A recent training course was conducted for reporters affiliated with CCC&TSPM's official website and its flagship magazine, Tianfeng, also known as the Heavenly Wind.
The training conference took place in Taiyuan, Shanxi, from July 10 to July 13, and nearly 60 staff members, including correspondents and website volunteers from all over the country, attended.
During the opening ceremony on July 11, Rev. Shan Weixiang, vice president and general secretary of the China Christian Council (CCC), suggested that participants assume the roles of thinkers, recorders, and promoters of the localization of Christianity in China. They were encouraged to establish closer connections with believers, understand their aspirations, provide advice and suggestions for church development, and continuously enhance their own learning and personal growth.
In a special lecture session, Rev. Shan delivered a lecture titled "Exploring the Sinicization of Christianity in a More Profound and Practical Manner." Shan emphasized that the sinicization of Christianity not only necessitated integrating Christianity with the distinctive characteristics of the Chinese nation in terms of expression and interpretation but also incorporating the common revelations bestowed by God within the rich cultural heritage of ancient times.
In an afternoon lecture, Huang Yan, director of the Policy and Regulation Division of the United Front Work Department of the Shanxi Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), explained the background and main content of the "Administrative Measures for Internet Religious Information Services" (referred to as the "Measures"), using real-life examples.
Subsequently, Rev. Zhang Yaofa, vice president of Zhejiang Christian Council (CC) and president of Hangzhou CC, shared his experiences in exploring and implementing internet information service platforms in local churches in recent years. He discussed the establishment process of the "Renai Hangzhou" application for the Hangzhou church, along with the types of carriers and tools employed by the church's internet ministry. Rev. Zhang highlighted the advantages and disadvantages of their usage. He expressed Hangzhou CC&TSPM's willingness to share their church's internet pastoral digital system technology to assist other churches in carrying out ministry activities in a legal and compliant manner.
During the morning service on June 12, Rev. Zhang Ling from Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, delivered a sermon titled "What Is in Your Hand?" drawing from Exodus 4:2–7. She urged staff members to go through training, receive the Lord's anointing, and serve the Lord in light of Moses' experience.
In the ministry sharing session on June 13, Rev. Hao Zhiqiang, chief editor of Tianfeng, conducted an in-depth analysis of the implementation of the Measures by CC&TSPMs and seminaries across provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government). He presented data on the Internet Media Ministry of CCC&TSPM and highlighted the need to further enhance the awareness of "integration". Rev. Hao emphasized the importance of diversifying media platforms and channels, improving the quality of Internet media ministry content, and incorporating diverse formats such as text, images, audio, and video. Additionally, he stressed the ongoing need to train professional talents and enhance their technical capabilities.
Zhang Lili, a staff member of the website team of the Media Ministry, analyzed relevant data and common issues found in reporters' articles over the past year. She reiterated the fundamental requirements for article writing by correspondents and identified deficiencies and corresponding improvement measures through the examination of several article cases.
During the afternoon session, members of the correspondent and volunteer groups exchanged views on the special lectures and ministry-sharing session. They shared their work experiences concerning article quality, timeliness, and models of media integration and also put forth valuable opinions and suggestions.
At the closing ceremony, six reporters were recognized and awarded as the Excellent Correspondents of Tianfeng in 2023.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
