Pray for China Sunday, May 15, 2011

Pray for China Sunday, May 15, 2011

Prayer for China: Acts 2:42-47

God, creator of all, we pray for the people of China. You call us by name, and lead us to safe pastures. We thank you for your son Jesus who acts as our connection between heaven and earth. In China we ask that you continue to call new brothers and sisters to hear your Word and follow Christ’s teachings, and that you will guide and shelter them as they begin to follow you. We thank you for the Amity Foundation and China Christian Council for their tireless work in making the Bible available to millions of Chinese Christians in a language that they can understand clearly, and we hope they will be allowed to continue their good works.

Mission Moment from Nanjing, China

My wife and I both provide English instruction in key institutions that will have a far reaching impact, but few opportunities to share the Gospel. However Nanjing’s local churches have started their own programs to attract Chinese youth and give foreign Christians like us a chance to serve the Chinese church. The English Bible studies often have a wide audience; mostly they are college students and young business professionals, but there are also a handful of elderly, life-long Christians who seem to just be happy being in church an extra couple of hours each week since they don’t really understand English. My favorite part of these Bible studies is when we break into small groups to talk about questions from the text or talk about faith in general. There are so many new Christians there and many who are not yet believers. Being there to see them take their first steps in Christ is exciting, and being able to help them understand the greatness of God is a joy.

Many other Christian groups work separately from the Chinese church to form small house churches that meet without permission of the government. Often these are staffed by people with very limited theological experience, and can be shut down at a moment’s notice. Through Global Ministries’ approach of accompaniment though, we are able to work with the Chinese church to bring new members into congregations that are fully developed and completely open. This ensures that new believers are able to build their faith upon the rock, so that it will not be washed away tomorrow.

(Prayer and Mission Moment by Tom Morse)

Global Ministries International Partners in China

Amity Foundation: http://www.amityfoundation.org/wordpress/
The China Christian Council:” http://www.chineseprotestantchurch.org.cn/en/  

Global Ministries missionaries in China, Tom and Lynnea Morse

Thomas Morse, a member of First Christian Church, Helena, Montana, serves with the Amity Foundation of China teaching English. Lynnea Morse, a member of St John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Greene, Iowa, and also serves the Amity Foundation of China through Church World Service as an English teacher.

For more information: http://globalministries.org/eap/countries/china/

Pray for Partners without Global Ministries Mission Personnel: Myanmar

God, we pray for our partners in Myanmar. We ask that you might accompany them as they seek to reach out to the poorest of the poor in their context. We pray for their struggle for peace with justice and we ask you to help us be faithful partners to them. Amen

More info on Myanmar: http://globalministries.org/sasia/countries/myanmar/