These resources are related to the new (2021) Connecting with Chinese International Students booklet. It was written by a team of campus ministers, pastors, and students from China and the US who collectively have more than 200 years of experience ministering to Chinese students and scholars.
The full-color booklet focuses on the youngest generation of Chinese university students studying abroad and is divided into four sections: (1) Building Relationships, (2) Gaining Historical and Cultural Understanding, (3) Sharing Jesus, and (4) Making Disciples and Preparing Students for Return.
Order the booklet from the InterVarsity Store
CHINA MAP (click to enlarge)
APPENDICES
1 Confucian Ideals and the Gospel
2 An Overview of “Religious” Belief in Contemporary China
3 How to Study the Bible Inductively (with Translation)
4 Suggestions for Personal Bible Study (with Translation)
5 Interacting with the Old Testament
6 Following Jesus in the Gospel of Mark: Suffering and Glory
7 Suggested Passages for Scripture Memory
Appendices 1-2 are bonus booklet chapters. Appendices 3-7 are practical Bible study tools.
Download All Seven Appendices as a PDF
RESOURCES / LINKS
Books
A Beginner’s Guide to Crossing Cultures: Making Friends in a Multicultural World by Patty Lane, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002).
China in Our Midst: Reaching Chinese International Students in America by Glen Osborne and Daniel Su, (Mechanicsburg, PA: China Outreach Ministries, 2016)
Crossing Cultures with Jesus: Sharing Good News with Sensitivity and Grace by Katie J. Rawson, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press,
2015).
Heading Home with Jesus: Preparing Chinese Students to Follow Christ in China by Debbie Phillip, (Littleton, CO: William Carey Publishing, 2018).
Websites / Ministry Organizations
Ambassadors for Christ
Good source for inexpensive Bibles and training camps for students
China Outreach Ministries: Resources on a Google Drive
ChinaSource
Provides a wide variety of content on the church and wider society of China, including
- A weekly collection of news articles (ZGBriefs)
- The ChinaSource blog (which often offers translated contributions from Chinese church leaders within mainland China)
- The ChinaSource Quarterly (a series of articles on a specific topic, published four times a year)
Every International
Contains a variety of videos and resources designed to equip North American believers to reach international students and immigrants.
InterVarsity International Student Ministry
Offers training articles and videos for students and volunteers in ISM. It is the booklet's publsiher and this InterVarsity page includes the appendices to and links to resources mentioned in the booklet.
ISM Resources on the InterVarsity Store include:
Overseas Campus Ministries
Offers Overseas Campus Magazine (a Chinese periodical for seekers) and Behold (for believers) as well as a reentry handbook in Chinese.
Sea Turtles
Prepares students for reentry with Bible studies and videos of returnees.
Thriving Turtles
Australian website dedicated to serving returnee Christians in China
Honor-Shame Resources
The 3D Gospel by Jayson Georges (HonorShame.com) gives a short but helpful introduction.
Cross-Cultural Conflict by Duane Elmer (IVP) provides several strategies to approach conflict indirectly and has a good intro to honor-shame.
Crossing Cultures with Jesus: Sharing Good News with Sensitivity and Grace by Katie J. Rawson (IVP), especially chapters 6 and 10: a brief intro to honor-shame with a biblical outline and examples of gospel sharing.
The Culture Test: a five-minute questionnaire that helps people identify their own mix of values or the mix of a group they work among.
The Global Gospel by Werner Mischke (Mission ONE): a clear explanation of the biblical material and description of different kinds of
honor-shame societies.
“Honor Restored” in Cru’s God Tools app: an honor-shame gospel explanation.
Ministering in Honor-Shame Cultures: Biblical Foundations and Practical Essentials by Mark Baker and Jayson Georges (IVP)
Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible by E. Randolph Richards and B. J. O’Brien (IVP)
One Gospel for All Nations: A Practical Approach to Biblical Contextualization by Jackson Wu (William Carey): uses Chinese culture
as an example of how to contextualize the gospel.
Bibles
Printed Bibles seem to be hard to find in China right now, so it would be a good idea to give Chinese students one before they return home. AFC's Chinese Resource Ministry Bibles have some of the lowest prices in the US, and AFC can help you choose which to buy.
Bible Gateway online:
YouVersion Bible App in more than 900 languages
Bible Study
Discovery Bible Study includes honor-shame passages
M28 Global Discipleship includes guides in Mandarin
Bible Studies from OC
Bible Project videos in Mandarin
Storytelling the Scriptures
Use Conversation Art Cards or 12 Bible studies centered around famous artwork illustrating Bible scenes
Music
Canaan Hymns videos in Chinese and English
China Soul hymn collection
