Bear Fruit with Patience: Persevere (June 30, 2025, China Partnership)
In the Bible, patience is not a personal virtue which is cultivated in isolation. Instead, patience is a character trait formed in fellowship with other believers. Patience is formed through mutual encouragement and the influence of one life upon another.
The End of Persecution (June 30, 2025, ChinaSource)
The persecution story may be unending, but neither is persecution the end of the story. Living in the tension between the imperative to act and the knowledge that one’s actions can only go so far requires leaning into the sorrow, engaging with the reality of the suffering and submitting by faith to God’s unknowable purposes in the lives of those who face persecution.
From Burnout to Balance: Veteran Pastors Seek Wholeness in Ministry (June 29, 2025, China Christian Daily)
They serve with meager pay. Many of whom have no income at all. They juggle side jobs to make ends meet and manage household responsibilities. Some are still pursuing further theological education. As they constantly work hard for years, many are now in poor health. What is more extraordinary is that they have not only offered up their own lives in service to the Lord but also encouraged their children to follow in their footsteps.
Theology in the Third Oceanic Age (June 27, 2025, Chinese Christian Voices)
Over the past several decades, the theological journey of the Chinese church has unfolded in three identifiable waves—each shaped by historical moments and institutional movements.
Changsha: Verses for the City (June 26, 2025, China Partnership)
In our family, we have always had a banner that has Joshua 24:15 on it. It says, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” That is my favorite verse. When my son was 5 or 6 years old, a calligraphy teacher gave us that banner as a gift. Ever since then, it has been hanging in our home. I hope that my son, and one day my grandson, will also serve. I want this to be part of our family legacy, for 50 or even a hundred years. From the time when I became a Christian, I’ve wanted my descendants to serve the Lord.
In China, coins and banknotes have all but disappeared (June 28, 2025, Le Monde France) (Subscription required)
From supermarkets to cafés and public transportation, everyday payments are made using WeChat or Alipay, two apps that have become essential to daily life in the country.
Commentary: China’s AI dragons risk choking each other (June 29, 2025, Channel News Asia)
It’s a story that has played out many times in the history of China’s tech sector. Notoriously fierce competition means that whenever a new craze comes along, scores of rivals emerge ready to pounce. DeepSeek has spurred a booming artificial intelligence sector. Intense competition risks a race to the bottom, says Catherine Thorbecke for Bloomberg Opinion.
Macao’s end of an era, and a ghost ship in search of a business (June 24, 2025, The Bamboo Works)
We are seeing two such stories unfold now. The first is in Macao, where the final curtain is falling on the city’s so-called “satellite casinos,” representing a decisive turn in its character. The second is the curious case of Qudian, a company that fascinates us, a corporate ghost ship floating on a sea of cash but without a map, a crew, or a destination.
China’s Gen Z embrace ‘rat people’ trend amid record unemployment (May 17, 2025, Outsource Accelerator)
Instead of chasing jobs in a tough market, many are embracing a slower, reclusive lifestyle, spending days in bed, scrolling on their phones, and avoiding traditional work.
'Positive review only': Researchers hide AI prompts in papers (July 1, 2025, Nikkei Asia) (Subscription required)
Research papers from 14 academic institutions in eight countries -- including Japan, South Korea and China -- contained hidden prompts directing artificial intelligence tools to give them good reviews.
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Joann Pittman
Joann Pittman is Vice President of Partnership and China Engagement and editor of ZGBriefs. Prior to joining ChinaSource, Joann spent 28 years working in China, as an English teacher, language student, program director, and cross-cultural trainer for organizations and businesses engaged in China. She has also taught Chinese at the University …View Full Bio
Blessing Asia
In October-2022 more than 500 Christian leaders from across Asia gathered in Thailand for the Asia 2022 Congress, sponsored by the Lausanne Movement and various partnering organizations. I had the opportunity to participate in the Congress virtually and was mightily blessed. From Bible exposition to K-pop worship, and through seminars and workshops, the participants were encouraged by the stories of what God is doing in countries all over Asia. Clearly, God is on the move.
A beautiful vision was portrayed in a video of the popular worship song The Blessing, featuring singers from all over Asia. Here it is:
Many of the sessions have already been posted on their website and to their YouTube channel.
One that I found particularly helpful considering all that is going on in China was a presentation titled Church and State Relationship in Asia Today. You can see the video here.
I encourage you to spend some time on their website; there are fantastic resources for understanding God’s work in Asia today.
Original link: https://www.chinasource.org/resource-library/blog-entries/blessing-asia/
Image credit: Andrea Brucker, via Unsplash
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