The fifth "Christianity and Social Care" seminar was held online from the 14th to 16th of December, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year’s topics were divided into three units: the importance of thinking about and practicing the Great Commission in the community; caring about people’s most important needs in their lives, so that the Great Commission would naturally appear in the right place where everyone’s life was involved; and sharing successful testimonies in social care ministry.
On the 14th, the keynote speaker, Professor Liu, shared the current crisis that the Chinese church was facing, from both internal and external environments. He mentioned that the development of the church could not be separated from society and that Christian testimony is achieved through action rather than through self-isolation or looking inward. He also pointed out that the church should be a beacon of hope for society. The church should be a blessing for all of society and should engage the community and face its challenges.
On the 15th, Pastor Huang Lei, senior pastor of Wuhan Root & Fruit Church, emphasized that every Christian should “act justly and love mercy". To achieve this, one needed to meet social needs and fulfill social responsibility, to care for and help those in need, especially those suffering from natural disasters or poverty. Pastor Huang shared the story of the Good Samaritan, explaining that social care and evangelism are actually responding to the Great Commission.
On the 16th, the first one of the two lectures given was entitled "Elderly Services and Life Care" by Pastor Li. The pastor shared his long-term thinking regarding what was the true meaning of the Christian faith and where the power of faith came from. Li believed that the most practical help for unbelievers was to use words and methods that they could understand in order so needs could be met and their lives positively affected. In the second lecture entitled, "The Church's Exploring of Community Rehabilitation of Mental Illness," the speaker claimed that the Christian faith should reach out to society, not by words alone, but by professional services with a humble heart and attitude in order to better share Christ’s love.
- Translated by Xiaodan
