The Lantern

Happy New Year—the Year of the Ox!


Happy Chinese New Year to you from the ChinaSource team! We hope you and your loved ones have been celebrating the beginning of the year of the ox as best you can in this stay-at-home season, while experiencing Christ’s renewing presence and love along the way.

This month we are pleased to introduce Peter Arneson, our new Donor Relations Manager. Peter joined ChinaSource on January 4 and we are blessed to have him aboard! I know you will feel the same way as you get to know him. Welcome Peter!

Kerry Schottelkorb
President

I grew up in a household that was very engaged in world missions. My parents worked for a global mission organization and my sister and I got used to giving up our bedrooms as missionaries would stay with us for a few days here and there. Throughout the course of one particular year, our family hosted over 70 missionaries as they came through our town for various meetings and events. I am sure my attitude about giving up my bedroom wasn’t always the best but looking back, it was a great experience. I got to meet many interesting people, we learned about strange food, and heard amazing stories about what God was doing around the world.

Years later I graduated from Bethel University in Minnesota, and nearly all my work experience has been with nonprofit organizations, filling various roles in direct service, education, volunteer management, and fundraising. In 2020 I finished two master’s degrees, one in nonprofit management and the other an MBA, choosing this path because I want to serve others by helping to build stronger organizations. 

My wife Megan and I were married in 2011 on a very hot September day and the thing everyone remembers is the flowers, we had flowers everywhere! In 2014 we moved to the Philippines and began working for an orphanage there, coming back to Minnesota in late 2015. In addition to getting me through graduate school, and everything else that 2020 threw at us, we had twin boys. This new adventure has us on our toes as we learn about being parents in a busy ever-changing world.

I come to ChinaSource from another organization with a history of serving Chinese, the Hospitality Center for Chinese in St. Paul, Minnesota but except for a few layovers in the Hong Kong airport (which hardly count), I have never been to China. Still, I think I bring a passion for serving the global church, and that this will be a great match for ChinaSource’s work of building unity in the body of Christ by drawing together the Chinese and Western churches.

As ChinaSource’s Donor Relations Manager, I get to help grow this organization by inviting and encouraging others. I think people need an invitation to participate, not just because an organization needs funds to do ministry, but because an invitation to something meaningful is a way to serve others; we all want to be part of something special. My job isn’t having to ask people for money, it’s getting to invite them into a partnership that advances the kingdom, something that I believe God has prepared for us and allows us to participate in.

I am excited to be on this team and continue the work in which so many have invested so much.

Ways to Pray

  • Praise God with us for our new Donor Relations Manager, Peter Arneson. Pray for Peter as there is so much to learn during his onboarding process.
  • Our dear friend and colleague, Char Kennicutt, will be leaving ChinaSource at the end of February, and we are very sorry to see her go. Pray for Char as she follows the Lord into the new season he has for her. Also, pray the Lord will provide his replacement for Char in the important role of Senior Administrator. 
  • We thank God for a great start to 2021, which included a very special ChinaSource Connect event on February 4. Pray for God’s guidance and provision so that we can provide a variety of virtual events in the future.
  • The year 2021 is a key year as the ChinaSource team seeks to follow the Lord into the new vision and mission he has provided. Pray our father will continue to build up and nurture the ChinaSource staff, board, and volunteer network in unity and alignment with his will for us.

Thank you for praying with us!

News and Notes

ChinaSource Opportunity: Senior Administrator

ChinaSource is looking for an experienced senior administrator to join our team. This role mainly supports the president and board of directors through a variety of administrative tasks, while also providing critical operational and communications support to the entire team. This role is essential to the efficient functioning of the ChinaSource ministry and works closely with each team member to ensure day-to-day operations run smoothly in a virtual work environment. Go here for more information.

Online Event

Speaker Series: The Vessel Overturned: Current Views on Hong Kong Christian Civic Life 
Sociologist Lida Nedilsky, who has followed the involvement of Catholics and Protestants in Hong Kong’s civic life throughout her career, will step back to lend insightful perspective regarding the contributions of Hong Kong Christians to the territory’s civic culture and the impact this involvement has had on the churches. This is part of the joint lecture series sponsored by the US-China Catholic Association, ChinaSource, and China Academic Consortium. 

ChinaSource Team News

Kerry Schottelkorb preached at the House of Christ Church (HOC6) on January 31.

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ChinaSource Team

ChinaSource Team

Written, translated, or edited by members of the ChinaSource staff.          View Full Bio


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