Published on Operation World (http://www.operationworld.org)
Apr 05: China, People’s Republic, The Church in China, The Less Evangelized, Supportive Ministries
China
People's Republic of China
Asia
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Geography
Area: 9,573,000 sq kmThe third-largest state in the world, also containing the highest mountains and plateaus in the world. The climate and geography are extremely diverse, ranging from tropical in the south to sub-arctic in the north, from a highly industrialized and modern eastern seaboard to sparsely populated western deserts and mountain ranges. Hong Kong and Macau are integral parts of China, though their statistics are not included here; Taiwan’s status is debated. These three are handled separately.
Population: 1,330,584,783 Annual Growth: 0.63%
Capital: Beijing
Urbanites: 44.9%
HDI Rank: 92 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples
Peoples: 516 (83% unreached) All peoplesUnreached Peoples Prayer Card
Official language: Putonghua (Mandarin Chinese); local languages in the five Autonomous Regions. 15 regional mega-languages. There are an estimated 600 different spoken Han dialects, but one written language common to all Languages: 296 All languages
Religion
Largest Religion: Non-religious| Religion | Pop % | Ann Gr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians | 105,382,315 | 7.92 | 2.7 |
| Evangelicals | 75,399,270 | 5.7 | 2.9 |
| Non-religious | 590,247,410 | 44.36 |
Challenge for Prayer
Social and health needs in China overwhelm the available resources. Pray that Christians in the caring and social professions find many openings to serve the suffering and to show and speak to them about the love of Jesus. Pray also for Christian lawyers who attempt to stand for justice on behalf of those unable to do so themselves. Pray specifically for:a) Those with disease and ill health. Millions suffer with tuberculosis, diabetes is on a rapid rise and hundreds of thousands are HIV positive. Since the government changed its attitude on reporting infection rates, Christians now have more opportunities than ever to care for HIV patients and others suffering from debilitating and terminal diseases. Drug-use rates are rapidly increasing – now over one million users, two-thirds of whom are under age 35. Smoking is a ticking time bomb – 350 million smokers consume over two trillion cigarettes a year.
b) The disabled. Around 83 million disabled, or one-fifth of the world’s total, live in China. Yearly, over 1.2 million are born with defects, and the number is rising. The medical profession is ill-equipped to offer sufficient help to the 40 million affected by mental illness. Praise God that China’s hosting of the Paralympics in 2008 brought improvements in public perception and in quality of life and treatment for the disabled.
c) The vulnerable and helpless. Those most open to abuse and oppression remain women, orphans (three million in orphanages), refugees (especially from North Korea) and the millions living in poverty. Pray that true justice be administered, that rescue be granted to those in imminent danger and that mercy and compassion be shown to these through Christ’s followers.
d) The depressed and hopeless. China now has the highest number of suicides in the world at nearly 300,000 per year, a majority of whom are women. Mental health issues are possibly the most urgent social need in China. Divorce rates are skyrocketing (1.5 million/year). Family and community life are deeply changed. Pray for family stability and well-being. Pray for many Christians to get involved in drug rehabilitation, marital counselling and suicide prevention.
e) The overlooked. Many suffer indignity and oppression unseen by most – the elderly without care, victims of natural disasters struggling to rebuild, migrants making their way in overcrowded enclaves of Chinese megacities, minority communities and those in the harsh penal system. Jesus sees and remembers them all; pray that the Church might also.
For an additional 6 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
More Information
The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of China.The Church in China
China
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Challenge for Prayer
Specific challenges facing the Chinese Church:a) Questions of moral and ethical conduct present themselves daily to Chinese Christians, who often lack access to a Bible and adequate biblical guidance, teaching and counsel for answers to difficult issues. While there is a core of seasoned and faithful men and women – mature, wise Christian leaders and elders offering sound counsel and stability for the churches – their numbers are far too few. Pray for continued guidance from the Holy Spirit, particularly in relation to the following:
i Problems within marriages and families. The generation of house church leaders absent from their families (either in and out of prison or gone for extended periods of itinerant ministry) yields, as a by-product, a number of their children leaving the ministry or even leaving the faith. In urban settings, the twin pressures of gainful employment and pastoring leave marriages and family relationships strained and in many cases broken. The increasing acceptance of extra-marital sexual relationships as a cultural norm further complicates matters. Pray that leaders find ways to model family relationships that honour God. Pray that wise counsel might be provided for struggling families and individuals, and pray that Chinese Christians might demonstrate the power of the gospel through transformed relationships with spouses, children and parents.
ii Financial temptations. Economic progress creates a new set of pressures on Christians, ranging from the desire for personal or church wealth to decisions regarding the stewardship of that wealth. Growing materialism coupled with excessive corruption are cultural norms. Pray for Christians to seek guidance from Scripture as they develop principles and guidelines for living in the world while still faithful to God.
b) Relations between Church and government are improving incrementally, but nearing a crucial decision point. Religious policies might be passed that allow for equality in registration of all religious groups, without requiring governmental control. Pray for a resolution that will best empower the Church to flourish, grow and bless the peoples of China and beyond.
