In the past few decades, the evangelism methods of the Church in China have undergone transitions from sharing miracles and wonders to oral transmission and then to life-changing testimonies.
Many years ago, miracles and wonders led people to faith
It seemed that miraculous occurrences became a significant driving force for the development of the Chinese Church, especially in rural areas. At that time, most Chinese people were very poor, and the cost of treating a severe illness at a hospital could lead most families into substantial debt.
As a result, God performed numerous miracles; countless critically ill patients were healed in churches, and many possessed and mentally unstable individuals found healing through God. This led to a significant change in the attitudes of those who were previously skeptical or resistant to Christianity.
My grandmother, diagnosed with a terminal illness, was given a critical condition notice by the hospital. Unwilling to let her pass away, my grandfather sought medical advice even after returning home from the hospital. Fortunately, they encountered a Christian who informed them that healing could be found in the church. Consequently, the grandfather used a cart to transport her to the church. The grandmother's condition significantly improved after the second visit, and after the third visit, God completely healed her.
Ascribed to the grandmother's illness, the entire extended family, including the once unbelieving grandfather, embraced Christianity after witnessing multiple miracles and experiencing divine guidance. Consequently, their family was transformed into a home church, where many individuals found their faith.
In the past twenty years, the primary method of evangelism has been oral transmission.
In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, people noticed a significant reduction in miraculous occurrences, with some churches even experiencing their disappearance. Subsequently, most Christians came to know about the gospel through the words of other believers, who shared stories of miracles that had occurred within the church or among its members. However, nowadays, oral evangelism predominantly focuses on the basic doctrines of Christianity and the testimonies of believers, with once-prevalent miraculous events now being rarely reported.
Therefore, gospel pamphlets started spreading everywhere, and varied online spaces began hosting substantial information about the Christian faith. Enthusiastic Christians were found sharing the gospel by word-of-mouth at church entrances, squares, parks, and even on public transportation.
People have placed higher demands on evangelism methods in the new era, emphasizing relational evangelism coupled with life changing testimonies.
Rev. Xu Da, the senior pastor of a city church in a central province for many years, mentioned that, similar to many other churches, they primarily conducted evangelism through evangelistic campaigns and distributing gospel pamphlets in previous years. While the latter method was effective previously, it has seen a decline in its effectiveness in recent times.
Reverend Xu and his fellow workers found that the most effective way was through relational evangelism combined with stories of life change. They observed a severe lack of trust among people in contemporary society, making individuals instinctively wary even in casual interactions. Contrastingly, people in the 1970s and 1980s engaged in conversations with strangers with goodwill and trust.
Xu stated that their current belief was that the most effective method involved sharing the gospel through relationships rather than mere words, emphasizing the importance of living testimonies. He highlighted that when others witness such testimonies and ask questions about faith, the process of evangelism becomes simpler. In their church, many individuals were introduced to Christianity through this approach. Personal encounters showcased a distinct character that made believers stand out and subsequently guided people into the church.
The pastor discussed the struggles within the church, indicating that many believers failed to live exemplary lives without ineffective testimonies. Moreover, the conditions among pastors were sometimes worse than those among believers. Power struggles and the pursuit of fame and profit within the church caused many believers to face temptations, lose hope, and consequently depart from the church. Many believers were not genuine Christians but merely religious. Like the Pharisees, they considered themselves devout but faced severe issues. Xu attributed this to the lack of a genuine, intimate relationship with God, as they mistakenly believed their relationship with God was strong.
He narrated an incident from their church where a child fell ill and needed hospitalization and surgery. Both parents were full-time workers at the church without sufficient money to cover the surgery costs. Eventually, the church reimbursed all the surgery expenses. Xu explained that their willingness stemmed from their past hardships and that they realized how difficult it was to be a full-time servant.
He emphasized that if a full-time worker fell ill and required substantial funds, the church had to assist them, ensuring they had no worries and could serve wholeheartedly. The church needed to find ways to provide for and support them, ensuring financial stress didn't become a significant burden.
