Over the past week or so I have had several conversations with friends from US churches about partnering with the church in China. All have had years of China involvement. They have assisted churches in mainland China in various ways. Yet there was a sense that the former ways of serving may no longer be relevant.
“We tried different things, hoping to provide something that they really needed,” remarked one member of an English-speaking Chinese congregation as she described their relationship with a large unregistered church in one of China’s major cities. “Yet it seemed like they had access to a lot of resources from overseas organizations and churches larger than ours. In the end we didn’t know what we could offer.”
Particularly in the cities, the church in China is considerably better equipped than it was in past decades, having access to a range of resources from abroad as well as from within its own ranks.
How can churches outside China that seek to make a meaningful contribution to the church in China continue to serve effectively? Here are some initial suggestions.
Relationships with Leaders
Particularly in the unregistered church, most pastors who are in their 30s and 40s have no older generation to whom they can look to for guidance. They often find it hard to trust one another or to open up to people in their congregations. As a result they easily become isolated and can lose perspective, both concerning themselves as well as those whom they are serving. Simply having an outside “listening ear” who is trusted can be a huge encouragement to these leaders. Building such a relationship takes time. Chinese language ability, though not always essential, obviously enables the relationship to go deeper.
Prayer
For all the reasons mentioned above, these pastors need much prayer. So do the people whom they serve and the communities they are trying to reach. While it is important to protect confidentiality, sensitive sharing of prayer requests with those who are committed to interceding for the church and checking in periodically to see how those prayers are being answered enables believers on both sides of the ocean to labor together meaningfully. The encouragement goes both ways as the believers outside China know that their Chinese brothers and sisters are praying for them as well.
Sharing Experiences
Christians in China are launching into new areas such as education, marriage and family ministry, service to their communities, and reaching non-Chinese both domestically and beyond China’s borders. In many cases there are no experienced leaders to guide these new ventures. While it is ultimately up to believers in China to find their way forward, friends from outside who have experience in these areas may be able to share helpful insights. Perhaps the congregation outside China is already engaged in a similar type of work and the two churches can walk together in discovering what works in their respective contexts.
Go together
If the church outside China is sending a team to serve in a particular region or among a particular Chinese people group, consider a joint project with the partner congregation in China. They may be looking for just such an opportunity. Serving together will deepen relationships and sharpen all involved. The experience may encourage the Chinese partners to develop a vision for longer-term work in the area. Given their geographical and cultural proximity they have the potential to ultimately engage at a deeper level.
How do you approach partnership between individual churches inside and outside China? We welcome your thoughts in this ongoing conversation.
Image credit: Church in Guangzhou by llee_wu via Flickr.
Brent Fulton
Brent Fulton is the founder of ChinaSource. Dr. Fulton served as the first president of ChinaSource until 2019. Prior to his service with ChinaSource, he served from 1995 to 2000 as the managing director of the Institute for Chinese Studies at Wheaton College. From 1987 to 1995 he served as founding …View Full Bio
Are you enjoying a cup of good coffee or fragrant tea while reading the latest ChinaSource post? Consider donating the cost of that “cuppa” to support our content so we can continue to serve you with the latest on Christianity in China.