Starting at the end of January, Christian churches around the country responded to the local government's Covid-19 prevention and control requirements and suspended open venues and placesof worship. Although the current situation is under control, the overall pandemic situation is still urgent, so it is still unknown when the church will be able to hold open services. Given the continuing development of the epidemic, the actual shepherding of the church has faced many challenges. Where should we go from here?
During this time, the pastoral co-workers of many churches have used the Internet to carry out online shepherding. In some remote rural areas, the elderly and children don't have access or aren't familiar with how to use online resources. But people in other places where they can use the Internet have carried out online pastoral support of their congregations.
Some pastors use live recordings to share with their followers. Some pastors use text messages or phone greetings to care for their followers and help them to deal with their worries. Many pastoral workers use a variety of means to guide believers to face the epidemic correctly.
However, we have to admit that online shepherding has its shortcomings. There are fewer personal connections between people, so we may not understand an individual's situation and needs in time. In this regard, I have seen that many churches have carried out the methods of fellowship and group pray - reading, and the results are also very good. So I want to share these methods, hoping they might help the church fulfill its pastoral role.
First of all, we divide into groups and train the backbone or the group leader of each fellowship. A group has up to seven people. After the training the group leader needs to train other people in his fellowship.
Let 's first understand what pray-reading is. It is to read the Bible in prayer. We need to know that the Hebrews method of contemplation and meditation was not silent. In fact, they repeated the Scripture continuously in a soft and monotonous bass voice to concentrate on the Scripture and exclude external influences. This is the Hebrew 's unique style of reading scripture and praying. Pray - reading is like reading the Scriptures in a low voice, reading and pondering repeatedly. Pray with the Scriptures until it becomes clear what the Lord is saying to us. They are the spirit, and they are the life that enter our souls to feed us.
Group prayer reading is when one person sends the Scriptures to the group and then everyone reads and prays in order. Prayer reading is mainly done with the mouth open, the heart open, and the spirit open. The effect of pray-reading is very different from personal pray-reading.
In particular, remember four tips for group prayer: fast, short, true, and new. First, pray fast, and don't hesitate. When you pray fast there is no time to think. Second, prayers should be short, because long prayers need to make an article. We must forget about organizing long prayers, and just say a short sentence or even a phrase. We also need to be true and not fake. Be honest. Finally, prayer need to be fresh and not obsolete. To be fresh, the best way is not to pray with our own words, but with the words of the Bible. Every part of the entire Bible can be used to pray. This is the freshest prayer!
Let's look at the examples that the following spiritual sages have given us to read:
Madame Jeanne Guyon shared the method of guided prayer, "There are two means by which we may be led into the higher forms of prayer. One is _Meditation_, the other is _Meditative Reading_. By meditative reading I mean the taking of some truths, either doctrinal or practical--the latter rather than the former--and reading them in this way: --Take the truth which has presented itself to you, and read two or three lines, seeking to enter into the full meaning of the words, and go on no further so long as you find satisfaction in them; leave the place only when it becomes insipid. After that, take another passage, and do the same, not reading more than half a page at once. It is not so much from the amount read that we derive profit, as from the manner of reading." (A Short and Easy Method of Prayer)
Originally George Muller got up every morning to pray before reading the Bible, but later he changed to reading the Bible before praying, and then he prayed while reading the Bible. For example, according to his book The Autobiography of George Mueller, after reading a verse about love, he prayed immediately about love. In this way his spiritual life underwent a fundamental change. His prayers were answered countless times throughout his life.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
特殊时期的牧养：开展团契、小组祷读
从一月底开始，各地基督教堂点响应当地政府防控要求，暂停场所开放和聚会活动。到目前，情况虽然已经控制，但疫情依旧紧急，故教会何时开放聚会还是一个未知数。鉴于疫情的持续发展，教会的实际牧养也受到许多挑战，当何去何从呢？
这段时间很多教会的教牧同工纷纷利用互联网科技开展线上牧养。一些偏僻的农村由于老人小孩不懂用，就暂时还没有。而其他可以用到互联网的地方基本都开展了线上牧养。
其中，有些牧者采取现场录制与信徒定向分享；有些牧者采用文字短信息或电话问候方式关怀信徒，帮助信徒放下忧虑。很多教牧同工从多重角度出发引导信徒正确面对疫情。
然而我们不得不承认，线上牧养有它的不足之处，人与人之间的联系少了，不能及时了解到个人的情况与需要。对此看到很多教会开展了团契、小组的祷读方式，效果也极佳，现分享出来，希望对教会牧养有些帮助。
首先我们进行分组，先带骨干或各个团契的组长，一组最多七个人，组长学习后就需要去培养他团契中的另一些人。
下面我们先了解什么是祷读？就是⽤祷告的⽅式读经。我们要知道希伯来⼈的沉思和默想，其实并不是安静⽆声的。事实上是⽤⼀种柔和单调的低⾳不断的重复经⽂，以专注在经⽂上⽽排除外在的影响。这是希伯来⼈的独特的读经祷告⽅式，因此，祷读可以说是低声诵读经⽂并反复的读、推敲、⽤经⽂祷告直到经⽂成为主向我们所说的话、就是灵、就是⽣命进⼊我们的灵⾥，喂养我们的⽣命。
