ZGBriefs – The Week’s Top Picks, October 9 Issue
What does it mean to be Chinese? Three articles this week highlight the complexity of being Chinese.
2014
最新文章
A Look at Religious Freedom in China
On October 1, the Cornerstone Blog of The Religious Freedom Project at The Berkeley Center published two helpful posts on religious liberty in China.
House Churches and Anti-Cult Campaigns (2)
On September 3, we posted a translated article about the trouble that anti-cult campaigns often cause for house churches because government officials, scholars, and ordinary people often don't know the difference between a cult and a house church.
Self-Reliance and the Chinese Male
During a recent conversation with a Chinese friend I listened as he recounted his conversion to Christianity and the difficulty he experienced overcoming his deeply ingrained tendency toward self-reliance.
Don’t Ask Why
Somewhere between my third and fourth trips to the bank to open a new account, it hit me. I realized why I was so frustrated. In my efforts to negotiate a system that seemed, to me, overly complicated, I had made a serious tactical error.
When the Well Runs Dry:
After many years of devoted prayer and Christian living, we sometimes find it difficult to feel God’s presence. In our pursuit of a deeper prayer life, we often come up dry and wanting. Fr. Green provides an important understanding of prayer for many Christians who start to wonder why their prayers have begun to feel empty. Using the examples of some of the great mystics of the Christian tradition, he imparts to us some of their wisdom so we can better understand the journey of the interior life and the true call to faith in prayer that the Lord gives us.
Mentors at Work:
The guest editor's point of view...
Recommended Resources:
The following resources were recommended by WWL participants as helpful in coaching, mentoring and spiritual formation.
Toward a “Sending” Church in China
The past decade has seen a groundswell of passion among Christians in China to pursue cross-cultural ministry. A corresponding wave of activity among outside organizations and churches has aimed at equipping China's church for this task.
Coaching, Mentoring and Spiritual Formation
Learning and insights from a recent consultation for mentors and coaches are reported in this article. It delves into many aspects of mentoring, coaching, and spiritual formation including the value of both older mentors and peer mentors. It also provides helpful suggestions for finding a mentor and a mentee.
Into the Deep
The author shares from her experience as a mentor giving us glimpses of three different women she has shared her life with, and how her interactions with each of them have brought about changes in their lives. She closes with a summary of what being a mentor has required of her.
Coaching in China
Rose and Hunter look at characteristics of churches and businesses that indicate their need for coaching and go on to explain what coaching entails. Rose describes how she has put coaching into practice in the ministries she is involved with at her church and acknowledges the blessings this has brought to the church body.