Two young preachers (a married couple) were once asked: "If there is another wave of the pandemic, the church will face double suspensions (the opening of the church to the outside world and collective religious activities will both be suspended). And if preaching on the Internet is no longer permitted and the faithful no longer provide offerings, then how will you survive financially? Do you have other skills to secure your own survival?"
They admitted to me with a shy and sad smile: "No, in fact, we are seminary graduates. Except for serving in the church and preaching, we can do nothing else."
This is a reality for the few professional ministers in our church, especially the younger ones.
For now, the COVID-19 pandemic is not over. Some local authorities have suspended public religious gatherings for nearly three years. Some churches were barely maintaining the status quo even before the pandemic spread. With these "double suspensions", the income of the church is reduced and in some cases, there is no offering at all.
We must try to be versatile. As a saying goes, knowledge is no burden. We are just human and live in the real world, so we should acquire additional survival skills. Only so can we spread the gospel to more people and make the world a better place.
For example, one sister worked as a certified public accountant before becoming a full-time minister. Then, during the pandemic, when the church hardly had any money, she restarted her accounting job and worked as a part-time accountant in a local private enterprise. She went to the enterprise twice a month to make accounts and tax returns. In this way, she possesses a secular job of her own and an increase in income that doesn't negatively influence her church's online ministry and pastoral work.
Let's get to know the story of another young preacher.
"On January 1, 2007, I was called by the Lord to be baptized. I joined the church after eight months in a catechism class. At that time, the church’s Sunday events consisted of morning, afternoon, and evening gatherings, so I had the opportunity to participate in the praise of the youth fellowship, the choir, and the reception work respectively. It was during this time that I learned additional skills through the various aspects of service. I learned guitar, piano, bass, and tuning while doing vocals in the choir. In 2014, I felt the call of the Lord and entered seminary." After that, the seminary introduced him to work at a church and the director of that church allowed him to pursue a part-time job.
This preacher chose to step into the sound industry. He learned from people who had been in the industry for a decade or two. As a result, he began to serve the church while working part-time and providing free maintenance and tuning lessons for the sound systems of some churches.
Accordingly, this young preacher set up his own sound studio to serve clients. In addition to the paid services, he also provides free audio consulting and technical services. At the same time, he also learned and delved into other skills which enabled him to provide free counseling and services to church brothers and sisters in terms of law, investment, financial management, family education, and marital relations, among others.
One sister and her colleagues lost their jobs when the company she worked for in Shanghai failed to survive the pandemic. In her 40s, she was faced with the stark reality of finding another job. Fortunately, she had learned computer skills elsewhere, so she took advantage of the opportunity to be unemployed at home while resuming her studies. In just over one month, with more than ten years of experience and skills in her field, she successfully passed the online examination for technical executives and was hired by a university’s research company and became a project supervisor.
One preacher works for the church while having his own intermediary service. He allows his wife to manage the agency and when he is not doing church work, he can participate in operations and service online.
In addition, two preachers whom I know are also church deacons and leaders of meeting points. Besides doing pastoral work, they have taken advantage of local pharmaceutical resources and have worked for several years as part-time pharmaceutical salesmen, accumulating experience and broadening their connections.
This does not mean that our pastors should give up the primary task of preaching and leave to do something else. It simply implies that we should learn all kinds of survival skills and techniques which permit us to work better and live without financial worries.
I know a preacher who learned the skills of making short videos online during the "double suspensions" of the pandemic. He began to make online videos about Bible stories, Bible geography, stories of coming to the faith, family and marriage, etc. These became very popular and brought him many rewards.
Many of our senior preachers have pensions, while younger preachers are confronted with an increasingly competitive society. So we must learn more skills. Take the time to participate in the free training organized by the women's federation, labor unions, the Communist Youth League, the community, the Labor and Employment Bureau, etc. Learn online from experts with practical experience.
I know a pastor who even passed the exam for a psychological counselor's certificate and set up his own psychological counseling practice. In addition, if you have learned to drive, your can work as a professional driver.
