At the beginning of the last month of 2020, some colleagues and I visited churches in Hainan and Guangxi provinces. I saw the revival of the grassroots churches after the pandemic, the hard work of our pastors, and the believers’ love of the Lord.
The Sanya Church, located on Yuya Road, Hainan, is not big. The doors were open before it was time to gather for the service. A believer told me the church was basically restored, holding gatherings four times a week, according to COVID-19 protocols. He welcomed me and told me the specific service time.
Though I stayed there for a short time and only took pictures of the outside of the church, I felt warm inside. Looking at the cross on the church, I seemed to hear God the Father say, "I have consecrated the temple which you have built, by putting my name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.” (1 Kings 9:3)
In a church in Nanning, Guangxi Province, I was moved by a hard-working pastor. The day I arrived happened to be the time of the Communion service. While upstairs and downstairs were full of people, the senior pastor was preaching. After the second service, I saw that the pastor was still talking with the believers. The pastor told me that she was the only one who preached in the four services, while the choirs could take turns singing hymns. After the service, she would interact with the congregation. In the afternoon there was a pastor who would be ordained as well as a baptism service. And on Monday she had to go to another place to study, who has a full schedule in her service of the church.
When we came to another church in Nanning, a pastor was training more than ten people, and everyone took turns reading and speaking. They all took notes and listened carefully.
The senior pastor told us that at the beginning there were only a few dozen people who attended, but now more than a hundred people gather in the church. The believers are mainly from outside of the city, including white-collar workers and migrant workers.
In the pastor’s office, there were rows of books on faith. The pastor who loves studying recommended books bought by himself to the pastoral staff and believers.
With a history of more than 100 years, one church in Beihai, Guangxi is not big enough to accommodate the number of people who want to attend the Christmas service. The church celebrates Christmas during the month of December, hosting a special celebration each week.
On the first Sunday of December, after the choir sang several hymns, the pastor spent ten minutes explaining the meaning of Christmas and the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Later the senior pastor commented and summarized his teaching in three minutes, sharing a metaphor story. Then the Christmas celebrations began.
(The article is originally published by Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
2020年最后的一个月初，我和同工走访了海南和广西两省区的部分教会。切身感受到了福音的传播，也感受到了我们基层教会在疫情之后的恢复和复兴，更看到了我们的牧者的忠心与劳苦、信徒的热心与爱主的深情。
一、神同在的三亚教堂
这是位于三亚榆亚路的一个教堂，教堂不大。当我打听路的时候，被人戏称：那个小教堂那么小，又不是什么文物，你去干嘛？我心在想：他不懂我们信徒的心，他们也不懂我们的信仰。
虽然不是聚会的时间，但是教堂的大门是开放的。一位弟兄告诉我，他们每周是四次聚会，教堂的圣事基本都恢复了，但是要按照防疫程序来教堂。他热情地欢迎、邀请我，并且告诉我具体的聚会时间。
虽然在这个教堂逗留的时间短，也仅仅拍摄了教堂外部的照片，但是我感到心里充满了温暖。望着教堂上的十字架，我仿佛听到了父神说：“‘你向我所祷告祈求的，我都应允了。我已将你所建的这殿分别为圣，使我的名永远在其中，我的眼、我的心也必常在那里。’”（列王记上9章3节）
二、辛苦的牧者
在南宁的一间教会，我们赶上了主日礼拜。在教堂的大门口，一位姊妹热情地接待了我们，并且为我们发放了口罩、测温，引领我们一直到二楼的主堂。
楼上楼下都坐满了前来聚会的会众。主任牧师在讲道。这天恰好是这个堂的圣餐礼拜。一年多了，我都没有领受到圣餐。
第二场聚会结束后，我看到讲道的主任牧师还在和信徒交通。牧师告诉我，他们今天四场礼拜都由她一个人来讲，诗班可以轮流的唱诗赞美。除此以外，还要接待来访的会众；而且下午还有一个牧师按立和洗礼的圣事，礼拜一还要去外地学习，圣工排的满满的，真的很辛苦。
