A New Thing

China is a diverse country with immense cultural variety. The people in the northeast are known to be super open and outgoing; the people in the southeast tend to be soft-spoken and careful with their words. People in the southwest, which has a very humid climate, enjoy spicy delicacies all the time. 

Over the past four decades, there have been extraordinary achievements in our economic development, but people’s hearts have been empty. The growth of metropolitan cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou stands in stark contrast with the southwest mountain areas. Due to parents’ need to work in the cities throughout the year, there are sixty million children left behind in the countryside with grandparents or by themselves in the rural areas. 

China adapts to new ideas and technology at a rapid pace. While enjoying all the benefits of urbanization, families are being stretched. Virtues such as hard work, harmony, and kindness have long been valued, but with fast urbanization, these traditional values are being challenged.

Since the 1980s there has been great revival across the country. Many church-planting partners evolved from gathering in individual apartments to renting or buying a church venue in office buildings. These are called house churches, and there are also many megachurches in the big cities with congregations of roughly five hundred to a thousand.

However, in the last two years, there have been many forms of restriction on church venues. As a result, urban megachurches have been going through a process of returning to original house churches. 

In the Chinese language the word crisis literally means “danger and opportunity.” With the restrictions, we have seen many church leaders have the vision to make an impact in the communities where they are located. 

“For I am about to do something new…”

—Isaiah 43:19

Instead of being overwhelmed by the restrictions, we stand in awe to see the new things that God is doing in our lives. Our joy increases as we experience life and labor together to reach people in China.

Prayer Requests

· Pray for our brothers and sisters to stand strong and courageous, knowing that greater things are yet to come!

· With demanding government restrictions, the Chinese church needs new, innovative ways to reach the next generation.