Pray this week for evangelism in China and among Chinese expats. As Chinese society continues to change, so too does evangelism with each successive generation. Many pastors and foreign workers are finding that what were once impactful strategies for sharing the gospel no longer have quite the same effect. Many pastors believe this is not only the result of China’s changing realities, but also of the church’s growing presence in China. Whereas a decade ago many urban Chinese still had never encountered a Christian or the gospel, these days it is far more common for young urban Chinese to have preconceived opinions about faith when engaged by evangelists.
How to pray:
– Pray for Christians to be a faithful presence in China. Pray that Christians will love their neighbors and seek the peace of the city so that they might live as lights of the gospel. Pray for Christians to be quick in repentance so that no one may accuse them falsely or be turned away from the gospel by hypocrisy.
– Pray for Christians to be open about their faith with their families. Pray that God will use family connections and relationships to bring people to Christ.
– Pray for the church to continue to grow. Pray for pastors to continue having a vision for evangelism and not grow weary of their responsibilities. Pray for congregations to be unified in purpose and vision, and for strong lay leadership to support pastoral staff. Pray for good discipleship of new Christians.
– Pray for effective and thoughtful evangelism. Pray for churches and fellowships to recognize when strategies are not working or when they are harmful, and to trust that change can be good. Pray that all evangelism will start from a posture of listening and service. Pray that God will protect the Chinese church from personality centered or aggressive evangelism.
– Pray for people’s hearts to remain sensitive to the gospel. Pray particularly that young urban Chinese will not assume they understand the Christian message before seriously investigating it. Pray for well equipped and wise Christians to lovingly, carefully, and patiently explain the beauty of Jesus to those around them.
