Chinese Good News

The Beijing Olympics and a devastating earthquake have focused attention on the people and country of China this year.

Within days of the earthquake in Sichuan province, where more than 70,000 people lost their lives and millions more lost their homes, the Chinese ministry team for Back to God Ministries International (BTGMI), the electronic media ministry of the Christian Reformed Church, posted a special page on its Chinese website, www.chinese-goodnews.org. There visitors found prayers, reflections, and audio messages with words of comfort.

Soon after the earthquake, Chinese ministry leader Rev. Jimmy Lin received an e-mail from someone in the area. “Please remember us in your prayers,” wrote the listener. “We have suffered a lot in recent days. Your programs are an especially important source of encouragement for us at this time. Pray also that we can be a good testimony of faith, hope, and love to our neighbors at this time.”

“I can still remember the faces of some of the people I met when I was in that area last year,” Lin recalls. “I just cannot imagine what they are going through in their lives right now.”

The Chinese ministry team for BTGMI also took advantage of web technology to develop a special section about the Olympics. It contains news, interesting facts, audio programs, and video. Lin’s team also produced a new radio program, Eye on the World Olympiad, with testimonies of past Christian Olympic athletes.

A listener from China’s Anhui province wrote: “I am very active in sports and am very excited about the Olympics in Beijing. I love your radio program on Olympics and especially the related materials on your website. I am encouraged by the life stories of the Olympians and wish that I can share their faith too.”

“We want to use all available opportunities to bring many to a saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ,” notes Lin. “We are so thankful for the technology that the Lord has given us.”