“God’s Grace is Sufficient For Us”

Young Christian workers in China, whether in the TSPM churches or the house churches, face real pressures from family and society to earn money and make a “proper livelihood.” Serving the Lord full time often means sacrifice and living below the poverty line. The following article is taken from details published in the China Christian council magazine Tianfeng published earlier in China this year. It is typical of the pressures suffered by many dedicated Christian workers.

“During the first half of 2001, just before I finished my studies at Nanjing Theological Seminary, I went through a lesson of faith and guidance. In March my home town congregation to which I was going to be assigned told me that they could not offer me a job as a pastor. Believing firmly in God’s good purpose my fiancee and I did not lose our peace of mind or rely on human efforts but sought God’s guidance through prayer and Bible study. Since I am a graduate from Sichuan Theological Seminary, I was convinced my future work would be in Sichuan. I also received help from an old lady in Sichuan who wished me to use my knowledge in my home region. So we turned down requests from other provinces.

“An elder in Chengdu telephoned to say a pastor was needed in Pengzhou. This news was met with disbelief by our fellow students since Pengzhou was a small church and did not even have a proper church building. Would 20-30 believers be able to support both of us? While still in Nanjing we started to pray to God that more people would be saved and Pengzhou church would grow.

“In July 2001 we finally arrived in Pengzhou. It is 40 kms [23 miles] from Chengdu in a region which resembles a landscape painting.

“Since our arrival the congregation of 20-40 believers attending Sunday services has doubled, and the overall number of church-goers including seekers and catechumens has risen to 500. We are delighted to see the congregation consists of people of all age groups and that the proportion of male and female believers is fairly even. Thirty couples have become Christians and walk their Christian path hand in hand.

“Core groups have been set up, such as pastoral work, choir and welcome team. Church activities have expanded to include a weekly prayer meeting, Sunday morning Bible study and Saturday night youth fellowship, which has reopened after its closure in the 1950s.

“Financially, however, the church has struggled. Providing salaries for two evangelists without support from higher levels of the church seemed like a fairy tale. But within a year the church managed to raise funds for the evangelists’ salaries and daily expenses and an additional income of 10,000 RMB [US$1,254].

“On our arrival, our monthly salary was 180 RMB [US$22]. After deducting the expenses (rent 50 RMB [US$6], offering 20 RMB [US$2.50], water and electricity 20 RMB) we had 90 RMB each at our disposal per month [only US$11]. To human logic, 90 RMB may not be sufficient to live on in a city, but God’s logic is different.

“‘My grace is sufficient for you.’ (2 Cor. 12:9) God used many people to encourage us. The principal and teachers of the provincial seminary and brothers and sisters in the church offered their help, and even believers in Heilongjiang thousands of miles away showed their care for us. The greatest support came from the pastor of our congregation and our spiritual mother, Mrs. Wang, who set aside money from her tiny pension to support us.

“On June 30, 2001 we were married in Nanjing and our baby girl was born on May 9, 2002. A thousand words cannot describe the beauty of our ‘treasure’ whose birth brought great joy and great changes.

“The history of Pengzhou church dates back to 1902 when a Canadian missionary called G. E. Hartwell came to preach. Churches were opened in every corner of Peng County and Peng County church became one of the ten largest church districts in the whole of Sichuan province. During the Cultural Revolution church activities were interrupted, but in the 1980s two elderly ladies started reviving the Pengzhou church. Thanks to God’s guidance Pengzhou church has recovered its vitality in recent years. It is the place of our dreams and hopes where God and his grace are with us.”

THE PERILS OF NON-CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE

“I have been a believer for over ten years. Two years ago I met my wife and married her not too long after that. But my life has been unhappy since then. She is not a believer and her mother worships idols. She would not let me attend church. Because I was too old to marry someone of her age, I was eager to marry her and submitted to her will every time. However, our conflicts got worse after the wedding. Sometimes she even bursts into anger over very minor issues. I have not attended church for two years, and I am now very feeble spiritually.”

So writes Mr. Sun who lives in Jiangsu province. More recently he told FEBC in Hong Kong that his wife had decided to divorce him. However, his daughter is only two years old. His plight vividly illustrates the danger of marrying a non-Christian.

In the countryside, idolatry is still very strong, and if the extended family or clan are involved in worship of the ancestors and local deities, then it can be very difficult to take a stand as a Christian.

Actually, in China, it is more often the other way round—young Christian women marry non-Christian men. Sometimes they are desperate to get married before they reach 30, as this is still the norm, especially in the villages. As there are often far fewer committed young Christian men in the church (both TSPM and house church—although we are glad to report this is not always the case), the girls often marry non-Christian men with sometimes catastrophic results. Sometimes the pressure comes from their parents and family. If a girl is the only Christian in the family, she often gives in to this pressure, only to regret it later.

OMF has produced some well-written booklets on the Christian view of dating and marriage. Pray that young Christians in China will be given the grace and patience to trust the Lord to find suitable partners—and resist strong pressure even from loved ones to marry non-Christians.

EUROPE — GET READY!

Europe is the favorite destination for Chinese tourists. Thirty-five percent of those surveyed recently want to visit Europe. According to the Master Index of Travel, Europe is the most desirable travel destination—followed by Australia, Hong Kong and Canada. It is estimated in the second half of 2006 19 million Chinese will have traveled abroad. Safety is their biggest concern, followed by worries about language and communication. (People’s Daily Online, 14 Sept 2006)

What a wonderful opportunity for European churches to share the gospel! How will British, French, German, Dutch, Italian and Overseas Chinese churches respond? Here are a few suggestions:

• Prominent gospel posters and welcome signs in modern simplified Chinese
• Tables and racks of Bibles, New Testaments and gospel booklets in Chinese
• Street evangelism and friendship teams to welcome Chinese tourists
• Christian bookstores and Christian-run businesses and cafes made “Chinese-user-friendly” with Chinese gospel posters and literature available
• Free gift-bags containing local specialities and souvenirs together with a New Testament, gospel presentation on DVD and/or evangelistic booklets (in Chinese, of course!). These could be given away to Chinese tour groups arriving/leaving airports or when visiting tourist sites.

According to the survey, most Chinese tourists want to buy souvenirs and luxury goods. How much better if they return to China with the gospel—received “without money and without price”!

Copyright 2006 by OMF International