Chinese Jesus followers have been struggling to remain in their respective mission fields. Support through mentorship and counselling are necessary for those sharing the hope of Jesus in foreign environments, which Chinese World Ministry seeks to provide through their website, 3cmSpace. Yīnuò* and Isabel* work to navigate different challenges, as they believe in the importance of this innovative resource
For thousands of years, China has been on the cutting edge of innovation — creating pivotal inventions like paper, the compass, fireworks, as well as constructing one of the seven wonders of the world, the Great Wall of China. China continues to be one of the leading nations when it comes to innovation, continuing to create and improve technology in numerous fields. Many pioneers set China apart as a unique and beautiful culture — yet many Chinese Jesus followers now struggle to share the unique beauty of Christ with those around them. This is why OM’s Chinese World Ministry (CWM) seeks innovative pioneering to help Chinese mission workers communicate the hope of Christ around the globe.
According to research by CWM founder Adam*, there is a low retention rate for Chinese Jesus followers sharing the love of Christ outside of their home country. Chinese World Ministries desires to see Jesus followers thrive in their respective ways, be that through a higher retention rate, or through feeling supported by the Church. This is where the vision for '3cmSpace' comes in, as a website that serves Chinese believers involved in missions as a virtual partner, offering encouragement, counselling or mentorship where needed.
Yīnuò* and Isabel* work with CWM and devote their time and effort to support struggling Chinese mission workers. Yīnuò works as a web developer and has been involved in the project since 2017, working on the technical parts of the site. Isabel is the content manager and started more recently, in 2022.
Yīnuò believes the site is a necessary gap filler between Chinese Jesus followers and their home church. It provides a virtual community, unaffected by security concerns within the country. “After I talked to a missionary from China. I could feel that they still had the fear to connect to their home church because of very sensitive information and although they are afraid to contact each other when they are living overseas, I think our website can ‘fill the gap’ because it's more confidential,” Yīnuò explains.
3cmSpace is especially a gap-filler for smaller Chinese churches, as Yīnuò notes that there are large churches in China that have resources, “So we mainly want to support the smaller churches and provide resource training for them.”
Yīnuò went on to say that many resources for mission workers are written in English and that the website wants to “provide some Chinese resources that will be very helpful for them to overcome the language barriers.”
Part of what inspired Isabel to join was the passion of the leader of OM’s work in China, Adam. “When I got connected to Adam, he shared his vision for mobilising the Chinese church. But not just mobilising — coming alongside Chinese workers. Equipping them and training them before, during and after their time serving in the field.” This vision from Adam represents a holistic approach to ministry; the site not only ‘fills the gap’ when it comes to providing a virtual church community – it also provides a clear guide on how to prepare for and persevere in cross-cultural ministry.
This preparation is especially important for mission workers coming from China. Isabel notes that, “The people that are referred to us are already in crisis before they realise that they need help with coaching and with mentoring. They've lived in the field for a few years and yet they have not always made plans for their future. This includes security concerns if they return home or helping their children integrate back into schools in China. There are few resources available to these workers to help them plan for their futures well.”
The dream team
Though they believe in the importance of their work, it does not come without its challenges. Isabel acknowledges that this is a “pioneering work” that contains several obstacles.
The reality of reaching 3cmSpace’s target audience is paradoxical in many ways. Isabel notes, “With a virtual community, you can cast the net really broadly. You can reach a lot of people, but we need to connect with people on a deeper level.” While 3cmSpace is an online platform, the team has found that trust is often forged face-to-face, especially with believers that have experienced a history of persecution. Isabel acknowledges that when it comes to building trust with many of those they wish to aid, “We're still navigating how to bridge that gap.”
Both women report that the credential of a renowned brand name like OM inspires trust – yet it concurrently gains the attention of potential religious persecutors. Yīnuò adds that, “For a missionary from China, it is quite a lonely journey because it's hard to for them to connect to their home church or other missionary organisations.”
Online security challenges increased for Chinese Jesus followers after the COVID-19 pandemic, making circumstances even more difficult for 3cmSpace’s ability to flourish.
Despite these increasing challenges, CWM and the 3cmSpace project have a committed team. Only Adam and Yīnuò were working on the project initially, which Yīnuò admits was “quite lonely.” Thankfully, God brought Isabel and another couple to be part of the team.
Adam has the driving vision and has conducted extensive research over many years, and Isabel notes that Adam is “the one with the big vision and I like to say both [of us — Isabel and Yīnuò — put] details in place and help oil the cogs.” The group is connected to a wider Chinese world network as well, with Chinese-speaking partners in both the UK and Canada.
Yīnuò believes it is extremely important to welcome more Chinese-speaking Christians to be mentors and to partner with 3cmSpace to support mission workers. She likened the website to a library — all the “shelves” are available on the website, so that anyone can add their “books” and resources. “Chinese-speaking missionaries want to explore missions they can come to our website.”
Chinese World Ministry and the team at 3cmSpace is eager to meet more partners that can help further this ministry — especially those who speak Chinese and are interested in mentoring overseas mission workers. For more information as to how to get involved, contact admin@3cmspace.com.
Please pray for Chinese Jesus followers seeking to share the hope of Christ in their nation and around the world. Pray that God would continue to equip Chinese World Ministry with divine partnerships so that they might continue to improve the reach and impact of the 3cmSpace resource library. Pray for Chinese-speaking mentors to partner with this project so that more Chinese mission workers can have trusted counsellors while apart from their home church.