As an organization that focuses on Christianity in China, we at ChinaSource have our ear to the ground, picking up on the key issues that impact the church, and finding creative and effective ways to help.
In the past few years, we’ve been tracking the growing interest in generosity in the rapidly expanding church in China. Given the widening gap between rich and poor, its emergence as a global economic power, the question of whether China will become generous as it becomes wealthy holds relevance both for China’s culture and the church.
In this, there is a significant opportunity for China’s Christians to lead the way in cultivating a culture of generosity as they put into practice biblical stewardship principles. Therefore, raising up generous stewards among China’s Christians is a vital next step if the church is to move away from dependence upon outside resources and toward a healthy interdependence with the global body of Christ. But while there is this need, pastors in China find themselves ill-equipped to help their people understand biblical generosity. They are requesting help in the form of resources and training on this topic.
In light of these observations, we’ve created the Faith and Generosity in China Initiative in hopes of addressing generosity in the context of contemporary China. This is being done through partnering with ministries and leaders in the Chinese church to roll out strategic and culturally relevant training, utilizing translated materials from proven and reliable sources.
One of the materials that will be used as part of this initiative is Scott Rodin’s Christ-Centered Generosity. The book is designed to be a primary resource for the global movement of biblical generosity. The objective of this book is to provide a theologically sound, biblically-based resource for Christian leaders, pastors and the body of Christ on the theme of our call to be faithful stewards who live lives of generosity and joy. Thirty-three authors from twenty-two countries have written stories and reflections of generosity from their different cultural perspectives. The book has been published in English and is now ready to be translated into Chinese to be distributed to pastors and Christian leaders across China.
In order to make this book available to the Chinese church we need funding, and that’s where we need your help. Funding will go towards translating, publishing, and distribution.
This is a historic opportunity to serve the church in China, support pastors in an area of great need, encourage biblical generosity among the fastest growing church in the world, and impact the world’s largest nation in developing a culture of giving. This is a project that we strongly believe in and invite you to stand behind as well.
If you’d like more information on how to get involved, visit the project page on Faith Launcher.
May God bless you in your generosity towards His kingdom!
News and Notes
- RADIO: Brent Fulton was interviewed by My Faith Radio, about modern China and some of the unique challenges and opportunities facing the country and the church 26 years after the crackdown in Tiananmen Square. Read a summary and listen here.
- QUOTED: Brent Fulton was quoted in Christianity Today’s article on the Chinese Government’s removal of crosses from churches in China. Read the article here.
- RADIO: Joann Pittman was interviewed by 101.5 Word FM Pittsburg, about the growth of Christianity in China. Listen to the interview here. (Interview begins just after the 13 minute mark.)
- BOOK REVIEW: Joann Pittman reviewed Rodney Stark’s latest book, A Star in the East: The Rise of Christianity in China for the Gospel Coalition. Read the review here.
Coming up
Brent Fulton will be presenting a white paper at the Christian Economic Forum in August on "Generosity in China."
Ways to Pray
- As the project to publish Christ-Centered Generosity in China progresses, pray for the translation and approval process, and for funds to publish the book.
- We are in the process of producing a series of webcasts on mentoring, coaching, and spiritual formation for believers who serve in China. Pray the Lord’s anointing on our speakers.
- Continue to lift up pending legislation in China that could have negative implications for Christians and for foreign organizations that serve the church. China’s legislature could approve the new laws as early as this summer.
- Pray for Chinese Christian leaders who recently participated in a series of our spiritual formation retreats that were held at the beginning of the summer in collaboration with a partner organization, that they will continue to seek the Lord’s transformational work in their lives and ministries.
Image Credit: Wuhan, China: Red lanterns closeup
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