Regardless of the changes in times, grassroots churches serve as a vast threshing floor for serving Chinese Christians and play an irreplaceable role. A millennial pastor who has worked for three years in a rural church after serving in an urban church recounts what the rural grassroots church needs today through his personal experience.
"Now the grassroots church is more willing to perform the passive type of pastoring, waiting for believers to come to the church, which is conventional. But churches with visions would always explore various ways to achieve their goals."
According to Pastor C, the most crucial need of grassroots churches is having a vision. He explained that only a church with a vision possesses vitality.
He said that a church in a developed city has the vision of reducing the average age of their members by half a year. This goal becomes more challenging to accomplish as the number of young people grows. Nevertheless, through persistence in the vision, the church continues to try to attract young people in numerous ways, including hiring younger co-workers.
Observing that there are numerous young people working in nearby factories, mostly with junior college degrees and unacknowledged by their peers, the co-workers at Pastor C's church set their sights on serving these individuals. The church adapted their Bible study sessions to cater to the specific needs of young people and recruited young and communicative co-workers, regularly inviting them to church group meetings. The church now boasts over 30 young attendees at their Bible study sessions.
In contrast, a church in H City has no disadvantages concerning location, size, dedication, or the age of its members. However, they lack a vision amongst their pastors and workers, leading them to view pastoral duties as work, indifferent to whether believers attend services or not.
Grassroots churches frequently encounter problems such as confusion between faith and superstition, inadequate management systems, and heretical influences. To address these issues, they require a pastor who can explain the Bible correctly and has church management sensibilities. In Pastor C's opinion, preachers equipped with theology hold a clear advantage over grassroots preachers who depend solely on faith and the Holy Spirit to guide their pastoral and management duties.
Pastor C's church boasts a history of over 70 years. Despite the tenacity of the older generation of preachers, only about 100 individuals have consistently attended their gatherings for the past few decades. However, in late 2020, an older sister, then in charge of the church, approached Pastor C and another brother to serve as preachers. This was the first time in decades that the church had employed preachers who had undergone systematic training in a professional seminary.
At that time, the construction of the new church was underway, and the two preachers participated in the building and decoration alongside the elderly members of the congregation. During Sunday services, they offered renewed depth in the interpretation of the Bible in terms of form and content. Pastor C explained that this is the primary reason why the church's membership has grown to more than 300 people in just two years.
After the arrival of Pastor C and his brother (who is also a graduate of Nanjing Union Theological Seminary), they established a group ministry and provided the training class of Fishers of Man to attract young pastors. They simultaneously raised the pay of their co-workers, recruited theology graduates, and now have a younger sister born in the 1990s onto their team.
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
无论时代如何发展，基层教会都是服事中国基督徒的广大禾场，发挥着无可替代的作用。一位80后牧者，从城市教会到乡村教会服事三年，以亲身经历讲述现在农村基层教会需要什么。
“现在的基层教会更多是守株待兔式的牧养，等信徒来到教堂，常规牧养。但有异象的教会会为了达成自己的目标探索各种方法。”
从神学院毕业，来乡村教会服事，C传道首先讲，基层教会最需要的是异象，有异象的教会才有生命的活力。
他了解到一个发达城市的教会，异象是力求将每年信徒的平均年龄下调0.5岁。随着后期年轻人越来越多，要达成这个目标势必越来越困难。但因为坚持异象，教会多方尝试，不断吸引年轻人，服事同工队伍也随之年轻化。
C传道所在的教会的同工观察到周围工厂有很多年轻人，大多中专大专学历，可能都没有太多受到周围人的肯定。该堂就以服事这些年轻人为异象。为此，他们招聘年轻的善于与人交流的同工，定期邀请这些年轻人来教会参加小组聚会。他们调整圣经学习内容，以年轻人的需要为主题。目前教会已经有三十多个年轻人在持续参加圣经学习。
H市一所教会，不论从位置、人数、奉献、信徒年龄等方面都没有劣势。但由于教会牧者和同工没有异象，将自己的牧养任务看作上班。信徒来则来，不来也罢。
