The dog days of summer ended on August 24 this year. A friend who just returned to Fuzhou from Zhangzhou shared: "I was in Zhangzhou for a few days, and it was sweaty hot every day. I happened to pass by the entrance of Beimen Church and spotted the 'Spread the Word' notice board, so I decided to go inside for a rest."
It turned out that my friend was referring to the care station set up at Beimen Church in Zhangzhou City, which welcomes visitors and offers a place for pedestrians to rest.
I told him that due to an urban restoration project, since the Beimen Church's new building was built and inaugurated in 2016, the church has turned its first-floor hall, spanning 2,186 square meters, into a public care station. Anyone, believer or not, may enter the church to visit, use the water dispenser, or access the restroom. The spot has also become a popular rest area for outdoor workers, sanitary workers, and couriers. Over the last decade, the church has welcomed over 100,000 visitors.
It is reported that since 2004, every New Year's Eve, the church has hosted a reunion dinner, inviting the needy, migrant workers, sanitation workers, the elderly living alone, and single-parent families to join.
In recent years, Beimen Church has made great efforts to contribute to the local spiritual civilization and social development, earning public recognition. The church's efforts have been covered by local media and acknowledged by the provincial Ethnic and Religious Affairs Department.
(Originally published by the Gospel Times, the article has been edited under permission and the author is a believer at a church in Fuzhou, Fujian. )
- Translated by Poppy Chan
8月24日是“出伏”的日子点。一位刚从漳州遊玩回福州的朋友后告诉我：“到漳州游玩几天，天天热乎乎。正巧路过漳州基督教北门堂门口时看到“广而告知”招牌（下图），便进入教堂休息。“
原来，这位朋友所提到的是漳州北门堂内设置的欢迎游客以及行路者休息歇脚的爱心驿站。
我告诉他：北门堂因为旧城改造，新堂在2016年完工投用后，将位于一层，占地共2186平米的大厅改造成了公共的休憩驿站。无论信仰与否，都可以进场参观教堂，使用饮水机与卫生间。这也成为户外劳动者环卫工人、快递小哥的驿站。近十年来，接待人次己多达十多万。
据悉，从2004年开始，每年的除夕之夜，该教堂都邀请困难群众、外来务工人员、环卫工人、孤寡老人、单身家庭来吃团圆饭。
近年来，漳州北门堂竭力为当地的精神文明建设和社会发展积极贡献，得到社会大众的认可。该教会的努力得到了当地媒体的报道，并得到了省民族宗教事务厅的认可。
注：本文为特约/自由撰稿人文章，作者系福建福州一教会信徒。
漳州教堂爱心驿站小记
The dog days of summer ended on August 24 this year. A friend who just returned to Fuzhou from Zhangzhou shared: "I was in Zhangzhou for a few days, and it was sweaty hot every day. I happened to pass by the entrance of Beimen Church and spotted the 'Spread the Word' notice board, so I decided to go inside for a rest."
It turned out that my friend was referring to the care station set up at Beimen Church in Zhangzhou City, which welcomes visitors and offers a place for pedestrians to rest.
I told him that due to an urban restoration project, since the Beimen Church's new building was built and inaugurated in 2016, the church has turned its first-floor hall, spanning 2,186 square meters, into a public care station. Anyone, believer or not, may enter the church to visit, use the water dispenser, or access the restroom. The spot has also become a popular rest area for outdoor workers, sanitary workers, and couriers. Over the last decade, the church has welcomed over 100,000 visitors.
It is reported that since 2004, every New Year's Eve, the church has hosted a reunion dinner, inviting the needy, migrant workers, sanitation workers, the elderly living alone, and single-parent families to join.
In recent years, Beimen Church has made great efforts to contribute to the local spiritual civilization and social development, earning public recognition. The church's efforts have been covered by local media and acknowledged by the provincial Ethnic and Religious Affairs Department.
(Originally published by the Gospel Times, the article has been edited under permission and the author is a believer at a church in Fuzhou, Fujian. )
- Translated by Poppy Chan
Zhangzhou Church's Open Doors as Community Rest Stop
