“I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of heaven ahead of you.” 

Matthew 21:31 

“Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 

John 20:21 

China’s Church is one of the fastest growing in the world. Young evangelists travel from village to village, two by two, like the first disciples. They arrange activities, dance, sing worship songs and preach a simple Gospel message. They stay a few days or weeks and plant a church. Due to them, church planting in China has been phenomenally successful. 

China’s 56 minority groups often live in poor, remote areas and have their own language and cultures. Church planting here is more difficult, yet some Chinese evangelists still try to reach out. Other minorities are less obvious, but equally unreached: the drug addicts, the disabled, the orphans (including AIDS orphans), those affected by AIDS or leprosy, the deaf, and the commercial sex workers. Church planting is slowly happening among them too. 

In one province which has many drug addicts, local Christians run drug rehabilitation centres. Being outside the local government they have to be discreet, but the results are tangible, with changed lives! In another province. believers reach out to those affected by AIDS and shunned by the local population. Receiving love and care from believers has opened their hearts to the Gospel. 

In remote rural areas, sick children are often prescribed an inferior form of penicillin that can lead to deafness. With no access to sign language or education these isolated children are susceptible to ‘deaf gangs’ who provide a sense of community and source of income. By providing a basic education and skills-training Christians have been able to rescue these young deaf people and also plant a church among this large minority group. 

above: Just one of the small brothels found in many towns across rural China

Girls are traditionally not valued in Chinese society. If a farming family has a girl first they are allowed to have a second try for a boy! Poor families send their daughters to the city to earn money in order to send the younger brother to school. These unwanted and uneducated girls find it hard to find work and often turn to prostitution. There are thousands of them, working in thinly disguised brothels. By showing them care and love, some are being won to Christ and given training so they can find other work. The challenge is to get the local church to reach out to these emotionally damaged girls and accept them into their community. 

In all these many different ways the poor and unwanted in China are being shown love and compassion and being won for Christ.   

  Crosslinks magazine January 2007 index