Editor’s note: Changsha is a city of about 10 million in central Hunan Province, and is the capital of Hunan Province. Local believers say Changsha is somewhat hostile to the gospel, and that it is difficult for them to make new converts. Area house church pastors ask for the global church to pray for them as they seek to share the gospel with those outside the church, and to reach the children who are growing up inside the church. They are focused on building up more pastors to lead the church as it splits into smaller groups, and are trying to strengthen existing marriages and families within the church.
China Partnership: How can we pray for your churches and families?
Raising Small Group Pastors
Huang Anping: Please pray for our church. Right now, our church is moving toward a model where we raise up small group leaders within the larger group. The goal is to take one or two couples at a time, and raise them each up to become small group leaders. We want them to become pastors who can take on that responsibility.
We believe persecution will only get worse, not better. It’s hard to keep large churches going. So we hope to train up younger pastors – couple who are in their 30s and 40s – who can take on this responsibility. The older generation is now passing on. I’m preparing to help our church transition to many small groups, with the hope that these house churches will be interconnected, like the early church.
We believe persecution will only get worse, not better. It’s hard to keep large churches going. So we hope to train up younger pastors – couple in their 30s and 40s – who can take on this responsibility.
We meet weekly with several couples who are working to push this vision forward. There are others in Changsha and in other cities across China who are on this path with us. Once they finish their theological studies, some of them will probably start their own groups. It’s hard to move the older members in my group, but the younger ones need to be built up, so they can understand their calling and their mission.
My wife and I are also coordinators for a family ministry in Hunan Province. We need prayer for recruiting toward this ministry, and also that we may raise up young couples to continue this work.
Our church has two main focuses: one is house church, and the other is family ministry, training couples to build harmonious families. My wife and I serve together in this family ministry. My focus is to train couples and build stable families, because stable families make for a stable church.
Now I’m getting older, and I’m ready to pass the baton to someone else who can take over. There are some couples who are really good, but if they don’t have a pastoral calling, they may not be willing to continue this ministry. (For example, there was a couple we knew at another church who did great work in helping other couples. But since they left five or six years ago, their church hasn’t participated.)
Pray for evangelism. True church growth comes from evangelism, not just people transferring from other churches.
Evangelism and Youth
Sister Liang Mei: Our church has two prayer requests. First, pray for evangelism. True church growth comes from evangelism, not just people transferring from other churches. We are still looking for breakthroughs in how to effectively share the gospel. Right now, everyone in our church is enthusiastic about seekers – but it’s hard to bring new people into the church, especially strangers. So, please pray for good opportunities to share the gospel.
The second prayer request is for our youth. We need to focus on sharing the gospel both inside and outside the church, especially among the children of believers. It is a big challenge to keep our youth rooted in the church, so please pray for that.
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Not Easy to See Real Fruit
Sun Guanghua: Our situation is very similar to that of Sister Liang’s. Our church always talks about evangelism, but it’s not easy to see real fruit. Please pray for that.
We need to focus on sharing the gospel both inside and outside the church, especially among the children of believers. It is a big challenge to keep our youth rooted in the church.
Another prayer request is also similar to Sister Liang’s. Most of our members entered the church as university students, but now many have become parents and have children. Now, more than a third of our congregation are children! As they grow into teenagers, we need prayer that these teens will truly come to know God.
Our main prayer needs are for our children, for family and marriage, and for education. We haven’t done much in terms of couples’ ministry lately. I’m very busy, and we haven’t held any couples’ camps, but just teach on marriage in small groups.
Please pray that we will be able to pass the faith on to our children. Also pray for our families, and for our educational ministry.
Please pray for my family: for my daughter, and my son-in-law. My son-in-law is not yet a believer, and although my daughter is a churchgoer, I feel she has not yet been truly born again.
Huang Anping, Sister Liang Mei, and Sun Guanghu are pseudonyms for house church pastors in Changsha.
Pray for Changsha churches to effectively share the gospel with unbelievers, and to disciple the children and teen in their midst so they become lifelong followers of Jesus.
