Christian Friends of China

I led a week-long Bible study workshop at China Place in January.  The workshop took students through key bible stories that help unpack the Christocentric purpose of the Bible: the fall into sin and the first promise; the promise to Abraham; Jesus’ birth; Peter’s confession; and Jesus’ death/resurrection.  It was conducted in Chinese.  An elderly couple who attended responded very well.  They confessed faith in Jesus – but stopped short of a full declaration of faith because the are still struggling with idea that Jesus is their only Lord.  They were not yet ready to completely let go of their buddhist background.  Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit caused great growth in the seeds that were planted just within the course of a week.  The following week, I offered the couple a follow up study to discuss Jesus’ lordship.  This was a fruitful study too, and they came away with a strong desire to confess Jesus as their only Lord – but they are still struggling.  The fact that they are struggling is a good sign, since they seem to be struggling in the right direction.  Pray that the Holy Spirit will keep moving them to finally break free from their Buddhist past.

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Last week, a CFC volunteer (Merlene) was shocked and humbled when an elderly couple approached her at a Chinese New Year celebration and, with big smiles, said, “We were baptized today.”  They expressed great joy, and also thanked Merlene for her loving witness which had been instrumental in leading them to faith.  I was at the same party, and Merlene immediately told me what happened.  Of course, I immediately went to congratulate the couple, and they told me the story – still with beaming smiles.  They thanked me too for my witness and hospitality.  They had visited Risen Christ Lutheran Church at least three times since thanksgiving, and they mentioned that the hospitality and sincerity of the brothers and sisters at Risen Christ during their visits also left deep impressions.  They were baptized by Rev. Shen Lin at Minnesota Faith Chinese Lutheran Church (on Como and Doswell).  This will be their church home.

Mr. and Mrs. Lin and her husband first heard the gospel in July, 2007.  They attended a seeker service that I led at China Place.  The seeker service was the first time they had heard the Gospel proclaimed as a coherent message.  Mrs. Lin responded with a lot of questions and conversation later that same day, and she said that although she had never read the Bible, she knew that it is God’s Word, that it is true, and that she needed to learn it.  Within a week, she had begun studying the Bible with Amy, program director for the Hospitality Center for Chinese.  Her faith was nurtured throughout the year through Christian friendships, multiple visits to Risen Christ Lutheran Church, and ultimately getting connected to Minnesota Faith Chinese Lutheran Church.  The timing of their baptism was significant: the week of Chinese New Year.  Chinese New Year is a time of hope and looking forward to prosperity and blessings in the coming year.  For those who believe in Jesus, every day is filled with the blessings of God’s love, forgiveness, and a future filled with hope.

The story of this couple coming to faith is a testimony that God’s Word is powerful, and that the Holy Spirit works through it when it is shared.  This is also a reminder of how many people God often uses in leading a person to faith.  Although there were some key moments, it took dozens of people witnessing in many different ways over a span of many months.  One other neat part of this story was the priceless look on Merlene’s face when she realized God had used her to help lead a husband and wife to Jesus.  Friendship – Witness – Fellowship came full circle, and it was a joyful and humbling moment.  Praise God for all the faithful witnesses God put in the lives of this elderly Chinese couple.  I hope this story is an encouragement for you as you pray for, look for, and take advantage of opportunities to share your faith with your Chinese neighbors.

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Every December people pray for a blessed Christmas. In one way or another, most of our Christmas activities are meant to point out that we really are blessed. Christmas ‘07 for Christian Friends of China at Risen Christ Lutheran Church was a blessing in so many ways. I hope the written account below brightens your holidays and adds to your blessings!

Special Guest Speaker

On Wednesday evening, December 19, members of Risen Christ and our Chinese guests were blessed to hear a special guest speaker, Rev. Qiu Lin, share with us his journey to faith. Pastor Lin, once a successful professor in Beijing suddenly found himself living in Honolulu barely able to hold down a job in a Chinese restaurant. After hitting spiritual rock bottom, Pastor Lin was touched by God’s undeserved gift of forgiveness and reconciliation. We thank Rev. Qiu Lin for sharing his moving testimony of God’s grace in his life. His testimony touched us as believers, moved us to thanksgiving for God’s grace among the Chinese, and he gave us encouragement as we share our faith with our Chinese neighbors. Rev. Lin’s testimony also deeply moved several seekers who were present. At least five seekers responded with questions or follow up conversations about the Gospel. Thank you Rev. Qiu Lin for sharing your faith and testimony!

Christmas Eve

Risen Christ was blessed to have eight Chinese guests attend its Christmas Eve candle light service. CFC volunteers picked up Chinese friends at China Place and brought them to the service in Stillwater. All enjoyed the sights and sounds of Christians in worship: Christmas carols, liturgy, prayers, and a basic Gospel presentation. For some, this was the first time ever in a church. For others, it was another chance to hear God’s Word and enjoy Christian friendship and fellowship. The presence of our Chinese friends was also a blessing to Risen Christ members. Chinese and Americans both stayed long after the service and got to know each other. God blessed many with new friendships and strengthened old ones.

The Crowds of Christmas Day

Christmas Day worship at Risen Christ was an unexpected blessing with twenty Chinese guests in attendance. Many of those who came are English students of Merlene Lieder who volunteers at Hospitality Center for Chinese. We wanted to share Christian friendship God’s Word to as many Chinese friends as possible, so we invited our students, their family and friends. It felt a lot like Matthew 22:9, where the king sent his servants into the streets to invite anyone they could find. We invited, and they happily came. With the help of volunteers to drive, all twenty Chinese friends piled into the church to make Risen Christ’s Christmas worship different from any previous year.

For most of our Chinese guests, this was the first time they had ever stepped foot in a church. While they were impressed by the sights and sounds, it was not easy following along in worship. This meant Risen Christ members were privileged to show friendship by assisting others (finding the right page in the hymnal, explaining what was happening in worship, etc.). For the sermon, Rev. Gary Kirschke shared the good news of Jesus Christ in a simple way that all of our Chinese and American guests appreciated. Parts of the service were translated into Chinese so everyone could understand. The multicultural and bilingual nature of the service made Christmas worship a lively, enjoyable, and memorable experience. Many of the brothers and sisters at Risen Christ stayed and chatted with our Chinese friends, and many commented on what a blessing it was to have them with us.

All of our Chinese guests commented on how much they enjoyed worshipping with us, and they hope to come back again soon and learn more about the Christian faith. In the conversations that took place after the worship, one Chinese woman indicated that she thinks she believes what was shared in the sermon. She also requested to be baptized. Now, she is preparing to begin a basic baptism preparation class. Praise be to God for so clearly creating faith and new life through his word - the word he entrusted us to share.

Christian friendship continued for all our Chinese guests after church at the home of Paul and Merlene Lieder, Risen Christ members and CFC volunteers. The Lieders hosted all twenty guests for Christmas dinner and festivities, in addition to family and friends. Chinese guests received an mp3 audio Bible in Mandarin. “By the end of the day”, commented Joshua Lieder, “everyone was pretty much exhausted, but we all had a wonderful time.” Some things are worth the effort - this is one of them. What a privilege to count this as one of our Christmas blessings. Be sure to check out photos of these events at www.ChristianFriendsofChina.org.

Friendship - Witness - Fellowship

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