How I Have Been Shaped By China

Al LaCour serves as the nationwide Area Coordinator for Reformed University Fellowship’s international student ministry. After 30 years as a church planter and the senior pastor of four churches, Al now trains Christians to welcome international student into their homes and churches. Al loves to equip churches and campus ministries to “welcome the nations and equip kingdom ambassadors.”

Memorable encounters during my two trips in China have given me lenses through which to interpret life-changing experiences with Chinese friends and their culture.

My first trip to China was a brief one. A team of members from my church asked me, as their pastor, to visit and teach alongside them as they served students on a university campus in China. Before this first trip, in the spring of 2002, a friend gave me a travel journal that displayed Chinese calligraphy on the cover. On front one read the Chinese character for wisdom, 智慧. This became my prayer, along with “God, give me the eyes to see, to observe, and to learn wisdom from personal interactions with the Chinese.”

My ten days in China included a visit to a Buddhist temple. As I watched elderly Chinese lift their grandchildren to touch the ornate doors of the temple, one team member described this as a “double crime scene.” Human hearts were being robbed of the knowledge of God; God was robbed of rightful worship. But to me, this was also a vivid picture of a spiritual vacuum. The elderly, pre-revolutionary Chinese wanted their grandchildren to touch some spiritual reality. This vacuum only became clearer during my tearoom conversations with college students. A rising generation in China hungered for more than education and materialism.

After I returned from China, I led my congregation into the China Partnership. A number of church members became involved with international students. One member, a graduate student who had served in China, phoned me to say, “Pastor, I’ve just met two Chinese PhD students on the campus shuttle. They are as open to the gospel as any of the undergraduates I met in China – and they will become university professors!” To make a long story short, by 2004, I was full-time involved in international student ministry with Reformed University Fellowship (RUF). Not for the last time, the Chinese had changed my life and my ministry calling.

As I built support for my work, I asked a pastor outside of my denomination if his church would support global-local world missions. He said, “If you had asked me three months ago, I would have honestly answered, ‘No.’ But I’ve just returned from China where I met a leader who supervises hundreds of house churches. I asked him, ‘How can the American church help the church in China?’ He said, ‘Don’t come – you may get deported, but we will go to jail. Don’t send money – it’s considered foreign-devil money. But do pray: God is at work in China. And do reach Chinese students who come to the USA – the church in China desperately needs well-educated Christian leaders.”

After four years with RUF International, my wife and I were invited to visit the cities and campuses of eight Chinese professors and research scholars we had welcomed into our lives at Georgia Tech. Our 2008 China trip was extensive – 24 days. Chinese friends we had earlier welcomed into our lives and homes now served as our hosts among their families and in eight cities. Once again, I prayed for wisdom. But, this time, in a more specific way: “Lord, show me the most effective ways to reach China and the Chinese for your kingdom and to grow Christ’s church.” Once again, God answered that prayer through at least three memorable encounters. 

While in Beijing, in the Forbidden City, I visited rooms memorializing Matteo Ricci and his younger protégés, who were the first Jesuit missionaries to China. They were the most accomplished astronomers at the Imperial Court, successfully predicting solar eclipses that were considered auspicious events. In 1601, Ricci was invited to be an adviser to the Imperial Court, the first Westerner to be invited into the Forbidden City. 

While in the ancient capital of Xi’an, I visited the museum that houses the Nestorian Stele. This Tang monument was erected in AD 781 to document the first 150 years of Christianity in China. The stele is inscribed with the names of Syriac messengers who brought the “Luminous Religion” – the religion of light – to China in AD 635. These westerners may not have been vocational missionaries, but traders doing business using the ancient Silk Road network. 

While in the southern capital of Nanjing, I visited the home, now a museum, of John Rabe, the German head of the Siemens Corporation in China before and during the Japanese invasion, the “Rape of Nanjing.” As a former Hitler Youth and ostensibly an Axis “ally” of the Japanese, Rabe used his influence to not abandon his lifelong Chinese friends and employees. He refused evacuation with other German nationals. Instead, Rabe worked with a small group of Western missionaries to set up the Nanjing Safety Zone, where hundreds of thousands of Chinese women and children found safety and refuge. Rabe’s letter to Berlin to alert Hitler of the atrocities his Japanese allies were committing was intercepted by the SS. Rabe was deported home.

What wisdom, 智慧, did I gain from this second trip? I realized that some of the most effective ways to reach China and the Chinese are not vocational missionary efforts, but through: 1) scientific exchanges (hence, ministry among international students and scholars); 2) business and trade exchanges; and 3) western expatriate professionals in China who love their Chinese friends to such an extent that they will risk their own lives to save them.


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LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN CHINA

With rising pressure and persecution in China, there are two challenges imperative for church leaders. The first challenge is for current leaders to love Christ above all else, and not to stray into legalism or love of the world. The second challenge is to raise up the next generation of leaders, who will humbly model Jesus even if current leaders are arrested.

