God’s Work in the Midst of Crisis
A Message from COM President Daniel Su
April 2, 2020
As we all face new challenges and difficulties during this unprecedented time, we continue to see God’s faithfulness and his hand at work.
Since the emergence of COVID-19, our ministries have all experienced many changes. As the virus has spread globally, our staff have adjusted not only to new ways of working, but to the various personal trials as well. In the midst of the crisis, I pray that you will be encouraged by some updates I’ll share here.
A Glimpse into Current Campus Ministry
Our ministries look different during this time of social distancing, but God is moving in new ways in the lives of Chinese students and scholars. Meetings have now shifted to online video formats, and some even report increased attendance in this new context. This has also been a rich time of reconnecting with returnees in China.
Staff continue to engage individually with Chinese friends through email, phone, and virtual connections. We rejoice with this testimony from a COM staff member just this week:
For the last few months, we have been meeting for Bible study with “Gary” and his wife, who is a believer. Going through the COM bilingual introductory Bible study, Gary has been resistant but has continued to participate in the sessions.
When we met by Zoom two weeks ago, Gary’s heart had changed. A question in the lesson asked, “Do you know how to experience salvation?” Gary answered that, no, he did not. After we explained what it means to trust Jesus, we asked Gary if he was ready to do this. Yes, Gary was ready. “Now,” he enthusiastically replied. We led him in a prayer, with his wife translating, and we all rejoiced!
Our staff are reporting that their Chinese friends across the country and in China are more available to connect with them as they feel more vulnerable and less self-sufficient. Also, their hearts are softening and more open to spiritual things. Please pray with us that God may move many to faith in him.
Organizational Updates
In the COM Leadership Center, we are also responding to the new challenge:
• Due to the governor's orders in Pennsylvania, our COM office has closed. Instead, we are working remotely to keep our ministry operations moving forward.
• Our annual staff conference in April has been canceled. Instead we will proceed with an online mini-conference during the previously allotted time.
• All of our spring banquets have been canceled or rescheduled, and we will keep in touch with our supporters to encourage continued partnership with us.
Please feel free to reach out to staff members by email as needed. Together with our ministry partners, we continue the mission God has given us at such a time as this.
Are you ready for a rewarding career building friendships and sharing Christ cross-culturally? China Outreach Ministries is seeking full-time and part-time staff members to join existing campus teams or to begin new campus ministries at key US and Canadian university locations. As a COM campus staff member you will help meet the social, emotional, and spiritual needs of Chinese students and scholars and their families through friendship, practical helps, evangelism, and discipleship training.
We are looking for individuals and couples who are called by God to serve in ministry and possess the following qualifications:
- Christian maturity – friendly, mature, and hospitable with a balanced, integrated faith.
- Willingness to raise a personal ministry and support budget, assisted by COM training, ministry coaches, and resources. (Note: In some cases, startup funds may be available.)
- College education and informal or formal biblical/theological training.
- Helpful but not required: Experience teaching in China, TESOL training, Chinese language skills, cross-cultural ministry experience, seminary or Bible school degrees.
Ideal candidates are:
- Energetic, organized, and self-directed.
- Passionate about reaching the nations.
- Team players who are willing to work with others to build a strong, effective ministry team.
For more information about staff opportunities, contact us at employment@chinaoutreach.net.
We invite you to receive our complimentary IMPACT magazine (published three times each year) and other COM news, to help you know how to pray specifically for COM ministries. To sign up, email: com@chinaoutreach.net.
Volunteers are a valued part of campus ministries and operations. In local campus ministries, volunteers help build relationships with Chinese students and scholars. In COM’s Leadership Center, volunteers provide clerical and professional support.
To inquire about volunteering, please call 717-591-3500 or email: com@chinaoutreach.net.
COM values church partnerships, and we provide many ways for churches to involve their constituents in cross-cultural ministry, helping build life-changing relationships with Chinese students and scholars. Further, we provide speakers for services, small groups, and conferences to share news and information about what God is doing to reach China’s future leaders.
Let us know how we can partner with your church in ministry. Contact us at com@chinaoutreach.net
Campus staff members share Christ’s love with Chinese students and scholars by:
- Meeting felt needs through practical services (e.g. working with volunteers and churches, housing assistance, transportation, cultural orientation, English classes, professional seminars, etc.).
- Developing friendships and sharing Christ with individuals and groups.
- Organizing trips and special activities.
- Leading investigative Bible studies and fellowship groups.
- Recruiting and training N. American friendship partners, host families, and volunteers.
- Teaching and discipling new believers and preparing them to return to China as devoted, multiplying followers of Christ.
We in China Outreach Ministries want to share valuable resources helpful for ministering to mainland Chinese students and scholars in the US. These resources were created or compiled by staff members of China Outreach Ministries. We want to make them available to volunteers or anyone interested in ministering to Chinese. We believe these resources are free of copyright restrictions. If we are mistaken about any items, please contact us and we will remove them.
You can spend time browsing through these folders to find what may be helpful for you. In addition, we have identified below some resources that we have developed that we believe can be particularly helpful.
In addition to viewing documents online, feel free to download whatever resources you want and print as needed. Also feel free to share resources with others.
Glenn Kenadjian
Director of Training, China Outreach Ministries
Download Resources at tinyurl.com/ChineseMinistryResources
Articles, Activities, Bible Studies, Books, Discipleship, ESL, Evangelism Training, Group Outreaches, Personal Development, Recipes, Scripture memory, Skits, Speech Writing, Testimony Writing, Volunteers, etc.
