After the lengthy suspension of gatherings due to the unexpected coronavirus pandemic, many churches in northeastern China have resumed their in-person services. In some places, the pastoral staff was highly enthused as they gathered to serve the Lord, and believers were also eager to be back in church and give their contributions.
On the first day when one church in the city reopened, from the first floor to the fifth floor, the building was full of believers, and there were others standing in the courtyard. Some came from far-away suburbs, and some came from other churches which had not reopened. In order to attend the first service, which started at 8:30, some believers got up at five o'clock in the morning and went to the church where they had temperature taken, information registered, and phone codes scanned.
In some churches, the number of believers who came to the first service greatly exceeded the expected number. So church staff had to stop the believers from entering the church, advising them to stay calm and wait patiently for the next service. In order to attend the second service, some older sisters with weak legs waited from morning to afternoon, as their homes were far away.
A pastor said: " The church resumed one month ago, and the number has gradually increased from 300 at the beginning to 500 now. The church, which could hold about 1,000 people, has been reduced by half so that members can keep socially distant. The church is now at its capacity in how many it can handle for services."
Some believers brought catechumens to the service, and some new attendees accepted the Lord Jesus when the pastor gave an altar call.
One person in charge of a church with about a thousand people said that while services were suspended, contributions had decreased, but that didn’t have a big impact on the work of the church. According to statistics in July, the church received more than 80,000 yuan through online contributions. In the churches that have reopened, before entering the sanctuary, believers handed all their offerings in at once.
Almost all the believers gave as much as they could.
The church staff, especially those who had experienced the church reopening two different times, were full of enthusiasm to work for the Lord and serve the believers. These co-workers in the service group, prayer group, choir, security group, temperature measurement group and disinfection group, insisted on serving in two or three services a day.
Some middle-aged and elderly co-workers who had to stand for a long time took breaks and sat for a while. Some co-workers were too busy to come over to drink water. Until the evening service was over, finding themselves thirsty and hungry, some co-workers asked their family members to prepare some porridge.
Some co-workers had to take two different buses and then walk to the church to serve. Some got up at 5 o’clock in the morning and went to the church without eating breakfast. Some couples attended the service together. In order to take care of the family, some couples divided their responsibilities. One served in the church in the morning and the other in the evening.
The team that looks after funeral arrangements were loved because of their service to families who had lost loved ones during this time. No matter if it was during the pandemic or after services were resumed, as long as they were notified, they would help to handle funeral arrangements. They contacted the crematoriums, arranged proper clothing and were with the family until the burial.
Some churches needed to hand-register the elderly as they didn’t have smart phones where they could have their codes scanned. Some young believers took the initiative to help them to register as the service staff were too busy.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
从复堂的教会“五高”看信徒信仰的火热
经过了新冠肺炎疫情的考验，东北很多地方的教堂再次迎来了实地聚会。一些地方来看，教牧同工和信徒内心火热，呈现出“五高”，即聚会的热情高、奉献的热情高、甘心乐意的付出自觉性高、教牧同工服事热情高、信徒素质高。
有个市教会复堂那天，从教堂的一楼到五楼，坐满了前来聚会的信徒，甚至院里都站了人。有从比较远的郊区过来的，有从其他没有复堂的教会过来的。信徒们为了赶上第一场聚会原本定于8:30的聚会，有的早晨五点多钟就起来到教会接受检测，填写表格，手机扫码。
有的教堂复会第一场聚会前来的信徒大大超过预计的数目，不得不采取“阻断”的措施，劝告信徒稍安勿躁，耐心等待第二场聚会。为了参加第二场聚会，有的老姊妹由于家远，加之腿脚z不好，就从上午等到下午。
一位传道人告诉笔者：他们复堂一个月来，人数从起初的300多人到现在的500多人，逐渐增加。而这500多人已经属于“饱和”状态了，原本可容纳千人左右的教堂，由于按照防疫要求间隔，可容纳人数减少一半。
一些信徒带来的慕道友也参加聚会。当牧师在台上呼召的时候，会有一些新来的弟兄姊妹接受主耶稣。
据一间千人左右的教会的负责人介绍：暂停聚会期间教会收入是减少了，但影响不是很大。他们教堂仅七月统计，信徒通过网络奉献款就收入就达8万余元。从复堂的教会来看，信徒在进入主堂之前会一次性全部“上缴”奉献。
