Pray for China on Sunday, February 26, 2012
Prayers for China: Mark 1:9-15
In the last century, Chinese Christians have had their faith tested time and again, but they did not abandon their faith. They were sustained by the promises of Jesus’ teachings, and knew in their hearts that the kingdom of God was near.
Lord, this Sunday we pray that you continue to watch over your flock in China. We lift up the new believers who seek a life in Christ as the church in China continues to grow.
God we give thanks for the work being done at the hospitals founded by missionaries, they provide care for millions each year. We also ask for blessings for the elderly and poor who cannot afford medical care. You have sent talented physicians, but the costs are moving further out of reach of the common people, please provide for them. Amen.
Mission Stewardship Moment from China:
One Sunday morning in rural China, I had the opportunity to watch two students being baptized.
The church had only been recently reopened after the local government had shut it down for three months while our minister was away for further religious education. On a typical morning the small community of believers’ average age was probably close to 75 and numbered no more than 15. From the street, the building looked like every other storefront, and I never would have found it without the help of a student who called herself Sunny.
That morning though, the sanctuary was full. The two students had brought several of their classmates to support them in this act, and the singing in featureless room echoed out onto the streets. The congregation sang in at least three dialects, and was accompanied by the tiny stereo that had been a gift from the National church in the early 90’s; it could only be described as a joyful noise. I remember that the preacher joined the chorus from the pulpit, and her face beamed at the full pews.
After the singing of a few hymns, the two students and several other recent converts moved slowly to the front of the “sanctuary” and knelt before the cross. The minister asked them one by one for their confession of faith and sprinkled them with holy water. Behind the cross in Chinese characters was the word Emmanuel, and there was no doubt that in that moment, God was with us.
(Prayer and Mission Moment by Lynnea and Tom Morse)
Video Resources for China:
Tom Morse: Amity Foundation http://globalministries.org/resources/multimedia-resources/index/video-mission-moments/china-morse.html
Global Ministries International Partners in China:
- Amity Foundation: Read about the work of Amity as it responds to the Sichuan earthquake at: http://www.amityfoundation.org/wordpress/index.php
- China Christian Council: To read about the work of the Protestant Churches in China, click here: http://www.chineseprotestantchurch.org.cn/english/
More info about partners and projects in China: http://globalministries.org/eap/countries/china/
Global Ministries Personnel in China:
Tom & Lynnea Morse: Tom serves with the Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital assisting the Hospital in their English communications. Lynnea serves the Amity Foundation of China through Church World Service as an English teacher.