If you want to know the past situation of rural churches, you need to ask rural elderly believers and preachers to get a general understanding from them, and you can also listen to their stories about changes to the church. The reason why rural churches are in their current situation lies in how people have changed. Is the environment changing too fast? Are we getting increasingly sophisticated?
By interviewing elderly believers I gradually realized that the prosperity of the church in the past was inseparable from the dedication of people. In the past, there were not only a large number of young people going to church but also many clergies who dedicated themselves and served full-time. In the past, many servants never thought about how much their salary was, how much reward they would get, and what kind of treatment they would receive for serving a church full time.
It turned out that all the young believers had a passion. If there were activities arranged at their church, they would attend them at once and never delay. I remember that when an old preacher was young, he had to walk more than ten miles every day to preach, attend, and lead prayers in various churches as his work. Sometimes when it was windy and rainy, he persisted in travell+ing and never stopped his work despite poor weather conditions. I heard from him that once there was a gathering which was nearly 30 kilometers away. He drove his own farming tricycle to take his fellow Christians there to study. It was in winter so sitting in an open-air tricycle was too much exposure to cold air. Everyone sat in a closed vehicle to warm each other and they didn't feel bitter or tired. They were more grateful and happier.
In fact, there were many young people in the church in the past. They were not afraid of hardship and fatigue. Sometimes they went to the brothers and sisters' houses to get together. When they heard that there was farm work to finish, they immediately went to help. They never gathered for the purpose of gathering but felt the warmth of the church and the enthusiasm and love between brothers and sisters.
In the past, although there were many aged people in a church, there was never a shortage of young people. Some young sisters went to the church to teach them to dance, and some young brothers taught them how to sing hymns. At that time, many young sisters or brothers were still willing to devote themselves to the church after they were married. There were also single brothers and sisters who got married for the sake of the Lord and finally set up a new family. Two people served the church with one heart and one mind, and they travelled around to preach.
Although churches didn’t use to have large venues, air conditioning or heating, luxurious decoration, and musical instruments, many people were willing to dedicate themselves to God. After knowing that there would be gatherings or training, many young brothers and sisters went to various villages to inform them of the upcoming events. They’d practice singing hymns in advance and rehearse dances for evening worship. At that time, the winter heating of the venues depended not only on the inner warmth of people but also on the temperature of the zealousness brought by dancing and worshiping.
Although our footsteps can't stay in the past, we should find the inner fervor of that time and the simplicity and we should learn the love of the Lord of the people at that time. We never complain about untimely birth, but we worry about our weakness, our stagnation, and whether our initial mind is discarded.
How grateful we are to be born in this era. There are things that were not available in the past. There is the Internet, mobile phones, and abundant network resources in this era. We don't sit in the open air when we gather and worship. We have professional audio equipment when we sing and worship, projection and large screens when we need to read scriptures, and loudspeakers when we preach. However, what is lacking in today's rural churches is the commitment of young people, and what is lacking is the inner focus and singleness of people's faith.
We usually see that in some rural churches elderly believers are older than 50. Some elderly people are holding crutches and pushing scooters. Reading the Bible requires reading glasses. It sometimes takes a month to learn a hymn. There are even many elderly people who go to churches because they are sick; some old people accept Jesus because they are often scolded by their daughter-in-law at home.
We will ask where the young people are in the present church. Is there no such thing as young people? There are still young people, but they don't want to stay and serve the church. Although it can't be said that the gospel absolutely continues to decline, the people who can spend time and commit themselves in the church are not as dedicated as before. Is it because the church's faith inheritance is not done well? Or is the family's faith inheritance not in place? It is worth pondering by each of us.
At present, rural churches are made up of mostly illiterate as well as elderly people. Most of the elderly are illiterate and have poor memories. There are not many things that can be remembered at each gathering. Some elderly still have a little knowledge of faith after believing for most of their lives. Therefore, the serious aging has brought a lot of resistance and tension to the church, because there are no young people. So many ministries can't be carried out, such as the establishment of a choir, Sunday school, camp meeting, etc. Although we don't have to rely on young people, the young are the future of the church.
While I was visiting one place, an old preacher raised a question. He said: If there are no more young people in the church, what should the church do after the death of the older generation of believers? In fact, this question, like a wake-up call, comes to us repeatedly, and it also makes me understand that the prosperity and continuation of the church need someone to give and someone to put on it because the prosperity of the church has something to do with every Christian.
