ChinaSource’s revised mission statement, adopted at the end of 2017, reflects China’s changing place in the world and developments within the Chinese church itself. Today ChinaSource seeks to be an effective bridge between Christians in China and the global body of Christ, cultivating a more complete shared understanding of God’s purposes in and through China.
Brent Fulton
President
Last month, having the opportunity to meet and interact with 90 of our readers at a ChinaSource Connect event in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota was a highlight for our team. We saw ChinaSource building bridges between those serving in China, those serving Chinese in the USA, those who are Chinese, and those interested in learning about China. We had participants who have worked in China for 10+ years and some who are preparing to go.
Our vision at ChinaSource is:
China's Christians engaging the society inside and outside of China as they contribute to and influence the Global church conversation for the advancement of God’s Kingdom.
This flows out of the changes we have observed in China and how the church in China has grown and matured. As the nature of ministry in China has changed we have seen increasing needs to serve with the church in China.
We see our part in realizing this vision—our specific mission—as being:
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 have made two major changes in our mission statement. First, we previously saw ourselves as a trusted source of knowledge and research. Now we see ourselves as a trusted platform. As you follow our blog and read ChinaSource Quarterly and other publications, you will see more and more guest contributors and guest editors. ChinaSource provides the trusted platform for making critical information and knowledge available. Another way to state this is that ChinaSource is becoming a bridge between Christians inside and outside China to share information, knowledge, and initiatives.
The second change in our mission statement, “inside China and around the world,” faces the reality that China is now a global player. Last year 130 million Chinese made trips outside of China. China is the largest source of foreign students in North America. We know of one church that sent a short-term team to work with refugees from the Middle East and wound up working alongside workers from China. ChinaSource aims to be the bridge linking what is happening with Christian communities in China with what is happening around the world.
Traveling to our team meeting in Minneapolis last month we saw many bridges under construction during the summer construction season. This is also a construction season for ChinaSource as we increase our connections to make ChinaSource an effective bridge in connecting China and the world. During our staff team meeting we outlined a number of new initiatives that we will be rolling out the rest of this year and into 2019 to increase our connections to China.
We are halfway through this year and have been encouraged by our solid donor support. We have a total budget for the year of US$395,320 and have received US$155,925 as of the end of June. Please pray about making a donation to support our efforts to build the platform and bridges that will help everyone involved in China-related ministry.
We appreciate your interest, prayer, and support as we seek to build bridges with the church in China. We hope our efforts result in greater impact for all those involved with China.
He is faithful,
Your friends at ChinaSource
News and Notes
ChinaSource Connect in the Twin Cities
- The largest-to-date ChinaSource Connect event took place on June 21 in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota.
- Earlier on June 21, Brent Fulton was interviewed by KTIS; the podcast is available here.
- Glenn and Narci Herr spoke at Del Rio Bible Church in Del Rio, Texas on July 8.
- On July 13, Brent Fulton was interviewed by Angela Lu Fulton of World Magazine.
- Brent Fulton spoke to the board of Vision Synergy at their meeting in LA on July 14.
Ways to Pray
- Pray for the ChinaSource team as we roll out new initiatives for expanding contacts in China.
- Pray for church leaders as they seek creative approaches to meet, to worship, and to learn from God’s word as they prepare for a time when they may not be able to use their current meeting places.
- Pray for short-term teams visiting and ministering in China this summer.
- Pray for those working with Chinese international students and scholars as they plan and prepare for new students arriving next month.
- Pray for those serving in China as many are renewing contracts and visas.
In Case You Missed It
A selection of recently published items:
- Some Additions to the Summer Bookshelf, ChinaSource Blog, July 18.
- The People and Places of Chinese Soccer, ChinaSource Blog (CCV), July 17.
- Jesus: The Path to Human Flourishing, ChinaSource Blog, July 16.
- Home-Based Community Support and the Expatriate in China, ChinaSource Blog, July 13.
- Unpacking China’s Cities, ChinaSource Blog, July 11.
- Get Back in the Sandbox! ChinaSource Blog, July 9.
- Preparing to Teach English in China? ChinaSource Blog, July 6.
- Triple Espresso Meets the New Normal, ChinaSource Blog, July 4.
- Understanding the Chinese Communist Party, ChinaSource Blog, July 2.
- Outsourced Children: A Book Review, ChinaSource Blog, June 29.
- Going Global, ChinaSource Blog, June 27.
- Listening to Pastors in China, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. ChinaSource Blog (CCV), June 26, July 3, July 10.
- ZGBriefs FAQ, ChinaSource Blog, June 25.
- Praying for the Unreached in China, ChinaSource Blog, June 22.
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