Open Doors
China’s doors are open to American visitors. People of all ages can go for short periods of time to tour, learn, teach, help, do business.
Vision trips serve several useful purposes:
Christians can make a number of contributions in China, both to individuals and to groups, both religious and secular.
Many Christians have made a lasting impact on Chinese over the past two decades.
Obstacles
On the other hand, a variety of pitfalls and problems beset American Christians who want to make a significant contribution to the spread of the kingdom of God in China.
The first and foremost of these is ignorance. China’s long history, rich culture, and immense variety are not familiar to most Americans. Thus, we do not understand enough to communicate effectively. Often, what we think we hear is not what they meant to say, and what we thought we said is not what they heard! So, more than one Chinese Christian leader has said, “Your people often do more damage than good, because they don’t understand us.”
Another barrier is immaturity. Most Americans who go are young, with much enthusiasm and zeal. Naturally, they reflect their age, which they can’t help. The Chinese try to be understanding, but I have heard them say, “When you will you stop sending immature people here?”
Then there is the language barrier. Yes, Chinese are eager to learn, and to practice, their English, and that gives us a wonderful opportunity. Sadly, however, this readiness to use English gives a false impression. All too often, Americans think that they are being understood, when they may be totally misunderstood.
Added together, these factors lead to some confusion, false impressions, and even sometimes hurt feelings. More importantly, however, many Americans, and some Chinese, may end up believing that a true profession of faith has taken place, reflecting a genuine conversion, when what has really happened is that the Chinese has said “Yes” to question, or mouthed a prayer, which simply reflects a desire either to please the foreigner or to explore Christianity further.
So, happy Americans go home with exuberant reports of “decisions for Christ,” when such “decisions” may not signify regeneration or genuine repentance and faith, much less and understanding of what the Christian life entails.
Finally, as if all these impediments were not enough, we must factor in the growing hostility and surveillance of the government. Always suspicious of foreign “penetration” and “subversion” in the name of religion, the Chinese communists have recently launched an especially fierce crackdown on Christians.
More then ever, they are watching all foreigners, particularly those who seek to spread their faith. They are most concerned about foreign influence on the younger generation. Thus, they have issued stern warnings to all levels of government, and to all campuses, to watch out for Christian activity, and to monitor and suppress all outside Christian influences.
That means us! They totally misunderstand our motives, and falsely believe that Christians are being used by the American government to subvert their society and overturn the government. They are not kidding or fooling around here; they are deadly serious. In the past few months, hundreds of house church leaders, including many key people, have been arrested. Remember, Chinese jails are not like the Hilton Hotel – unless you are thinking of the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” of Vietnam war days.
So, our simple mistakes can cause great damage to those whom we seek to serve.
Overcoming Obstacles
Does that mean that we should not go to China? Several experts whom I have asked say, “No!” As long as we are welcomed, we should accept invitations to help, or go on our own as tourists, students, business people, etc.
But we can – and should – take several steps to reduce the risks of ineffective service and possibly harmful influence on our Chinese friends.
Purpose
The first is to understand what the major purposes of short-term visits can be. Simply, these are:
- To learn. These are “vision” trips. I prefer that to “mission” trips, for what we can accomplish is really very little. But what we can learn is a lot. A week or more in China (including Taiwan, Hong Kong) can open our eyes to the vast gospel needs; increase our understanding of this great civilization; give us insights into the background of the Chinese living in America; and –most importantly – provide fuel for our continued intercessions.
- To serve. Our short visit can provide some encouragement to Christians there; introduce us to non-Christian Chinese; build, or strengthen, links with foreign Christian organizations serving there; offer some practical help (English teaching, medical service, etc.); and enrich our church’s China ministry when we return.
- To build relationships - with expatriates in China, local Chinese, and the families and friends of Chinese living in North America.
- To equip ourselves for more effective out reach to Chinese in our midst.
- To sow seeds. If Chinese notice that our conduct is different, they may ask us why we have come, or what we believe. Then we can honestly tell them we are Christians. If they inquire further, we can respond to their questions. We may even be able to give them a suitably-chosen piece of Christian literature (you can take a few pamphlets with you, but not many).
- It may be that God will use you as the last link in a chain that leads to the profound transformation of a Chinese person. But please don’t go intending to convert Chinese! Let God do that. Go slowly. Listen, observe. Learn, ask questions. Help out when and as you can, expecting that simple acts of kindness will speak loudly to watching eyes.
How about making your goal to learn as much as possible, rather than to do as much as possible! See how much you can tell people back home about the Chinese you met, rather than about how you evangelized them. Give some Chinese the honor of sharing with his friends how he taught a humble foreigner, rather than complaining to them about how ignorant and arrogant we are!
Preparation
The second way we can increase effectiveness is to prepare. Aside form prayer and team-building, we must take time to learn as much as possible about Chinese history, culture, and society before we go. I have been astounded to learn how few American Christians who go to China fail to spend even a little time to equip themselves. Even some who go to teach and train house church leaders think they don’t have time to study the mental, emotional, cultural, social, and political backgrounds of those they intend to train.
Can you imagine anyone in the secular world making this mistake?
“He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him” (Proverbs) “Be quick to hear, slow to speak,” advises James in his epistle.
As a general rule of thumb, I suggest the following “formula” for those planning short visits to China. For a one-or two week trip, read Leona Choy’s Touching China; Encountering the Chinese, by; Hu and Grove; Jesus In Beijing, by David Aikman; and a tour book on the places you will visit in China or Taiwan, plus the introductory articles. For a few weeks before your trip, read the local English-language newspapers on-line.
For a month or more, either take one semester’s course on Chinese or read a standard book, such as Spence’s The Search for Modern China; Fairbank’s China: A New History; or Will’s Mountain of Fame (the easiest one to digest) – plus the things mentioned in the previous paragraph.
If you are going for two semesters or longer, take two courses on Chinese history, or read two longer treatments including, perhaps, The Chinese, by Becker (see our Web site for many other suggestions).
In addition, anyone contemplating ministry in China should subscribe to ChinaSource, the premier journal for China service. And any trip organizer should read, and follow the guidelines of the articles in the Fall, 2004 issue of ChinaSource.
May I be so bold as to say that those who “don’t have time” to study the bare minimum of Chinese culture and history don’t deserve to ask God’s people for money to go?
Participation
Go with a group. If possible, get a few people from your church to make the trip with you. The church should be in touch with an agency that has a lot of experience in China (or Taiwan), with good contacts on the field. Avoid those groups which promise that you’ll “lead many Chinese to Christ.” They are deceiving you.
Best of all, work with a team that will enable you and your church to build long-term relationships with Chinese, so that relationships can be nurtured over a long period of time. The reason: Almost all students of China ministry say that solid, long-term relationships are the key to effective service.
Precautions
Considering the current government crackdown on Christianity in China, we must be extra careful not to compromise our Chinese friends. That means that we should avoid all overt religious activity. Let our hosts be our guides as to what we should do and not do. Perhaps this is another reason why we should call these “Vision” rather than “Mission” trips, especially in our public pronouncements. The Chinese government hates the word “mission”! But who can object to a foreigner coming to your country to learn?
God can save Chinese without us! But He might be pleased to use in some small, but significant ways. Let’s humbly seek His guidance, consulting with those who have more experience than we do. As we imitate our Lord in His first thirty years of life, we can trust Him to make us fruitful in the last few years.