An old female believer told a story of the construction of a Liaoning church under God's grace.
On May 16, Luo Lihua, founder of Huolongzhai Church in Dalongling Village, Tanggangzi Town, Qianshan District, Anshan City, Liaoning Province, share how God led the congregation to build a church.
Luo, aged 79, was baptized in 1991. Before becoming a Christian, she was suffering from illness and almost died. Her younger son, who embraced Jesus while in college, urged her to do the same, “Mom, come with me to the church where old members are all happy and healthy.”
Being enthusiastic about evangelism after baptism, she opened up her home as a gathering place, as there were no churches at that time in this village. Believers from nearby villages and other regions came to her home to worship God, with the number quickly exceeding 300. The gathering place was never funded by believers, but by Luo herself. Pastors sent by the Anshan Municipal CC&TSPM also had meals in her home after sermons.
During church services, five rooms of her home were full of Christians, even on the windowsills. So she set up a big shed outside for gathering, but it was cold in winter and hot in summer; this lasted for 6 years. As the number of believers increased, the construction of a church was posed in front of her.
In 1997, the construction of a church in Huolongzhai began, showing God's preparation and grace.
The first grace was to solve the land problem. Seeing so many Christians gathering in her home, a village leader sympathized with them. He discussed with a villager to sell his unused land of about 2,000 square meters (0.49acre) at only 3,000 yuan.
The second was to solve the problem of felling trees. The trees planted by a villager on the land could not be cut down at will, as they needed to obtain approval from the forestry department and pay a sum of money, but the gathering place did not have any money. Village cadres said they would help them and went to relevant departments to solve it without spending any money.
The third was to solve the problem of church construction. A cadre in the town took the initiative to help find a construction team that could first carry out construction, with the project paid in four installments. On July 8, 1997, the foundation stone of the Huolongzhai Church was laid, with more than 600 participants from both local and other regions. As believers actively contributed, offerings were just enough for the first installment which was 50,000 yuan, even with some money left over.
The fourth was to solve the financial issues every time. The project had commenced, but what about the remaining funds which amounted to 175,000 yuan? In the early stage of construction, the congregation kept praying, and the second payment of 50,000 was given to the team in time. Luo led the staff to visit the village and ask for help from house to house, gaining sympathy, understanding, and support. Christians, non-Christians, and even village officials, loaned or contributed money to them, with believers from neighboring areas participating. A captain said, “Although I'm worried that you are not able to pay the money, I also know that you really have a God, and He is a real God!”
In the end, until the completion of the project, the four installments were timely provided by God through prayers.
In 1997, from July 8 to October 24, during the rainy season in the south of Liaoning, the project was carried out as normal, as there was basically no rain.
On October 24, 1997, the congregation celebrated the completion of Huolongzhai Church, the first one in Dalongling Village.
(The article is originally published by Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
在鞍山市千山区的汤岗子大龙岭村有一个活龙寨教堂。2021年5月16日主日，笔者辗转来到这里。
笔者与当年活动点的创始人、建设教堂的“头羊”罗丽华老姊妹攀谈了起来，听她讲信主和当年建堂的故事。
罗丽华姊妹今年79岁了。当年，她的身体非常不好，疾病折磨，几乎死去。在这个期间，他的二儿子在读大学的时候，就信主了。二儿子就给她传福音，说：妈，你还是信主吧。你看教会里那么多阿姨、大叔，精神都非常喜乐，身体也挺健康，你去吧。于是，老姊妹就跟着儿子到了教堂。这样，她在1991年的时候，就受洗归主了。
罗丽华老姊妹信主以后，非常热心传福音。当时这个村里没有教堂，她就在家里组织起家庭活动点。前来聚会的信徒辐射到附近的几个村子，甚至是其他地区的信徒。人数迅速发展到了300多人。他们的活动点从来不靠信徒奉献，都是罗姊妹自己往里搭钱，市基督教两会安排的传道人来讲道也要在她的家里吃饭。
家里的5间房子，聚会的时候都坐满了，窗台上都是人，于是就在外面搭起了大棚子，在大棚子里坐着聚会。在外面大棚子里，冬天冷、夏天热。这样连续坚持了6年。随着信徒的增加，建教堂就摆在了活动点的面前。
1997年，活龙寨建教堂的事工开始了，彰显神的预备和恩典。
神的预备、恩典一：解决土地问题。建教堂要有土地啊，当时村里领导看到罗姊妹家聚会人这么多，很同情，就和一个村民商量把他们家一个闲置的地卖给活动点。将近2000多平方米的地，才3000多元。
神的预备、恩典二：解决伐树的问题。购买的土地上有家村民栽的树，可不是随意砍伐的，需要经过林业主管部门批准，而且还需要交一笔费用。但是活动点本来就是一分钱都没有，村干部就说我们帮助你解决，于是就由村镇两级有关的干部到有关部门，帮助把这个问题解决了，而且没有花钱。