询问到的信徒基本都有奉献，而且是应该奉献多少就多少。
在复堂的过程中，尤其是经历过“二次复堂”的教会同工们，为主做工、服事信徒充满热情。服务组、祷告组、诗班、安保组、测温组、保洁消杀组等的这些同工都是甘心乐意，坚持一天两三场聚会服事。
一些中老年同工腰腿酸痛，就抽空坐一会；有的同工忙得顾不过来喝水，等晚场结束才想起来又渴又饿，告诉家人赶紧给准备做点稀粥喝。
为了及时赶到教堂服务，有的同工要倒两段公交车，然后步行到教堂；有的同工顾不上吃早餐，早晨5点多点就从家里出发；有的是夫妻共同到教堂参加服事；有的夫妻为了照顾家，做好分工，一个是上午早场到教堂服务、一个是晚场去教堂服务。
在这里，特别还要提到我们教会最可爱的人之一：追思班组。不管是在疫情期间，还是复堂之后，只要接到通知，负责追思的同工们依然是为去世的肢体处理好后事，从穿衣服到联系火化，直至下葬。
针对有的老年弟兄姊妹没有智能手机而不能扫码的情况，有教会采取手工登记的办法。有的服务同工忙不过来，年轻的信徒就会主动帮助老年人登记。
http://www.gospeltimes.cn/article/index/id/53511
After the lengthy suspension of gatherings due to the unexpected coronavirus pandemic, many churches in northeastern China have resumed their in-person services. In some places, the pastoral staff was highly enthused as they gathered to serve the Lord, and believers were also eager to be back in church and give their contributions.
On the first day when one church in the city reopened, from the first floor to the fifth floor, the building was full of believers, and there were others standing in the courtyard. Some came from far-away suburbs, and some came from other churches which had not reopened. In order to attend the first service, which started at 8:30, some believers got up at five o'clock in the morning and went to the church where they had temperature taken, information registered, and phone codes scanned.
In some churches, the number of believers who came to the first service greatly exceeded the expected number. So church staff had to stop the believers from entering the church, advising them to stay calm and wait patiently for the next service. In order to attend the second service, some older sisters with weak legs waited from morning to afternoon, as their homes were far away.
A pastor said: " The church resumed one month ago, and the number has gradually increased from 300 at the beginning to 500 now. The church, which could hold about 1,000 people, has been reduced by half so that members can keep socially distant. The church is now at its capacity in how many it can handle for services."
Some believers brought catechumens to the service, and some new attendees accepted the Lord Jesus when the pastor gave an altar call.
One person in charge of a church with about a thousand people said that while services were suspended, contributions had decreased, but that didn’t have a big impact on the work of the church. According to statistics in July, the church received more than 80,000 yuan through online contributions. In the churches that have reopened, before entering the sanctuary, believers handed all their offerings in at once.
Almost all the believers gave as much as they could.
The church staff, especially those who had experienced the church reopening two different times, were full of enthusiasm to work for the Lord and serve the believers. These co-workers in the service group, prayer group, choir, security group, temperature measurement group and disinfection group, insisted on serving in two or three services a day.
Some middle-aged and elderly co-workers who had to stand for a long time took breaks and sat for a while. Some co-workers were too busy to come over to drink water. Until the evening service was over, finding themselves thirsty and hungry, some co-workers asked their family members to prepare some porridge.
Some co-workers had to take two different buses and then walk to the church to serve. Some got up at 5 o’clock in the morning and went to the church without eating breakfast. Some couples attended the service together. In order to take care of the family, some couples divided their responsibilities. One served in the church in the morning and the other in the evening.
The team that looks after funeral arrangements were loved because of their service to families who had lost loved ones during this time. No matter if it was during the pandemic or after services were resumed, as long as they were notified, they would help to handle funeral arrangements. They contacted the crematoriums, arranged proper clothing and were with the family until the burial.
Some churches needed to hand-register the elderly as they didn’t have smart phones where they could have their codes scanned. Some young believers took the initiative to help them to register as the service staff were too busy.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
NE Church Embraces Revival after Reopening
