Mennonite Church Canada Witness – Ministry in China
CHINA
China is a vast and diverse land…
Home to modern cities…
And geographical richness.
China has impoverished rural areas…
ancient traditions…
And a dynamic economy - annual growth of 9% over the
last 2 decades.
In China you find fantastic
food
and 1.3 Billion fascinating people.
• Population 1.3 billion
• Urban-30%• Rural-70%• 8% Economic
Growth over last 10 years
• Huge Gap between rich and poor
China is a Vast Country
“We live in a global village. As Christians we should be leading
the way in building bridges of understanding.”
-Pastor Yuan Shiguo- EMS Graduate
Mennonite Church Canada Witness with three other partners has
formed China Educational Exchanged
• Eastern Mennonite Missions• Mennonite Church Canada Witness• Mennonite Central Committee• Mennonite Mission Network
• CEE is an Inter-Mennonite Program
• CEE has worked in China since 1981
• 240 people have served in China with CEE over its 25 year history!
Mennonites are building bridges
• with the Church• through Education• by connecting people• via Social Assistance
Mennonites help build bridges with the Chinese Church
Building bridges by sponsoring lay leadership training
Assisting Bible School and Seminary Students
Partnering with Churches in the construction of Meeting Points
Sponsoring pastors and evangelists to study abroad
Yin Hongtao-AMBS Grad
Wu Jinzhen and her husband, Wu Wei, are currently at Eastern Mennonite Seminary
Providing financial assistance and
encouragement to evangelists and pastors
Mennonites help build bridges through Education
• People teach English at Chinese universities for two year terms
• There are also opportunities for… – 5 week– 1 semester– Or 1 year
assignments
Rick Leonard in Class
Todd Hanson with Students
Building bridges through teaching English fosters
• Relationships• Understanding• Friendship• Changed Lives• And…
Peace
Connecting People is another way Mennonites build bridges in China
• Over 200 hundred English teachers from Chinese universities have been on the Exchange Program.
• Every year 8-12 Chinese English teachers spend a semester at Eastern Mennonite University.
MCC - International Visitor Exchange Program
Wang Ping, the first Chinese IVEPer, taught at a school in Pennsylvania.
Cross-Cultural Learning Tours
• 2005 – Mennonite Church Canada Learning Tour
• 2004 - Eastern Mennonite High School Choir
• 2004 – Eastern Mennonite University
Mennonites build bridges via Social Assistance
Projects
• Jeanette Hanson chats with
The Nanjing Counselling Centre
• begun in 2002 in Nanjing by Sun Wen and Wang Xuefu.
• is a Christian institution which attempts to contextualize counselling into Chinese culture.
• partners with Mennonites in helping people become whole.
Assisting Poor Primary School Students to Remain in School
• Rapid changes have left huge gaps in the social safety net.
• Many can’t pay school fees.
• Mennonites help needy students stay in school.
Providing School Kits to needy students
• Families are often unable to provide school supplies for their children.
• Mennonites have provided school kits for needy children.
• Hundreds of Children in Guangan Prefecture, Sichuan Province have hearing deficits.
• Lack of testing centres and no funds for hearing aids mean many children are not helped.
• Mennonites have helped train speech therapists.
• Mennonites have helped test children and purchased hearing aids for children.
Sponsoring Early Childhood Hearing
Program
• Amity began in 1985 at the initiative of Chinese Christians.
• Amity works in:– Health– English Teaching – Social Services– Rural Development– Special Education– Disaster Relief
Mennonites are building bridges through a partnership with the
Amity Foundation
Amity Printing Company
• The Amity Printing Co. is a joint venture between the Amity Foundation and the United Bible Societies.
• Founded in 1988, Amity prints many kinds of Christian materials, including hymnals, calendars, and Bibles.
• Over 42 million complete Bibles have been printed by Amity. They are made available in churches and bookstores through a nationwide network of distribution points.
• Because the United Bible Society donates the paper, Chinese Christians can purchase a Bible for 12 Yuan ($2.00 CDN or $1.50 USD)
When asked what would be the most helpful activity in which Mennonites could be engaged in China, one Chinese Scholar said: “to build a bridge between people of different cultures.”
Building Bridges
with China
• with the Church
• through Education
• by connecting people
• via Social Assistance
Together, we are aligning with God’s work in China through our
partnership in CEE and Mennonite Church Canada Witness
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