Qishan Chritian Church

Respecting the elderly and caring for parents are not only biblical teachings, but also traditional virtues of Chinese nation. On the occasion of the nineteenth Senior’s Day, Shaanxi Qishan Christian Church held celebration activities on 13^th October, 2018.

169 people, including the elderly over the age of 70, their families and church staff gathered in the chapel. The choir sang the Hymn ‘a wonderful world with you’ as the prelude, followed by the senior choir singing several songs like ‘wear a smiling face’, ‘no more waiting till tomorrow’ and ‘river of life, river of joy’. Then Rev. Wang Qiong gave a sermon titled ‘blessed is the obedient’, which not only taught young people to respect, care for the elderly, obey and honor their parents, but also told senior people to care and love themselves, in leading a joyful and productive life. She also urged the younger generation to learn and inherit family virtue and faith from the older. After this, senior choir performed dancing and drama which fascinated the audience. Li Runyan, 80 years old, sang ‘Lord, you save my life’ with an amazing clear and loud voice. A 98-year-old believer Li Wanshun later said, ‘many thanks to God who has long been leading me and keeping me secure. Honor be to God!’  

Afterwards, younger people practiced the word of God and put into action by massaging necks and shoulders of the elderly, helping them cut nails and hair, washing feet, ensuring that the elderly could enjoy and feel the warmth and love from the church.

Xiamen Zeng Cuoan Church

On 14^th October, 2018, senior brothers and sisters in Zeng Cuoan Church in Xia men enjoyed a harmonious and joyous atmosphere to celebrate the Senior’s Day. The church especially prepared gifts for the elderly over 70.

The day before the Double Ninth Festival (on 16^th October), Rev. Chen Miaozhen together with church staff visited and greeted senior people in Tongan Canaan Care Center. They were encouraged to see sister Cai Dehua along with her team there caring for the senior with kindness, patience, carefulness, devotion and sympathy.

Xuzhou Christian Fuxing Church

On the morning of 14^th October, 2018, Xuzhou Christian Fuxing Church in Jiangsu Province held a thanksgiving service themed extoling the virtue of filial piety. Deacon Zhu Lihua gave a sermon with the title of ‘respect you parents’, teaching believers to respect senior people respectively from the perspectives of individuals, church and society. Zhu stressed that it was not only the traditional virtue of Chinese nation but also the biblical teaching. She also cited a Chinese proverb, ‘Expend the respect of the aged in one’s family to that of other families’.  Blessed are the one and his family who honor the aged, which also makes it possible for the society to be harmonious and prosperous.

At last, church staff helped more than 300 senior people aged over 80 each wear a red flower and gave out gifts they had prepared while the choir was singing ‘the sincere blessing for you’. Rev. Wang Xuerong and Elder Shang Peilan took a photo with the elderly. Watching their faces with blissful smiles, church members all felt thankful.

Suining Christian Pure Church

On 17^th October, 2018, Suining Christian Pure Church in Jiangsu Province held an activity themed ‘memory may fade, but love endures’ to celebrate the Senior’s Day. It aimed at raising people’s awareness of showing love and care to the elderly as well as demented elderly specifically. Over 1200 people attended.

In the thanksgiving service, Rev. Yin Jinbiao shared the necessities of respecting, caring, loving and helping the aged, and called upon all believers to extol traditional virtue of Chinese nation through dedicating to the society, being salt and light to glorify God and benefit others. After the service, a play adapted from a real story of a demented elderly was performed and won the applause and tears of the audience.

At the end of the activity, nearly 800 elderly over 75 years old received red flowers and festival gifts.

Fuzhou CC&TSPM

Double Ninth Festival this year fell on 17^th October, 2018, and it was also the fifth National Poverty Alleviation Day. Mercy medical team from Fuzhou CC&TSPM in Fujian Province went to Rixi County in Jinan District, providing medical care to people in poverty.

The medical charitable activity involved a range of medical projects, including medicine, surgery, gynecology, general practice, blood glucose check, blood pressure check and so forth. Mercy medical team received 233 patients in total.