Stories

Firsthand accounts of faith lived out in the context of Chinese Christianity.

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Jesus: The Best Christmas Gift Ever

Even though it is not an official holiday in China, Christmas has become extremely popular as a commercial/consumer event. Stores put up trees and clerks don Santa hats. However, most people in China do not know the real story behind Christmas -- the story of Jesus. The popularity of Christmas presents Christians with a unique opportunity to share the gospel. This article, from the Christian Times, is about a pastor in Beijing encouraging his congregation to tell their friends and family about Jesus this Christmas season.

The Gospel and Beijing

Going back as far as the Tang Dynasty, this article traces the advance of the gospel in the city of Beijing over the space of more than 1000 years. Today its influence can be seen through contributions made by Christians of previous generations in areas such as medicine, economics, education, and culture, and in the exponential growth of the church since 1949. As China's most important city, Beijing plays a central role in the continued expansion of the gospel both within China and beyond China's borders.

A Christian Band on Chinese TV

Reality shows, along the lines of "American Idol" and "America's Got Talent" are popular on Chinese television. This article from the Gospel Times is about the appearance of a Christian band on the show "Chinese Dream," produced by Zhejiang Television.

Change Brought about by the Cross

In the online Christian magazine Kuanye, a contributor who had experienced a horrific car accident testifies how church members rallied to show support. The writer's own response to the incident is contrasted with how the writer probably would have responded had it happened before knowing Christ.

 

Overseas Missions: The Chinese Church in Action

In recent years, churches in China have begun to send missionaries overseas. This article in the Christian Times is about missionaries to Laos, Pakistan, and Cambodia sharing about their experiences in a church in Anhui.

Xiao Min on Preparing for the Lord’s Return

Xiao Min is the composer of a body of traditional Chinese worship music called the Canaan Hymns. This article from the Christian Times reports on a talk that she recently gave in Anhui Province on the topic of the Second Coming.

Returning the Blessing

So many people from Western countries head east to countries like China with the noble desire to give and bless.

That's what I did 22 years ago, setting out from England to China with a clear sense of calling and the blessing of my church.

Handling Family Relationships at Holiday Time

One of the challenges facing those who come to faith in China is how to handle family relationships during the traditional holidays when they return home to be with family members who do not share their faith and may not accept it. In this article, published in the Christian Times just prior to the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday, a believer shares some thoughts on how Christians can handle the tensions that naturally arise during holiday visits.

Vision or Vanity? What Are We Passing On?

Both foreigners serving in China and Chinese are experiencing a profound shift in roles. Chinese believers are stepping to the forefront, as it should be, but what should foreigners be passing on to them? How does vision play into this and do we want to pass it on?

A Chinese Voice from 120 Years Ago

The following is a suggestion made by a Chinese pastor to the rest of the attendees at the 1890 Shanghai conference of all the Protestant missionaries in China. It must have taken a lot of courage and strong convictions for him to address the room full of foreigners in this manner (there were only a handful of Chinese delegates at the 1890 Conference). Yan's purpose in speaking was to remind the missionaries that in addition to attracting new converts, there was still much work to be done to care for the believers already in the churches.

A Young Christian “Soldier” in Shenzhen

We often hear about how the church in China is looking for ways to increase its presence in the "public square;" in other words trying to be more visible in society. This article from the Gospel Times is about a family in Shenzhen that is literally doing evangelism in the public square.

Chinese “Christianeze”

This cartoon was recently posted on Kuanye, a popular Christian website. It pokes a little bit of fun at Chinese "Christianeze."