As the deadly coronavirus advances, our prayers continue on behalf of the people of China—especially those living in the city of Wuhan and Hubei province.
As you will read below, it is our great desire to serve and bless the Chinese body of Christ and help facilitate collaboration and partnerships with the global church.
Meanwhile, please join us in praying that our sovereign Lord and his people will bring hope and healing to China on every front.
Kerry Schottelkorb
President
ChinaSource publications are at the heart of what we do.
Our mission is to be “a trusted platform facilitating the flow of critical knowledge and leading-edge research among the Christian communities inside China and around the world and engaging them in collaborating to serve the Chinese church and society.” We do this through several channels—online publications, multi-media presentations, speaking, events, and conferences—to provide content and analysis useful to those who are interested in, serving, and praying for China and the Chinese church.
We are not a media outlet, rather we believe that our experience, expertise, and network of connections strategically position ChinaSource to present balanced perspectives on issues that impact the church in China. We want our publications to be:
- Useful—our content should impart something of value, enabling collaboration among God’s people and effective service within the Chinese church and society.
- Unifying—ChinaSource content should serve to bring people together by fostering understanding, mutual respect, and awareness of how various parts of the body of Christ are contributing to the advancement of God’s kingdom in China.
- Balanced—in selecting material we strive for fairness by offering a variety of views and not promoting any one position on issues where there are valid differences of opinion among those whom we serve.
Our flagship publication is the ChinaSource Quarterly. Published four times a year, it provides in-depth examination and analysis of critical issues that affect the church in China and those who serve the church. Each issue focuses on a topic, exploring it through articles written by people with expertise and insight into that topic. Also included are a book review, the ChinaSource Perspective and, when appropriate, resources related to the topic. Our most recent issue dealt with Chinese Christian artists and their work. We are looking forward to an update on the indigenous missions movement from China in our summer issue.
Every weekday, Monday through Friday, new content is posted on the ChinaSource website. Four days a week the ChinaSource Blog makes an appearance. The blog is an eclectic collection of short articles on a wide variety of topics, written by ChinaSource staff or others who have extensive China experience or expertise. If the blog post today doesn’t strike your fancy, be assured one later in the week will. You will find book and film reviews, a series highlighting the cities of China complete with time-lapse videos and notes on Christianity in the city, analysis and context for current events in China, items that will prompt you to pray, recommendations for resources, and more.
One feature of the Blog is the Tuesday column, Chinese Church Voices where we hear directly from Chinese believers who are sharing their thoughts online or news items available in Chinese Christian online publications. It’s an opportunity to listen in on the conversations that Chinese Christians are having. Most CCV posts are translated from items that are available online in China.
Thursday is ZGBriefs day. That’s when Joann Pittman puts together a curated list of news articles and opinion pieces from a variety of news and blog sites all dealing with China and things that impact the church in China and those who serve there—both locals and expats. Each article mentioned comes with a link to the full article and is grouped with other similar articles by topic.
Once a month we put out our ministry newsletter—you are reading that now. The Lantern is one way we seek to keep you informed of what ChinaSource is up to and invite you to join us in prayer, use our resources, or participate in our events.
And for those who like to keep things all in one place, we have the Friday Weekly Digest. The Weekly Digest includes a quick summary and links to every publication we put out during the week. You will get links to that week’s Blogs, Chinese Church Voices, and ZGBriefs. The Lantern and the ChinaSource Quarterly are also included when they are published. It’s a great way to get caught up with everything all at one time.
Currently we have over 42,000 readers per month across all our publications and social media channels. Those who subscribe receive our publications via email. If you haven’t already done so, join our growing community of subscribers here.
The ChinaSource Team
Ways to Pray
- Pray that Jehovah Rapha—the Lord our Healer—will stop the spread of the Coronavirus.
- Pray for wisdom and timely action for government and medical authorities. Pray for medical personnel who are courageously risking their lives working at times without essential treatments, equipment, or protective gear.
