Marlborough Chinese Fellowship is a ministry that Deo and I started when we first moved to Blenheim about three years ago.
It started as a home group with a handful of Christians meeting weekly to study the Bible and encourage each other. Later on, we added a monthly fellowship with the intention of inviting the wider Chinese community to hear the gospel.
The monthly fellowship sometimes takes forms as a social gathering, like a mother's day concert, a winter ball or a wine tasting workshop, and sometimes a semi-formal service, with a sermon preached or a testimony shared.
These two ministries are still continuing and blooming. We have attracted non-Christians to study the Bible with us (weekly Bible study attendance reaches 10-12 including people joining online) and to worship with us as well (worship gathering average 30-40).
Due to the impact of secular cultural background and government influence, many Chinese I meet here in Marlborough are not familiar with Christianity. When they are presented with the opportunity to visit a church gathering or event, some people feel a strong curiosity to learn about this new aspect of life in New Zealand, while others may resist engaging due to their upbringing or ideological beliefs.
Chinese people are rooted in Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism, whether they confess their beliefs or not. These beliefs may conflict with Christian doctrines and make it hard to give way to new – “western”, as they might think – beliefs.
It is ultimately God's work in bringing people. Some factors I think have contributed to the growth among non-believers.
First, the influence of friends can play a crucial role. When our friends hear us talking about God and the Bible, and have positive experiences with us, they are more inclined to explore it. We had a few well-educated friends who joined our small group and we enjoyed those wonderful discussions about the Bible in depth.
Second, the suitable style of gathering, which is casual or semi-formal, has allowed new people to feel more relaxed and relevant.
Third, conducting special events and workshops to build new connections – such as a wine tasting session, musical concert where we invited non-believers to be part of, or a winter ball-dance workshop – give us opportunities for invitation.
A lady joined our Bible study group throughout her pregnancy last year. She enjoyed the social network, free discussions about life and faith, and gained knowledge about the gospel.
The amazing thing is that next month she will be baptised.
It is an exciting ministry. We enjoy journeying with different people who are curious about God.
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
We have invited these writers to share their experiences, ideas and opinions in the hope that these will provoke thought, challenge you to go deeper and inspire you to put your faith into action. These articles should not be taken as the official view of the Nelson Diocese on any particular matter.
Marlborough Chinese Fellowship is a ministry that Deo and I started when we first moved to Blenheim about three years ago.
It started as a home group with a handful of Christians meeting weekly to study the Bible and encourage each other. Later on, we added a monthly fellowship with the intention of inviting the wider Chinese community to hear the gospel.
The monthly fellowship sometimes takes forms as a social gathering, like a mother's day concert, a winter ball or a wine tasting workshop, and sometimes a semi-formal service, with a sermon preached or a testimony shared.
These two ministries are still continuing and blooming. We have attracted non-Christians to study the Bible with us (weekly Bible study attendance reaches 10-12 including people joining online) and to worship with us as well (worship gathering average 30-40).
Due to the impact of secular cultural background and government influence, many Chinese I meet here in Marlborough are not familiar with Christianity. When they are presented with the opportunity to visit a church gathering or event, some people feel a strong curiosity to learn about this new aspect of life in New Zealand, while others may resist engaging due to their upbringing or ideological beliefs.
Chinese people are rooted in Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism, whether they confess their beliefs or not. These beliefs may conflict with Christian doctrines and make it hard to give way to new – “western”, as they might think – beliefs.
It is ultimately God's work in bringing people. Some factors I think have contributed to the growth among non-believers.
First, the influence of friends can play a crucial role. When our friends hear us talking about God and the Bible, and have positive experiences with us, they are more inclined to explore it. We had a few well-educated friends who joined our small group and we enjoyed those wonderful discussions about the Bible in depth.
Second, the suitable style of gathering, which is casual or semi-formal, has allowed new people to feel more relaxed and relevant.
Third, conducting special events and workshops to build new connections – such as a wine tasting session, musical concert where we invited non-believers to be part of, or a winter ball-dance workshop – give us opportunities for invitation.
A lady joined our Bible study group throughout her pregnancy last year. She enjoyed the social network, free discussions about life and faith, and gained knowledge about the gospel.
The amazing thing is that next month she will be baptised.
It is an exciting ministry. We enjoy journeying with different people who are curious about God.
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