神的预备、恩典三：解决建堂施工的问题。从设计到施工，要花费不少钱。最后镇里的一名干部就主动帮助找到了一个施工队，而且是在活动点资金匮乏的情况下，先由施工队垫资、先施工，然后分四次支付工程款。1997年的7月8日，活龙寨教堂奠基。当天，本地和外地有600多信徒参加奠基典礼，大家也积极奉献。这个奉献恰好是凑足了第一次应该给施工队的款项5万元，而且还有部分剩余。
神的预备、恩典四：随时解决资金的问题。教堂开建了，第一笔资金也支付了，但是工程总造价要22.5万元。余下的款项怎么办？建堂前期，大家恒切祷告，罗姊妹带领同工就到村子里挨家挨户的去拜访，不管信不信主的都去。结果取得了村里父老乡亲的同情、理解和支持，就是那些不信主的人，包括村干部，也主动的把钱借给或者捐献给建教堂的项目。除了本村的信徒奉献外，其它毗邻地区的信徒，包括外地的信徒也来奉献。甚至有不信主的村民也愿意奉献支持。第二次的应付款5万元也是及时、足额的给了施工队。那位队长说，我还担心你给不上这笔钱呢，你们的上帝真是神，你们真有神！
最后，直到竣工，活动点建堂分四次的工程款每次都是在祈祷中，由神及时的供应。
神的预备、恩典五：神佑圣殿尽快竣工。从1997年的7月8日到同年的10月24日交工庆典，这期间，辽南正好是经历雨季。说也奇怪，这一年的雨季基本上没有下雨，丝毫没有影响施工，工程进度很快。
1997年10月24日教堂竣工庆典那天，大家欢庆大龙岭村历史上第一座基督教堂——活龙寨教堂的完美收工。
（本文作者为福音时报特约撰稿人。）
辽宁鞍山活龙寨活动点老牧者讲述当年建堂的恩典
An old female believer told a story of the construction of a Liaoning church under God's grace.
On May 16, Luo Lihua, founder of Huolongzhai Church in Dalongling Village, Tanggangzi Town, Qianshan District, Anshan City, Liaoning Province, share how God led the congregation to build a church.
Luo, aged 79, was baptized in 1991. Before becoming a Christian, she was suffering from illness and almost died. Her younger son, who embraced Jesus while in college, urged her to do the same, “Mom, come with me to the church where old members are all happy and healthy.”
Being enthusiastic about evangelism after baptism, she opened up her home as a gathering place, as there were no churches at that time in this village. Believers from nearby villages and other regions came to her home to worship God, with the number quickly exceeding 300. The gathering place was never funded by believers, but by Luo herself. Pastors sent by the Anshan Municipal CC&TSPM also had meals in her home after sermons.
During church services, five rooms of her home were full of Christians, even on the windowsills. So she set up a big shed outside for gathering, but it was cold in winter and hot in summer; this lasted for 6 years. As the number of believers increased, the construction of a church was posed in front of her.
In 1997, the construction of a church in Huolongzhai began, showing God's preparation and grace.
The first grace was to solve the land problem. Seeing so many Christians gathering in her home, a village leader sympathized with them. He discussed with a villager to sell his unused land of about 2,000 square meters (0.49acre) at only 3,000 yuan.
The second was to solve the problem of felling trees. The trees planted by a villager on the land could not be cut down at will, as they needed to obtain approval from the forestry department and pay a sum of money, but the gathering place did not have any money. Village cadres said they would help them and went to relevant departments to solve it without spending any money.
The third was to solve the problem of church construction. A cadre in the town took the initiative to help find a construction team that could first carry out construction, with the project paid in four installments. On July 8, 1997, the foundation stone of the Huolongzhai Church was laid, with more than 600 participants from both local and other regions. As believers actively contributed, offerings were just enough for the first installment which was 50,000 yuan, even with some money left over.
The fourth was to solve the financial issues every time. The project had commenced, but what about the remaining funds which amounted to 175,000 yuan? In the early stage of construction, the congregation kept praying, and the second payment of 50,000 was given to the team in time. Luo led the staff to visit the village and ask for help from house to house, gaining sympathy, understanding, and support. Christians, non-Christians, and even village officials, loaned or contributed money to them, with believers from neighboring areas participating. A captain said, “Although I'm worried that you are not able to pay the money, I also know that you really have a God, and He is a real God!”
In the end, until the completion of the project, the four installments were timely provided by God through prayers.
In 1997, from July 8 to October 24, during the rainy season in the south of Liaoning, the project was carried out as normal, as there was basically no rain.
On October 24, 1997, the congregation celebrated the completion of Huolongzhai Church, the first one in Dalongling Village.
(The article is originally published by Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Old Pastor Recounts Construction of Liaoning Church Under God’s Grace
