Is the role of foreign workers in China changing? Yes and no. The biblical mandates remain unchanged: go into all the world; make disciples of all nations; love your neighbor; build my church. These scriptural imperatives also remain unfinished. Is the role of the foreign worker changing? It depends on where the worker is and who he or she relates to.
A ChinaSource interview conducted by Kay Danielson with a long-time expatriate Christian working in China.
Do foreigners still have a place in China service? A long-time worker in China provides perspective on the complexities of facing workers in China today.
Experience begets guidelines that can help in decisions regarding indigenous investing.
A Chinese-Amerian's first-hand account of dealing personally with cross-cultural identity issues while working in China.
When expatriates engage in discipleship within the Chinese context, some misconnects can occur. What are they and how can they be avoided?
In the decades since China's opening to the outside world, literally hundreds of organizations, educational institutions and churches have responded to the perceived need for training leaders to shepherd China's rapidly growing church. A discussion of what role Christians from outside China should play in responding to the need as the church grows and develops.
As the world becomes increasingly interdependent, the opportunity for short-term teams working in China increases. What impact will short-term teams have in 2008 when China is highlighted on the world's stage?
One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China by James McGregor. New York: Free Press, 2005, 312 pp., ISBN: 0743258398, US$27.00.
Reviewed by Brent Fulton
He was given twenty-four hours to leave the country. After a week of uncertainty, following an investigation by the police, it was finally made clear he was being expelled for "religious activities incompatible with his status as a foreign expert." Meanwhile, in another city, another foreigner is hailed as a true friend of China and given, what was at the time, the rare honor of permanent residence. These experiences of two equally committed Christian professionals, both of whom felt called to serve in China, are drastically different. There are several issues here, but clearly "retention" or longevity of in-country service is one of them.
Stress and Trauma Handbook: Strategies for Flourishing in Demanding Environments edited by John Fawcett.
Reviewed by Steve Spinella
The editor's point of view.