No. 3 of FAQ on May 1st Outdoor Worship Services by Shouwang Church

imageTranslated by China Aid Association April 29, 2011

No. 3 of FAQ on Outdoor Worship Services by Shouwang Church

1. Are we still going to gather at the original site designated by the church?
Some brothers and sisters have suggested that we might want to move our services to a new location so that we could gather together. However, at this stage of the development of the incident, it seems unlikely that we can gather together at all. Regardless of which location we choose, the result will be the same. What the relevant government agency is concerned about is not where we gather, but whether we are going to gather or not. In Part 2 of the FAQ, we gave our answers to this question and you are advised to read them again.

2. Can we go to the platform on the third floor if the meeting place is not cordoned?
There was no cordon line last week on the platform on the second floor, so some of our brothers and sisters went up there. Before they could start the worship service, they were all taken away by plain-clothed police. It looks like same thing will happen this week. Our suggestion is if the area is not cordoned, we have the confidence to go up to the platform, and we are prepared to be taken away from there and be detained for 24 to 48 hours (or even longer) where our personal freedom is restricted, then we can go up there with confidence. We should give the police honest answers to their questions and be taken away peacefully. If you see plain-clothed police and think it would be better to find another place nearby where you can worship with fellow members in the body of Christ, then find an appropriate to worship together.
3. What should I do if I have disagreements with the group leader or most of the other members of the church?
If you want to go to the platform but other members of your group do not want to go or vice versa, we suggest that you obey the group leader and do according to his or her decision (or the decision made according to the opinion of the majority). If you are determined to go to the platform, you can go there by yourself or join a group of people you can find who are also willing to go there. If you want to go alone, we suggest that you find other brothers and sisters as soon as possible in the nearby area to go to the platform together with them or find another appropriate place to worship.
4.  Should the brothers and sisters both indoors and outdoors worship according to the Lord’s Day procedure produced by the church?
It is our belief that it is appropriate for the members of the church as a whole to gather according to the worship procedure produced by the church — whether they are worshipping outdoors or indoors.  Even though we are not able to worship together physically during this special period of time, we are still one church as a whole.
Chinese version: http://www.chinaaid.net/2011/04/blog-post_4006.html#more


China Aid Contacts
Rachel Ritchie, English Media Director
Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.chinaaid.org

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No. 3 of FAQ on May 1st Outdoor Worship Services by Shouwang Church

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