During a Sunday worship service at a century-old church in a provincial capital, the service team, dressed in holy robes, led believers in worshipping from the front. The attendees, seated in a clean and comfortable environment, participated in the service. However, unlike the previous scenes of packed pews, the congregants were scattered, with only about 200 people, making the church look sparsely populated.
In the same city, there is another century-old church built about 20 years later than the first. It also had a large number of worshippers and choir members attending Sunday services. However, throughout the sermon, Christians were unresponsive. Occasionally, a phone would ring, and some people were glued to their phones, while others walked in and out from the beginning to the end of the service.
This scene stands in stark contrast to what it was 20 or 30 years ago. Back then, the conditions of the churches were far from what they are today. Most worship spaces were small and poorly equipped. However, people's enthusiasm for worship was overwhelming. Stairways, corridors, and courtyards were filled with people. Many believers had a deep thirst for God’s word. In the mountainous areas, believers would light torches and descend the mountains before dawn, walking three or four hours to reach the church. Others who lived even farther away would begin their journey on Saturday. Revival meetings at that time were eagerly awaited by believers.
Seeing the current state of the church, Reverend Liang, who has been pastoring in Northeast China for 20 years, remarked, "People today have far less hunger for God's word than they did before." For example, in the past, Christmas services would attract large crowds, and during the altar call, over a hundred people would respond even in his suburban church. Nowadays, only a few do. Liang believes that the main reason is the abundance of entertainment activities that now attract people's attention.
Outside the church, many people are glued to their phones whenever they have free time. Square dancing has also become widespread, with many young people joining in with energetic dance moves. Sometimes, there are as many as seven or eight dance groups in a square, some with 40 or 50 people. Additionally, there are various amusement parks, game rooms, and shopping streets.
Some professionals are so tired from work that they have no energy to attend services. A youth fellowship leader mentioned that while there used to be 20 or 30 people attending gatherings, now only a few remain. After a long day at work, many people just want to relax, scrolling through their phones to unwind, with no energy left to worship God. She said she even feels embarrassed to invite them to services, let alone ask them to serve.
Not only are unbelievers reluctant to come to church, but the faith of some Christians has also grown cold, and their participation has declined. In response to this, Pastor Liang proposed the concept of "Theology of Service." He believes this aligns with Christian faith, and building relationships is also crucial in Chinese culture. Jesus himself declared that He came to serve, not to be served. He incarnated, preached, and healed the sick, casting out demons and dying on the cross for those He loved. The early disciples left their homes to spread the gospel and save souls, with many becoming martyrs. A century or two ago, Western missionaries gave up their comfortable lives to come to China, engaging in social services such as building schools, and hospitals, and improving the environment. Liang stated that the Chinese church still needs to walk this path today.
Liang has already started practicing the "Theology of Service" in the church he leads, identifying the needs of the congregants and the surrounding community and finding ways to help. For example, when people need legal knowledge, the church invites professionals to give lectures. When they notice that elderly people lack health knowledge, they arrange for relevant experts to give talks. If young people are unemployed at home, the church helps them find jobs. During holidays like the Spring Festival, the church gives gifts to the elderly in the neighborhood. When believers pass away, the church assists in funeral arrangements. Liang emphasized that the core of Christianity is love, for God is love, and Christians should live a life of love. All the good deeds the church does are motivated by pure love, without any intent to deliberately evangelize. However, when people come to the church seeking God's word, the church is prepared to fulfill this mission, as only God’s word can truly quench the thirst of the human soul.
Service should not be confined to within the church. Liang hopes that Christians will carry the spirit of service into their families, workplaces, communities, and every place they go. He believes that Chinese Christians place too much emphasis on verbal evangelism, while in fact, actions of love are some of the most powerful tools of evangelism.
- Edited & translated by Abigail Wu
