It’s been a while since we’ve been in contact. During the last year we have been busy putting together some resources that we think you will find very helpful. In 2017 we hope to begin sending out monthly newsletters like this to let you know about some of these resources.
We see Christian Chinese returnees serving God in China as they thrive in their personal faith, participate fully in the body of Christ blessing their families, communities and the world. However, we are deeply distressed to hear that up to 80% of Chinese who believe in Australia leave their faith on returning to China. With God’s help we want these returnees thriving in their faith and being a blessing to those around them.
Last year we became aware that many Chinese Christians return to China with almost no understanding of the church situation there. A lot of their early struggles come from a lack of understanding and unrealistic expectations. We have produced a short introduction to the Chinese church and it is available on our website in English and Chinese. https://thrivingturtles.org/2017/02/09/the-church-in-china-an-introduction/
Thriving Turtles has been working with the team that produced a recent issue of the ChinaSource Quarterly Journal titled “A Call to Partnership in Chinese Returnee Ministry.” As the various authors point out, providing the support that Chinese students and returnees need calls for new levels of collaboration between churches in China and those who evangelize students in the West, as well as improved local collaboration among those involved in student ministry in host countries, especially between ethnic Chinese and non-Chinese. This approach expresses the unity of Christ’s body, enables non-Chinese ministries to provide more culturally-appropriate discipleship, and has the potential to build a seamless network of support and encouragement to new believers returning to China.??These articles can be very helpful in developing your understanding of Chinese Returnee issues. This edition is available for free download at: http://www.chinasource.org/resource-library/chinasource-quarterlies/a-call-to-partnership-in-chinese-returnee-ministry
If you know someone else who is ministering to Chinese and may find our resources and services helpful please forward this email to them. They can sign up for these newsletters via the link on our website or by following us on Facebook or Twitter.
We look forward to working with you as you minister to Chinese and prepare them to thrive back in China.
Regards
The Thriving Turtles Team