- Translated by Charlie Li
以过去农村教会与今日的对比，思考我们信仰的进程
过去的教会光景
想要了解过去的农村教会光景，就不得不去询问一些教会的老长辈、老传道，从他们的口中可以有一个大概的了解，也可以听听他们讲述昔日教会与当下教会的时代变迁，教会之所以走到今天，有如此的光景和现象，到底是时代的人不一样了？还是环境的变化太快？亦或者是人的心不再单纯了？
笔者通过询问教会老长辈，渐渐明白昔日教会光景的兴旺，与人尽心竭力的献上有分不开的关系。在过去教会中不仅仅有大量的年轻人，而且还有很多专一奉献自己、全职事奉的工人。在过去，很多服事者从没有想过服事神可以拿多少的工资，得到多少回报，以及全职服事教会给的待遇如何。
原来教会中的年轻人都有一腔热血，只要教会中有工作安排立刻就去，从不拖拖拉拉。记得教会中的一个老传道人年轻的时候，他为了教会的工作每天都要走十几里路去各个教会讲道、聚会、带领祷告，有时候碰见刮风下雨，他依然坚持，从不会因为刮风下雨而停止自己的工作。听他谈到，当时听说一个地方要开培灵会，距离地点有接近三十公里，他开着自己的农用三轮车拉着弟兄姊妹去参加学习，那时候是冬天，坐在敞篷的车上，风刮地飕飕，大家坐在车里相互取暖，也不觉得苦，更不觉得累，心里更多的是感恩，是喜乐。
其实过去教会中有很多的年轻人，他们身上有一种特质就是不怕苦，不怕累，有时候去到弟兄姊妹家聚会，听说弟兄姊妹家有农活，他们立刻就去帮忙，从不是为了聚会而聚会，乃是在聚会中感受教会的温暖，感受弟兄姊妹之间的热情和爱心。
过去的教会光景，虽然说老人也有很多，但却从不缺乏年轻人的身影，有的年轻姊妹会跳舞就去教会教大家跳舞，有的年轻弟兄会唱歌就给大家教诗歌。那个时候很多年轻的姊妹或弟兄，他们结过婚之后，依然愿意投入到教会的事奉中。也有单身的弟兄姐妹因着主的缘故走到一起，最终建立一个新的家庭，两个人同心合一地服事教会，四处奔波传道。
虽然说过去教会没有多么大的房子，没有空调暖气，没有豪华装修，没有乐器伴奏，但很多人都愿意奉献给神，一听说教会要举行培灵会，很多年轻的弟兄姊妹就去到各个村庄通知聚会，并且提前把要学习的诗歌反复练习，先唱谱后练习调，把敬拜时用的舞蹈夜晚加班排练，那个时候冬天取暖靠的不仅仅是内心的火热，而且还有跳舞敬拜所带来的温度。
虽然说我们的脚步不能停留在过去，但过去那个时候的内心火热应该被我们找回来，那个时候的人身上所带的单纯和爱主应该被我们学习。我们从不抱怨生不逢时，但我们会为自己的软弱而担心，为自己的停滞不前而挂虑，也为自己起初的心志是否丢弃而焦急。
如今的教会光景
生在这个时代我们是何等的感恩，这个时代有了过去时代没有的东西，这个时代有网络、手机以及丰富的网络资源。我们聚会敬拜不再露天而坐，唱歌敬拜有了专业的音响乐器，查阅经文有了投影和大的显示屏，讲道人也有了扩音器放声传讲。然而如今的农村教会光景所缺少的是年轻人的委身，缺乏的是人内心对于信仰的专注和专一。
我们通常看到一些农村的教会都是一些年过半百的老人，有的老年人聚会都是拄着拐杖，推着代步车，读经需要带上老花镜，学习一首诗歌有时候需要一个月，甚至还有很多的老年人因为身患疾病才找到教会去聚会的；有的老人因为经常被儿媳妇吵骂，心里受不了，所以接受耶稣。
我们会问，当下的教会中年轻人去哪里了？是根本没有吗？还是有年轻人，但年轻人不愿留下来服事教会？虽然不能绝对说教会的福音在持续走下坡路，但当下教会能够花时间委身的人的确不如从前了。难道是教会的信仰传承没有做好？还是家庭的信仰传承没有到位？值得我们每个人深思。
当下农村教会不仅仅以老年人居多，还以文盲居多，大多数的老人都不识字，记性也差，每次聚会能够记住的东西不多，还有一些老人信了大半辈子依然对信仰一知半解。所以说老龄化的严重也给教会带来了许多的阻力和张力，因为没有年轻人，所以很多的事工开展不了，比如说唱诗班的建立、主日学的设立、营会的创办等，虽然说不是非要依靠年轻的服事者，但年轻服事者是教会的未来接力，是教会的延续。
笔者去到一些地方走访时，一位老传道提出一个问题，他说：如果教会中不再有年轻人的身影出现，那将来老一辈的信徒离世之后教会该何去何从？其实这个问题如同一个警钟一样，反复敲打着我们，也让我明白教会的兴旺和延续需要有人去奉献，有人去摆上，因为教会的兴旺与每个基督徒都有关系。
以过去农村教会与今日的对比，思考我们信仰的进程
If you want to know the past situation of rural churches, you need to ask rural elderly believers and preachers to get a general understanding from them, and you can also listen to their stories about changes to the church. The reason why rural churches are in their current situation lies in how people have changed. Is the environment changing too fast? Are we getting increasingly sophisticated?
