Posts in Spiritual Formation
Living Out Theology to the Utmost, Part 2: A Motto That Isn’t Just Talk
Living Out Theology to the Utmost, Part 2: A Motto That Isn’t Just Talk

The first stop on this trip to America was Charlottesville, Virginia. (The local Chinese affectionately call it “Xiatsun” for short, so I did as well, as “Charlottesville” has far too many syllables.) We were invited to a local PCA church called Trinity Presbyterian Church, hereafter referred to as “TPC.” There, I listened to the introductions of the various ministries, met with all of their elders, and got in contact with the person responsible for managing the Chinese overseas student ministry. These things were not unfamiliar to me as almost every 1000+ member church in America is like this and the churches in Korea easily outdo any of these churches in terms of buildings and ministries.

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Spiritual Formation王建国 Wang Jianguo
Living Out Theology to the Utmost, Part 1: A Chinese House Church Pastor Visits American Churches
Living Out Theology to the Utmost, Part 1: A Chinese House Church Pastor Visits American Churches

This September, I was able to visit several American churches and got quite a bit out of [the trip]. When I came back, I was inundated with the nitty-gritty of life, but I also knew that if I didn’t write something down, I would never get started. So starting today, I hope that you urge me to record what I saw and experienced, both to help precipitate my own thoughts and to help the churches around me expand their outlook.

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Spiritual Formation王建国 Wang Jianguo
Encouraged by the Strangeness of the Gospel: A Story of Making Space in Church Small Groups
Encouraged by the Strangeness of the Gospel: A Story of Making Space in Church Small Groups

Qing and I had hit it off pretty quickly when we first connected as language partners. This was primarily due to his friendly and engaging personality, though it also helped that we shared a background in economics, and could dive right into the details of the project he was working on at Harvard Business School. On top of that, his English was already excellent, so we had no trouble communicating; he had signed up for the language partner program primarily to improve his fluency in conversational English and to learn more about American culture. “Do you know any other places I could go,” he asked me, “to spend more time with Americans and have conversations with them?”

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Spiritual Formation, Testimonies & StoriesNathan Barczi
How to Welcome Internationals into Your Small Group – Training for Internationals
How to Welcome Internationals into Your Small Group – Training for Internationals

Many internationals have never heard of a “small group,” and even if they might be interested in joining, they need an introduction to what it is and what to expect. They need to know what they are signing up for, and often need extra help connecting with a group. Here are some simple materials I created to introduce the idea to internationals here in Seattle. (Note: There is a separate training for small group facilitators whose groups will welcome internationals. This portion is for internationals.)

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Spiritual FormationHeidi Ifland
Why We Need Internationals in Our Small Groups
Why We Need Internationals in Our Small Groups

You may have read how Dawson Trotman, founder of the Navigators, called a guy he was discipling and said, “Come over quick, my wife and I are having a fight!” Trotman understood that beyond Bible study, we must also live life together as we follow Jesus; true teaching is not simply transferring information, but knowing and being known. In most American churches, small groups are one of the major ways that peer discipleship and fellowship happen. We experience Jesus revealed in each other as we know joys and sorrows, eat together, serve, laugh, and learn. We begin to truly know others, and allow ourselves to be known. For international seekers or new believers who plan to return to their home countries, being wholeheartedly welcomed into small groups can be very powerful, even if only for a short time. Let me explain this reasoning using China as an example.

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Spiritual FormationHeidi Ifland
Spring Festival Belongs to Us: A House Church Pastor’s Reflections
Spring Festival Belongs to Us: A House Church Pastor’s Reflections

Only after putting my faith in the Lord, did I realize that I have intelligence, but no wisdom. I have foresight, but not insight; am shrewd, but not smart; enlightened, but not civilized. Actually, when I become proud, I could not compare with Zhuge Liang's humility. [Zhuge Liang was an ancient Chinese strategist and very famous historical figure.] He was advanced in knowledge and wisdom, but called himself孔明 (Kongming, or “slightly lit”). I, on the other hand, pretended that I could see through everything under the sun.

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Spiritual Formation王建国 Wang Jianguo
A Story of Friendship: Cross-Cultural Relationships that Encourage Towards Christ
A Story of Friendship: Cross-Cultural Relationships that Encourage Towards Christ

I started meeting with Lucy as language partners in the fall of 2013. At the time, I was in the second year of a two-year master’s degree program at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Lucy was also in her second year at MIT in a postdoctoral research position, and it was pretty convenient for us to meet once a week on campus. Our conversations took a bit of work, but came relatively easily once we got going on a topic. I often let Lucy suggest a topic of conversation in which she wanted to learn more vocabulary. One of my best memories that fall was sitting on the MIT steps, looking at the Charles River, and going over the different names for fingers (pointer finger versus pinky finger) and expressions (like clapping and stomping.) Overall, our topics of conversation were pretty secular.

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Spiritual Formation, Testimonies & StoriesLaura Martin
From China to Harvard (And Back Again) – Who I Want to Be
From China to Harvard (And Back Again) – Who I Want to Be

Looking back, my life story is gradually turning into a God story. As much as I wanted to make my own effort to find and choose my faith, I was merely stumbling down a road in thick smog. I didn’t know true north and I didn’t have a proper compass, ignorant of the right way to think and experience. But God reached out his hands, paved my way, and guided me. Even though he did not blatantly show his face to me, God artfully, carefully, and respectfully let me experience his existence intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. Meeting him is just the beginning. The initial smash of pride just cracked out a fissure. It still takes time and a process to completely put to death my old self formed over the past 23 years. My new self must resurrect with spiritual fruit.

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Spiritual Formation, Testimonies & StoriesWanxin Cheng
Meditating on the Incarnation: An Invitation to Step out of the Steeple’s Shadows

Christmas is about celebrating the life-altering birth and appearance of Jesus the Son of God. The church often emphasizes the death and resurrection of Christ, which are of utmost importance, but his birth and incarnation are vital to our daily life. When we take the time to meditate on Jesus’ birth, we begin to realize just how fascinating and significant it is to us today. Jesus Christ, the Son of the Most High God, who for all eternity experienced perfect and unadulterated fellowship among the members of the Trinity, willingly chose to give up that fellowship and enter this fallen and broken world. Jesus was there at the creation of the world and we know that all things were created by him, for him, through him, and in him. Jesus’ choice to enter this shattered world and to live and walk alongside it is incredibly bold, and humbling to understand. This is precisely why we need to sit and be still, meditating on the significance of the incarnation and the choice of Jesus to come.

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Spiritual FormationJeff Kyle
With the Future in Mind: Reformed Theological Education in China
With the Future in Mind: Reformed Theological Education in China

In many ways, the Chinese house church continues to mystify many American Christians. To many people, China is a walking contradiction. Brent Fulton at ChinaSource got it right when he identified four common narratives Americans believe about the Chinese church. We are prone to think the Chinese church is either severely persecuted, desperately in need, launching major missionary endeavors, or so successfully impacting China that cultural triumph is inevitable. Each of these common narratives has a grain of truth in them, but none adequately communicate reality. Both “yes” and “no” are honest answers to most questions asked about China. One particular area of growing interest is the Chinese church’s development of theological education. Where once church recommendations and lay leadership were adequate, today the Chinese house church not only recognizes its leaders’ need for further academic training, but it also strongly desires to take its place in the long line of theological tradition. China’s house church believes it has a theological voice to offer the world and it is excited to develop Chinese theologians who can contribute to Christian theology’s millennia-long legacy.

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Spiritual FormationHannah Nation