MINISTRY//Serving as best we can - Part One

316NOW's goal is to raise up Confessional Lutheran church leaders in China. But, when we become aware of other spiritual needs in China, we do our best to meet those needs as well.

Teens and families

We have several members of our ministry team who are working with teenagers and their families. In most cases, we also are given an opportunity to witness to the parents of those teens. One of our team members shares this story.

Joe (not his real name) is 13. We have been meeting on Skype for over a year. We have taken Genesis chapter by chapter, and have just started Exodus. Joe’s  enthusiasm has never waned; we even had class during Chinese New Year. 

Joe is  studying piano. We start each lesson with Joe playing the two hymns I sent him the week before. He accompanies as I sing all the verses. 

Gratitude for grace

Throughout our journeys in Genesis, expressions of faith have come easily from Joe. He spoke about God’s love when we learned about the Lord's promise of the Savior to Adam and Eve. We had a similar discussion when we learned about Abraham and Sarah. He marveled at God’s plan for our lives when studying the life of Joseph. He expresses his faith in the paragraph-long prayers he writes for each of our lessons. 

Joe’s mother sits in on classes. His father interprets the lessons to her. These lessons are a lovely family affair.

Our connection is God-blessed. We enjoy a friendship that is strong in Christ. It is a close Christian fellowship, even though we will probably never meet until heaven.

What you can do: 316NOW’s exists to train Chinese church leaders with the goal of helping to create a Confessional Lutheran presence in China. But we also try to meet other spiritual needs as we have the resources. Ask the Spirit to keep us focused on our main priorities, even as we remain open to the additional ministry opportunities he gives us.