there yet again for a reason deserving of its own book.
October 2008 led her once more to The Altar for a 6 day conference with Billy Humphrey of IHOP-Atlanta and Kirk Bennett of, at that time, ZHOP.
It was here, exactly 7 years to the week later that her beloved Abba gave her a mission she never dreamed would belong to her. “...set up a banner on a bare hill top...”
She didn’t really need to read the rest of Isaiah 13, she knew what it meant and in the words her cousin so often spoke, “she’d prayed herself into it.”
It was time to start a house of prayer in Tokyo and she, was called to “raise the banner.”
The Altar IHOP, Tokyo
The banner was hoisted on November 5, 2008 and has been flying ever since.
The tiny tribe started off with 3 intercessors at a round table in the loft, affectionally called “the upper room”, of a good friend’s cafe in the area of Tokyo that houses all of the major offices of government for the nation of Japan.
A location that by it’s very name, Kanda(神田) meaning “God’s field” or “the field of God,” is a prophetic symbol and statement to the thing Abba intends to do in the nation.
How incredible it is that He established His altar in the center of the field of government for the Japan. A monument- an altar of worship and reverence representing the government of heaven being made known in the earth and rightly established in the nation.
