Church Matters: Retrieving the Great Tradition

Ses s i on 6: Shared Sp i r i tua l i t y and Chur ch P l ant Movement s 113

e. H - Homes or storefronts as the venue for church and body life

3. Persecution and stewardship

a. Creative training with virtually few or none of the basic supplies taken for granted in Western contexts of training: e.g., pens, paper, Bible, food, sleep, space for training, etc., pp. 57-58

b. Operating in a tenuous environment with the State Religious Affairs Bureau and its directors, p. 59

4. Shared spirituality in gathered assembly: Churches reproduced when they reached a predetermined size, met at least twice a week, some even every day, with leadership development built into the very structure of the church life , p. 62. a. The Yanyin Chinese CPM was characterized by widespread personal and mass evangelism, with immediate incorporation of new believers into basic discipleship Bible studies for a short period of time, p. 61.

b. At the conclusion of the studies, new believers were baptized .

5. Tradition being passed down to the faithful: guardianship and stewardship

a. Immediately, those who were suitable for leadership were given responsibility to lead the public meetings of the believers.