By interviewing elderly believers I gradually realized that the prosperity of the church in the past was inseparable from the dedication of people. In the past, there were not only a large number of young people going to church but also many clergies who dedicated themselves and served full-time. In the past, many servants never thought about how much their salary was, how much reward they would get, and what kind of treatment they would receive for serving a church full time.
It turned out that all the young believers had a passion. If there were activities arranged at their church, they would attend them at once and never delay. I remember that when an old preacher was young, he had to walk more than ten miles every day to preach, attend, and lead prayers in various churches as his work. Sometimes when it was windy and rainy, he persisted in travell+ing and never stopped his work despite poor weather conditions. I heard from him that once there was a gathering which was nearly 30 kilometers away. He drove his own farming tricycle to take his fellow Christians there to study. It was in winter so sitting in an open-air tricycle was too much exposure to cold air. Everyone sat in a closed vehicle to warm each other and they didn't feel bitter or tired. They were more grateful and happier.
In fact, there were many young people in the church in the past. They were not afraid of hardship and fatigue. Sometimes they went to the brothers and sisters' houses to get together. When they heard that there was farm work to finish, they immediately went to help. They never gathered for the purpose of gathering but felt the warmth of the church and the enthusiasm and love between brothers and sisters.
In the past, although there were many aged people in a church, there was never a shortage of young people. Some young sisters went to the church to teach them to dance, and some young brothers taught them how to sing hymns. At that time, many young sisters or brothers were still willing to devote themselves to the church after they were married. There were also single brothers and sisters who got married for the sake of the Lord and finally set up a new family. Two people served the church with one heart and one mind, and they travelled around to preach.
Although churches didn’t use to have large venues, air conditioning or heating, luxurious decoration, and musical instruments, many people were willing to dedicate themselves to God. After knowing that there would be gatherings or training, many young brothers and sisters went to various villages to inform them of the upcoming events. They’d practice singing hymns in advance and rehearse dances for evening worship. At that time, the winter heating of the venues depended not only on the inner warmth of people but also on the temperature of the zealousness brought by dancing and worshiping.
Although our footsteps can't stay in the past, we should find the inner fervor of that time and the simplicity and we should learn the love of the Lord of the people at that time. We never complain about untimely birth, but we worry about our weakness, our stagnation, and whether our initial mind is discarded.
How grateful we are to be born in this era. There are things that were not available in the past. There is the Internet, mobile phones, and abundant network resources in this era. We don't sit in the open air when we gather and worship. We have professional audio equipment when we sing and worship, projection and large screens when we need to read scriptures, and loudspeakers when we preach. However, what is lacking in today's rural churches is the commitment of young people, and what is lacking is the inner focus and singleness of people's faith.
We usually see that in some rural churches elderly believers are older than 50. Some elderly people are holding crutches and pushing scooters. Reading the Bible requires reading glasses. It sometimes takes a month to learn a hymn. There are even many elderly people who go to churches because they are sick; some old people accept Jesus because they are often scolded by their daughter-in-law at home.
We will ask where the young people are in the present church. Is there no such thing as young people? There are still young people, but they don't want to stay and serve the church. Although it can't be said that the gospel absolutely continues to decline, the people who can spend time and commit themselves in the church are not as dedicated as before. Is it because the church's faith inheritance is not done well? Or is the family's faith inheritance not in place? It is worth pondering by each of us.
At present, rural churches are made up of mostly illiterate as well as elderly people. Most of the elderly are illiterate and have poor memories. There are not many things that can be remembered at each gathering. Some elderly still have a little knowledge of faith after believing for most of their lives. Therefore, the serious aging has brought a lot of resistance and tension to the church, because there are no young people. So many ministries can't be carried out, such as the establishment of a choir, Sunday school, camp meeting, etc. Although we don't have to rely on young people, the young are the future of the church.
While I was visiting one place, an old preacher raised a question. He said: If there are no more young people in the church, what should the church do after the death of the older generation of believers? In fact, this question, like a wake-up call, comes to us repeatedly, and it also makes me understand that the prosperity and continuation of the church need someone to give and someone to put on it because the prosperity of the church has something to do with every Christian.
- Translated by Charlie Li
Reflection upon Christian Faith Based on Comparison between Rural Churches’ Past and Present
