TBL China Prayer Requests

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

December 14 – This week, pray for the needs of churches in Changchun. Pray for churches in Changchun to be transformed by the gospel of Christ.

December 15 – “Our context in Changchun is a bit unique,” says a Changchun pastor. “In just this one residential complex, there are probably dozens of households where our brothers and sisters live. This means that ‘loving your neighbor’ and ‘loving one another’ are very literal—people really are neighbors who see each other constantly. Sunday isn’t the only focal point; the horizontal interactions during the week are especially frequent. But with that proximity come certain problems. When people live so close, conflicts can easily arise—especially among children. Conflicts between kids can affect relationships among adults.” Pray for the brothers and sisters in this church to literally love their neighbors, and for God’s peace in the midst of conflicts.

December 16 – “We often face pressure because from time to time students are questioned or investigated by the authorities,” says one pastor in Changchun. “When that happens, it raises questions about whether our gatherings are safe. This in turn creates tension within our team about how to approach campus ministry. Some coworkers prioritize safety; others prioritize fruit and the effectiveness of the work. So we can have some disagreements, and we need a lot of wisdom and unity in making decisions.” Pray for wisdom and unity for this church, that they would know how to respond when people are investigated by the authorities.

December 17 – A pastor in Changchun says, “As ministries multiply, there can also be an imbalance in people’s load‑bearing—some volunteers feel overworked, or they compare themselves with others. That can create relational tensions and conflicts about how to balance people and tasks.” Pray for more coworkers to be raised up to help serve the needs of the church, and for people in the church to not strive by works but serve out of an abundance of grace.

December 18 – A pastor in Changchun says, “Our churches have grown, partly due to the growth in Changchun’s population. We have quite a few ‘religious migrants,’ that is, people who move here specifically because of Christian education or church life. Many of them are also from families in difficult financial situations. Perhaps because of their hardships, they have fewer attachments and can move more freely. Some families move here with three, four, or five members—parents and children. Some come because of schooling; others because their children are autistic and are enrolling in [our church’s autism program].” Praise God that the church in Changchun is a refuge and shelter for people in need, and pray that Christ would be glorified as a result.

December 19 – A pastor in Changchun says, “In the past, most of the relationships were among pastors, many of whom have known each other for ten or twenty years. In recent years, relationships among laypeople have also increased. We have intentionally encouraged this. For example, our broader team runs a men’s soccer league and a women’s volleyball league. I think we should grow these even more and invite more people to participate. It’s been very meaningful.” Praise God for good connections and fellowship between churches, and pray for more mutual encouragement between churches in Changchun.

December 20 – A pastor in Changchun says, “We pastors need to model trust and surrender in how we speak about persecution. If the way we talk about persecution mainly reveals our own fear, then of course the flock will be afraid. But if we can frame these things as God’s way of testing and refining His Church, then the brothers and sisters may receive them in a more positive, faith‑filled way.” Pray for God’s courage and peace to be with pastors in Changchun, that they would lead and serve without fear.

12月14日 – 本周，为长春教会的需求祷告。祈求长春的教会能被基督的福音所改变。

12月15日 – “我们在长春的处境有些特殊，”一位长春牧师表示。”仅在这个住宅区，就有数十户弟兄姊妹居住。这意味着’爱邻舍’和’彼此相爱’具有字面意义——人们确实是朝夕相处的邻里。主日并非唯一焦点；平日的横向互动尤为频繁。但亲密相处也带来特定问题。当人们居住如此紧密时，冲突便容易产生——尤其在孩童之间。孩童间的争执会影响成人关系。”求神赐下平安，使这教会的弟兄姐妹能真实践行爱邻舍之道，在冲突中彰显神的平安。

12月16日——长春某牧师坦言：”我们时常面临压力，因为学生不时会受到当局盘问或调查。这种情况发生时，会引发聚会安全性的质疑。这反过来又使团队内部对校园事工的开展方式产生分歧。有人优先考虑安全，有人则更注重事工的果效。因此我们难免出现意见分歧，在决策时需要极大的智慧和合一。”求主赐下智慧与合一，使教会面对信徒遭调查时能作出恰当回应。

12月17日——长春一位牧师表示： “随着事工扩展，人们的负担能力可能失衡——部分志愿者感到超负荷，或产生相互比较。这会引发人际关系紧张，以及如何平衡人员与任务的冲突。”求主兴起更多同工来满足教会需要，并使教会成员不凭行为争竞，而是凭丰盛的恩典来服侍。

12月18日——长春某牧师表示：”教会增长部分源于长春人口增长。我们有不少’宗教移民’，即因基督教教育或教会生活特意迁居此地的人。其中许多来自经济困难家庭。或许正因经历艰辛，他们更少牵挂，迁徙更自由。有些家庭携三四五口——父母与子女——迁居至此。有人为求学而来，有人因子女患自闭症而报名参加[本教会自闭症项目]。”感谢神，长春教会成为困苦者的避难所，愿基督因此得荣耀。

12月19日——长春一位牧师分享：”过去牧师间的联结最为紧密，许多人相识十至二十年。近年平信徒间的联结也日益增多，这是我们刻意推动的。例如我们团队组织了男子足球联赛和女子排球联赛，我认为应进一步拓展这些活动，邀请更多人参与。这很有意义。” 感谢神赐予教会间美好的联结与团契，求神让长春各教会彼此激励更多。

12月20日 – 长春一位牧师说：”我们牧者在谈论逼迫时，需要以信任和顺服为榜样。若我们谈论逼迫的方式主要显明自己的恐惧，羊群自然会害怕。但若能将这些经历诠释为神试炼与炼净教会的方式，弟兄姊妹便能以更积极、充满信心的态度面对。”求神赐予长春牧者勇气与平安，使他们无惧地带领与服侍。