TBL China Prayer Requests

The city of Changchun is the capital of Jilin Province in China’s northeast. Its name means “long spring” in Chinese, though many people call it “The Detroit of the East” because it is a center of automobile and train manufacturing. During the Japanese occupation of the 1930’s and 40’s, it was the capital of Manchuria. Today, it remains a leading city in the northeastern region.

In this northern city, there are also house churches. These house churches are planting deep roots, attempting to be witnesses of Christ to the city around them. Will you join us in praying for the city of Changchun this month?
This Week’s Prayer Guide

Pronunciation note: in English, Changchun is pronounced roughly as “Chahng choon”

November 30 – This December, we are praying for the northeastern city of Changchun. Pray for the gospel to go deeper and wider among the churches and people of Changchun.

December 1 – “Compared with southern China,” says one Changchun pastor, “life in the northeast moves at a slower pace. People here place a high value on relationships. Northeasterners also tend to have a strong sense of humor, and there’s often a lot of laughter. So overall, you could say the region is characterized by being cheerful, humorous, relational, and warm-hearted.” Praise God for relationships and laughter, and pray for more people to know the joy of relationship with him.

December 2 – Changchun was China’s first hub for automobile manufacturing, and is sometimes called “The Detroit of the East.” In addition to cars, the city also produces trains: “Regular trains, subway trains, and high-speed rail cars,” says one pastor. “In fact, nearly half of the subway trains in China are manufactured in Changchun.” Pray that this industry can bless Changchun and all of China.

December 3 – “Changchun is a city deeply influenced by Japan,” says one pastor. “From 1931 to 1945, the region was occupied by Japan. In 1932, the puppet state of Manchuria was established, and Changchun served as its capital. At that time, the Japanese wanted to build a city here that would be even more advanced than Tokyo. That period has left a major mark on the city’s history. Many of the Manchuria-era buildings are still standing today as visible reminders of that time.” Pray for the wounds that still exist from this era of occupation, and praise God for being a God of care and healing.

December 4 – In China’s cultural landscape, Changchun is a center of film. “The country’s first major film studio was established here,” says one pastor, “and over the years Changchun has produced more than a thousand films and dubbed over a thousand foreign films.” Pray for China to be blessed by this act of cultural creation, and for the church to be a part of building culture for the sake of Christ.

December 5 – ​​There are many universities in Changchun. “In fact,” says one pastor, “Changchun is home to the university with the largest student body in China: Jilin University. It has about 75,000 to 80,000 students across seven campuses, with roughly 80,000 students in total.” Pray for the gospel to reach young people and university students, and for more chances for churches in Changchun to love and minister to them.

December 6 – “In terms of Gospel history,” says one Changchun pastor, “we can say that the earliest Christian work in Changchun was rooted in Presbyterian missions. The churches in Changchun were founded around 1886 when the Irish Presbyterian Church sent missionaries here to plant congregations. They established a church, a women’s hospital (a maternity hospital), and also a primary school and kindergarten. Then from the 1990s onward, many different overseas denominations arrived—often through foreigners who came as English teachers or university instructors. Our own churches and team originally came out of a traditional house church background.” Praise God for these seeds that were planted, and pray that the gospel would continue to take root in Changchun.

11月30日——今年十二月，我们为东北城市长春代祷。求主使福音在长春的教会和民众中更深更广地传播。

12月1日—— 一位长春的牧者形容东北：“和中国南方相比，这里的生活节奏更缓慢，人们特别重视人与人之间的关系。东北人也很有幽默感，常常笑声不断。总的来说，这个地区的气质就是：开朗、风趣、重情、热心。” 我们为这里紧密的人际关系和处处可见的笑声向神献上感恩，也求主使更多人认识祂，经历与祂建立关系所带来的真喜乐。

12月2日—— 长春是中国最早的汽车制造基地之一，有时被称为“东方底特律”。除了汽车，这座城市也生产各种列车。一位牧者介绍说：“普通火车、地铁列车和高铁车厢……事实上，中国将近一半的地铁列车都是在长春制造的。” 请为长春的制造业能够成为祝福，惠及这座城市以及全中国祷告。

12月3日—— 一位长春的牧者说：“长春是一座深受日本影响的城市。从1931年到1945年，这个地区一直处在日本的占领之下。1932年，日本在这里建立伪满洲国，长春成为其首都。当时，日本人想在这里建造一座比东京更先进的城市。那段历史在这座城市的记忆中留下了很深的印记。直到今天，许多伪满时期的建筑仍然保留着，成为那段历史清晰可见的提醒。” 请为这段被占领时期所留下的伤痕祷告，愿主医治仍然存在的创痛；也为我们所信的神是看顾人、医治人的神而感谢赞美祂。

12月4日—— 在中国的文化版图中，长春是电影艺术的重要中心。一位牧者分享说：“中国第一家大型电影制片厂就建立在这里。多年来，长春拍摄了上千部电影，也为上千部外国影片配上了中文配音。” 请为这样的文化创作能成为祝福中国的渠道祷告，也求主使用教会，为着基督的缘故，参与建造合神心意的文化。

12月5日—— 长春有许多高校。一位牧者说：“其实，中国在校生人数最多的大学——吉林大学，就在长春。吉林大学在全市有七个校区，在校学生大约有七万五到八万人，加起来大概八万学生左右。” 请为福音能够临到长春的年轻人和大学生祷告，也求主为长春的各间教会打开更多机会，让他们可以去爱这些学生、关心他们、牧养他们。

12月6日—— 从福音历史来看，一位长春的牧者这样分享：“长春最早的基督教事工，可以说是扎根在长老会的宣教中。大约在 1886 年左右，爱尔兰长老会差派宣教士来到这里，在长春建立教会。他们不仅设立了教会，还开办了一所妇女医院（产科医院），以及一所小学和幼儿园。后来，从 1990 年代开始，陆续有许多不同宗派的海外差会来到长春，往往是通过来这边教英语或在大学任教的外国人而进入的。我们现在的教会和团队，最初则是从传统家庭教会的背景中发展出来的。” 为这些早期所栽种下的福音种子向神献上感恩，也求主使福音在长春继续扎根。