Editor’s note: This is the second of a three-part interview series in which we spoke with a Chinese educator involved in establishing a Christian school outside of China. (Part one can be found here; part two is here.)

Running a school has many opportunities and challenges. In this final section, Joshua Liu shares some of the struggles he faces on a regular basis as he tries to help his diverse, global staff view their educational work as mission. This is a crucial time for Chinese Christian education, and he believes there are many opportunities in this season.

Teaching as Mission

China Partnership: What are some specific challenges that your school, and also other schools who have similar mission and vision as yours, might be facing?

Joshua: We have many challenges. One of the challenges is how to get all the teachers on the same page. The teachers are international, from many different places. There are some teachers who say they are Christians, but do not think education is a Christian mission. They think of their job as simply being a good teacher and receiving a salary, but they don’t quite understand education as mission.

We also have churches. For some of the churches, it is difficult to understand what we are doing. How can we lead these teams of international teachers to truly love the kingdom of God? How can we help them to view their teaching as a mission for Jesus and his kingdom? On the teaching side, this is one of our challenges at the moment. How can we unite teachers hailing from many different countries around the kingdom of God?

How can we lead these teams of international teachers to truly love the kingdom of God?…How can we unite teachers hailing from many different countries around the kingdom of God?

The second challenge is this. Because at the moment the high school is mainly made up of Chinese students, there are some parents who feel the school is not international enough. Unlike some of the other international schools, it does not have many students from other countries. But actually, I think this is not really a problem. Even in a Chinese international school, the school would still be mainly or exclusively made up of Chinese students. The most important thing about international education is not having students from different countries, but having mature Christian teachers.

Still, some of the Chinese parents want their children to go to a school where there are a lot of foreign students. But they don’t really understand that this is actually the best environment for their children. They can learn from Western, American, Christian education, but at the same time, they are supported by a Chinese community. In this way, the sense of security and the friendships they have are actually very beneficial for their growth. But not all parents understand that.

Grasping the Opportunity

CP: In this current environment, are there other opportunities that you see for schools like yours?

Joshua: Right now, we have a huge opportunity. We are hoping that more students  will come to us to study. The need is big. We are praying and asking God to give us wisdom for how we can grasp this opportunity, so more students can come here and  to study and receive this Christian education.

We have a huge opportunity. We are hoping that more students  will come to us to study. The need is big.

CP: How can we be praying for and support your work and other works similar to yours?

Joshua: You can pray for us. Pray for the teachers, that they will have the conviction of being missionaries in their work and that they will be unified around this conviction. We need experienced educators, so we are looking for good Christian teachers. The most important thing for us is to provide quality education, so we really need good Christian teachers to come so they can improve the quality of the school. The fundamental thing for a school is its educational quality.

Also, please pray for our safety.

Joshua Liu is a pseudonym for a Chinese Christian educator involved in teaching and training the next generation.

Pray for quality teachers in Chinese Christian education who view their work as mission. Pray for the safety of those involved in this work.