Julie Ma (pseudonym) is a graduate of Sydney Missionary and Bible College (SMBC) and a member of the Angelina Noble Centre for women in cross-cultural missions research. She left her home in Australia over a decade ago to serve Hui Chinese Muslims alongside her Chinese husband. After all these years overseas, she is still not tired of beef noodles.
You can reach Julie at [email protected].
International mission agencies can offer guidance. We need guides. I don’t mean a simplistic, short-term orientation course. But neither do we need a boss who only gives commands and does not truly walk with us. I mean each missionary needs a genuine guide.
My vision is for training with the goal of fruitfulness. There is a great movement happening in the Chinese church, but there isn’t a great deal of actual church planting happening. How do we help them to bear fruit?
A three-part post looking at the current state of indigenous missions from China.
Questions of money—supporting Chinese Christian workers, paying local assistants, giving gifts to “needy” Chinese—return like revolving doors as often as new expat Christians arrive in China.
Who are the neighbors you want to reach for Christ?
What not to do and suggestions for getting started.
A look at three threats to Hui disciples and three paths they might take as they follow the Lord.
Rites of passage are supposed to be passed through—they serve as gateways to the next stage of life. Yet too many of our Hui friends see them as closed doors, barriers to entering new life in Christ.
This is the time of year when Muslims are most in tune with spirituality and when Christians who love Muslims pray most fervently for God to reveal himself to them in the person of Jesus the Messiah.
This month, our Hui neighbors observe Ramadan—the Muslim month of fasting which culminates with Eid al-Fitr. Yet even for Hui who do not fast, it’s a special time of increased spiritual awareness. Let’s look at four annual festivals and how they might lead to gospel opportunities.
How did you feel the first time you visited a “foreigner’s” home? Were you nervous? Did you find yourself wondering what to wear, what food would be served, and whether to bring a gift? Perhaps you are more often the host. How do you help your cross-cultural guests feel at ease?
Having learned a little about Islam with Chinese characteristics, you might wonder if there is any point in studying “orthodox” Islam to help you understand your Hui friends. The answer is yes and no.