基层教会往往存在信仰与迷信的混淆、管理制度的不健全、异端邪说影响等问题，需要一位能够正确讲解圣经，有教会管理意识的牧者。C传道认为，相比以往基层传道人靠着信心圣灵牧养管理的历史，有神学装备的传道人有明显优势。
C传道所在的教会至今已有70多年的历史。虽然靠着老一代传道人的坚守，但几十年来仅仅维持一百多人。2020年底，当时负责教会的老姊妹找上他和另一位弟兄，说服他们来服事，这也是教会几十年来首次使用在专业神学院校受过系统培训的传道人。
当时正值新堂建设，两人跟堂里的老人一起参与施工和装修。主日礼拜中，他们做到了在形式和内容上的更新深耕。C传道认为，这也是教会在短短两年多人数增加到三百多人的主要原因。
C传道和那位同为金陵神学院毕业的弟兄来到这所教堂后，开展小组事工，培训“得人渔夫”课程，吸引牧养年轻人。同时提高同工工资待遇，招收神学毕业生，现在又招收另一名90后的姊妹。
基层教会如何焕发新的生命力？这位牧者有这两点看见
Regardless of the changes in times, grassroots churches serve as a vast threshing floor for serving Chinese Christians and play an irreplaceable role. A millennial pastor who has worked for three years in a rural church after serving in an urban church recounts what the rural grassroots church needs today through his personal experience.
"Now the grassroots church is more willing to perform the passive type of pastoring, waiting for believers to come to the church, which is conventional. But churches with visions would always explore various ways to achieve their goals."
According to Pastor C, the most crucial need of grassroots churches is having a vision. He explained that only a church with a vision possesses vitality.
He said that a church in a developed city has the vision of reducing the average age of their members by half a year. This goal becomes more challenging to accomplish as the number of young people grows. Nevertheless, through persistence in the vision, the church continues to try to attract young people in numerous ways, including hiring younger co-workers.
Observing that there are numerous young people working in nearby factories, mostly with junior college degrees and unacknowledged by their peers, the co-workers at Pastor C's church set their sights on serving these individuals. The church adapted their Bible study sessions to cater to the specific needs of young people and recruited young and communicative co-workers, regularly inviting them to church group meetings. The church now boasts over 30 young attendees at their Bible study sessions.
In contrast, a church in H City has no disadvantages concerning location, size, dedication, or the age of its members. However, they lack a vision amongst their pastors and workers, leading them to view pastoral duties as work, indifferent to whether believers attend services or not.
Grassroots churches frequently encounter problems such as confusion between faith and superstition, inadequate management systems, and heretical influences. To address these issues, they require a pastor who can explain the Bible correctly and has church management sensibilities. In Pastor C's opinion, preachers equipped with theology hold a clear advantage over grassroots preachers who depend solely on faith and the Holy Spirit to guide their pastoral and management duties.
Pastor C's church boasts a history of over 70 years. Despite the tenacity of the older generation of preachers, only about 100 individuals have consistently attended their gatherings for the past few decades. However, in late 2020, an older sister, then in charge of the church, approached Pastor C and another brother to serve as preachers. This was the first time in decades that the church had employed preachers who had undergone systematic training in a professional seminary.
At that time, the construction of the new church was underway, and the two preachers participated in the building and decoration alongside the elderly members of the congregation. During Sunday services, they offered renewed depth in the interpretation of the Bible in terms of form and content. Pastor C explained that this is the primary reason why the church's membership has grown to more than 300 people in just two years.
After the arrival of Pastor C and his brother (who is also a graduate of Nanjing Union Theological Seminary), they established a group ministry and provided the training class of Fishers of Man to attract young pastors. They simultaneously raised the pay of their co-workers, recruited theology graduates, and now have a younger sister born in the 1990s onto their team.
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
Pastor Recounts How Grassroot Church Rejuvenates Itself With Vision and Trained Pastors