WILL YOU JOIN US IN PRAYING FOR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN CHINA? PRAY FOR:

  1. Current leaders to grow in their daily walks with Christ
  2. Current leaders to shepherd and raise up new leaders
  3. New leaders who love Christ and will model him to the world
  4. New leaders to love and care for the church

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ABOUT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

About Shenyang

Shenyang is a city located in northeastern China and is the capital of Liaoning Province. It is known for its rich history and cultural heritage, including the Shenyang Imperial Palace, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Shenyang is also a hub for China’s heavy industry, with companies such as the China First Automobile Group and the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation having their headquarters in the city.

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About Qingdao

Qingdao is a city located in eastern China and is famous for its beaches, beer, and seafood. The city is home to several landmarks, including the Zhanqiao Pier and the Badaguan Scenic Area. Qingdao is also a major port and has a thriving economy, with industries such as electronics, petrochemicals, and machinery.

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About Xiamen

Xiamen is a city located in southeastern China and is a popular tourist destination known for its beautiful coastal scenery, including Gulangyu Island, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city is also a hub for China’s high-tech industry, with companies such as Huawei and ZTE having research and development centers in Xiamen.

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About Chongqing

Chongqing is a city located in southwestern China and is a major economic center in the region. The city is known for its spicy cuisine, especially its hot pot dishes, and is also famous for the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydroelectric dam. Chongqing is also home to several historic sites, including the Dazu Rock Carvings, which are UNESCO World Heritage sites.

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About Nanjing

Nanjing is a city located in eastern China and is the capital of Jiangsu Province. It is one of China’s ancient capitals and has a rich cultural history, including the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, the Nanjing City Wall, and the Confucius Temple. Nanjing is also a modern city with a thriving economy and is home to several universities, including Nanjing University and Southeast University.

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About Changchun

Changchun is a city located in northeastern China and is the capital of Jilin Province. It is known for its rich cultural heritage and is home to several historical landmarks such as the Puppet Emperor’s Palace and the Jingyuetan National Forest Park. Changchun is also a hub for China’s automotive industry, with several major automobile manufacturers having their headquarters in the city.

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About Guangzhou

Guangzhou, also known as Canton, is a city located in southern China and is the capital of Guangdong Province. It is one of the country’s largest and most prosperous cities, serving as a major transportation and trading hub for the region. Guangzhou is renowned for its modern architecture, including the Canton Tower and the Guangzhou Opera House, as well as its Cantonese cuisine, which is famous for its variety and bold flavors. The city also has a rich history, with landmarks such as the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, and the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees. Additionally, Guangzhou hosts the annual Canton Fair, the largest trade fair in China.

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About Kunming

Kunming is a city located in southwest China and is the capital of Yunnan Province. Known as the “City of Eternal Spring” for its mild climate, Kunming is a popular tourist destination due to its natural beauty and cultural diversity. The city is home to several scenic spots, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Stone Forest, Dian Lake, and the Western Hills. Kunming is also famous for its unique cuisine, which features a mix of Han, Yi, and Bai ethnic flavors. The city has a rich cultural history, with ancient temples and shrines like the Yuantong Temple and the Golden Temple, and it’s also a hub for Yunnan’s ethnic minority cultures, such as the Yi and Bai peoples.

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About Shenzhen

Shenzhen is a city located in southeastern China and is one of the country’s fastest-growing metropolises. The city is renowned for its thriving tech industry, with companies such as Huawei, Tencent, and DJI having their headquarters in Shenzhen. The city also has a vibrant cultural scene, with numerous museums, art galleries, and parks. Shenzhen is also known for its modern architecture, such as the Ping An Finance Center and the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center. Despite its modernization, Shenzhen also has a rich history and cultural heritage, with landmarks such as the Dapeng Fortress and the Chiwan Tin Hau Temple.

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About Chengdu

Chengdu is a city located in the southwestern region of China, and the capital of Sichuan province. It has a population of over 18 million people, and it is famous for its spicy Sichuan cuisine, laid-back lifestyle, and its cute and cuddly residents – the giant pandas. Chengdu is home to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, where visitors can observe these adorable creatures in their natural habitat. The city also boasts a rich cultural heritage, with numerous temples, museums, and historical sites scattered throughout its boundaries. Chengdu is a city of contrasts, with ancient traditions coexisting alongside modern developments, making it an intriguing and fascinating destination for visitors to China. 

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About Beijing

Beijing is the capital city of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of over 21 million people. The city has a rich history that spans over 3,000 years, and it has served as the capital of various dynasties throughout China’s history. Beijing is home to some of the most iconic landmarks in China, including the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven. The city is also a hub for political, cultural, and educational activities, with numerous universities and research institutions located within its boundaries. Beijing is renowned for its traditional architecture, rich cuisine, and vibrant cultural scene, making it a must-visit destination for travelers to China.

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About Shanghai

Shanghai is a vibrant and dynamic city located on the eastern coast of China. It is the largest city in China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of over 24 million people. Shanghai is a global financial hub and a major center for international trade, with a rich history and culture that spans over 1,000 years. The city is famous for its iconic skyline, which features towering skyscrapers such as the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Shanghai Tower. Shanghai is also home to a diverse culinary scene, world-class museums and art galleries, and numerous shopping districts. It is a city that is constantly evolving and reinventing itself, making it a fascinating destination for visitors from around the world.

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