In part one of this post, we looked at the many ways that God took care of his church in China. Today, we turn to the work that Chinese believers were able to do in the midst of the pandemic. Though the outreach methods were often different from those used before lockdown, the goal was the same: to provide spiritual and material support to the community of believers and to show the love of Christ to the wider community.
Salt in the Soup
In this post, three Chinese pastors reflect on what was working as they guided their congregations through the challenge of online church. The pastors discuss lessons they are learning from the experience and include prayer requests. Though the reflections are from 2020, they are still relevant. We can always pray to be “salt in the soup”!
Easter in Shanghai during the Lockdown
The creativity, resilience, and open heartedness of Chinese believers never ceases to inspire! Though Easter 2022 took place during lockdown, Christians in Shanghai still found ways to pray, to fellowship online, and to support one another’s mental and spiritual health. Some brothers and sisters realized that the elderly in their communities, as well as migrant workers, were unable to buy food and other necessary supplies. In response, they organized mutual aid groups on WeChat, where people could post requests for help and receive assistance.
A Pastor’s Vision for Small Groups
Changing over from a large congregation to small groups was not an easy transition for many churches. Small group leaders needed training, and the groups needed to stay connected to their pastor and other groups to maintain the sense of a broader community. One pastor in Zhejiang Province shared how he was able to develop small group training for his aging rural church.
Three Trends in the Post-Pandemic Church in China, Part 1 and Part 2
In this two-part article, several pastors weigh in on the advantages and pitfalls of the move to more small groups and online gatherings. While people may feel closer in a small group, there can be more room for errors or cults to creep in. Pastors have more groups to oversee, but they are also able to provide support for one another.
Back to Church in Post-COVID China
Once churches were able to resume in-person meetings, pastors and leaders had to think about how to transition people out of online church and back to meeting face-to-face. Many churches developed outreach initiatives to believers who had fallen away, as well as to people who were not yet Christians.
God’s Work in China During Covid Lockdowns (a series)
In this six-part series, we hear from several different Chinese churches and get a view into how they dealt with the pressures of the pandemic. Believers were able to support one another spiritually and materially, grow in their faith, and rise out of the pandemic more firmly dedicated to Christ.
Image credit: Getty Images via UnSplash+.
Rachel Anderson
Rachel Anderson serves as the Assistant Content Manager at ChinaSource. Though she has never been to China, her ancestors were missionaries in East Asia and passed on a deep love and respect for those cultures. Rachel lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their five delightful children. View Full Bio
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