Tag: COVID-19
Securitization of Everything
Churches and individual Chinese Christians have felt the impact of this shift to greater emphasis and concern about security. Unregistered churches and groups are seen as threats affecting societal and cultural security. Any foreign connections are seen through a security lens as a potential threat to China’s stability and healthy development.
Back in China
Challenges notwithstanding, the resilience and unwavering faith of the Chinese church are awe-inspiring. God’s grip on his church remains unyielding, and amid adversity, a vibrant faith continues to thrive in the hearts of believers across China.
Hearing from the Church in China, Part 2
Trying to “Keep the Flies Out”
Despite China’s growing global economic power, it is becoming increasingly closed and hostile to foreign influence from outside and foreign people inside the country. How, then, does the church in China maintain ties with the global church? We remain open to the leading of the Holy Spirit and pray for discernment to interact wisely with Chinese brothers and sisters.
Hearing from the Church in China, Part 1
The Quest for Trustworthy Information
One…reason for [the] drop in the number of publications [is] the measures introduced to combat the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in…less direct contact. However…the decline started before the arrival of the pandemic and secondly, the Communist Party had…been busy for many years…to control the information environment, even before the watershed 2018 regulations came into force.
God at Work During 3 Years of Isolation
Life in China under the strict zero-covid policy was difficult for many, especially believers who were unable to gather for worship. Nevertheless, God was still at work. Over the next few weeks, we’ll hear from Chinese believers answering the question, “During the three years of covid isolation and restrictions, how did you see God at work in your [communities]?”
Impressions on Returning to Post-Covid China
For at least the foreseeable future, China will be an increasingly difficult place for expatriates to live and work. However, for those who find a way to meet the requirements to remain in the country, there is a general openness to new ideas that provides fertile ground for the gospel.
New Wine Means New Wineskins
We serve an unchanging God whose heart for the nations is unquenchable. New wine needs new wineskins. I encourage my fellow workers to prayerfully consider what these changes mean for…future work among the Chinese people, and to prepare [for] the new roles God has prepared for us.
Chinese Migrants in the Stew Pot of Dubai
A Book Review of Chinese in Dubai
The religious environment [in Dubai] prompts many Chinese expatriates to do some soul-searching… For Muslims… it has meant being in an environment where they are …part of a majority… They feel the pressure of having to be “good citizens” …as they are unofficial ambassadors.
Political Counting
An interesting feature of Chinese social and political discourse is propensity to label institutions or political campaigns using numbers… They are catchy and thus relatively easy to remember. Here are some of my favorites.
Being a Family in China’s New Era
An interview with a Christian family navigating the changes and challenges of China today.