New Church Ready to Open in China.
Tianhe Church, the largest-ever church in Guangzhou, China, is soon to open its doors, after 10 years of construction. Combined with traditional Chinese culture and modern features, the church will be a significant landmark in Guangzhou, and a visible symbol of Christianity.
This comes at a time when the Chinese government are tightening rules around churches and Christian organisations, and when church crosses are being forcibly removed in the Zhejiang Province of China.
Consisting of a hall, chapel, bell tower,a training building and administration building, the church is the first church building to be constructed since 1949, and is to be used mainly for training and nurturing the local Christian community.
The Pastor of Tianhe Church, Yang Yongchun, told China Christian Daily that the opening of the church has great religious and social significance and, while its completion is by no means an assurance of better relations between the Chinese government and the Christian community, it does bring a glimmer of hope for the future.
- Give thanks for the completion of this church building, and the hope it brings for the future of Christians in China.
- Pray as the church opens, that it can form good relationship with the local community and also with the local government.
- Pray for the Church in China, which continues to be monitored and restricted by ever tightening government controls. Pray for freedom for Chinese Christians to worship together without fear.
- Pray for a move of the Holy Spirit across China, for the continued growth of the Church and for the nurturing of strong disciples of Jesus in this nation.
Acts 9 vs 31: “Meanwhile the church … had peace and was built up. Living in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.”
Source: http://www.persecution.org/2016, http://chinachristiandaily.com