Editor's note: The impact of the 2022 epidemic on people's lives has exceeded their imagination. People who work and live in every field of society are experiencing helplessness and the feeling of loss. In a church where believers were weak in faith or left, a pastor Y in South China shared stories of how they helped church members get out of the spiritual slump through prayers, care, and support.
Pastor Y shared an example of a female believer who blamed God for the suicide of her father who had pancreatic cancer but did not want to receive treatment.
First of all, he counseled her who was breastfeeding her newly-born child in order to help her accept the fact that her father had left, saying each person might leave this world.
Second, they gathered together to pray for her faith in Christ. Through face-to-face consultations, Y tried to guide her to change her perspective and exhort her not to blame God who controls everything and whose grace is greater than all the sufferings. Finally, she overcame the trouble of receiving others’ prayers, exhortations, and company.
He continued, "Having not found a job, a female member of our church who is highly educated was anxious. In the face of believers without jobs, we introduced other Christians of the same trade or occupation to help them. At the same time, I urge her to attend services, emphasizing the importance of worshipping God.”
The pastor said they prayed online overnight for a female Christian who had been trapped at home for a month in Futian District, Shenzhen. She finally overcame this difficult period through virtual gatherings.
A Christian woman running three companies in the cultural industry felt nervous as she couldn’t fall asleep. Apart from consultation and prayers, Y said they suggested that she see a Chinese medicine doctor as soon as possible to nurse her back to health.
Y declared, "Under the epidemic, personal life and the development of the church which should give people truth, love, and hope are full of uncertainty and difficulties. God's love is true love that was revealed by Jesus' cross and true service. Loving each other as Jesus did, pastoral workers gave out what they have to help believers start anew to glorify God’s name.”
- Translated by Abigail Wu
编者按：2022年的疫情给人们生活所带来的影响已经超过了人们的想象。在社会每一个领域里工作生活的人们，他们都在经历着难以言说的无奈与失去。
笔者近日与一位华南Y牧者进行了交流分享，他所服事的教会在疫情期间，也有信众的流失以及信众的信仰生活软弱的情况。他与笔者分享了他们教会帮助信众走出低谷的一些见证。他们不只是祷告，还有切实的关怀与扶持。
Y牧者举例分享说：“我们教会一个姐妹，她刚生了孩子，在哺乳期，突然知道爸爸因为得了胰腺癌，不想治病，选择自杀了。这个姐妹就很埋怨神。那我们面对这样的情况，首先是帮助她接受父亲离开的事实，告诉她人总是会离开这个世界的。其次，我们聚在一起为她的信心在基督里得坚固祷告。 通过牧者与信徒面对面的商谈，引导她改变视角，劝勉她不要因为这个事情而埋怨神，要看到神是掌管一切的神，他的恩典是大过我们人生的一切苦难，经历过祷告、劝勉和陪伴，这个姐妹走出了信心的底谷。”
他继续见证说：“我们教会有一个姐妹，她学历很高，因为没有及时找到新的工作，有困扰，陷入到焦虑当中。我们面对没有工作的弟兄姐妹，能做的就是资源对接，找教会中能够帮助到的同行的家人给她认识，让她能够尽快解决眼前的问题，同时也在礼拜聚会的方面强调敬拜的重要性给她，无论如何要做好礼拜，赞美荣耀上帝。”
Y牧者继续说道，疫情期间，有一个姐妹在福田区被困在家里一个月出不来，她有很大的困扰，所以我们就为她做在线的通宵祷告，给她上帝话语的恩典和信心，借着网络上的陪伴，帮助她得胜这个艰难期。
还有一个做文化产业的姐妹，她有3个公司，但是到了晚上就觉得自己有病，心里不安，睡不着觉。我们除了商谈，为她祷告，也建议她尽快看中医，好好调理。
Y牧者认为：““疫情下的处境，个人的生活和教会的发展都是充满不确定性和各样的艰难，但是教会的存在，就是给人以真理、爱和盼望的。上帝的爱是十字架的爱，是落地的爱，是真实可触的事奉。当教会牧者同工都带着基督的心彼此相爱，互相给与自己可以拿出来的， 就会有更多信众在这个爱和盼望里面，重新出发，重新得力，这样主的名可以得着荣耀的见证。”
https://www.christiantimes.cn/news/36909/%E8%A7%81%E8%AF%81%7C%20%E5%8D%8E%E5%8D%97%E4%B8%80%E7%89%A7%E8%80%85%E5%A6%82%E4%BD%95%E5%9C%A8%E7%96%AB%E6%83%85%E6%9C%9F%E9%97%B4%E5%B8%AE%E5%8A%A9%E4%BF%A1%E4%BC%97%E8%B5%B0%E5%87%BA%E4%BF%A1%E5%BF%83%E5%BA%95%E8%B0%B7%EF%BC%9F
见证| 华南一牧者如何在疫情期间帮助信众走出信心底谷？
Editor's note: The impact of the 2022 epidemic on people's lives has exceeded their imagination. People who work and live in every field of society are experiencing helplessness and the feeling of loss. In a church where believers were weak in faith or left, a pastor Y in South China shared stories of how they helped church members get out of the spiritual slump through prayers, care, and support.
Pastor Y shared an example of a female believer who blamed God for the suicide of her father who had pancreatic cancer but did not want to receive treatment.
First of all, he counseled her who was breastfeeding her newly-born child in order to help her accept the fact that her father had left, saying each person might leave this world.
Second, they gathered together to pray for her faith in Christ. Through face-to-face consultations, Y tried to guide her to change her perspective and exhort her not to blame God who controls everything and whose grace is greater than all the sufferings. Finally, she overcame the trouble of receiving others’ prayers, exhortations, and company.
He continued, "Having not found a job, a female member of our church who is highly educated was anxious. In the face of believers without jobs, we introduced other Christians of the same trade or occupation to help them. At the same time, I urge her to attend services, emphasizing the importance of worshipping God.”
The pastor said they prayed online overnight for a female Christian who had been trapped at home for a month in Futian District, Shenzhen. She finally overcame this difficult period through virtual gatherings.
A Christian woman running three companies in the cultural industry felt nervous as she couldn’t fall asleep. Apart from consultation and prayers, Y said they suggested that she see a Chinese medicine doctor as soon as possible to nurse her back to health.
Y declared, "Under the epidemic, personal life and the development of the church which should give people truth, love, and hope are full of uncertainty and difficulties. God's love is true love that was revealed by Jesus' cross and true service. Loving each other as Jesus did, pastoral workers gave out what they have to help believers start anew to glorify God’s name.”
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Pastor Helps Believers Walk Out of Spiritual Slumps During COVID-19
