Listener Responses from China

Topic of the Month - Report on church Situation (Part 1)

Our church has organized a disciple training course

I live in a village. Since graduating from junior high school, I have been knitting carpets at home. Not many people like this kind of monotonous job but I do because I can listen to your broadcast, meditate God's Word and praise Him at the same time.

Our church is made up of many family meeting groups. As the number of believers increase, we are short of preachers. Thank God for knowing our needs. Recently we organized a 60-week long course for the training of disciples and preachers. Until now, there are about forty attendants who are willing to serve God wholeheartedly. I am moved and called by God too. The course has started for several weeks. The workload was very heavy. I encountered much difficulty in sermon practice. Even if I have prepared my sermon well beforehand, my mind becomes blank on stage. I hope that God will give me strength to overcome my shyness and transform me to be His useful servant.

(#12729 Henan, response to "The New Generation" and "Light a Lamp")

If God is for us

We enjoy very limited religious freedom, in some areas only. Officials pay much attention to religious activities. Pastors' families are always visited secretly. Taking myself as example, I am not always at home but know that when I was away, somebody, pretending as believers, came to visit my family members and questioned about their occupation and overseas relationship. Fortunately we are clean and leave them no excuse to accuse us.

I hope our church will have Children Sunday School and have asked you to pray for us and send me reference materials before. Now somebody reminds me that those under 18 years old are not allowed to believe any religion or go to church. Church is also forbidden to run Sunday School to iniluence children and youth. I won't give up. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31) Please pray that God's work won't be hindered. By the way, there are many believers lose their zeal and faith to promote God's kingdom. They stay away from church service. Please pray for them too

(#14474 Fujian response to the program "Voice of Friendship Seminary")

The number of congregation increased slowly

I was chosen by God in April of 1992. A church was founded one month later at my home and I became a coworker. In the beginning we had a congregation of seven. In the past three years, the number has slowly increased to thirty. However twenty of them are spiritually weary, two passed away and four planted another church.

I am seventy years old and have studied for only two years at school in my childhood. It's God grace that today I can read and write a lot. Yet I know I am not doing a good job for God. I want to lead as many people as possible to Jesus Christ. I am not satisfied with present situation. Please help me and send me Bible study and sermon materials.

(#13273 Hubei, response to "DAWN China")

The Gospel was once spread quickly

I have been serving God in village churches here. Evangelists came to our place more than ten years ago. During the first five or six years, the Gospel was spread quickly. Then it almost stopped. I think there are several reasons. First, our pastors urge the believers to repent, sanctily and have faith in the Lord but seldom teach the Great Commission. We ignore the urgency of spreading the Gospel and some believers even segregate themselves from non-believers. Second, our church lacks young brothers. Most of them have left the village to seek employment elsewhere. There are new converts occasionally but we fail to provide them with proper discipleship training and the caring is minimal if not none. Third, church management is in chaos, lack of pastors and out-reaching plan. Though there are intermittent efforts, long-term planning in evangelism is absent.

Thank God that He still gives us chance to serve Him. By His guidance, we held a Bible study course for thirteen students a year ago. After the course ended, they returned to their villages to spread the Gospel and organize similar study groups.

(#10915 Anhui, response to programs on C1OO, short wave broadcast from Manila)

We have a heart for the Lord

All believers of our church have a heart for the Lord. We put our hope in Him, and love, pray and serve each other. We have fellowship gatherings at a sister's home on every Wednesday and Friday and worship the Lord at church on Sunday. We gather to listen to your broadcast, praise and pray, witness God's grace and study the Bible. We are willing to strive to preach the Gospel. I have received the broadcast tiinetable from you and will write down the time and programs on plain paper. These copies will then be distributed to other people so that they can come to know God and listen to the truth through your broadcast.

(#15202 Henan, response to "The New Generation")

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