(The article is originally published by the Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
两位年轻的传道人（他们是夫妻）曾被问：如果再有疫情，教会双暂停，如果网络未经允许不能传道了，信徒奉献“断供”了，那你们的生活怎么办？你们还有别的生存技艺吗？他们腼腆、苦笑着对我说：没有，其实我们就是神学院毕业，除了在教会服侍讲道外，别的也不会呀。（==当summary）
是的，这就是目前我们的教会少数专职传道人，特别是一些年轻传道人的真实情况。
眼下，新冠肺炎疫情并没有结束，有些地方已经暂停实地聚会近三年了。有的教会本来就勉强的维持现状，这一“双暂停”，奉献减少，甚至个别的到了几乎没有奉献的情况。
我们要多才多艺，正如我们民间有一句俗话叫做“艺多不压身”。我们是人不是神，生活在这现实的社会当中，我们要有起码的生存技能，这样才能更好的传福音、更多的奉献。
一位基层教会的负责人，她在做专职服侍的之前是一名注册会计师，后来因为教会的事工就不再做会计工作，而专职在教会服侍。那么在疫情期间，在教会几乎不能开支的情况下，她再次“捡起了”自己会计的工作，到当地一家私人企业做一名不“坐班”，即兼职的会计，每个月去该企业两次，做账、报税等。这样既有了自己的一份工作，收入有了一定的增加，而且也不耽误教会的网络事工和牧养。
我们看一位年轻传道人所讲自己的经历吧：
2007年1月1日，我蒙主呼召走入教会。在慕道班学习8个月后我加入到教会的服侍。当时教会主日聚会分为早中晚堂，因此我有机会在主日的这几堂礼拜分别参与到青年团契的赞美、诗班合唱团以及接待的工作当中。也正是这段时间，我在各方面的侍奉中学习到一些技能：我学会了吉他、钢琴、贝司以及调音，在诗班我学习了发声。2014年我接受主的呼召，进入到神学院学习。之后，神学院为他介绍到一间教会工作，负责人允许他在社会兼职其他工作。
这位传道人选择踏入到音响这个行业。他和那些在这个行业中有着十几年、二十几年经验丰富的行内人士学习。就这样，他开始一面在教会服侍、一面兼职工作，并且免费为一些教会音响系统维护保养和调音教学。
这样，这位年轻传道人还建立了自己的音响工作室实体，为社会的一些客户服务。在有偿的服务同时，也免费的为教堂提供音响方面的咨询和技术服务。与此同时，他还学习和钻研其它方面的知识和技能，免费为教堂的弟兄姊妹提供法律、投资、理财、家庭教育、夫妻关系等方面的咨询和服务。
有这样一位姊妹：由于她所在的上海公司经不起疫情的“折腾”而倒闭了，她和同事们失业了。四十多岁的她面临一种严酷的事实：要重新选择工作。好在她在计算机这个领域里曾经学过其它的技术，于是就利用暂时在家待业的机会，再次重新学习，仅仅经过一个多月，凭着自己在这个领域十多年的经验和技术，就成功地经过技术高管的网络考试，应聘到一个大学的科研公司，并且成为一个项目的主管。
一间教会的传道人，他既在教会工作，又有自己的一个中介的服务机构。平时他把这家中介交给了自己的妻子打理，在教会的工作之余，他在网络就可以参与经营和服务。
还有，我认识的两位教会的传道人，也是教会的执事、聚会点的负责人，他们在牧会不耽误的前提下，借力于本地的制药资源，做兼职的药厂推销员，做了几年，积累了经验、积攒了人脉。
不是说要我们的传道人不务正业，放弃传道的“主业”在外面搞什么副。而是说我们要学会各种各样生存的技能、和技术，以适应我们的生存，以更好的、没有后顾之忧的为主做工。
我认识一位传道人，在疫情“双暂停”期间在网络学习了小视频的技巧，开始在网络制作圣经故事、圣经地理知识和信主见证故事、家庭婚姻等方面的视频，很受欢迎，也有不少的打赏。
我们很多的老传道人有退休金；而年轻的传道人面对竞争日趋激烈的社会，多学一点技术、技能和技艺吧。比如抽出时间参加妇联、工会、共青团、社区、劳动和就业局等组织的各类免费的培训；在网络上学习、和有实践经验的师傅学习。
一位牧师，他同时也考了心理咨询师的证，成立了自己的心理咨询工作室。另外如果学会了现代人驾驶技术，能够代驾、开出租车也是挺好的呀。
（本文作者为福音时报特约撰稿人）
致年轻的传道人：艺多不压身
Two young preachers (a married couple) were once asked: "If there is another wave of the pandemic, the church will face double suspensions (the opening of the church to the outside world and collective religious activities will both be suspended). And if preaching on the Internet is no longer permitted and the faithful no longer provide offerings, then how will you survive financially? Do you have other skills to secure your own survival?"
