In June of 2012, ChinaSource launched a blog called Chinese Church Voices where we have been posting translations of content taken from Mainland Christian online sources websites, blogs, and micro-blogs. Our goal is to help give outsiders a chance to “listen in on the conversations” that Chinese Christians are having online.
I recently went back through the articles that we have posted to see if there were any observable trends. Here’s what I noticed (with links):
1. Churches are actively looking for ways to legitimately engage with and impact Chinese society.
Pastor Jin on the Church and Social Responsibility
Being Salt and Light in the World
2. Evangelism is a hot topic. There are numerous stories about churches and individuals doing evangelism; encouraging people to do evangelism; how to do evangelism.
What to Say During Spring Festival
A Young Christian “Soldier” in Shenzhen
3. Christian celebrities are becoming more open about their faith, writing about it on their personal blogs and speaking about it in public appearances.
Testimony of a Christian Artist
4. Christians are joining conversations about and commenting on contemporary social issues. Christians write blog posts and articles in response to things happening in China. An example is the recent kidnapped and murdered baby in Jilin Province.
Another Baby Slaughtered; Where Was God?
5. There is coverage and commentary of what is happening in the church in the West. Many articles from Christianity Today or other similar sources are translated and posted on the major sites or on personal blogs.
Chinese Christians Pray for Rick Warren
6. Christians, especially pastors, are openly discussing some of the unique challenges facing the church in China.
Four Issues for the Chinese Church
Five Major Challenges Facing the Church
7. Pastors, particularly, are speaking and writing about leadership and management issues. How does a church do vision? How does it organize itself? What is the role of small groups?
Management Issues in the Rural Church
The Church Today is on a Training Ground
An Urban Migrant Pastor Discusses His Church’s Vision
A Beijing Pastor Discusses the Vision of His Church
Training and Discipleship Methods in Chinese Churches
8. There are discussions on the role of the Chinese church in missions. Occasionally there are reports from Chinese missionaries, and calls for prayer.
The Chinese Church and the Global Body of Christ
Testimony: A Tibetan Christian Doctor
Overseas Missions: The Chinese Church in Action
The Rise of a Missions-Minded Chinese Church
9. There are numerous straight news stories of what various churches around the country are doing holding training seminars; conducting revivals; engaging in social welfare activities.
The Grand Opening of China’s Largest Church
China Opens its First Church for the Blind
10. There are numerous reports on churches in minority areas of SW China, but fewer on churches in the northwest.
The Power of the Gospel: A Miao Village that is 80% Christian
Image credit: Internet Cafe, by Hal Dick, via Flick
Joann Pittman
Joann Pittman is Vice President of Partnership and China Engagement and editor of ZGBriefs. Prior to joining ChinaSource, Joann spent 28 years working in China, as an English teacher, language student, program director, and cross-cultural trainer for organizations and businesses engaged in China. She has also taught Chinese at the University …View Full Bio
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