Rob Moll’s ChristianityToday article on the growth of the church in China, Great Leap Forward, provides us with some valuable lessons for CrossWay. Let me highlight a few characteristics about the church in China that caught my attention.Personal Evangelism
First, despite the persecution, the church in China grew with personal evangelism.
Job and his wife became Christians the same way most Chinese do: A friend who was visiting the couple in their home simply shared the gospel. ‘She came for 24 hours, and she preached the gospel for 20,’ Job says of an evening 5 years ago. This is how Christianity spreads in China: person by person.It would be good for us to learn from the example our Chinese brothers and sisters in Christ.
Church Planting
Second, the church in China grew because of a strong emphasis on church planting.
The traditional house church has always been small, subdividing itself frequently. Church members bring their friends to church and it grows. If a house church gets too large in China, it attracts attention and often runs out of room to continue growing. So when a church reaches around people, it splits.(The article highlights several problems these smaller churches encountered by never growing over 100) It would be good for us to learn from the example of our Chinese brothers and sisters in Christ.
Cross-Cultural Missions
Third, despite the great need for reaching their own culture with the gospel, the church in China is committed to missions beyond its borders.
Urban church members are taking the gospel not just to the rest of China, but across Asia and the rest of the world as well. We want to be part of the reinforcement of world missions. I see young leaders from the house church in China planting churches in southern Europe, and Calgary and Toronto. I see them everywhere. So it’s now the era of ministry from China. We the Chinese Church are the ones who are going to bring the gospel back to Jerusalem.It would be good for us to learn from the example of our Chinese brothers and sisters in Christ.
Cooperation with Government
Fourth, the Chinese church seeks to cooperate with government.
The old house-church movement’s relationship with the government was confrontational. We are looking at coexisting. For them to ask anything of us, we will look at it, and if it’s proper, we will do our best to cooperate. Government’s acceptance of us depends on our community contribution.It would be good for us to learn from the example of our Chinese brothers and sisters in Christ.
Core Values
Fifth, a new movement in China called Asian Outreach has identified seven core values for its churches that are challenging.
- Practice “kingdom first.” They acknowledge and work with other churches in each city and across China. Urban Christians, like most Chinese believers, are intentionally interdenominational.
- Be “Bible based.” Theologically, they are conservative and evangelical.
- Believe in the “five-fold ministries.” They acknowledge the roles of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers as spelled out in Ephesians 4:11.
- Equip the saints. Rather than rely on the emergence of charismatic leaders, they follow a mentoring model to disciple people.
- Receive the “abundant life.” While rejecting the prosperity gospel, they believe God can bless Christians materially, and that blessing can be used to influence others to build the kingdom.
- Desire to “establish the church.” They are missionary, including a strong desire to take the gospel “back to Jerusalem.”
- See “to bless the society.” They are newly engaged in social ministry.
