“Get shut down and get shut down often,” recommends Travis Todd, in describing his approach as a digital evangelist in China. As the government tightens restrictions on online Christian content, his team focuses on sharing Jesus with as many people as possible, not on building a brand.
Dr. Harris and Reed’s relational approach applies for individuals to begin relationships with Chinese people in various online spaces and understand their needs. The content of the book needs to be further contextualized for a local Chinese audience, where relationship building will have more nuances in both cultural and digital landscapes.
Despite all the regulations and restrictions that the Chinese government puts in place to limit religious content on the internet, digital evangelism is alive and well and bearing fruit. The articles in this issue focus on what God is doing through digital engagement, not on what the Chinese government tries to prevent.
The GodTools app is a new way for Christians to get training in evangelism so they can be ready to share Christ with friends and family. Download it and find culturally appropriate articles in over a hundred languages.
What is the best way for Christians to engage others online? What tools are available to help spread the gospel effectively? The guest editors of the upcoming ChinaSource Quarterly attempt to answer these questions and give readers a taste of what’s to come.
In the polarized political landscape, China garners near-universal disapproval. The instrumentalization of China's church distorts reality for political gain, linking it with domestic religious freedom issues. Genuine dialogue is needed to address complex concerns and avoid silencing Chinese Christian voices.
Enter into the world of rural China and open your heart to the story of a young woman who suffered with depression until she heard the gospel in college. Now she is full of hope and joy because of truth and beauty of her Christian faith. She has led her family to Christ and was able to minister to the house church in her village.
Chinese Christians have been active in evangelizing their neighbors and fellow citizens, including ethnic minorities, for decades. In this fourth session of ChinaSource Summer School, we have rounded up a collection of articles, including case studies, theological meditations, and missiological analysis.
One old-timer (a Bible-smuggler…) told me... “There is a lot possible when we function within the law. We can still head in all kinds of directions. There are always open doors in every country no matter how ‘closed’ they are. We just have to find them.”
For most churches, stagnant ministry and the loss of believers were inevitable during the pandemic. Churches need to focus on how to expand further, gain new believers to compensate for the loss, and even achieve growth in the number of believers.
At our May 31 webinar, we featured four ministry leaders who have years of experience as evangelists in a digital environment. They told encouraging stories about how God is working through technology in China and the Chinese diaspora.
Balcombe brings us into the present by telling us about the Pentecostal church at the end of the Cultural Revolution and on through the years to its present situation.