The dispersion of Chinese populations will continue to grow in the near future and the missional implications of this are enormous. The recent growth of Christianity in China and the country’s political upheavals are pushing a record number to migrate overseas. Many have…embraced the Christian faith in foreign lands and cultures.
Our Lord is the lord of history, and everything happens according to his plan. The recent political developments in and related to China have impacted the movement and dynamics of the global Chinese diaspora. They have closed some doors for mission while opening others.
Wildest Dream: What Taylor Swift Means To Her Chinese Fans (April 17, 2024, The World of Chinese) Swift has attracted and influenced her Chinese fans for diverse reasons. TWOC talked to five Chinese Swifties to understand what Taylor Swift means to them. They explained how Swift inspired in them the confidence to travel alone, explore the world beyond their small hometowns, and reevaluate the meaning of feminism.
As China’s economy falters, so does middle class confidence (April 10, 2024, NBC News) The slowdown means middle-class Chinese can no longer assume continuous economic gains, or that their children’s quality of life will be better than theirs.
How we got to 'Made in China' (April 2, 2024, NPR) In a new book, Made in China, historian Elizabeth O'Brien Ingleson explains how corporate America began reconceptualizing trade with China in the 1970s, the factors that led to this change and how "what had once been a fantasy of 400 million customers slowly started to become one of 800 million workers instead."
Book Review - The History of Christian Missions in Guangxi, China (March 23, 2024, Global China Center) Written in a lively but concise style, this book contains hundreds of quotations from eyewitness observers, both Chinese and foreign, that add immense descriptive value to the narrative. The author deploys these descriptions copiously and brilliantly both to illustrate his points and to provide academic depth to his study, making it extremely valuable as a resource for understanding foreign missions not only in this province but all over China.
Readers [of Jingjiao] will not only be equipped with the fascinating history of Jingjiao, which helps overcome the anti-Christian narrative that Christianity was brought into China by European and American colonial imperialists. Christians and missionaries in various global cultural contexts will also benefit from this book by learning from the Church of the East missionaries’ creative strategies of inculturation.
Without a thorough understanding of American evangelicalism and how it was conceived within a specific historical context, Chinese Christianity could be prone to "imitating blindly," which could lead to "maladjustment" and "malnutrition," hindering its healthy growth and development in the future.
I first went to China in 1985, serving there until 2012. The level of surveillance and scrutiny of expatriates at that time was high… While the current ministry context, with highly technological surveillance tools, feels restrictive, it appears to be a change in method, rather than a change in concept. We have been here all along.
The Muslim people groups in China need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. Sharing the gospel with them takes cultural sensitivity and education. Come along for a deep dive into the cultures and faith of these people and learn how to pray for them and effectively evangelize them.
We can thank God for giving Chinese the Bible in their own language, to strengthen and grow what is now one of the largest Christian churches in the world, and one with the potential to take the gospel to the ends of the earth.
The suppression of Christian school education, combined with a law that restricts children under 18 from attending Sunday school, severely curtails the ability of the church to disciple its children. This is a strategic space to watch. May the church, and the education and discipleship of its youth, continue to grow. May God continue to open new doors.
More Chinese people, both believers and non-believers, are looking for ways to leave China. Some people are leaving because of persecution, while others want to escape the imposition of “Xi thought.” As Chinese immigrants arrive in our communities, we need to look for ways to welcome the newcomers and show them the love of Christ.
In recent years, the Chinese government has tightly controlled the dissemination of key societal information while treating grassroots Christianity like a political opponent. This situation has left independent Christian researchers in a predicament as they struggle to access the necessary research materials while fearing unintentionally harming Chinese Christians, particularly well-known independent scholars.
What the latest plan for Protestant leadership in the TSPM and CCC tells us is that Xi Jinping continues to attract or compel Christians to align themselves with traditional Chinese culture and, as important, with the Chinese Communist Party’s agenda.
As a result of the happiness group, our church experienced significant growth, even doubling in size. Witnessing God’s work among us during the pandemic, we went on to establish our own missionary society in X Province, dispatched a small group of individuals.
In his reflection on cultural heritage, Rev. Chow acknowledges that while no one has physically seen a dragon, it stands as a potent spiritual symbol for the Chinese, embodying a complex and profound mix of emotions—a reverence filled with honor and dignity. Rather than dismissing the dragon for its mythical nature, Rev. Chow proposes that we "value it doubly, as an integral part of our treasured traditions."
Chinese Christians are not only receivers of traditional culture but also reformers of contemporary culture and creators of emerging culture. When reflecting on the complex relationship between the gospel and culture, we need a grand and holistic Christian worldview, capable of carrying the gospel’s tolerance of, challenge for, and renewal of culture.
The Bible presents us with good reasons both for celebrating dragons and for slaying them. Insofar as they represent those unfallen throne guardians of heaven, they should be duly revered; and insofar as they represent that fallen seraph Satan, they should be crushed underfoot.
In honor of women’s month, we’ve highlighted the experiences of women in China ministry on the blog. Today, we’re expanding our lens to look back at articles published on how Chinese women’s lives have changed in the past century, how they are working in the church, and their triumphs and struggles.
Today it is difficult to talk about the church in China without referencing China’s church outside China. Many leaders operate with one foot on Chinese soil and the other abroad, either by virtue of their frequent international travel or via offshore organizations through which their voices are amplified, making them spokespersons for a movement that transcends China’s borders.
Let us pray for those who are still living in darkness and feel so stuck in the massage parlor in the urban villages. Let us pray for workers to reach them, for alternative jobs and safe houses to provide a way out, and for proper trauma counseling to help them process their past.