After lifting COVID-19 restrictions at the end of 2022, the infectious disease caused the deaths of many middle-aged and elderly people with underlying conditions, including some senior believers.
Two elderly people died in a small village church attended by only 20 or 30 middle-aged and elderly Christians. The children of the two people who died asked the church to plan their funerals according to Christian customs and the wishes of the people who died. Without a choir or band, the small church has no funeral host or preacher. Because she had only received several years of online theological education and had never preached at a memorial service, the pastor of this church felt ill-equipped. The head of the church also lacked experience in ministry and was too busy with secular work to be a host.
Usually, the church asks the chief pastor of the county CC&TSPM to invite a big church in other townships to hold the ceremony.
The church leader turned down the invitation from the families of the two Christians who had died because he didn't want to bother the church staff and Christians in nearby churches, some of whom had also been infected or should have held memorial services for Christians who had died in their churches.
In fact, like this small church, over two-thirds of the local churches turned to the local CC&TSPM to get help from a large church in other townships.
Here are a few suggestions to better conduct the ministry.
The county and district CC&TSPM can designate a pastor to be in charge of this ministry for believers in the area. The person should be planning ministry training for pastors and church leaders, helping small churches hold memorial services, and encouraging churches to work together.
The county and district CC&TSPM can divide pastoral areas, and the appointed directors and staff workers in charge of the ministry could form a funeral team for churches in those rural areas. By providing preachers and hosts, different churches can select members to start a joint funeral choir and band. When a believer in a small church passes away, the funeral team undertakes the funeral work.
The CC&TSPMs should train funeral service workers, including preachers, hosts, choir members, and band members, to spread the gospel and bear testimonies to the Lord through the ministry, which has high requirements for these workers.
If the above three points can't be met, Christian organizations can designate a large church to support the small one.
The small churches can also seek funeral assistance from comprehensive ones, which should pay attention to the funeral ministry of the surrounding small churches and provide support.
(The article is initially published by the Gospel Times, and the author is a pastor in Hubei Province.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
2022年底，新冠病毒疫情防控放开后，导致许多有基础疾病的中老年人离世。离世者中，也有中老年主内家人。
某间乡村“小堂会”（平时只有二三十名中老年信徒聚会），就有两位长者相继离世。这两位长者的子女分别找到该堂会负责人，表示愿意遵从其离世长辈要求按基督教礼仪料理后事的遗愿；并请求教会为其离世亲人全程料理丧事。然而，该堂会因为“小”，不仅没有诗班，没有乐队，而且没有丧礼主持人和证道人员。因为，该堂会的传道人是一位自我感觉装备不足（只在网络上，接受了几年神学装备），她尚未在丧礼上讲过道，没有丧礼证道经验。其教会负责人也缺乏事奉经验，并世俗工作非常忙碌，尚不能胜任丧礼主持。
往常该堂会为其离世信徒料理丧事，均是通过请求该堂会所属县基督教两会的牧长，帮忙邀请其它乡镇的“大堂会”支援。
鉴于本次疫毒泛滥，该堂负责人和传道人考虑：一方面，周边堂会也有信徒离世，另一个面，其它堂会的同工和信徒，也应该正在感染生病中。从而，不想“打扰”周边堂会的同工和信徒。故此，该堂会负责人，谢绝了那两位离世信徒家人的邀请。
其实，该地像这间堂会一样的“小堂会”占当地堂会的三分之二以上。这些教会平时若有信徒离世，也都是临时请求该堂会所属地区基督教两会的牧长，帮忙邀请其它乡镇的“大堂会”支援。
这也客观反映了贫困地区农村教会“小堂会”办理丧事难的问题。那么，针对这个问题，教会又当如何解决呢？有以下几点小建议——
一、县区两会指定负责治丧牧长。
县区基督教两会，在其辖区应当指定某位牧长负责（主管或分管）本地区的信徒治丧事工。并明确其职责：指导各堂会治丧事工；组织各堂会传道人、负责人和其他同工进行丧事方面的事工培训；帮助“小堂会”为离世信徒料理后事；协调各堂会在丧事事工方面的合作等。
二、以牧区为单位建立治丧团队。
县区基督教两会，应将辖区内的堂会按区域划分牧区，指定各牧区负责人，并指定治丧负责同工。由牧区负责人和牧区负责治丧同工，将牧区内的各堂会联络起来，建组一个治丧团队。有讲员的堂会提供讲员，有主持人的堂会提供主持人。诗班可以从各堂会中抽选信徒，组建联合治丧诗班和治丧乐队。当某“小堂会”有信徒离世时，由牧区治丧团队承担治丧事工。
三、开展堂点治丧事工人员培训。
丧治是一项对事奉人员要求较高的事工。是为主耶稣作美好见证和传扬基督救恩的绝佳机会。应当及时培训丧治工作人员；包括对讲员、主持人、诗班员和乐队成员的培训。
四、为小堂点指定丧治帮扶堂点。
若上述三项尚且不能及时完善，县区基督教两会，可为某个不能提供丧治服务的“小堂会”，指定能够胜任治丧服务的“大堂会”作为支援堂会。
五、小堂大胆邀请大堂主动协助。
当某堂会在治丧事工方面有难处时，应当大胆寻求有治丧资源的大堂会支援。同时，大堂会也应该关注周边小堂会在丧事方面的事工，当某小堂会一旦有这方面之需求时，就应当主动出手支援。
注：本文为特约/自由撰稿人文章，作者系湖北一名传道人。
给农村“小堂会”解决治丧难的几点建议
After lifting COVID-19 restrictions at the end of 2022, the infectious disease caused the deaths of many middle-aged and elderly people with underlying conditions, including some senior believers.
Two elderly people died in a small village church attended by only 20 or 30 middle-aged and elderly Christians. The children of the two people who died asked the church to plan their funerals according to Christian customs and the wishes of the people who died. Without a choir or band, the small church has no funeral host or preacher. Because she had only received several years of online theological education and had never preached at a memorial service, the pastor of this church felt ill-equipped. The head of the church also lacked experience in ministry and was too busy with secular work to be a host.
Usually, the church asks the chief pastor of the county CC&TSPM to invite a big church in other townships to hold the ceremony.
The church leader turned down the invitation from the families of the two Christians who had died because he didn't want to bother the church staff and Christians in nearby churches, some of whom had also been infected or should have held memorial services for Christians who had died in their churches.
In fact, like this small church, over two-thirds of the local churches turned to the local CC&TSPM to get help from a large church in other townships.
Here are a few suggestions to better conduct the ministry.
The county and district CC&TSPM can designate a pastor to be in charge of this ministry for believers in the area. The person should be planning ministry training for pastors and church leaders, helping small churches hold memorial services, and encouraging churches to work together.
The county and district CC&TSPM can divide pastoral areas, and the appointed directors and staff workers in charge of the ministry could form a funeral team for churches in those rural areas. By providing preachers and hosts, different churches can select members to start a joint funeral choir and band. When a believer in a small church passes away, the funeral team undertakes the funeral work.
The CC&TSPMs should train funeral service workers, including preachers, hosts, choir members, and band members, to spread the gospel and bear testimonies to the Lord through the ministry, which has high requirements for these workers.
If the above three points can't be met, Christian organizations can designate a large church to support the small one.
The small churches can also seek funeral assistance from comprehensive ones, which should pay attention to the funeral ministry of the surrounding small churches and provide support.
(The article is initially published by the Gospel Times, and the author is a pastor in Hubei Province.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Some Suggestions to Solve Challenges of Bereavement in Rural Chapels
