The most stressful thing for Pastor Luo this year was that a Christian man intended to serve full-time, but Luo worried all night and couldn't sleep due to the church’s stretched finances.
In a city church, if the congregation suffers a loss of one or two members, the ministry can still survive and thrive. But such departure can, however, jeopardize the whole ministry of a rural church.
Despite the retirement system for pastors, many grassroots churches struggle to implement it effectively due to a shortage of pastoral staff. The reasons for such an issue are the lack of successors and the desire of some pastors to keep "serving the Lord to the end."
In the past, a house church often hurried to explain the main points of the gospel, but listeners found it difficult to accept all this unfamiliar information in a short time. Then they switched to use movies to illustrate the message.
In an era of rapid change, pastors need to attract believers through effective sermons. When believers experience God, they become longing for more grace. In fact, many churches urge believers to be thirsty for God, but excessive demands might foster a rebellious attitude.
A professor from Shanghai University has urged historic churches in China to sort out their history and recognize their churches’ cultural significance.
At Easter time, a pastor illustrated that God never leaves believers, especially when they are in weakness, valleys, or disappointments, using the story of the two disciples recognizing the resurrected Jesus on the road to Emmaus.
More than 30 years ago, Chinese believers often heard about miracles of healing, but they rarely happen nowadays. One pastor believes that God's work progresses gradually rather than remaining constant.
Dr. Wu Dongri's lecture delves into the intersection of Eastern thought and biblical interpretation, challenging the dominance of Western perspectives in theological discourse. Through an exploration of cultural paths outlined by Liang Shuming, Dr. Wu emphasizes the importance of recognizing and integrating diverse cultural perspectives for a more holistic understanding of scripture and spiritual renewal.
During my past two-year psychological counseling work, I can clearly feel that more and more exceptional teenagers come to consult me, but they receive much less help than they should.
As hermeneutics is more developed in the West and experiences transition during the process, a Chinese theological researcher urges Chinese Christians to interpret the Bible with an Eastern mindset based on the discipline.
Regardless of whether young people are believers or non-believers, they don't need high-and-mighty preaching and advice; they need listeners who can sit down to hear their stories and provide advice to address their anxieties.
Cruel historical memory makes us tend to yearn for material possessions. In the practice of the Christian faith, we have constantly materialized Jesus. We have shaped the image of Jesus and the gospel according to our national memory of suffering.
The Spring Festival is a great opportunity for family reunions and catching up with relatives and friends. For Christians, it is also a chance to share the message of the Lord. How can we seize these opportunities to better share the gospel?
While the development of the economy and the rise of rural migrant workers contribute to the collapse of rural traditional ethics and social structure, public activities in rural areas have not been established. The church needs to respond and take up the public function of shaping values once more.
In contemporary society, New Year's visits have become a custom, that enhances relationships through mutual blessings. This is different from the old custom of worshipping idols, and Christians should not reject it.
A pastor who has been practicing a small group model in his church for around five years emphasized the importance of the mission and vision of the small groups as well as a mature concept which prevents one from blindly copying from others.