Editorial reflection and analysis on issues shaping Chinese Christianity.
There is a renewed sense that God is calling the Chinese church in New Zealand to be part of the global advancement of the gospel. They may be geographically isolated, but they have a key role to play in what God is doing worldwide.
There have been seasons in China’s history when the sky seemed the limit. The possibilities for believers seemed endless…. Yet, there have also been seasons when China was closed, seasons when nothing seemed possible. And usually these followed a very open season, such as was not too long ago.
A Chinese Christian playwright suggests ways that music and literature can benefit those coping with extended lockdowns in China.
During the 1980s, more and more people in China turned to religion. The turn toward religion included young and old, rural and urban, people who were nearly illiterate and university professors. While many came to Christianity, others returned to Confucianism, Islam, and Buddhism.
In 1979, churches, temples and mosques began to be restored and reopened for religious activities. That was the beginning of the economic reform era, and it was also the beginning of the Chinese Great Awakening.
I went on a vision trip with other members of SACON to Eswatini and Zimbabwe. Chinese people were everywhere. God put them on my heart! Now I’m reaching out to them using fitness and sports outreach.
Each... aspect of the Christian witness speaks to one facet of the totality of Christ’s kingdom reign. Each provides a complimentary narrative in the overall plot, which is the story of Christ at work in and through his witnesses on earth.
The world is full of tragedy, some arising from human causes, others from natural causes. Both result in suffering. Following the air disaster in China last month, a Chinese believer reflects on how Christians should respond to the tragedies that impact them and others.
New regulations governing online religious content came into effect on March 1 of this year. If strictly enforced, the regulations could severely restrict the use of online tools for ministry and outreach by Christians in China. Here's a brief update on how churches are responding.
That this non-Western contextualizing will leave many of our Western theologies and “brands” diminished or transformed could encourage us to repent for the scandal of our divisions…and to redouble our efforts to fulfill one of the final earthly prayers of Jesus that “we all be one.”
Church leaders first need to learn to see missions as organic to their fellowship’s identity in this world…. Cross-cultural workers need to recognize and embrace their role as messengers to their home churches…committing more time and energy to communicating well with their supporters back home.
In response to last week’s tragic loss of life, Christians in China are praying. One noted, “. . . believers, they pray for peace in Ukraine, for the domestic epidemic, and now they are praying for the plane crash. These are painful things, just like the recent weather, shrouded in gloom.”