Editor’s note: This April, we are praying for Qingdao. Qingdao is a city of about 9 million, and is a well-known tourist spot and important seaport in northern China. To help us pray for their city, several Qingdao pastors shared some of their thoughts on the people and culture of Qingdao, as well as the needs of the local church.
Responses in this interview have been edited and slightly rearranged for clarity and length. This is the third of a three-part series; parts one and two can be found here.
CP: How we can we be praying for Qingdao and for Christians in Qingdao? How can we be praying for your churches and families?
Thomas Lu: Our church has started a new discipleship training program and needs prayer for this. Pray for a more healthy mission-sending organization to emerge here. We are doing some of this work, but want it to be a more inclusive, sustainable, and healthy structure.
Jason: Qingdao is not as strictly controlled as Beijing. It is a pretty open environment. The spiritual environment reflects the current political and economic status of the city. Life is pretty good, and there is a state of apathy, of being satisfied with the status quo. This can be either a crisis or an opportunity. If churches do not address this within their churches, they will miss this spiritual opportunity.
Barnabas Huang: Pray for Qingdao churches to repent. This is a city that has received much grace, but we have not reflected this by glorifying God.
Life is pretty good, and there is a state of apathy, of being satisfied with the status quo. This can be either a crisis or an opportunity.
Pray for Qingdao Christians to share the gospel and pray with fervor. Many Christians here are not good witnesses – the way their behavior is not as good as that of non-Christians. Pray for Qingdao believers to become more fervent in their willingness to share the gospel. They have received much grace, and there is a lot that should have been done, but has not. There is fear, and lack of passion.
This is a time of particular spiritual need in China right now. This is a great opportunity. As Christians, we have not done what we should have been doing.
Tang Aidong: Pray for pastors and brothers and sisters who are serving in the church. Many of them have been serving for many years, and are tired. They have lost energy and passion for ministry. Pray for their renewal and revival.
Pray for Qingdao believers to become more fervent in their willingness to share the gospel… This is a time of particular spiritual need in China right now.
Pray for young adults; because of life, work, marriage, and the economy, they have a lot of stress. Those raising children have especially big pressure. They have their sins of loving the world. Because of all these things, it is hard to find time and energy to serve the church.
Barnabas Huang: Our church often says, “God, please give us strength to open our mouths and share the gospel, so more Qingdao people will hear and accept.” We especially need the grace of the gospel to teach Christ in the home; pray for families to live out their lives in Christ.
Robert Chan: Pray for the Holy Spirit to work. We have all shared a lot about the particular challenges in this time, for pastors serving and young adults as they face these challenges. The enemy, the world, and our own sinfulness are all very present. The most common thing I hear in church when people share prayer requests is, “I feel weak. I believe in Christ, but my faith is weak.”
We have all shared a lot about the particular challenges in this time… The most common thing I hear in church when people share prayer requests is, “I feel weak.””
Pray that, because of the power of the resurrection, people will believe their identity is in Christ and know they are not alone in whatever task God has given them, whether that be raising children or working long hours. May they sense they are new creatures in Christ, and have a hope the world does not have. There is a lot of discouragement when people do not believe they are new in Christ, that the Spirit is working, and the church is advancing.
Wu Qing: This is my own personal need, but it is also a need in the church in general. There is plenty of training to help pastors, but a lack of good training for deacons or ruling elders. This type of leadership development is a big need in the church.
The other big need is homeschooling and Christian education. In this environment, it is very difficult. Some parents are choosing homeschooling, but there are many challenges. The church has very few resources or practical ways to help them in this area.
All of the names used in this story are pseudonyms to protect the identities of the pastors involved. Thomas Lu is a pastor with a burden to help the house church develop missionaries who can be sent to house churches inside and outside of China. Jason is a house church pastor in Qingdao. Barnabas Huang is a house church pastor with a ministry among young adults emerging from student ministry. He has been in Qingdao about 20 years. Pastor Tang Aidong has been serving the church for more than 30 years, beginning shortly after he came to faith. Robert Chan is a cross-cultural worker who serves the church in Qingdao. Wu Qing is also a house church pastor in Qingdao.
Pray for believers in Qingdao to take advantage of this crucial time in China and to fervently share their faith with those around them.
