In China, the number of Christians is growing constantlyeven the official figure is increasing. The latest estimate from the TSPM/CCC is sixteen million Christians. Among these Christians are a group of people who are busy with their business on weekdays but worship God on weekends; they are the Chinese Christian business people.
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.
A look at one business that is being used effectively to bring the gospel to the people of one community.
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
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.
The editor's point of view.
Stress and Trauma Handbook: Strategies for Flourishing in Demanding Environments edited by John Fawcett.
Reviewed by Steve Spinella
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?
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" 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?
Editor's Note: This editorial originally appeared in "Children at Risk" (CS Quarterly, 2006 Summer).
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.