c) Persecution remains a present reality. This is a measure of the government’s fears of such a large movement they do not control and of the majority of the Church operating outside the government-sanctioned church bodies. Since 1996, persecution has increased against house churches unwilling to register with the TSPM/CCC. Arrests, heavy fines, forced closures and destruction of church buildings are increasing in some key areas; the state says this is because house churches are illegal and a potential political threat, not because they are Christian. But this does nothing to lessen the suffering endured by its victims.
d) Churches need godly leaders to teach and guide families and individuals in their community.
i Some TSPM groups report one trained leader for every seven thousand believers and even up to forty thousand in some areas – a shocking scale of need for trained leadership. Pray for formal training structures for the Three Self churches and for God to enable all who must lead, no matter what their circumstances.
ii Younger leaders increasingly face pressures from family and society to pursue financially lucrative career paths instead of a life of ministry. Balancing obedience to God’s calling with honouring family and elders becomes a soul-rending process.
iii Women constitute nearly 75 percent of the Church. This leaves leadership, outreach and care for church members mostly in the hands of women. Pray for their strength and wisdom to manage many responsibilities. Pray also for more effective outreach among men and that both men and women might jointly serve the Church.
e) Bible-based training and discipleship remain crisis-level needs for all arms of the Church.
i Seminaries remain too few in number and small in size to meet the needs of a growing Church, with only 18 official seminaries graduating fewer than 1,000 students per year. Pray for those evangelical professors providing biblical teaching despite the prevailing liberal theology and textbooks. Pray that practical holiness might be central in the lives of faculty and students alike.
ii Bible training centres and other informal training programmes are rapidly springing up across China to equip the hundreds of thousands of lay leaders. Pray for an adequate supply of Bibles flowing to and through these programmes and for sound teaching and learning materials.
iii A truly Chinese expression of biblical faith is essential to move the Church forward into future generations. Pray that as changes come, theology, worship and community will enhance the God-given uniqueness of Chinese culture, while at the same time avoiding an unhealthy nationalism or ethnocentrism.
f) The predations of aggressive cults spread false teachings, rob the Church of many members and lead to confusion and misperceptions of biblical Christianity for many. Some of these cults verge on Christian teaching; others peddle outright deception. They often target churches to recruit new members. Christians (and leaders in particular) must be equipped to know the Truth so as to discern the lies proliferating among these groups.
For an additional 4 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
More Information
The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of The Church in China.The Less Evangelized
China
See Prayer Information
Challenge for Prayer
The 500 million-plus captives of hollow and deceptive philosophies found in ancient practices such as Daoism, Buddhism and Confucianism and in the newer Falun Gong movement. These traditions are experiencing growth – with Confucian teachings especially being promoted and Buddhism rapidly growing. Young people are not so attracted, but many professionals and older generations seek such grounding and transcendent meaning. Pray that they might turn their hearts toward Truth and the freedom only the gospel can give.For an additional 7 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
More Information
The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of The Less Evangelized.Supportive Ministries
World
See Prayer Information
Challenge for Prayer
Christian print materials. There is a seemingly insatiable demand for Bibles and Christian literature for purposes of outreach and equipping the Church. These include hymn books, teaching materials, biographies, tracts, apologetic materials to explain the gospel to students and intellectuals, Christian-living magazines and more. Pray for:a) Bible translation. Around half a million Bibles have been printed across eight minority languages in the last thirty years, including a Braille version. Still, most minority groups do not have their own written languages, let alone translated Scriptures. Pray for this vital work, necessary for the health and indigenous development of the Church among every people.
b) Scripture portions and adaptations. In addition to full Bibles, Scripture portions are available in some languages and are increasingly used for outreach. A downloadable version of the Bible is planned for youth, enabling rapid distribution and use on MP3 players.
c) Christian publishing. Remarkably, around 900 Christian titles are now legally published and available within China, most by commercial or university presses and some by Amity Printing Company. A widening range of literature is published in Hong Kong with millions of copies sent to the mainland. Many agencies are involved in this ministry, including Christian Communications Ltd. (CCL), OMF, Asia Harvest, Antioch Mission–Chinese Church Support Ministries, AOI, OD, denominational bodies and many others. Pray for all aspects of publication and distribution.
d) Bookstores. There may be upward of 400 small Christian bookshops now operating legally in China, double the number of just five years earlier! Praise God for the drastic change in Christian literature availability, and pray for excellent books that may be used by the Spirit to powerfully change hearts and minds to the likeness of Christ.
e) Scholarly literature. With many professionals and academicians interested in Christianity and beginning to follow Jesus, suitable books for intellectuals are a great need.
i Apologetics material. OMF has an extensive ministry here, having printed quality apologetic literature, which is very popular among this group. Academically rigorous exploration of questions or topics raised by a Marxist or atheistic worldview is important.
ii Magazines and periodicals. A Chinese-language magazine, Overseas Campus, has been effective in reaching many mainland Chinese studying in North America and Europe.
iii Higher-education materials. Pray for continued and increased production of quality materials used to train those seeking knowledge of Scripture, at universities and seminaries in particular, and for those with questions not always answered by mainstream Christian literature.
For an additional 4 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
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