团体祷读就是由一个人把经文发在群里大家一起按着排好的顺序依次读与祷。祷读主要是口开、心开、灵开，你会看到大家⼀起祷读时的效果与个人祷读很不相同。
特别记住团体祷读四诀：快、短、真、新。A第⼀祷告要快，不要犹豫。⼀快祷，就没有时间⽤头脑考虑。B其次祷告要短，因为长祷告需要作⽂章。我们必须忘掉组织⼀篇长的祷告，只要说出⼀个短句，甚⾄⼀个⽚语。C我们也需要真实，不装假。要很真实的说出来。D最后，祷告要新鲜，不⽼旧。要新鲜，最好的办法不要⽤我们⾃⼰的话祷告，⽽要⽤圣经的话。整本圣经的每⼀部分、每⼀⾏都能⽤来祷告，这就是最新鲜的祷告！
我们来看看属灵前贤留给我们祷读的榜样：
1、盖恩夫⼈：盖恩夫⼈：“引⼈祈祷的⽅法——拣选⼀⼩段紧要⼜能实⾏的圣经，先读⼀读，再仔细地去尝它，消化它，从⾥⾯将精华取出来。尝得有味时就不必再往下读了；味穷时再往下读去，仍照着以前的⽅法去尝它，最多不可读过半⾯，因为叫我们得益处的不是量多，乃是读法合宜。”《简易祈祷法》。
2、乔治-慕勒：本来他是每天早上起来先祷告再读经，但后来他改成先读圣经再祷告，并⼀边读经⼀边祷告。例如：读到⼀节论到爱的经节之后，就着爱马上就有祷告。这样他的属灵⽣活就发⽣了根本的改变。他⼀⽣祷告得应答⽆数。《乔治穆勒⾃传》。
Starting at the end of January, Christian churches around the country responded to the local government's Covid-19 prevention and control requirements and suspended open venues and placesof worship. Although the current situation is under control, the overall pandemic situation is still urgent, so it is still unknown when the church will be able to hold open services. Given the continuing development of the epidemic, the actual shepherding of the church has faced many challenges. Where should we go from here?
During this time, the pastoral co-workers of many churches have used the Internet to carry out online shepherding. In some remote rural areas, the elderly and children don't have access or aren't familiar with how to use online resources. But people in other places where they can use the Internet have carried out online pastoral support of their congregations.
Some pastors use live recordings to share with their followers. Some pastors use text messages or phone greetings to care for their followers and help them to deal with their worries. Many pastoral workers use a variety of means to guide believers to face the epidemic correctly.
However, we have to admit that online shepherding has its shortcomings. There are fewer personal connections between people, so we may not understand an individual's situation and needs in time. In this regard, I have seen that many churches have carried out the methods of fellowship and group pray - reading, and the results are also very good. So I want to share these methods, hoping they might help the church fulfill its pastoral role.
First of all, we divide into groups and train the backbone or the group leader of each fellowship. A group has up to seven people. After the training the group leader needs to train other people in his fellowship.
Let 's first understand what pray-reading is. It is to read the Bible in prayer. We need to know that the Hebrews method of contemplation and meditation was not silent. In fact, they repeated the Scripture continuously in a soft and monotonous bass voice to concentrate on the Scripture and exclude external influences. This is the Hebrew 's unique style of reading scripture and praying. Pray - reading is like reading the Scriptures in a low voice, reading and pondering repeatedly. Pray with the Scriptures until it becomes clear what the Lord is saying to us. They are the spirit, and they are the life that enter our souls to feed us.
Group prayer reading is when one person sends the Scriptures to the group and then everyone reads and prays in order. Prayer reading is mainly done with the mouth open, the heart open, and the spirit open. The effect of pray-reading is very different from personal pray-reading.
In particular, remember four tips for group prayer: fast, short, true, and new. First, pray fast, and don't hesitate. When you pray fast there is no time to think. Second, prayers should be short, because long prayers need to make an article. We must forget about organizing long prayers, and just say a short sentence or even a phrase. We also need to be true and not fake. Be honest. Finally, prayer need to be fresh and not obsolete. To be fresh, the best way is not to pray with our own words, but with the words of the Bible. Every part of the entire Bible can be used to pray. This is the freshest prayer!
Let's look at the examples that the following spiritual sages have given us to read:
Madame Jeanne Guyon shared the method of guided prayer, "There are two means by which we may be led into the higher forms of prayer. One is _Meditation_, the other is _Meditative Reading_. By meditative reading I mean the taking of some truths, either doctrinal or practical--the latter rather than the former--and reading them in this way: --Take the truth which has presented itself to you, and read two or three lines, seeking to enter into the full meaning of the words, and go on no further so long as you find satisfaction in them; leave the place only when it becomes insipid. After that, take another passage, and do the same, not reading more than half a page at once. It is not so much from the amount read that we derive profit, as from the manner of reading." (A Short and Easy Method of Prayer)
Originally George Muller got up every morning to pray before reading the Bible, but later he changed to reading the Bible before praying, and then he prayed while reading the Bible. For example, according to his book The Autobiography of George Mueller, after reading a verse about love, he prayed immediately about love. In this way his spiritual life underwent a fundamental change. His prayers were answered countless times throughout his life.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Shepherding in Special Times: Fellowship, Group Pray-reading
