Since 2009, the period of vigorous growth in China's churches has subsided due to various reasons. While some churches have seized opportunities for development during special times (such as leveraging online gatherings during the pandemic), many grassroots churches generally feel the strain of stagnation and struggle to maintain vitality. Coupled with other factors, this has led many pastors to adopt a laid-back mentality. However, some churches have seized development opportunities. A detailed examination of these vibrant church cases reveals seven key insights in this month's two featured articles.

In July, the Everyone Asia 2024 Conference drew over 11,000 participants from 46 countries to Indonesia, aiming to inspire global Christians to fulfill the Great Commission by Pentecost 2033. The conference placed a special focus on Asia, which accounts for around 60% of the global population, sharing insights on the state of Christianity in China, Vietnam, Japan, Myanmar, and other nations. Recognized as a crucial region for reaching everyone with the gospel, local Christians discussed their unique approaches. Another significant highlight of the month was the official visit of the World Evangelical Alliance to China, marking their first visit in seven years and signaling hopes for a long-term relationship.

Father's Day, commonly observed on the third Sunday of June, honors the role of fathers and father figures in our lives. This year, churches across China participated in these celebrations, highlighting the importance of men in the community. Despite being outnumbered by women in Chinese churches, men play a vital role. We would like to offer you a feature article about men's ministries throughout China, including family pastures, men's camps, and tailored teachings. Additionally, we present the testimonies of two Christian men who share how God's grace has touched their lives.

This month, the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary, Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay, paid his first visit to China since he took office in January 2023. As the WCC executive committee is set to meet in China next year, the significant visit was "to engage with church and religious leaders at national and regional levels in Shanghai, Nanjing, and Beijing," paving the way for closer collaborations with Christians and inter-religious partners. Pillay requested the Protestant Church and Catholic Church in China to "work together on the Nicaea 2025 celebration," the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, to "express Christian unity both in China and to the world."

Easter, one of the most important holidays for Christians, was largely celebrated across churches nationwide this year. Starting from Lent, some churches offered daily devotionals for their congregations, and many Christians were devoted to fasting and praying. Entering the Holy Week, traditional liturgical events like foot-washing ceremonies, communion services, and the Stations of the Cross pilgrimage were carried out. On Easter Sunday, Christians in China commemorated the resurrection of the Lord along with evangelistic rallies and baptism services.

After the Chinese New Year, the Chinese church appeared to resume all activities and ministries in March. Both within China and beyond its borders, Christian conferences and forums have come to life. This month, we spotlight three pivotal conferences addressing key themes: the sinicization of Christianity, kingdom theology, and reconciliation in Northeast Asia. They emphasize the importance of integrating Christianity within the rich tapestry of traditional Chinese culture, the deepening of Chinese pastoral workers' understanding of kingdom theology and its implications for ministry and service, and the necessity of healing divides in a region marked by historical tensions and conflicts.

As the grandest festival in China, the Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, has seen the largest annual human migration in the world. Many Chinese Christians returned to their hometowns, also bringing their faith back to their non-Christian relatives and friends. Some even contributed to the improvement of grassroots churches by sharing ministry practices. However, many rural churches saw declining attendance during the festival as believers focused more on family reunions. Moreover, there was tension between Christians and their non-Christian family members during the gathering. We select four articles to give you a glimpse into the scenes.

Training has always been one of the urgent needs inside China's churches. Whether in-person or online, training sessions on theology, evangelism, pastoral care, social service, and even religious policies are conducted throughout China. This month, we select new and old articles to talk about training ministries, reflections on training, and a case study of how to train church volunteers.

After three years of the pandemic, the world started to fully resume in 2023. So did the church in China: in-person meetings and ministries gradually regained their vigor, and international Christian exchanges were restored. Profound changes took place in Christianity in China throughout the year. As we begin 2024, the editorial team of China Christian Daily has selected the top 10 Christian news stories of 2023 based on the number of views, keyword searches, shares, and prominence of articles.

Beginning last month, we have been translating a series of articles themed "Back to the Early Church" into English. A house church pastor who has extensively studied the early church believes that today's Chinese churches can learn from the apostolic age: mutual fellowship, intercessory prayer, self-sacrifice, signs and wonders, etc. There were many international visits during November, and the Chinese Christian community started to travel abroad to attend conferences. We will continue to pay attention to the topic in the future.