The second Sunday of December, along with the preceding Saturday, is designated as Bible Day in Chinese churches. Over the past five years, the Bible Ministry Committee of CCC&TSPM has organized annual Bible Day events centered on the theme of Sinicizing Christianity.
This year’s Bible Day, observed on December 8, featured the theme "Memorizing the Bible." Churches across China marked the occasion with a variety of activities.
At the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Shanghai, CCC&TSPM held a launch ceremony for new Bible editions. These included the Bilingual Bible in Standard Chinese and Zaiwa of Jingpo People, a project that took 11 years to complete, with 200 sample copies already delivered to Zion Church in Yingjiang County, Yunnan Province. The Pinyin Edition of the Bible was compiled and edited over five years, featuring ultra-thin 19g Bible paper. The 2024 Christmas Edition (Guidebook Edition) was designed with a festive theme, suitable for holiday gifts and daily devotionals.
In addition to the launch, the cathedral hosted activities such as copying Bible verses onto scrolls, bookmark-making, Bible verse recitations, an award-winning quiz, and Bible reading clubs, as reported by CCC&TSPM.
At Chongwenmen Church in Beijing, a calligraphy exhibition showcased Biblical works created by the church’s calligraphy fellowship. Highlights included a set of 88 volumes of brush pen calligraphy, completed over five years. A 12-hour writing relay was conducted, where 40 participants copied the Book of Matthew. An immersive experience zone allowed believers to practice copying Bible verses with brush pens.
In Guangzhou, Guangxiao Church held a Bible memory competition, challenging participants to accurately recite verses and their references. Teams of fewer than ten people competed, adhering to strict time limits and re-queuing rules for errors. Simultaneously, the church hosted an exhibition featuring various Bible editions and commentaries. Other churches in Guangzhou also participated. Zion Church distributed free Bibles, while Shifu Church provided a list of 100 selected Bible verses, encouraging believers to memorize them.
At Guangdong Union Theological Seminary, students recited Bible verses in different dialects, including Jiangsu, Hakka, Hainan, and Ganzhou. These recitations were filmed at locations across campus, such as the library, chapel, and classrooms. Each video lasted five to eight minutes, with students announcing the book and chapter before their recitation.
