More than a Label
Editor's Note: This editorial originally appeared in "China's Indigenous Mission Movement" (CS Quarterly, 2013 Spring).
Editor's Note: This editorial originally appeared in "China's Indigenous Mission Movement" (CS Quarterly, 2013 Spring).
The role of the church in China as it increasingly becomes a missionary-sending church is explored based on past experiences and lessons learned. The article considers the importance of developing a missionary strategy, providing adequate cross-cultural training that goes beyond the classroom and developing a comprehensive field coordination infrastructure. It also takes a brief look at the church in today's China.
The author describes, from his observations and experiences, several often overlooked areas in China's early involvement in international missions. These include visa issues, language learning and missionary supervision and care. Prototypes for ministry are also suggested. The writer hopes that the self-reflection and sharing with fellow workers will result in intercessory prayer from members of Christ's Body and in their enlightenment.
The traditional definitions of missionary are not adequate for missionaries being sent from China; a new definition is needed due to the unique circumstances involved with those sent from this nation. Following this discussion, the author provides an overview of the current situation surrounding missionaries being sent from China.
For more than a century, there have been many indigenous mission movements from China, from Chinese, as well as from Central-coastal China that have experimented with mission endeavors. This article looks briefly at the most important of these undertakings by individuals and by groups.
Some things cannot be learned from books; they must result from the gospel that has been deeply formed in the heart of the individual. The author tells us of a life-changing experience from his past and then identifies the differences between God's servants who trust in "functional saviors" and those who are deeply at rest in what Christ has done for them.
Christian business people and entrepreneurs are increasingly looking for opportunities to use their enterprises for outreach. In this article, translated from the Christian Times, a Mainland website, a reporter interviews Brother Long, proprietor of the Gospel Inn in Dali, Yunnan Province.
This post is a translation of an article that was published in The Christian Times in December 2012. It is about Dr. Luke, a member of the Tibetan Tu people who became a Christian through the witness and influence of his high school English teacher, who was from Northeast China.
While many in the west are concerned about the condition of the church in China, Christians in China are often concerned about the state of the church in the west. In this article, published in the Christian Times, a pastor expresses his confidence that the church in England and Europe will once again experience revival.
An update from the last post.
In 2008, members of the English fellowship of Haidian Christian Church in Beijing did a series of "man on the street" interviews, asking people what they knew about Christmas and Jesus. The video was then used in their Christmas program at the church. Christmas may be popular in China, but most people still don't have any idea what it is really all about.
In recent years, churches in China have begun to send missionaries overseas. This article in the Christian Times is about missionaries to Laos, Pakistan, and Cambodia sharing about their experiences in a church in Anhui.