They admitted to me with a shy and sad smile: "No, in fact, we are seminary graduates. Except for serving in the church and preaching, we can do nothing else."
This is a reality for the few professional ministers in our church, especially the younger ones.
For now, the COVID-19 pandemic is not over. Some local authorities have suspended public religious gatherings for nearly three years. Some churches were barely maintaining the status quo even before the pandemic spread. With these "double suspensions", the income of the church is reduced and in some cases, there is no offering at all.
We must try to be versatile. As a saying goes, knowledge is no burden. We are just human and live in the real world, so we should acquire additional survival skills. Only so can we spread the gospel to more people and make the world a better place.
For example, one sister worked as a certified public accountant before becoming a full-time minister. Then, during the pandemic, when the church hardly had any money, she restarted her accounting job and worked as a part-time accountant in a local private enterprise. She went to the enterprise twice a month to make accounts and tax returns. In this way, she possesses a secular job of her own and an increase in income that doesn't negatively influence her church's online ministry and pastoral work.
Let's get to know the story of another young preacher.
"On January 1, 2007, I was called by the Lord to be baptized. I joined the church after eight months in a catechism class. At that time, the church’s Sunday events consisted of morning, afternoon, and evening gatherings, so I had the opportunity to participate in the praise of the youth fellowship, the choir, and the reception work respectively. It was during this time that I learned additional skills through the various aspects of service. I learned guitar, piano, bass, and tuning while doing vocals in the choir. In 2014, I felt the call of the Lord and entered seminary." After that, the seminary introduced him to work at a church and the director of that church allowed him to pursue a part-time job.
This preacher chose to step into the sound industry. He learned from people who had been in the industry for a decade or two. As a result, he began to serve the church while working part-time and providing free maintenance and tuning lessons for the sound systems of some churches.
Accordingly, this young preacher set up his own sound studio to serve clients. In addition to the paid services, he also provides free audio consulting and technical services. At the same time, he also learned and delved into other skills which enabled him to provide free counseling and services to church brothers and sisters in terms of law, investment, financial management, family education, and marital relations, among others.
One sister and her colleagues lost their jobs when the company she worked for in Shanghai failed to survive the pandemic. In her 40s, she was faced with the stark reality of finding another job. Fortunately, she had learned computer skills elsewhere, so she took advantage of the opportunity to be unemployed at home while resuming her studies. In just over one month, with more than ten years of experience and skills in her field, she successfully passed the online examination for technical executives and was hired by a university’s research company and became a project supervisor.
One preacher works for the church while having his own intermediary service. He allows his wife to manage the agency and when he is not doing church work, he can participate in operations and service online.
In addition, two preachers whom I know are also church deacons and leaders of meeting points. Besides doing pastoral work, they have taken advantage of local pharmaceutical resources and have worked for several years as part-time pharmaceutical salesmen, accumulating experience and broadening their connections.
This does not mean that our pastors should give up the primary task of preaching and leave to do something else. It simply implies that we should learn all kinds of survival skills and techniques which permit us to work better and live without financial worries.
I know a preacher who learned the skills of making short videos online during the "double suspensions" of the pandemic. He began to make online videos about Bible stories, Bible geography, stories of coming to the faith, family and marriage, etc. These became very popular and brought him many rewards.
Many of our senior preachers have pensions, while younger preachers are confronted with an increasingly competitive society. So we must learn more skills. Take the time to participate in the free training organized by the women's federation, labor unions, the Communist Youth League, the community, the Labor and Employment Bureau, etc. Learn online from experts with practical experience.
I know a pastor who even passed the exam for a psychological counselor's certificate and set up his own psychological counseling practice. In addition, if you have learned to drive, your can work as a professional driver.
(The article is originally published by the Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
To Young Preachers: Knowledge Is No Burden
