Zhou Ma’s Vision
Last week we interviewed Kerry Schottelkorb, Director of Advancement for Christian Action Asia, about his organizations work with disabled orphans in China. Here is the story of one of the orphans they have cared for.
Stories
Firsthand accounts of faith lived out in the context of Chinese Christianity.
Latest
“Passive” Church Planting in China
The China Partnership website recently carried the story of an urban pastor who planted 16 churches in a major Chinese city. The article profiles the transformation in this pastor’s thinking concerning the nature and purpose of the church.
Copying the Bible by Hand
Over the years, many stories have come out of China about believers who, having no access to the printed Word, painstakingly write out the Scriptures by hand. The 21st century has put a new spin on that practice—copying out the Bible by hand not because of its unavailability but in order to break an addiction to online games! This story, from the Gospel Times, tells of a man in China who has decided to write out by hand a chapter per day.
Serving Well Where You Don’t Belong
Today we are launching our first-ever online training course titled "Serving Well in China" for people working in China or preparing to work in China.
3 Questions: Kerry Schottelkorb
A ChinaSource 3 Questions interview with Kerry Schottelkorb, Director of Advancement for Christian Action Asia (CAA).
Twinkling With Inheriting and Development Achievement
On Thursday night my landlady called and asked if she could come over to see me because she had some translation questions for me. Anyone who's been in China for a while knows the fear and dread that well up inside at the sound of someone asking for help with translation work. "Just read it over. It won't take long." Those words always precede hours of painful and laborious mental gymnastics trying to translate phrases, like the one in the title of this post, from what we call "Chinglish" to English.
Navigating the Complexities of Giving and Receiving Gifts
“Fresh off the boat,” an old phrase referring to new arrivals, described me well in 1983 as I began my new life as an overseas worker in Hong Kong. Being quite naïve about Chinese culture, I was excited to hear from my colleagues that I would receive a beautiful silk jacket from our Chinese co-workers as they had in years past. And during Chinese festivals I would receive other special gifts and be invited to delicious banquets—it all sounded wonderful to me!
Pastors Reflect on Preparing for Easter
Pastors in China share how they are encouraging their people to prepare for Easter.
Pragmatic Religiosity
One of my favorite China books is Peter Hessler’s Country Driving: A Journey Through China from Farm to Factory. Shortly after the book was published in 2010, a CNN travel reporter interviewed Hessler about the book. There was one particular exchange that caught my attention.
Dancing with Elephants
Ministry partnerships are complex and challenging. Throw in the cross-cultural dimension and one is certain to encounter some form of conflict. As Westerners, our first reaction is to confront and resolve. Unfortunately, our swift and direct action may leave our Chinese colleagues reeling from the confrontation and feeling hurt.
We Walk This Road Together
In January Rev. Gu Yuese, pastor of Chongyi Church in Hangzhou, one of China’s largest churches, was removed by the Chinese Christian Council, the governing body of the Chinese Protestant Church. Often referred to as China’s first mega-church, the sanctuary seats more than 5000 people, and each Sunday sees around 10,000 people in attendance at the worship services.
Two Meetings, Three Hands
Some things just don’t translate well from Chinese into English. Take, for example the annual government meetings that are taking place in Beijing this week. In Chinese the meetings are referred to as Liang Hui (两会), which literally means “two meetings” (sometimes also translated as “sessions”). Using such a term in English to describe a conference, however, leads only to blank stares.