Firsthand accounts of faith lived out in the context of Chinese Christianity.
We often hear about how the church in China is looking for ways to increase its presence in the "public square;" in other words trying to be more visible in society. This article from the Gospel Times is about a family in Shenzhen that is literally doing evangelism in the public square.
This cartoon was recently posted on Kuanye, a popular Christian website. It pokes a little bit of fun at Chinese "Christianeze."
As the environment changes and restrictions loosen, many Chinese Christians are turning their attention to the issue of how to be salt and light in their communities. This article, published on the popular Christian site Kuanye Zhi Sheng ("Voice in the Wilderness") is about a local ministry in southern China that is reaching out to care for some of China's "left-behind children," children who are left behind in villages and small towns when their parents go to the cities to work.
In the past year, Chinese NBA fans have been gripped by "Linsanity," as Chinese-American star Jeremy Lin has taken his place in the NBA firmament. He has close to 3 million "followers" on his Weibo account (@JeremyLin). Not surprisingly, he has been especially popular among Chinese Christians because he is outspoken about his faith in Christ.
As of this year, China officially has more people living in cities than in the countryside. Returning recently to one of China's sprawling megacities, I was again brought face to face with the human reality underlying the most massive migration in the history of the world.
Changes in Chinese society in recent years have brought changes in the notions of morality and sexual purity. These changes are also being felt within the Church as Christians (as they do elsewhere) struggle to reconcile their beliefs and values with the messages from pop culture. This article in the Christian Times addresses this issue.
Last week the New York Review of Books blog published an interview of American-based Chinese pastor Yuan Zhi-ming conducted by journalist Ian Johnson. In the 1980's Yuan Zhi-ming was a documentary film-maker in China. Because of his involvement in the 1989 protest movement, he was forced to flee China, eventually ending up in the United States. He became a Christian in 1992, and started the China Soul for Christ Foundation, which produced the documentary The Cross: Jesus in China.
The "Sunday Christian" phenomenon is not just a feature of lukewarm churches in the West. The demands of urban life in China have taken their toll on the commitment of Christians there as well. In this online church publication, two Chinese believers point out the dangers both for the spiritual life of the individual Christian as well as for the church.
This is the third section of an article on the Fuyinmen (Gospel Door) website titled "Christianity Brings Western Medicine to Guangdong Province." The first two sections can be found in the previous two posts. In this third section, the reporter conducts an interview with Protestant church officials from Guangdong Province concerning the historical development of the Church in the province.
The first part of the article on the Fuyinmen (Gospel Door) website focused on western missionary work in the medical field in Guangdong. The second part of the article focuses on education and a missionary's encounter with Hong Xiuquan, who would later lead the Taiping Rebellion.
My passion and the core values of FollowOne involve connecting underutilized resources with underserved needs for the glory of God. This is happening now in a way that is shocking but wonderful. It all began when God started moving in the life of a young girl in Georgia. When I met Emma in 2010 her mother mentioned, "Emma has a special place in her heart for China."
In recent years it has become more common for political and religious leaders in China to acknowledge some of the positive aspects of early foreign missionary work in China.