ChinaSource Team

Written, translated, or edited by members of the ChinaSource staff.

 

 

 

 

 

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A Book on Drums and Worship

As the church in China continues to grow and mature, one of the issues that is coming to the fore is that of music. Until recently, much of the music played and sung in Chinese churches has been on the traditional side translated western hymns or indigenous folk-style music (popular in rural churches). Only in the past few years have we seen the emergence of what might be described as Christian Contemporary Music, popular, as one might expect, among the younger generation, particularly in the cities.

• July 22, 2014 •

ZGBriefs The Weeks Top Picks, July 17 Issue

We included quite a few articles about education in this week's ZGBriefs, but a couple of them stood out to us. One is a podcast discussion of education in China; the other is a look at Chinese study abroad programs. In addition, there were two articles about the Uyghur experience in China following recent terrorist attacks that caught our eye.

• July 18, 2014 •

Caring for Elderly Parents

China is facing some unique demographic challenges, not the least of which is an aging population. Currently, roughly 8% of the population is 65 or older. However, according to a report by the BBC, that number is expected to be 12% by 2020, and 26% by 2050.

• July 15, 2014 •

The Difficulty of ‘Urban Missions’ in China

In this article, translated from the site jidutu123.com, the author looks at the challenges of doing urban missions in China. His main point is that doing urban missions, traditionally defined as ministering to the marginalized, is difficult in China because it assumes that Christianity is already part of the mainstream of culture, something that is not true in China. He then calls on the church to look for ways to engage with society rather than standing in opposition to it. Only by doing this will Christianity gain influence in Chinese society.

• July 8, 2014 •

A Church for Hani and Yi People in Yunnan

While much is written about the explosive growth of the church among the Han (dominant ethnic group in China), less is written about the spread of Christianity among the minority peoples. The article translated below is about a county in Yunnan Province that is praying and raising money to build a church.

• July 1, 2014 •

ZGBriefs The Weeks Top Picks, June 5 Issue

There was really only ONE story out of China this week, namely the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Incident. We could have devoted the entirety of ZGBriefs to the marking of that event, but we narrowed it down to a handful. Two of those articles are highlighted here. In addition, we couldn't pass up two articles about the hazards for foreigners who live and work in China.

• June 6, 2014 •

Living Conditions of Rural Preachers

The Mainland site Gospel Times recently published an article about the poor living conditions of preachers in the countryside. The article contains stories and photos of preachers in three different counties in southwest China. Below is a translation of one of those stories. The article is set within the context of the Sanjiang Church, an unusually expensive and ornate church in Wenzhou that was demolished last month.

• June 4, 2014 •