Operation China - Day 11

Sorry these post are a couple days late. Its been a really busy weekend. Lots of things going on for Easter weekend at James River Assembly. I hope everyone had great Easter services and that God was glorified! Here are the prayer challenges for April 3rd.

April 3

Shandong Province


GEOGRAPHY
Area 153,300 sq.km. Northern coastal province on the Shandong Peninsula in the Yellow Sea.

Population 90,928,000; 593 people/sq.km.
Capital Jinan 4.79m. Other major cities: Qingdao 4.38m; Zibo 3.34m; Tai'an 1.9m; Zaozhuang 2.4m; Linyi 1.61m; Weifang 1.23m; Laiwu 1.23m; Heze 1.18m; Rizhau 1.15m; Liling 1m.

PEOPLES
Han Chinese 99.6%, speaking Putonghua.
Hui 0.4%.
RELIGION
Muslim 0.4%. Christian 3%: House churches 1.7%, TSPM 1%, all Catholics 0.3%.

CHALLENGES FOR PRAYER
1) Shandong was the birthplace and home of Confucius, whose philosophy and writings have deeply moulded Chinese culture to this day. Pray that the Chinese may be freed from the social demands which hinder many from commitment to Christ.
2) Tai'an is near one of China's most 'holy' mountains, Taishan. This is a major spiritual stronghold on which prayer should be focused.
3) The Jesus Family, a remarkable form of communal Christianity, began in this province. They were influential in the start of the house church movement of which they are a part today. Pray for the spiritual health of all forms of indigenous Christianity and for the centrality of Scripture in their life and teaching.

Shanghai Municipality


GEOGRAPHY
Area 6,200 sq.km. China's largest and most wealthy city (after Hong Kong) and an industrial hub for the country with a large international seaport.
Population 14,773,000; 2,382 people/sq.km.

PEOPLES
Han Chinese 99.6%, speaking Wu and Subei.
Other 0.4%.

RELIGION
Muslim 0.4%. Christian 9.6%: House churches 5.7%, all Catholics 2.8%,TSPM 1.1%.

CHALLENGES FOR PRAYER
1) In 1950 there was a varied and effective church life with 256 churches, but all was destroyed in the Cultural Revolution. Even today there are but 27 churches and 80 registered meeting points of the TSPM. A large network of small house churches has developed – some estimate between 3,000 and 20,000. In a crackdown in 1999, 1,000 were forcibly closed. Pray for freedom for congregations to grow and multiply.
2) The economic growth has been a magnet for up to 3 million poor, rural work-seekers from all over China who eagerly take up the dangerous and menial jobs on the margins of society. Pray for the evangelization of this uprooted mass of people.
3) For years Shanghai has been a base for Christian outreach to the whole country. One of the major house church networks is doing just that today. Pray that the drive, wealth and sophistication of this city might be harnessed for the spread of the gospel.

Shanxi province


GEOGRAPHY
Area 157,100 sq.km. Northeast China, west of Beijing. Not to be confused with neighbouring Shaanxi. [Shanxi = West of the Mountains; Shaanxi = West of the Mountain Passes].
Population 32,251,000; 205 people/sq.km.
Capital Taiyuan 2.76m. Other major cities: Datong 1.8m; Yangcheng 1.48m.

PEOPLES
Han Chinese 99.7%, speaking Putonghua and Jin.
Other 0.3%: Hui, Manchu.

RELIGION
Muslim 0.2%. Christian 3.4%: House churches 2.1%, TSPM 0.7%, all Catholics 0.6%.

CHALLENGES FOR PRAYER
1) The CIM did much work here before 1949. In 1950 there were 26,000 Protestants. This number had offically grown to 220,000 (unofficially nearly 900,000) by 1999. There are also many Catholics. There has been much repression of both registered TSPM and house churches.
2) The Boxer Rebellion of 1900 led to many martyrs – thousands of Chinese as well as 159 missionaries and 46 children in Shanxi alone. Pray that their blood may prove good seed for today's Church.
3) Datong has a low percentage of Christians and is, historically, a major Buddhist centre. Pray for the breaking down of spiritual strongholds.

Sichuan Province


GEOGRAPHY
Area 426,000 sq.km. A large rice-growing province on the Yangtze River ringed by high mountains. The 'panda province'.
Population 87,681,000; 205 people/sq.km.
Capital Chengdu 5.3m. Other major cities: Suining 1.7m; Neijiang 1.42m; Leshan 1.44m; Zigong 1.3m; Mianyang 1.22m.

PEOPLES
Han Chinese 95.4%, speaking Putonghua.
Sino-Tibetan 4.6%: 44 peoples, largest:
Tibetan E. Khampa 1.25m, Jiarong(5) 190,000; Rtahu Amdo 79,000, Ergong 49,000.
Yi Nosu(4) 1.83m; Suodi 190,000; Qiang(12) 183,000; Mosuo 30,000; Chrame 39,000; Bai Ma 15,000.
Hmong-Mien 0.8%. Miao(2) 667,000.

RELIGION
Lamaistic Buddhist 4%. Among Tibetans, Jiarong, Mosuo, Chrame. Animist, polytheist among Nosu, Bai Ma, Qiang, Miao. Christian 1.4%: House churches 0.7%, all Catholics 0.5%, TSPM 0.2%.

CHALLENGES FOR PRAYER
1) Sichuan had the lowest Christian percentage of the Han-majority provinces until recently. The Catholics arrived in 1696 and LMS and CIM in 1868/81, but there had been no major breakthrough until a recent significant growth in the house churches. Pray that the spiritual mountains that ring this province might be breached, and millions turn to Christ.
2) Chengdu with over 5m people is a key city for the whole of western China, but there are officially only two large TSPM churches and 3,000 Protestant Christians. There may be a further 50,000 house church believers. There is a large number of ethnic minority groups in the city – especially Tibetans. Pray for this needy city and those seeking to reach it.
3) Ethnic minorities indigenous to Sichuan total 4m in 44 peoples, but 33 of them have no Christians and no known outreach to them. Of the 11 among whom there are some Christians, only the Chuan Miao and Shengzha Nosu have over 1% Christians. Intercede for:
a) The major groups with no witness; the Qiang cluster of peoples, the Tibetan groups, Suodi, Mosuo, Enshi Miao, etc. Many of these peoples, though related, speak mutually unintelligible languages.
b) The Nosu who are a particular challenge. They are a proud people that once dominated their area and enslaved the Han Chinese. They were only finally subdued by the central government in 1953. They are known for their violence, war-making, intimidation and polytheism. The JESUS film has had some impact, and there are 12,000 Christians in the largest of the 4 Nosu peoples. Pray for this spiritual stronghold to be breached.
c) The small Christian groups among them to become strong, effective witnesses.
d) Ethnic minorities in Yunnan and elsewhere with large Christian communities to become missionaries to these peoples.
e) Bible translators. The Bible is available for the Khampa and Amdo Tibetans, and there are portions of Scripture for the Chuan Miao and Shengzha Nosu, but no other group has anything of God's Word.

Tianjin Municipality


GEOGRAPHY
Area 11,300 sq.km. The port city of Beijing.
Population 9,883,000; 875 people/sq.km.

PEOPLES
Han Chinese 97.8%, speaking Putonghua.
Hui 1.8%.
Other 0.4%.

RELIGION
Muslim 1.8%. Christian 2.3%: All Catholics 1.7%, house churches 0.4%, TSPM 0.2%.

CHALLENGES FOR PRAYER
1) The Church is almost as tightly controlled as in nearby Beijing, and church growth has been more limited. Catholics have fared better. Pray for an easing of the harsh restrictions and for more church growth.