More Than Money
The guest editor's point of view . . .
Church
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Two Stewardship Resources
Resources for learning about biblical stewardship.
From Transaction to Transformation
A review of The Sower: Redefining the Ministry of Raising Kingdom Resources by R. Scott Rodin and Gary G. Hoag.
For those assigned to raising funds for the ministries they represent, this book, by seasoned fund development professionals, suggests a shift requiring a reorientation of the view of fund raising. Rather than seeing it as a process of reaping financial increase for God’s work, it should be seen as a process of sowing into the lives of God’s stewards. It is a reminder that it is God who gives the increase.
A Faithful Steward’s Freedom
The author looks at two lives, that of Samuel Pollard and her own, to help us understand how faithful stewardship of time, abilities, and finances can be used to joyfully serve our Master, Jesus Christ. Pollard, an English missionary who loved the Big Flowery Miao people of southwest China, gave his life to introduce the Miao to Christ and uplift their society. The author is active in the arts and has been used by God to influence many lives in a variety of ways.
Interview with a “Post-80s Pastor,” Part 2
Last week we posted part one of an interview with a young urban church pastor that was originally published in the Christian Times. In this post, part two, he talks about the challenges of church administration and the lack of theological resources.
Interview with a “Post-80s Pastor”
The Christian Times recently published an interview with a young urban pastor in which he discusses some of the challenges of urban ministry in China. In this first part of the interview, he focuses on the need for Chinese churches to be more socially engaged, and for more theological reflection.
How American Christians are Responding to Pluralism
The online publication Territory recently published a piece titled “In a Pluralistic Society, How are we to deal with those who hate the church?” Writing to an audience of Chinese Christians, the author presents the current religious landscape in the United States, particularly as it relates to issues such as so-called same-sex marriage and religious liberty. It’s a good reminder to Chinese believers that, even in a land known for religious liberty, there are (growing) tension points between the church and society, and that Christians need to be prayerful and wise in managing these tensions and divisions so as not to further alienate people from the church and the gospel.
8 Things to Know about Wang Mingdao
A new blog in China called iWorship is giving voice to Wang Mingdao, one of the great evangelists and leaders of the Chinese church during the twentieth century. Last week, on our Chinese Church Voices blog, we posted a translation of one of their posts, called “Slow to Speak.” In it, Pastor Wang reminds us of the importance of using our words for God’s glory.
Lessons from the Life of Samuel Pollard
It is easy for the church to lose sight of her purpose in the face of today’s challenges. During a recent commemoration of Samuel Pollard, a missionary whose life dramatically impacted large pockets of southern Yunnan, Pastor Gai of Kunming preached on the nature of the church and the calling we must not lose sight of.
A Church Without Walls
The exhortation of a pastor in China to "Build a church without walls."
A New Understanding of the Relationship between Christianity and Chinese Culture
The Missionary's Curse: and Other Tales from a Chinese Catholic Village by Henrietta Harrison.
Harrison recounts the story of Catholicism in a small village in Shanxi, from its initial arrival at the opening of the seventeenth century right up to the present.
“Builders of the Chinese Church”
If you haven’t done so already, I highly recommend reading Builders of the Chinese Church: Pioneer Protestant Missionaries and Chinese Church Leaders, edited by Wright Doyle and Carol Hamrin.