- Pray for the ChinaSource Connect event in Minneapolis/St. Paul on Feb. 21, that there will be good representation of ministries and churches; that the Lord will encourage those who come to pray and to serve the church in China.
- Pray for the February 19-21, ChinaSource team in-person meetings as members from Asia and the US gather in Minneapolis for ministry discussions and planning. Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide throughout!
News and Notes
ChinaSource Connect in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, USA—Final Call!
As the regulatory climate continues to tighten in China, many believers (local and foreign) are experiencing opposition. The global church needs to stand ready to encourage, support, partner with, and humbly learn from the church in China as they navigate this “new normal.” To bless the Chinese church the worldwide church needs to be informed and aware. Join the ChinaSource team as we talk about what’s been going on in China, share updates on our recent activities, as well as ways that you can partner with us in serving with China.
There will be a time of worship and prayer for those affected by the novel coronavirus.
If you know of friends or other organizations involved in or even just curious about Christianity in China, please invite them as well.
Date: Friday, February 21, 2020
Time: 6:30-7:00pm refreshments, 7:00-8:30pm program
Venue: Cedar Valley Church
Address: 8600 Bloomington Ave S. Bloomington, MN 55425
Since refreshments will be provided, we would appreciate your RSVP so we can prepare food accordingly.
Webinar
Our China Stories: Unpacking Contemporary Narratives about the Church in China
This webinar, presented on February 10, 2020 by Dr. Brent Fulton, explored four narratives about the church in China that have dominated Western Christian perceptions over the past four decades:
- The Persecuted Church
- The Needy Church
- The Christian China
- The Missionary Church
Questions that were addressed included:
- How has our understanding of China’s past and present shaped our expectations for the future?
- What have been the consequences?
- In what ways have we become victims of our own narratives?
Access to a recorded version of the webinar is available for US$5.00.
ChinaSource Team News
- Yesterday, February 18, Hannah Lau spoke at a Community Center Bible Study in Roseville, MN.
- Hannah Lau spoke to a Sunday School class on February 16 at Lake Phalen Community Church in Maplewood, MN.
- On January 31 Brent Fulton did a live video briefing entitled “Behind China’s New Normal” for a group of about 50 foreign workers in Asia.
- Brent Fulton was interviewed by David Joannes on the podcast Missions Pulse. You can listen to the discussion on the four common narratives about the church in China and the novel coronavirus that has been devastating China and affecting other areas. Listen here.
In Case You Missed It
A selection of recently published items:
- Honor-Shame Conference 2020: Reconciling the Nations, ChinaSource Blog, February 19.
- When You Can't Gather for Worship: Three-Self Churches Respond to the Coronavirus Crisis, ChinaSource Blog (CCV), February 18.
- Another Look at the Life of Eric Liddell: A Book Review, ChinaSource Blog, February 17.
- Wuhan and Psalm 31, ChinaSource Blog, February 14.
- Matter & Spirit: A Chinese/American Art Exhibition, ChinaSource Blog, February 12.
- Paratroopers and Motorboats: A sermon, ChinaSource Blog (CCV), February 11.
- Bitter Money, ChinaSource Blog, February 10.
- Praying for Wuhan, ChinaSource Blog (CCV), February 7.
- The Evolving Narratives, ChinaSource Blog, February 5.
- Coronavirus News Roundup, ChinaSource Blog (CCV), February 4.
- 3 Questions: Sinicization or Chinafication? ChinaSource Blog, February 3.
- Waiting, Praying in His Embrace, ChinaSource Blog, January 31.
- Serving Effectively in the Face of a Pandemic, ChinaSource Blog, January 29.
- Wuhan Pastor: Pray with US, ChinaSource Blog (CCV), January 28.
- Where Did They Get That Idea? ChinaSource Blog, January 27.
- Happy Chinese New Year! 新年快乐!, ChinaSource Blog, January 24.
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