On September 25, Beijing Gangwashi Church held a Mid-Autumn thanksgiving and praise service, gathering around 400 brothers and sisters.
According to the host church, the youth praise team opened the service with the hymn "Open the Heavens," followed by leading the congregation in two more songs, during which some were moved to tears in worship.
The praise team also offered Chinese classical music through the combined sounds of the guzheng, pipa, and flute. Later, with the joyful and powerful song "Holy Spirit, We Welcome You," the atmosphere of worship reached its peak.
Rev. Zhang Jinxing then delivered the sermon titled "The True Light." He reflected on how, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, people often express their longing through the moonlight. In the same way, he said, Jesus Christ is the true light that shines on everyone in the world. Those who follow him will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life. Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun, believers are called to reflect the true light of Christ and become his witnesses.
After the sermon, the 90s Fellowship presented a skit titled Coming Home. Several creators performed the story of the prodigal son, drawing from their own real-life experiences. Through three stages of life—encountering the Lord for the first time, experiencing Him in hardship, and returning to rely on Him—they portrayed the transformation and renewal of faith, the strengthening of their spiritual journey, and how, even in valleys, they found new strength through faith.
Founded by the London Missionary Society in 1863, Gangwashi Church is one of the earliest Protestant churches in Beijing. Initially serving both as a hospital and a place of worship, the church was destroyed during the Boxer Rebellion and rebuilt in 1903. It joined the Church of Christ in China in 1922, embracing self-support and integrating church, hospital, and school ministries.
Forced to close during the Cultural Revolution, the church resumed worship in 1980, becoming one of the first to reopen in the capital. Today, it has over 5,000 members and holds four Sunday services. It has also welcomed foreign dignitaries, including U.S. President George W. Bush and two Secretaries of State.
