With recent feedback from readers on gathering more information about rural churches to help them revive, Gospel Times responded by increasing its attention in the area. Such a request had been made for a while, and there were more topics on the most obvious place of the website to gain the most attention of the current rural situation.
Such endeavors allowed many believers and pastors to build each other up.
A poor young preacher in a rural church recently wrote an article: "To My Family of God Who Helped Me through Gospel Times." In the article, he earnestly thanked Gospel Times for the help he received through the platform.
As Christian media, Gospel Times keeps the problems existing in rural churches in mind; therefore, it does deserve this compliment. The editors constantly care about the financial struggles of churches against many doubts and criticism.
The editors and reporters indeed do their best in fulfilling God's trust since they see promoting the healthy development of the church as their vision.
Yesterday, a brother from Gospel Times happily shared a message in the circle, saying:
"A retired Christian couple from Beijing was touched by our articles and wanted to support preachers with financial difficulties, so they came to our office."
Many people from the circle then gave thumbs up for what the couple has done. Then the brother said again: "There are many retired believers in big cities who are kind and live a decent life. If only they could support the ministry in remote mountainous areas..."
Hearing this, people all grew excited. Then we thought about many subjects about changing the current condition of rural churches that are financially challenged, seeking initiative.
I know a retired couple, both of whom were teachers. They started visiting relatives because retirement bored them. As soon as they arrived at the house of a remote relative, they were fascinated by what they saw: the rigid country life they read about in books became vivid before them.
Breathing the fresh air of the countryside made them feel very relaxed. Also being in the unpolluted oxygen freed their spirit and they felt younger and happier. Therefore, the couple decided to stay. They spend warm seasons there growing organic vegetables and return to the city with their harvest in winter for better heating.
The story of the couple led us think that with young people in rural areas going to big cities to work, young Christians' houses will remain vacant. If there is a way to transform these resources and recommend retired Christians in the cities who enjoy country life to experience this new lifestyle. Not only will this benefit people's health, it will solve many problems in rural churches. This requires the coordination of the church.
There are actually many subjects in the previous articles of Gospel Times for urban and rural churches to interact on, such as believers in rural churches operating farm-based tourism that targets urban Christians, or growing organic vegetables and fruit to sell in urban churches.
Such endeavors will not only benefit both rural and urban churches, they also build the relationship between brothers and sisters to better glorify the house of God.
-Translated by Grace Hubl