三、有信仰文化的教会
我们来到了南宁一个教会，主堂里整齐地摆放着一排排的凳子。
一位牧师正在给十余人做培训，大家轮流读经和发言。做笔记，认真的听。
主任牧师告诉我们，教会起初只有几十人，现在发展到有百余人聚会。他们堂的信徒，以外来南宁的各类阶层为主，既有公司白领，又有外来务工的信徒。
在牧师的办公室，我们看到了一排排摆放整齐的各类与信仰有关的书籍，牧师很爱学习，还推荐给教牧同工和信徒读书，自己出钱买书。
四、三分钟的点评、十分钟的讲道。
在广西北海的一间教会，一位传道人在圣诞节前，讲到主耶稣基督降临的重要意义之后，主任牧师点评、做总结。
会众们都在聚精会神的听，以为牧师会做一个长篇大论的祷告，然后再做一个滔滔不绝的点评和讲话。但是没有想到，牧师只是给大家分享了一个喻道的故事，仅仅用了三分钟就结束了。
这间教会由于是一百多年的教堂，堂里建筑面积不大，容纳不了那么多的人。那么教会就把12月作为圣诞月，信徒分批次在教堂聚会。每个礼拜都在教堂庆祝圣诞节。
而在第一个礼拜日，一位传道人在诗班敬拜赞美之后，在圣台前为主证道，仅仅用了十分钟的时间就把圣诞节的意义和主耶稣基督降临带给世人的救恩等讲清楚。然后就开始了该场的圣诞节的欢庆活动。
http://www.gospeltimes.cn/portal/article/index/id/54492
琼桂教会走访掠影
At the beginning of the last month of 2020, some colleagues and I visited churches in Hainan and Guangxi provinces. I saw the revival of the grassroots churches after the pandemic, the hard work of our pastors, and the believers’ love of the Lord.
The Sanya Church, located on Yuya Road, Hainan, is not big. The doors were open before it was time to gather for the service. A believer told me the church was basically restored, holding gatherings four times a week, according to COVID-19 protocols. He welcomed me and told me the specific service time.
Though I stayed there for a short time and only took pictures of the outside of the church, I felt warm inside. Looking at the cross on the church, I seemed to hear God the Father say, "I have consecrated the temple which you have built, by putting my name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.” (1 Kings 9:3)
In a church in Nanning, Guangxi Province, I was moved by a hard-working pastor. The day I arrived happened to be the time of the Communion service. While upstairs and downstairs were full of people, the senior pastor was preaching. After the second service, I saw that the pastor was still talking with the believers. The pastor told me that she was the only one who preached in the four services, while the choirs could take turns singing hymns. After the service, she would interact with the congregation. In the afternoon there was a pastor who would be ordained as well as a baptism service. And on Monday she had to go to another place to study, who has a full schedule in her service of the church.
When we came to another church in Nanning, a pastor was training more than ten people, and everyone took turns reading and speaking. They all took notes and listened carefully.
The senior pastor told us that at the beginning there were only a few dozen people who attended, but now more than a hundred people gather in the church. The believers are mainly from outside of the city, including white-collar workers and migrant workers.
In the pastor’s office, there were rows of books on faith. The pastor who loves studying recommended books bought by himself to the pastoral staff and believers.
With a history of more than 100 years, one church in Beihai, Guangxi is not big enough to accommodate the number of people who want to attend the Christmas service. The church celebrates Christmas during the month of December, hosting a special celebration each week.
On the first Sunday of December, after the choir sang several hymns, the pastor spent ten minutes explaining the meaning of Christmas and the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Later the senior pastor commented and summarized his teaching in three minutes, sharing a metaphor story. Then the Christmas celebrations began.
(The article is originally published by Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Visits to Churches in Hainan, Guangxi
