February 11, the second day of the Spring Festival, marked the first Sunday after the lunar new year. Visiting a church in another village, the closest one to my hometown, I expected a larger turnout due to the Spring Festival homecoming, but there were only a total of 11 people in the church.
After taking my seat, I glanced around. The church was quite spacious, capable of accommodating over 100 people. The church was warm inside, with two vertical air conditioners working. Two church workers in their 60s (a lady and a gentleman) led the congregants in singing without music, with four believers presenting songs at the altar.
During the sermon, a middle-aged Christian man was invited to share a sermon, beginning with a testimony. As the evening before this Sunday service, dense fog set in with low visibility. he was determined to come for the sermon after some inner struggle. With faith on the road, he prayed to God to dispel the fog, which later lifted. Facing the small congregation, he expressed his sentiment in the church, stating that even if one person among them listened and changed, his journey would not be in vain.
After the gathering, I conversed with the founder of the church, an elderly woman around 80, and her son, who currently oversees the main affairs of the church. We discussed the church's development, changes in attendance, challenges, and matters concerning the pulpit.
The elderly leader mentioned that the rural church has a history spanning over 20 years. Initially, they rented vacant factory buildings and cinemas for gatherings. Later, they acquired the current location and completed the necessary registration procedures. The attendance at meetings could reach 70 to 80 people at its peak, but typically 40 to 50 people gather during one service.
Regarding the low attendance during the Chinese New Year, she shared several reasons. Firstly, during the grandest holiday in China, people visit relatives and friends, making it difficult for some to attend church services. Secondly, some non-Christian family members create reluctance for Christian family members to join the gathering. Concerning the second point, the elderly leader mentioned that believers should build good relationships with their unbelieving family members, otherwise, the latter would pose obstacles to their faith.
She shared an incident where a Christian woman, upon accepting faith, removed the ancestral worship items her non-Christian husband dedicated to gods. As a result, he severely beat her, and their relationship deteriorated. It took a considerable amount of time for their relationship to gradually improve.
Just before this Sunday service, another Christian lady sought her opinion on whether to attend due to her non-Christian family. This elderly leader advised her to decide based on her situation after prayer, reassuring her that seeking God at home was also a valid option.
The founder of the church explained several reasons for the decline in regular attendees. Some elderly believers passed away, some faced mobility challenges, and some moved to the city to live with their children. In addition to these reasons, certain measures taken by the church in response to government policy and regulation led some believers to leave. For instance, some believers couldn't accept the display of the national flag within the church premises.
Alongside the decrease in attendance, the lack of young members poses a significant challenge for the church. There are only two relatively young believers in the church. A 45-year-old Christian woman, accompanying her child in her studies, can play the piano but seldom comes to church. The other one is the son of the elderly leader, around 50, who used to be involved in the transportation business but had to stay home due to a significant car accident.
Another challenge the church faces is the weakness in pastoral ministry.The church primarily invites pastors from urban churches to preach at Sunday services. The son of the elderly leader, who has studied theology, also shares one to two times a month. Currently, it seems that pastoral care is insufficient to meet the needs of the believers. When faced with some heretical sects, rural pastors find it challenging to accurately discern.
In the backdrop of urbanization, what lies ahead for rural churches? Although this rural church and surrounding ones are not affiliated with urban churches, the urban ones are willing to assist in terms of pastor care and facility supply. Upon learning that this church lacked heating equipment, an urban church promptly donated two vertical air conditioners.
I also heard about two cases where urban churches assisted in the development of rural churches. In one region, a struggling village church on the verge of closing experienced a revival with the help of manpower and resources from an urban church. In another area, the leader of the local church directly arranged for a main pastor to move from the city to a declining rural church, helping it to regain vitality.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
2月11日，正月初二，是农历新年后的首个主日。笔者来到离老家最近的另外一个村庄的教会。原以为因着春节返乡潮，聚会的人数会比较多，但是教会里稀稀拉拉一共只有11人。
待我落座后，我环顾了一下四周，教会内部挺宽敞的，至少可以容纳100多人。两部立式空调在工作着，屋内比较暖和。两位60多岁的同工（一个男，一个女）在台前带领大家唱诗，没有司琴，4位信徒参与了献唱。
在证道环节，一位中年男信徒受邀分享，他先做了一个见证。聚会前一天的傍晚起了大雾，能见度很低。经过一番思想斗争后，他下定决心，照常过来证道。他带着信心向神祷告，求神把大雾散去，结果雾真就散了。面对为数不多的会众，他感慨地说道，哪怕在座的有一个人听进去并且跟着改变，他就不虚此行了。
聚会结束后，我跟现年八旬左右的该教会的创始人以及目前负责教会主要事务的她的儿子进行了交谈。我们谈到了教会的发展历程、人数变化、面临的挑战、讲台供应等话题。
老负责人说，这间乡村教会有二十多年的历史。起初是租用闲置的厂房、电影院进行聚会；后来购置了目前的场所，并且办理了登记手续。聚会人数最多时能有七八十人，现在平常礼拜能有四五十人。
谈及春节期间聚会人数为何这么少，她分析了几个原因。一是春节期间走亲访友，有的脱不开身；二是一些不信主的家人回来了，他们排斥基督信仰，致使家里的基督徒不敢出来聚会。关于第二点，老负责说如果处理不好跟不信主家人的关系，之后的信仰道路会遇到不少拦阻。
她说道一位女基督徒信主后，认为不信主的丈夫供祖先是拜偶像，就把那些供奉都给撤掉了。结果，丈夫把她狠狠打了一顿，二人关系也大不如以前。经过挺长一段时间，关系才逐渐缓和。
就在今年春节期间的主日聚会前，另一位女信徒还征求该教会老负责人的意见，问是否要参加聚会。老负责人建议她跟着自己的情况来决定，即便在家也可以寻求上帝。