If the evangelistic approach reliant on miracles aims to alter the physical, the focus of word-of-mouth evangelism lies in transforming thoughts and beliefs, while testimonies aim at changing individuals' real-life circumstances. This transition, progressing from the physical to the mental aspects and then to comprehensive life transformations, unfolds gradually, moving from superficial to profound levels. Perhaps concealed behind the apparent shifts in evangelistic methodologies is the profound intention of God—seeking not only our presence but also desiring our hearts and aspiring for our complete devotion and allegiance to Him
- Translated by Abigail Wu
过去几十年和现在的中国教会的福传方式先后经历了从神迹奇事到口传、从口传再到生活见证的转变。
很多年之前，神迹奇事可能是最主要的福传方式。
那个时候绝大多数的中国人都还非常贫穷，生病以后很多人不愿意也不敢去医院，在医院治一场大病的费用足以让绝大多数家庭倾家荡产而且还要欠上一屁股外债。所以上帝施行了许多的神迹奇事，无数的重症绝症病人在教会得到了痊愈，许多被鬼附的人和精神不正常的人在教会得到了上帝的医治。
心里刚硬、对基督教信仰排斥的人，在亲眼见证了邻居街坊甚至是自己的家人被医院“判了”死刑但是却在教会得到了医治之后，他们对待基督教的态度也不得不大幅度转变。
我的外婆原本得了绝症的外婆被医院下了病危通知书，医生让外公把她带回去。外公也不想让外婆死，于是从医院回家以后继续给她寻医问药。幸运地遇到一位基督徒，告诉他去教会可以得到医治。于是，外公用板车拉着躺在车上的外婆去了教会。第二次再去的时候外婆的病就好了很多，可以坐在车上了。第三次去教会聚会回家的路上，外婆的疾病就彻底得到了主的医治。
因着外婆一个人信主的缘故，外婆全家上下十几口人全部都信主了，最后心里极其刚硬的外公在经历了许多次神迹还有管教之后也信主了。从此，外公外婆家变为了家庭教会，许多人在这里信主。
过去二十年：福传的最主要方式是口传
大概是世纪之交的那几年又或者是什么时候，大家纷纷发现神迹奇事少了很多，在一些教会中甚至几乎完全消失了。后来大部分信主的基督徒都是通过被其他基督徒“口传”的方式接触福音的。口传的内容往往都是发生在教会和信徒身上的神迹奇事。可是现在的“口传”的内容往往都是基督教信仰的基本教义以及信徒的信仰见证，曾经非常普遍的神迹奇事如今已经很少出现。
于是，我们就看见福音单张开始遍地流行，而在一些网络空间中也能发现很多基督教信仰的信息。教会门口、广场、公园甚至于公交车上……很多地方都有热心基督徒通过“口传”的方式分享福音。
新时代对福传方式提出了更高的要求——关系传道+生活见证
许达牧师是中部某省份一所城市教会的主任牧师，已经在那里服事神许多年了。
许达说，跟他所知道的很多教会一样，前些年的时候他们主要是通过布道会、福音单张等方式进行福传。那个时候一年当中会举行数次布道会，以吸引很多人进来。而在平时，他们更多使用的是发放福音单张的方式做福传。但是连续做下来这么多年，“以前曾经效果是很好的，但是近些年来这样的方式效果非常不好。”
许达牧师和教会同工们找到的方法是关系传道加生活见证，而且两者一定要结合在一起。原因是许达牧师他们发现现在的社会人与人之间的信任是非常薄弱的，薄弱到近乎没有。一个人遇到一个陌生人的搭讪，几乎一定会下意识的防备。而上世纪70，80年代人们即便是跟陌生人交流都是带着善意和信任的。
许达牧师说：“我们认为，当下最好的方式就是人与人之间通过关系来传福音。而且，还不是用口和话语来传福音，而是用活生生的见证。当别人看到这样的见证进而主动来问你的时候，这个时候传福音就变得很简单了。在我们教会里面，有很多人都是这样过来的。一个人跟你接触了，然后他发现你这个人跟他所接触到的其他人不一样。这个时候他很容易就能被带到教会里面。”
“很多信徒都没有活出来漂亮的生活，他们的生活无法成为别人的见证。至于牧者的状况甚至比信徒更加糟糕，教会里面的权力斗争、争名夺利非常激烈，甚至让很多信徒受到试探、心灰意冷继而离开教会的也有很多。很多信徒并不是真正的基督徒，而是宗教徒。法利赛人，他们觉得自己的信仰很虔诚。但是他们的问题还非常严重。根源是出在了跟上帝的关系上，他们并没有真正和上帝建立一对一的亲密的关系，他们错误地自以为他们跟上帝的关系很好。”许达牧师说道。
许达牧师讲述了一个真实发生在他们教会的事情。有一次一个孩子生病了，需要住院动手术，这个孩子的父母都是教会的全职同工，他们没有足够的钱来支付孩子的手术费用。最后教会给他们报销了全部的手术费用。许达牧师说他们之所以愿意这样做，是因为当初他们吃过很多苦，很深地知道全职服事者有多么不容易。
“如果是同工自己生病了，需要的花费比较多，那教会也要帮助他们，一定要让他们没有后顾之忧，让他们能够安心和专心服事。”
如果说神迹奇事的福传方式的焦点在于改变人的肉体的话，那么口传的焦点就是改变人的想法和思想，而生活见证的焦点则在于改变人们的实际生活。我们就会发现从肉体到思想再到生活，一直在循序渐进、由浅入深。或许在表面的福传方式改变的背后，隐藏着上帝的美意——他想要得着我们的人，更想要得到我们的心，希望我们的全人全心都属于祂。
特稿|从神迹奇事到口传再到生活见证：浅谈近年来福传方式的转变
In the past few decades, the evangelism methods of the Church in China have undergone transitions from sharing miracles and wonders to oral transmission and then to life-changing testimonies.
