The opportunities remain significant for the church and international student ministries to reach and disciple Chinese students and scholars, the majority of whom (about 80 percent) will go back to China.
We long to see returnees not just survive their transition home, but return well, engage with and get involved in the local church, and be ambassadors for Christ to their families, friends, colleagues, and the world.
Carter made the decision to establish relations with China (December 30, 2024, NPR)One of Carter’s most enduring foreign policy legacies was his decision to establish formal diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China at the start of 1979 —– nearly 30 years after the Communist Party seized power. The establishment of ties […]
63 Chinese Cuisines: The Complete Guide (November 19, 2024, Chinese Cooking Demystified)I don’t think it’s exactly fair to tear down The Big Eight without building something to replace it. After all, it’s still a better starting point than One Country, One Cuisine! It’s just incomplete. But then… if not eight, how many cuisines […]
China Extends Visa-Free Transit Stays to 10 Days (December 16, 2024, Reuters) People from 54 countries including Russia, Brazil, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, "who transit from China to a third country (region), can enter China without a visa from any of the 60 open ports in 24 provinces and stay in the specified area for no more than 240 hours," it said.
Video – Christian Architecture in Contemporary China: Orthodox Form and Metabollic Practice (December 4, 2024, Initiative for the Study of Asian Catholics)With the founding of the People’s Republic, the construction of churches by missionaries came to a halt. Existing churches were expropriated, and it was not until 1979, with the readmission of religious […]
What were your favorite posts from the last year? We’ve rounded up our most-read articles for a look back at the best of 2024.
Rudolf was all of these—a dear brother in Christ who left an indelible impression on those with whom he served. His vision and unstoppable determination to seek the expansion of Christ’s kingdom in China were instrumental in shaping ChinaSource into the organization it is today.
This past year has been extraordinary for ChinaSource—a season marked by remarkable kingdom partnerships and unity that point directly to God’s faithfulness. Reflecting on the milestones of 2024, one phrase captures the essence of this journey: “unprecedented territory.”
Prayer is and has long been a hallmark of churches in China. As we enter a new year, we at ChinaSource are committing to a renewed emphasis on praying for China. What are some of the things that we want to see happen in China, in the lives of those we serve there, and in our own hearts and minds?
The pulpit of urban house churches in mainland China refers to preaching and information-sharing conducted by preachers during Sunday services and other occasions. The challenges discussed here refer to problems or crises, both internal and external, that affect the church’s pulpit.
We can work toward becoming what Sherwood Lingenfelter described as a 150 percent person, a person who retains 75 percent of their birth culture and adopts 75 percent of their new culture. Such a person becomes more than they used to, able to minister cross-culturally with greater empathy and impact.
Guangxiao Church and Zion Church, two of Guangzhou’s leading and historical churches, are pioneering youth-focused outreach efforts to counter the decline in youth attendance. To attract them to the church, the two churches offer various youth-centered activities, including a "Faith Pharmacy," comic exhibitions, and storytelling sessions.
I was born in a Christian family and my grandma is a faithful Christian. She likes reading the Bible in the afternoon even though she only has a primary school education. At that age, I couldn’t understand what this meant to me, but seeds of faith were planted in my heart though I didn’t know it yet.
Chinese house churches must deliberate on how to be genuinely Chinese and truly Christian. Both the concepts that are overemphasized cause distortion. It takes constant navigating to be “in the culture but not of it.” Authentic Chinese Christianity will result from keeping both ideas in healthy tension as Chinese house churches negotiate between indigenizing and acting as pilgrim communities.
ChinaSource was formed in 1997, reflecting the spirit of the Lausanne Movement and in accordance with the Lausanne Covenant. Together with other global ministries, Dr. Brent Fulton and several colleagues founded ChinaSource with the goal that the global church would better understand the church in China and seek ways to serve Christ’s church together.
In the face of uncertainty and anxiety about the future, Christians must return to the essence of the gospel. While the gospel has the power to transform society, societal change has never been the primary focus of Christian faith. The gospel transforms society by bringing hope to individuals and inspiring moral renewal. The gradual transformation of individual lives collectively fosters societal progress.
May we welcome [Chinese international students], love them, teach them about Jesus, and disciple those who believe. May we prepare them well to return and may the churches in China prepare well to receive them.
On November 14, 2024, nearly 200 Chinese pastors, church leaders, theologians, and educators from around the world gathered at the picturesque Biola University. Together, they celebrated the historic establishment of the Institute for Advanced Studies of Chinese Christianity (IASCC) and the Biola Research Initiative for Chinese Theology.
As we close out 2024, I am filled with gratitude—for God’s goodness that has pursued us, for faithful partners like you, and for the lives being transformed through his love. Today on this Giving Tuesday, I invite you to join us. Your partnership helps us connect people, ideas, and resources to advance God’s work in China and beyond.
In Pastor Hsi, written by Mrs. Howard Taylor, we can tell that the pastoral problems Pastor Hsi encountered when the Shanxi Church was established more than a hundred years ago are exactly the same as those we face today: there is the danger of false teachers, the pain brought by church division, and the various different voices from inside and outside the church.
In just a few weeks we will celebrate Messiah’s birth, remembering the day when hope entered the world, forever changing the course of human history. Many of our China stories have a similar anticipatory quality. Whatever our stories may promise, our hope for China is more than looking forward to an ideal future.