教会平时人数的减少，一是因为一些老年信徒归了天家，有的则是行动不便，还有的是去城里跟子女同住。除了上述原因，一些信徒因为教会应对国家政策法规的举措而离开了教会。比如，教会在院内挂国旗，有些信徒接受不了。
在人数减少的同时，教会也面临缺乏年轻人的棘手问题，教会中仅有两位较年轻的信徒。一位是陪孩子读书的45岁的姐妹，她会弹琴，但不常来聚会。另外一位就是老负责人的儿子，50岁左右，早前做运输生意；因为一场重大的车祸而留在了家里。
讲台供应不足是该教会面临的另一大挑战。主日聚会时，该教会主要是通过邀请城区教会的牧者证道来解决；老负责人的儿子也读过神学，一个月可以分享一到两次。目前来看，教会的牧养难以满足信徒的需求，在面对一些异端邪教时，牧者也难以分辨。周边有不少崇尚灵恩的聚会，比如，说方言，聚会时大哭、扑倒、呕吐、打滚等。面对如此种种，牧者感觉不对劲，却也无法准确地辨析。
在城市化的大背景下，农村教会未来的道路在哪里？这间乡村教会以及周边的乡村教会虽然是不隶属于城区的教会，但城区的教会却愿意在人力、财力上给予帮助。当知道该教会缺少供暖设备，城区教会立即给奉献了两台立式空调。
笔者也听到了城区教会帮助农村教会发展的两个成功案例。一个濒临关门的其它地区的农村教会，在城区教会给予人力、物力的帮助下，逐渐复兴了起来；另外一个地区的当地教会负责人直接将市区的核心牧者长期安排到衰落的农村教会，藉此让走向衰落的农村教会重新焕发生机。
从东北一农村聚会点的春节聚会窥当地农村教会的现状
February 11, the second day of the Spring Festival, marked the first Sunday after the lunar new year. Visiting a church in another village, the closest one to my hometown, I expected a larger turnout due to the Spring Festival homecoming, but there were only a total of 11 people in the church.
After taking my seat, I glanced around. The church was quite spacious, capable of accommodating over 100 people. The church was warm inside, with two vertical air conditioners working. Two church workers in their 60s (a lady and a gentleman) led the congregants in singing without music, with four believers presenting songs at the altar.
During the sermon, a middle-aged Christian man was invited to share a sermon, beginning with a testimony. As the evening before this Sunday service, dense fog set in with low visibility. he was determined to come for the sermon after some inner struggle. With faith on the road, he prayed to God to dispel the fog, which later lifted. Facing the small congregation, he expressed his sentiment in the church, stating that even if one person among them listened and changed, his journey would not be in vain.
After the gathering, I conversed with the founder of the church, an elderly woman around 80, and her son, who currently oversees the main affairs of the church. We discussed the church's development, changes in attendance, challenges, and matters concerning the pulpit.
The elderly leader mentioned that the rural church has a history spanning over 20 years. Initially, they rented vacant factory buildings and cinemas for gatherings. Later, they acquired the current location and completed the necessary registration procedures. The attendance at meetings could reach 70 to 80 people at its peak, but typically 40 to 50 people gather during one service.
Regarding the low attendance during the Chinese New Year, she shared several reasons. Firstly, during the grandest holiday in China, people visit relatives and friends, making it difficult for some to attend church services. Secondly, some non-Christian family members create reluctance for Christian family members to join the gathering. Concerning the second point, the elderly leader mentioned that believers should build good relationships with their unbelieving family members, otherwise, the latter would pose obstacles to their faith.
She shared an incident where a Christian woman, upon accepting faith, removed the ancestral worship items her non-Christian husband dedicated to gods. As a result, he severely beat her, and their relationship deteriorated. It took a considerable amount of time for their relationship to gradually improve.
Just before this Sunday service, another Christian lady sought her opinion on whether to attend due to her non-Christian family. This elderly leader advised her to decide based on her situation after prayer, reassuring her that seeking God at home was also a valid option.
The founder of the church explained several reasons for the decline in regular attendees. Some elderly believers passed away, some faced mobility challenges, and some moved to the city to live with their children. In addition to these reasons, certain measures taken by the church in response to government policy and regulation led some believers to leave. For instance, some believers couldn't accept the display of the national flag within the church premises.
Alongside the decrease in attendance, the lack of young members poses a significant challenge for the church. There are only two relatively young believers in the church. A 45-year-old Christian woman, accompanying her child in her studies, can play the piano but seldom comes to church. The other one is the son of the elderly leader, around 50, who used to be involved in the transportation business but had to stay home due to a significant car accident.
Another challenge the church faces is the weakness in pastoral ministry.The church primarily invites pastors from urban churches to preach at Sunday services. The son of the elderly leader, who has studied theology, also shares one to two times a month. Currently, it seems that pastoral care is insufficient to meet the needs of the believers. When faced with some heretical sects, rural pastors find it challenging to accurately discern.
In the backdrop of urbanization, what lies ahead for rural churches? Although this rural church and surrounding ones are not affiliated with urban churches, the urban ones are willing to assist in terms of pastor care and facility supply. Upon learning that this church lacked heating equipment, an urban church promptly donated two vertical air conditioners.
I also heard about two cases where urban churches assisted in the development of rural churches. In one region, a struggling village church on the verge of closing experienced a revival with the help of manpower and resources from an urban church. In another area, the leader of the local church directly arranged for a main pastor to move from the city to a declining rural church, helping it to regain vitality.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Spring Festival Gathering in Rural Church Sees Sharp Attendance Decline
