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MEET US

Matthew & Jessica Whelchel

Matthew and Jessica Whelchel have been married for seven years. They met at Knott Avenue Christian Church (KACC) in Anaheim, CA, where Matthew was the lead worship pastor for over seven years. Matthew grew up in Las Vegas and has worked in ministry for 15 years, serving in several capacities, including leadership teams for three separate church plants. Jessica was born and raised in Orange County, CA. Prior to moving to Japan, she worked as a Military contractor for seven years, helping prepare Military families for the unique challenges and opportunities that come along with deployment. On the side, she has always been heavily involved in leading projects in the arts and media field, both within and outside the church.

 

Individually and as a couple, God has given Matthew and Jessica a passion for Japan, and they are eager to share the Good News that changed their lives so drastically with one of the largest (if not THE largest) unreached people group in the world. After visiting Japan twice and witnessing the exciting work God is doing through Mustard Seed Christian Church (MSCC), the Whelchels became confident that Osaka, Japan is where God wants them right now and they feel blessed to be a part of such a unique and beautiful adventure. 

 

Currently, Matthew is the Worship/Associate Pastor at MSCC and Jessica is the Media Arts & Special Events Director. Please see below for detailed job descriptions and past work history. Matthew leads our congregation weekly in music, singing both in English and Japanese, and he is greatly enjoying working with such a talented band and looks forward to heading up Christian concerts in local public spaces in the near future. Jessica has her hands in all things media—from stage designing, to writing and producing an original musical, to shooting and editing promotional and evangelistic videos. Check out our Media page for some recent material! 

 

 

For their first year in Japan, Matthew and Jessica were enrolled in full-time Japanese Language School. Since completing their formal studies, they have both transferred to private tutoring, and hope to progress to a highly conversational level eventually. 

 

Together, Matthew and Jessica lead a free bi-weekly English Conversation Club for the purpose of meeting new friends to invite to our Sunday morning service, ultimately hoping to share the love and grace of Christ with them. 

 

Since arriving in Japan, Matthew and Jessica have both been leading multiple growth groups, either with a small group of Christians, or one-on-one with new or non-Christians. Additionally, they enjoy hanging out with friends from church or people they’ve met in the city on a regular basis. Their living room might be small, but they still have 4 Wiimotes and flowing killer homemade guacamole. 

 

Matthew and Jessica could not be more impressed with the ministry team at MSCC. They are truly a loving, passionate, godly, dynamic group of people, and everyday they are a reminder of the confidence the Whelchels have in God’s call on their lives to move to Osaka, Japan. 

Matt's Education & Experience

Bachelor of Arts in Church Ministry (Hope University, to be completed)

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Worship/Associate Pastor – Mustard Seed Christian Church (November 2013 – Present)

- Oversee the church’s worship and arts program with the goal of provoking people to worship God while they learn more about God’s character and works

- Focus on discipling those in the worship band
- Oversee English Conversation Club as a tool to engage with Japanese people who are interested in English and bring them into contact with the gospel
- Shepherd the church:

  • Occasional teach on Sunday mornings

  • Give spiritual guidance to church members

  • Work to deepen the band members in their Christian lives

  • Advance the excellence of the worship music and the church’s catalog of songs

  • Manage the worship budget

  • Upkeep on all worship equipment

- Pastoral staff:

  • Meet together to make decisions regarding the teaching, direction, and shepherding of the church

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Church Planter – Orchard Church Planting Group  (July 2013 – November 2013)

 

Worship and Arts Pastor – Knott Avenue Christian Church (January 2006 – June 2013)
- Lead, plan and implement all facets of weekly worship services, including tech and media aspects
- Lead worship team, choir, band and Worship Arts department staff
- Coordinate with Senior Pastor and staff for large church events and programs

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Volunteer – Oasis Community Church Plant (April 2012 – November 2013)
- Design and oversee all worship, technical and media aspects while developing leadership to take over when I move on
- Lead worship for services on an as needed basis​



Lead Worship Pastor/College Pastor – South Hills Church Community Church Plant (February 2003 – December 2006)

- Lead worship, drama, and creative arts for all services, overseeing volunteer bands and worship teams
- Transition sound and media from a portable church environment to a full time, large worship facility, training technical teams to implement service elements
- Lead weekly college ministry of up to 80 college students and teach Bible studies

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Youth Intern – Central Christian Church (May 2001 – January 2003)
- Plan and implement weekly midweek worship services for High School Ministry and occasionally teach in HS, Jr. High, College and Adult Ministries
- Organize and run large events quarterly
- Write and develop small group curriculum for the High School Ministry​

 

Youth Worship Leader/Teacher – First Christian Church Huntington Beach (September 1999 – May 2001)

​- Lead worship for midweek Jr. High and High School Services
- Teach Sunday school for Sunday services
- Develop volunteer youth bands for services and camps​

Jessica's Education & Experience

Master of Business Administration (Biola University, 2010)
Bachelor of Science in Business Management, minor in Biblical Studies (Biola University, 2006)

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Media Arts & Special Events Director – Mustard Seed Christian Church  (November 2013 – Present)
- Direct the aesthetics of the worship stage and screen

- Create media for sermon series, church events, and church materials
- Provide art that shares the gospel or enhances the sharing of the gospel

- Oversee the production of the sermon slides and podcasts
- Work with the staff and volunteers to organize and execute various Special Events

- Manage the Special Events budget 

 

Department of Defense Military Contractor – Military OneSource/Army Reserve Family Programs (January 2007 – September 2013)
- Integrate services and programs into a comprehensive delivery system that responds to the needs of Service and Family Members at all stages of the deployment cycle
- Provide information and referrals to Military families

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Layout Stylist – Vintage Affair Designs (January 2012 – November 2013)

- Create photoshoot and special event themes

- Style and orchestrate unique layouts using vintage furniture and décor

 

Film Production – Nick The Greek Productions (January 2012 – July 2013)

- Write features, shorts and TV scripts

- Produce and direct shorts​

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Musical Productions – Knott Avenue Christian Church/Star2Be Theatre Productions/Southern CA Theatre (August 2001 – July 2008)

- Direct and choreograph full-scale Broadway productions for 15-100 person casts
- Produce musicals, overseeing all aspects of production​

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Volunteer {Worship Team} – Knott Avenue Christian Church (March 2006 – November 2013)
- Sing on worship team in main services
- Support worship team members through special events and one-on-one meetings​

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Volunteer – Oasis Community Church Plant (April 2012 – November 2013)
- Director of stage concepts and designs
- Participate in the Worship and Production Church Launch Team​​

The Church We Came From in the US

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