Last Sunday, October 20, a church in Liaoning Province celebrated its 15th Autumn Harvest Festival with gratitude at a baptism service.
At Cifu (Blessing) Church in Huanggu District, which is also a popular tourist destination in Shenyang, the altar was filled with offerings from the congregants, including a whole sheep brought from Inner Mongolia, as well as vegetables, fruits, grains, and cooking oil. A pastor from Guangdong, upon seeing this scene on WeChat Moments, commented, "The believers here truly love God!"
As the choir sang hymns, Rev. Zhang Xuejun, secretary-general of Liaoning TSPM, ascended the altar in his holy robe to preach, focusing on the significance of being thankful to God and the importance of baptism.
After he concluded his sermon, the pastor baptized 16 individuals in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, "All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." Among the newly baptized were elderly believers and young adults in their twenties.
The baptism service was followed by a praise meeting featuring 15 performances. The church's Life River Choir performed grand choral pieces like "Hallelujah" and "The Only Beloved One Is You," while the cleaning team presented a large dance number titled "Praise God in the Mountains and Valleys." Pastor Zhu Lixia led a group of Christian women in a dance while wearing cheongsam (or qipao). Four young believers performed worship songs such as "Walking with You," accompanied by guitar and accordion, and sung in both Chinese and English. Li Shufan, an elderly female believer in her seventies who traveled a long distance by taxi, presented her original "Shandong Kuaishu" lyrics in honor of the cleaning team. The youth fellowship contributed a dance, the seniors' fellowship performed a choral number, and the women's ministry presented a Shandong fast tale.
According to a pastor of this church, the church was originally located on Yalujiang Street in Yuhong District, Shenyang and moved to its current location in December 2012. The church occupies a construction area of 4,598 square meters (1.136 acres), with a floor area of 862 square meters (0.213 acres), and its affiliated senior apartment covers 1,008 square meters (0.249 acres). In October 2014, it was officially approved as a first-class place of worship.
The church features the shapes of an ark and a cross found in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. There are a total of ten crosses on the church building. Over the years, the number of participants in Sunday services has increased from around 400 in 2005 to nearly 1,000 now. There are over 1,500 registered visitors, and the volunteer team has grown from around 10 members to 150.
(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 Abigail Wu
10月20日主日，辽宁省一个教堂举行第十五个秋收感恩节礼拜和洗礼礼拜。
在沈阳市皇姑区首府赐福教堂，圣殿圣台前存放着信徒献祭的各种物品.有从内蒙运来的整只的羊、有蔬菜、水果、粮食，食用油等等。一位广东的牧师通过朋友圈看到这场景称赞道：“这里的信徒真真实实的爱神！”
在诗班的颂赞中，身着圣服的辽宁省基督教两会秘书长张学军牧师登上圣台，为主证道。他着重讲了感恩节的意义和圣洗礼的重要性。
“你们受洗归入基督的，都是披戴基督了。”证道结束后，张牧师奉圣父、圣子、圣灵的名为十六位肢体施洗。这些新信徒中，有年长的老人、也有二十几岁的青年人。
今天赐福堂的感恩节的赞美节目共有15个。教会生命河诗班的大合唱《哈利路亚》《惟一最爱是你》；清扫组的大型舞蹈《高山低谷都赞美》；朱丽霞教士带领的众位姊妹身着旗袍献上舞蹈。四位年轻的信徒以吉他、手风琴伴奏赞美歌诗《与你漫步》等，而且是用中英文双语赞美。一位年逾古稀、远道打车前来的李淑范姊妹把自己原创的快板书献给清扫组的肢体。还有来自青年团契的舞蹈律动，长者团契的大合唱，妇女事工的快板。
（福音时报特约撰稿人于辽宁沈阳报道）
16位慕道友在沈阳教堂的秋收感恩节受洗
Last Sunday, October 20, a church in Liaoning Province celebrated its 15th Autumn Harvest Festival with gratitude at a baptism service.
At Cifu (Blessing) Church in Huanggu District, which is also a popular tourist destination in Shenyang, the altar was filled with offerings from the congregants, including a whole sheep brought from Inner Mongolia, as well as vegetables, fruits, grains, and cooking oil. A pastor from Guangdong, upon seeing this scene on WeChat Moments, commented, "The believers here truly love God!"
As the choir sang hymns, Rev. Zhang Xuejun, secretary-general of Liaoning TSPM, ascended the altar in his holy robe to preach, focusing on the significance of being thankful to God and the importance of baptism.
After he concluded his sermon, the pastor baptized 16 individuals in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, "All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." Among the newly baptized were elderly believers and young adults in their twenties.
The baptism service was followed by a praise meeting featuring 15 performances. The church's Life River Choir performed grand choral pieces like "Hallelujah" and "The Only Beloved One Is You," while the cleaning team presented a large dance number titled "Praise God in the Mountains and Valleys." Pastor Zhu Lixia led a group of Christian women in a dance while wearing cheongsam (or qipao). Four young believers performed worship songs such as "Walking with You," accompanied by guitar and accordion, and sung in both Chinese and English. Li Shufan, an elderly female believer in her seventies who traveled a long distance by taxi, presented her original "Shandong Kuaishu" lyrics in honor of the cleaning team. The youth fellowship contributed a dance, the seniors' fellowship performed a choral number, and the women's ministry presented a Shandong fast tale.
According to a pastor of this church, the church was originally located on Yalujiang Street in Yuhong District, Shenyang and moved to its current location in December 2012. The church occupies a construction area of 4,598 square meters (1.136 acres), with a floor area of 862 square meters (0.213 acres), and its affiliated senior apartment covers 1,008 square meters (0.249 acres). In October 2014, it was officially approved as a first-class place of worship.
The church features the shapes of an ark and a cross found in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. There are a total of ten crosses on the church building. Over the years, the number of participants in Sunday services has increased from around 400 in 2005 to nearly 1,000 now. There are over 1,500 registered visitors, and the volunteer team has grown from around 10 members to 150.
(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 Abigail Wu
16 Seekers Baptized During Autumn Harvest Thanksgiving Service in Shenyang
