A church in Liaoning, Northeast China, held the first Thanksgiving ceremony for the autumn harvest after three years of COVID-19.
On October 14th, at Yingkou Church, Rev. Hou Yujie, president of the Liaoning Provincial Christian Council (CC) and chairman of the Yingkou Municipal Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), preached a sermon themed “The Reason to Be Grateful.” She exhorted believers to express gratitude to six types of people in their lives, including parents, those who offered help, and even those who challenged them. Most importantly, she emphasized the need to express gratitude to God.
Following the sermon, a pastoral staff choir under the direction of Rev. Hou Yujie sang a hymn titled "Love Me to the End." Additionally, the pastors and church staff of Yingkou Church performed a choir and dance titled “The Reason to Be Grateful.”
To prepare the “first” praise meeting after these three years, more than 820 people from 58 meeting points, teams, and fellowships participated. Service teams, cleaning teams, prayer groups, volunteer groups, couples' fellowships, and the fellowship for the deaf and mute all presented different performances, such as choir singing and dances.
(The article is originally published by the Gospel Times and the author reported in Yingkou, Liaoning.)
- Translated by Poppy Chan
