MINISTRY// China's Sunday schools

The teaching team 316NOW last sent to China was a pastor and his wife. This pastor and wife team have regularly traveled to China for us over the last decade.

Because of the heightened security concerns in China, this time they mostly traveled separately from each other. In that way they called less public attention to themselves.

A pastor's wife's report

Melissa, the pastor’s wife, offered the following report about some of her travels. She led workshops on creating healthy Sunday schools. Although instructing children about God’s grace is always a part of our ministries in the United States, that is not the case in China. 

In one province I shared with two different congregations about teaching Sunday School. Thirty-three people attended during the two and a half days of instruction.

We then traveled to another country church where I shared my Sunday School presentation with 28 people over two days. In the evening at the second church I met with four pastors from that area to discuss the importance of Sunday schools that are bolstered with Bible based materials.

From there, I traveled to a church in metropolitan Beijing. I gave my Sunday school presentation to twelve people. I also went on several shut-in calls with the pastor. In the afternoon of the second day, I spoke with twelve older members of the congregation about church work outside of the church building.

Each of those churches invited me to come back again.

316NOW's courses

Most of the courses that 316NOW offers on online or when we visit in China focus on theology and the study of books of the Bible. But we also help church leaders learn how to translate the principles of Christianity into loving pastoral and solid church leadership.