The February/March issue of Pray for China focuses on the basic foundational needs of a fruitful church in China. The articles point out that without a solid groundwork, Chinese churches will continue to struggle with growth and development.
Points of Contact: Buddhism
The many apparent similarities between Buddhism and Christianity offer useful points of departure for conversations that reflect genuine respect but also move towards greater clarity. Though they do not have to make unnecessary concessions to Buddhism in the process, Christians may move from these points of contact to a presentation of their faith that answers the longings, and even some of the God-given insights, of their Buddhist friends.
A Short List of Books and Websites about China
Points of Contact: Confucianism and Christianity
With the influence of Confucius and Confucianism once again rising in China, Christians must find effective avenues of approach to deal with this pervasive cultural force. As with other elements of any culture, Christians can take several possible stances: They can utterly ignore Confucianism; totally reject it; assimilate it into Christianity with little critique; or affirm certain aspects of it while challenging, correcting, and even replacing others with biblical truth.
Requirements for Baptism
The Highest Priority for China Missions Today
Every issue of the Evangelical Missions Quarterly repays careful reading, but this article seems to have special relevance for those engaged in ministry to Chinese.In this hard-hitting and, well-argued essay, a veteran Korean missionary issues an urgent, compelling call to the church to re-evaluate its missions priorities. In my opinion, his insights apply with special force to the Chinese situation.
Family Ministry: The Key to the Future of the Church
As always, the latest issue of the ChinaSource Journal comes packed with authoritative, insightful articles. All deserve reading, but our focus will be on Li Sha’s most helpful survey of three family ministry models prevalent in Chinese churches today. As you will see, her essay brings a message to churches outside of China as well.
Death and Life in Taiwan
If you want to know the real impact of what is blandly termed “popular Chinese religion,” Dead Women Walking is for you. Though based upon true stories from Taiwan, it could just as well describe the plight of millions of Chinese on the mainland, as traditional religions experience resurgence in a post-Mao society.