Overseas Chinese churches need to equip immigrant congregations to become people on the move, learn to grow and blend together in mixed groups, achieve cross-cultural missions together, and establish gospel partner relationships with other churches, instead of going it alone.
Given that the small community of the Chinese diaspora and the East Asian societies and Western societies that host it are all facing crises and challenges brought about by various changes, the ministry work done by churches in this context can provide a powerful witness, allowing the grace experienced by this small community to bless the much larger Chinese and Western populations in which it is embedded.
Readers who appreciate a detailed, chronological account of Christian work in China over the past few decades, and are also interested in Anderson’s personal journey, will enjoy this book….and will most likely enjoy the stories Anderson shares, including the joys and challenges he encountered along the way.
Today, faced with the opportunities and challenges of diaspora missions brought about by globalization, the church should actively participate. We hope that God will give the church the spiritual vision and kingdom-mindedness to take part in diaspora missions, and that we will see opportunities for encouraging lay missions.
I am not Chinese, and yet I was so helped by this exploration of the Year of the Dragon. And I realize that for my Chinese Christian brothers and sisters this series of articles may have produced a much deeper sense of relief than mine. For this I am grateful and looking forward to an eternity in which I can know them better.
Our Lord is the lord of history, and everything happens according to his plan. The recent political developments in and related to China have impacted the movement and dynamics of the global Chinese diaspora. They have closed some doors for mission while opening others.
Happy Easter from ChinaSource!
It is indeed “extra-ordinary,” as the subtitle to the book states, that, rather than having an antipathy towards China and Chinese people, all six felt called to return and serve in China in various capacities over the years.
As a Christian in Hong Kong, I am not only interested in the economic aspects of consolidation with our neighboring city; I am also interested in cross-border and cross-cultural exchanges of spiritual life between the communities. While the government creates synergy through conjoining the strengths of the two cities, we should explore whether the interaction between the Christians of the two locations can give rise to new opportunities for kingdom ministries.
The city of Hong Kong has a special place in the hearts of quite a few of us on the ChinaSource team.
Learning to think biblically in responding to challenging and changing times.
Sociologist Lida Nedilsky will talk about the involvement of Catholics and Protestants in Hong Kong's civic life, and the impact this has had on churches in the city.