MINISTRY / Filled with delicious food
Worshiping God in a Chinese Restaurant
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. — Matthew 18:20
When you think of a Chinese restaurant in America, what comes to mind? Perhaps delicious food that Chinese people themselves might not consider entirely authentic, dim lighting, or a crowded, noisy atmosphere full of people.
But if you have ever been to China, you may notice that restaurants there are often quite different. The food is usually more authentic and diverse, the lighting brighter, and many restaurants are beautifully decorated. Of course, they are still very crowded.
Private Spaces
In China, many nicer restaurants have private dining rooms called baojian (private rooms). These rooms provide a larger, quieter, and more intimate space for family and friends to gather together. Did you know that some students of Grace Bible Institute (GBI) actually gather for worship in these restaurant’s private rooms?
Because of the unique environment in China, many Christians are not able to easily rent a fixed location for worship gatherings. In one large city in northern China, more than a dozen students who have studied with Grace Bible Institute (GBI) for many years desired to gather together during the Christmas season last year to worship the Lord and receive Holy Communion. However, they could not find a suitable place to meet. Thanks be to God, they eventually realized they could gather in a private room at a local restaurant. Not only was it quiet and private, but it was also closer and more convenient for several elderly brothers and sisters with limited mobility.
Thanksgiving
As they gathered together, their hearts were filled with thanksgiving. One brother who had studied with GBI for many years led the entire worship service—and remarkably, the liturgy closely resembled a typical Sunday worship service in an American Lutheran church! There was no piano accompaniment, so they sang hymns a cappella. The brother leading the service was not wearing clergy robes, yet God’s Word still truly comforted and strengthened everyone present.
Even more beautifully, after receiving Holy Communion, they remained in the same private room to enjoy a delicious meal together and share in fellowship. Does this not remind us a little of the early church—perhaps even something like the gatherings of the Corinthian church? Thankfully, there was no division among them, but rather gratitude and joy as they spent precious time together in Christian fellowship within an ordinary restaurant room.
In fact, many GBI students are scattered throughout China and even around the world. In China’s unique environment, God has given them wisdom and creativity to continue gathering together in worship in many different ways. They not only share delicious food together, but also partake together in the rich spiritual feast God provides.
May the Lord continue to preserve and guide them as they grow in faith and service.
Below are photos from their gathering that day. For security reasons, we used AI to cartoonize their faces, though the delicious food and warm, bright atmosphere were intentionally left untouched :)
