“…In the early 1990s, I met with a famous American evangelist in a five-star hotel in Beijing. The first question he asked was, “How many Chinese Christians have the spiritual gift of speaking in other tongues?” While I don’t disapprove of this practice (and have even had this experience), it seemed that this secondary issue was his main concern.
After I left China in 1996, I learned that tens of thousands of copies of that minister’s book, translated into Chinese as How to Speak in Tongues, had been distributed in China by underground printing networks. Now the tongues issue has become one of the most divisive issues among Chinese churches (those who can speak in tongues look down on those who don’t, while those who don’t speak in tongues think that those who do are possessed by demons). This man’s “ministry” deeply hurt the cause of the Gospel in China…
The Chinese mind needs logical, intellectually compelling truth that speaks to our culture. The Gospel answers the questions of my culture like nothing else. Missionaries to China should help Chinese ask difficult questions of the purpose of life and how man is going to find it in a materialistic, trustless society…
Those unable to work and help directly in China should reach out to the 150,000 top Chinese students and scholars on U.S. campuses. Demonstrate a healthy marriage, build real trust in a friendship, and invite them to investigate the life and teachings of Christ for themselves. This will influence them significantly, and they in turn will influence their compatriots once God has transformed their lives. Many of these students will serve key roles in Chinese society…”
Dr Rick Griffith teaches at Singapore Bible College, where he has served for more than 20 years. Dr Rick Griffith trained at Dallas Theological Seminary where he received in Th.M and PhD.
“In Center Church, Timothy Keller outlines a broad theological vision that connects classical evangelical doctrine to holistic and vibrant ministry expression, particularly in globalized, urbanized settings.
Description: Many pastors struggle to translate their theological beliefs into fruitful ministry in the places they are called to reach. It’s not enough to simply know what to believe (theology) or, on the other hand, how to do ministry (methodology)—they need something in between. They need help thinking about ministry in a culture that no longer believes Christianity is a force for good, let alone the source of ultimate revealed truth in the person of Christ.
Center Church, a collection of twelve essays by Timothy Keller, outlines a theological vision for ministry that is organized around three core commitments:
• Gospel-centered: The gospel of grace in Jesus Christ changes everything, from our hearts to our community to the world. It completely reshapes the content, tone and strategy of all that we do. • City-centered: With a positive approach toward our culture, we learn to affirm that cities are wonderful, strategic and undeserved places for gospel ministry. • Movement-centered: Instead of building our own tribe, we seek the prosperity and peace of our community as we are led by the Holy Spirit.”
“…In the early 1990s, I met with a famous American evangelist in a five-star hotel in Beijing. The first question he asked was, “How many Chinese Christians have the spiritual gift of speaking in other tongues?” While I don’t disapprove of this practice (and have even had this experience), it seemed that this secondary issue was his main concern.
After I left China in 1996, I learned that tens of thousands of copies of that minister’s book, translated into Chinese as How to Speak in Tongues, had been distributed in China by underground printing networks. Now the tongues issue has become one of the most divisive issues among Chinese churches (those who can speak in tongues look down on those who don’t, while those who don’t speak in tongues think that those who do are possessed by demons). This man’s “ministry” deeply hurt the cause of the Gospel in China…
The Chinese mind needs logical, intellectually compelling truth that speaks to our culture. The Gospel answers the questions of my culture like nothing else. Missionaries to China should help Chinese ask difficult questions of the purpose of life and how man is going to find it in a materialistic, trustless society…
Those unable to work and help directly in China should reach out to the 150,000 top Chinese students and scholars on U.S. campuses. Demonstrate a healthy marriage, build real trust in a friendship, and invite them to investigate the life and teachings of Christ for themselves. This will influence them significantly, and they in turn will influence their compatriots once God has transformed their lives. Many of these students will serve key roles in Chinese society…”
Dr Rick Griffith teaches at Singapore Bible College, where he has served for more than 20 years. Dr Rick Griffith trained at Dallas Theological Seminary where he received in Th.M and PhD.
