The Shop Church: The Second Mile
Filling the gap for rural church planters working in urban factory areas, shop-churches provide both income and position for effective outreach to factory workers.
Articles
Latest
Business as Ministry
A look at one business that is being used effectively to bring the gospel to the people of one community.
When East Meets West in the Market Place
One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China by James McGregor. New York: Free Press, 2005, 312 pp., ISBN: 0743258398, US$27.00.
Reviewed by Brent Fulton
Staying in China
He was given twenty-four hours to leave the country. After a week of uncertainty, following an investigation by the police, it was finally made clear he was being expelled for "religious activities incompatible with his status as a foreign expert." Meanwhile, in another city, another foreigner is hailed as a true friend of China and given, what was at the time, the rare honor of permanent residence. These experiences of two equally committed Christian professionals, both of whom felt called to serve in China, are drastically different. There are several issues here, but clearly "retention" or longevity of in-country service is one of them.
Going the Distance
The editor's point of view.
Flourishing in Demanding Environments
Stress and Trauma Handbook: Strategies for Flourishing in Demanding Environments edited by John Fawcett.
Reviewed by Steve Spinella
The Challenge of Returning Chinese Scholars
With the number of Chinese scholars studying abroad increasing and many of them coming to faith in Christ, understanding the challenges they face in returning to China is vital for their ongoing spiritual growth. What is being done to deal with those challenges?
The Road Home
In the past few years, returning Chinese scholars have played an increasingly important role in China's economic construction. At the same time, more and more of them are returning with the goal of spreading the gospel. Is this an easy or difficult path to take? What obstacles does one encounter, and how can these be solved? What should one do to prepare to return?
The following interview with Chen Guoguang addresses these questions. Originally from Beijing, Chen worked in the U.S as an electrical engineer and also spent three years in seminary. In 1993, he returned to work in China with the goal of spreading the gospel. Looking back on these years, he has much in his heart to share with those who also have this goal.
The 4/14 Window
The "4/14 Window" refers to children and young people between the ages of four and fourteen. What does the 4/14 Window look like in a Chinese context? What are the needs and is the church responding?
Twice Forgotten
Editor's Note: This editorial originally appeared in "Children at Risk" (CS Quarterly, 2006 Summer).
When Can I Go Home?
Mid-January in Zhengzhou, the temperature dipped to -7C after a snowstorm. Chuan, a 13 year-old boy from the far west province of Gansu, was rummaging through a trash bin in a corner inside the Zhengzhou train station. His face was covered in soot; he was wearing an ill-fitted, filthy cotton jacket, lightweight trousers and a pair of tattered tennis shoes. The previous night, he had stowed away on a coal car headed for Zhengzhou. Cold and starving, he searched frantically for anything edible. Alone in a strange city, without money and not knowing a soul, Chuan wondered aimlessly.
China’s Children
God is on the move. Could this tiny article change the lives of many? Could it do more than inform and challenge? I think so. Those of you reading this could be part of a journey, led by the Holy Spirit, that commenced about a year ago. Intrigued? Read more.