It has been nearly 30 years since the rise of urbanization in the 1990s which brought about the revival of urban churches in China. X, a pastor in South China, has led church groups for more than 20 years. In this process, he has experienced the change and renewal of the church’s pastoral mode for believers, which can be divided into three stages.
The first stage: the evangelists' feeding
Nearly 20 years ago, his church invited many famous pastors to share and preach sermons in the church. Some were big names presenting a systematic explanation of biblical teachings; some were the reviving pastors who would actively arouse the believers’ love for the Lord every time they preached; some were honored guests who emphasized especially prayer and spiritual gifts, and always gave believers visions and verbal encouragements.
Although they were all excellent pastors as such, they only appeared once in a while. This situation could not have the believers of the visited church gaining real and systematic pastoral care and guidance. Moreover, each of them had differences in interpreting the Bible and understanding the mission.
The second stage: the systematic Bible teaching
After discovering these problems, his church began to find solutions in pastoral care, so it slowly started the second stage: the Bible teaching stage. It was to find teaching systematic materials. There was the cultivation of beginners, personal spiritual growth, disciple training, the cultivation of churches and sects, marriages and families, etc. Slowly, concerning all kinds of teaching materials, they experienced the process from foreign introduction to indigenization use.
The third stage: establishing the inner life and influence of believers
Later, his church began to focus on guiding believers to pay attention to their spiritual life, emphasizing inner life, and thinking that the construction of believers’ personal life was particularly important. The first stage mentioned above might help believers to establish a relationship with God and the church, but the missing link was the training of establishing relationships with other believers and non-believers. It is an important link to spread the gospel through the influence of Christian life. As a result, the church began to help people learn how to wait for God and obey Him, and at the same time, they could give the fruits and testimonies of life to non-believers.
Pastor X says that at present his church emphasizes the slogan “believe, obey and practice” in pastoral care. He believes that the inner life of believers and the revival of the church have a causal relationship. A person’s inner life reflects the maturity of his belief, and can also predict his influence on the community, workplace and family. He hopes to help believers in his church experience the revival of their personal lives, and then as a result they will see the revival of evangelism from family, the workplace to the community.
- Translated by Charlie Li
从1990年代城市化兴起后带来的中国城市教会的复兴，到如今已经近三十年了。近日，一位华南牧者X弟兄，他在教会里面带领小组20几年，在这个过程中，他亲身经历了教会对信徒牧养模式的变化与更新，大体而言，可以分为三个阶段。
第一阶段：邀请布道家式的喂养
大约近20年前，他所在的教会会邀请很多有名气的牧师来教会分享和布道。有的是学者大咖型，呈现有条理的圣经主题讲解；有的是奋兴师类的名牧，每次来布道都会积极挑旺信徒的爱主之心；有的牧者嘉宾又是特别注重祷告和属灵恩赐，总是给信徒很多的异象和激励。
虽然他们都是很优秀的讲员，但是他们只是偶尔一次的出现，这种情况是无法让教会的信徒得到真正系统的牧养与引导，并且各家在解释圣经和对宣教的理解，也会有些许不同。
第二阶段：专注系统圣经教育
在发现这些问题之后，他所在教会在牧养上开始有意思的寻找解决路径，于是慢慢开始了第二个阶段：圣经教育阶段，就是寻找系统牧养教会信徒的教材。从初信栽培、个人灵命的成长，到门徒训练，再到植堂与差派以及婚姻家庭等系列。慢慢的，对于各样的牧会教材，他们都在经历着从积极引进到本色化使用的过程。
第三阶段：注重信徒内在生命与影响力建设
再后来，他所在的教会把重点开始放在引导信徒关注自己的灵性生命光景，强调内在生活，认为信徒个人信仰生命的建造尤为重要。之前邀请名牧讲道，参加各样的特会，可能帮助信徒们与上帝和教会建立了关系，但是缺少一环，就是帮助信徒与信徒、信徒与非信徒之间建立关系的培训，这是通过基督徒生活的影响力传福音很重要的一个环。于是，教会开始帮助大家学习等候神、顺服神的同时，能够把生命的果实和见证给未信之群体。
X牧者说到，目前他所在的教会在牧养中强调说“相信、顺服、实践”这六个字。他认为，信徒的内在的生命与教会的复兴有相互呼应的关系。一个人内在的生命体现出他信仰的成熟度，也可以预判他对社区、职场的、家庭的影响力。他希望帮助教会里的信徒经历个人生命的复兴，之后会看到传福音从家庭、职场再到社区的复兴。
访谈| 华南一小组牧者分享：过去20年看到的三个牧会阶段的变迁
It has been nearly 30 years since the rise of urbanization in the 1990s which brought about the revival of urban churches in China. X, a pastor in South China, has led church groups for more than 20 years. In this process, he has experienced the change and renewal of the church’s pastoral mode for believers, which can be divided into three stages.
The first stage: the evangelists' feeding
Nearly 20 years ago, his church invited many famous pastors to share and preach sermons in the church. Some were big names presenting a systematic explanation of biblical teachings; some were the reviving pastors who would actively arouse the believers’ love for the Lord every time they preached; some were honored guests who emphasized especially prayer and spiritual gifts, and always gave believers visions and verbal encouragements.
Although they were all excellent pastors as such, they only appeared once in a while. This situation could not have the believers of the visited church gaining real and systematic pastoral care and guidance. Moreover, each of them had differences in interpreting the Bible and understanding the mission.
The second stage: the systematic Bible teaching
After discovering these problems, his church began to find solutions in pastoral care, so it slowly started the second stage: the Bible teaching stage. It was to find teaching systematic materials. There was the cultivation of beginners, personal spiritual growth, disciple training, the cultivation of churches and sects, marriages and families, etc. Slowly, concerning all kinds of teaching materials, they experienced the process from foreign introduction to indigenization use.
The third stage: establishing the inner life and influence of believers
Later, his church began to focus on guiding believers to pay attention to their spiritual life, emphasizing inner life, and thinking that the construction of believers’ personal life was particularly important. The first stage mentioned above might help believers to establish a relationship with God and the church, but the missing link was the training of establishing relationships with other believers and non-believers. It is an important link to spread the gospel through the influence of Christian life. As a result, the church began to help people learn how to wait for God and obey Him, and at the same time, they could give the fruits and testimonies of life to non-believers.
Pastor X says that at present his church emphasizes the slogan “believe, obey and practice” in pastoral care. He believes that the inner life of believers and the revival of the church have a causal relationship. A person’s inner life reflects the maturity of his belief, and can also predict his influence on the community, workplace and family. He hopes to help believers in his church experience the revival of their personal lives, and then as a result they will see the revival of evangelism from family, the workplace to the community.
- Translated by Charlie Li
Interview: Pastor Shares Three Stages of Pastoral Ministry in Past 20 Years