Many years ago, miracles and wonders led people to faith
It seemed that miraculous occurrences became a significant driving force for the development of the Chinese Church, especially in rural areas. At that time, most Chinese people were very poor, and the cost of treating a severe illness at a hospital could lead most families into substantial debt.
As a result, God performed numerous miracles; countless critically ill patients were healed in churches, and many possessed and mentally unstable individuals found healing through God. This led to a significant change in the attitudes of those who were previously skeptical or resistant to Christianity.
My grandmother, diagnosed with a terminal illness, was given a critical condition notice by the hospital. Unwilling to let her pass away, my grandfather sought medical advice even after returning home from the hospital. Fortunately, they encountered a Christian who informed them that healing could be found in the church. Consequently, the grandfather used a cart to transport her to the church. The grandmother's condition significantly improved after the second visit, and after the third visit, God completely healed her.
Ascribed to the grandmother's illness, the entire extended family, including the once unbelieving grandfather, embraced Christianity after witnessing multiple miracles and experiencing divine guidance. Consequently, their family was transformed into a home church, where many individuals found their faith.
In the past twenty years, the primary method of evangelism has been oral transmission.
In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, people noticed a significant reduction in miraculous occurrences, with some churches even experiencing their disappearance. Subsequently, most Christians came to know about the gospel through the words of other believers, who shared stories of miracles that had occurred within the church or among its members. However, nowadays, oral evangelism predominantly focuses on the basic doctrines of Christianity and the testimonies of believers, with once-prevalent miraculous events now being rarely reported.
Therefore, gospel pamphlets started spreading everywhere, and varied online spaces began hosting substantial information about the Christian faith. Enthusiastic Christians were found sharing the gospel by word-of-mouth at church entrances, squares, parks, and even on public transportation.
People have placed higher demands on evangelism methods in the new era, emphasizing relational evangelism coupled with life changing testimonies.
Rev. Xu Da, the senior pastor of a city church in a central province for many years, mentioned that, similar to many other churches, they primarily conducted evangelism through evangelistic campaigns and distributing gospel pamphlets in previous years. While the latter method was effective previously, it has seen a decline in its effectiveness in recent times.
Reverend Xu and his fellow workers found that the most effective way was through relational evangelism combined with stories of life change. They observed a severe lack of trust among people in contemporary society, making individuals instinctively wary even in casual interactions. Contrastingly, people in the 1970s and 1980s engaged in conversations with strangers with goodwill and trust.
Xu stated that their current belief was that the most effective method involved sharing the gospel through relationships rather than mere words, emphasizing the importance of living testimonies. He highlighted that when others witness such testimonies and ask questions about faith, the process of evangelism becomes simpler. In their church, many individuals were introduced to Christianity through this approach. Personal encounters showcased a distinct character that made believers stand out and subsequently guided people into the church.
The pastor discussed the struggles within the church, indicating that many believers failed to live exemplary lives without ineffective testimonies. Moreover, the conditions among pastors were sometimes worse than those among believers. Power struggles and the pursuit of fame and profit within the church caused many believers to face temptations, lose hope, and consequently depart from the church. Many believers were not genuine Christians but merely religious. Like the Pharisees, they considered themselves devout but faced severe issues. Xu attributed this to the lack of a genuine, intimate relationship with God, as they mistakenly believed their relationship with God was strong.
He narrated an incident from their church where a child fell ill and needed hospitalization and surgery. Both parents were full-time workers at the church without sufficient money to cover the surgery costs. Eventually, the church reimbursed all the surgery expenses. Xu explained that their willingness stemmed from their past hardships and that they realized how difficult it was to be a full-time servant.
He emphasized that if a full-time worker fell ill and required substantial funds, the church had to assist them, ensuring they had no worries and could serve wholeheartedly. The church needed to find ways to provide for and support them, ensuring financial stress didn't become a significant burden.
If the evangelistic approach reliant on miracles aims to alter the physical, the focus of word-of-mouth evangelism lies in transforming thoughts and beliefs, while testimonies aim at changing individuals' real-life circumstances. This transition, progressing from the physical to the mental aspects and then to comprehensive life transformations, unfolds gradually, moving from superficial to profound levels. Perhaps concealed behind the apparent shifts in evangelistic methodologies is the profound intention of God—seeking not only our presence but also desiring our hearts and aspiring for our complete devotion and allegiance to Him
- Translated by Abigail Wu
From Miracles to Oral Transmission to Real-life Testimonies: Evolution of Evangelism Methods in China
