Ephesians 1:15-21 reveals the heart of the apostle Paul for the Ephesian church and how he prayed for them. In verse 16, he says: "(I) do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers." It struck me that this would be a good meditation for Day Seven as we pray for the church and people of China.
"I heard for the first time, from the China-based co-workers, how just the arrival of a team was a great encouragement to them to know that they are not alone in the field."
"I came to know Jesus when I was a little child," Sister Chen told us. "But my life changed when I came to Beijing in 2000. I tried everything I could to make a living. I was far away from God. The Bible that I'd brought with me from my home town sat in a corner covered with dust.
The total number of Chinese students who studied abroad between 1979 and 2010 is estimated at 1.91 million. A large proportion of these students have remained overseas, but an increasing number are now returning to China.
This summer 6.8 million students will graduate from college in China. As they now begin to look for work, many of them will be shocked to find that a college graduate will often earn less money than a labourer with only a junior high education - and that's if they can find a job.
"What does the Chinese Church look like today?" we recently asked a Christian leader in China. After giving it some thought, she described to us four different faces of today's church in China.
A protest in Wukan village, Guangdong province, hit the headlines around the world towards the end of last year when local residents ransacked government offices, expelled village authorities and barricaded themselves inside the village for 10 days.