A Chinese human rights group says police have arrested 35 Christians in northern China for worshiping outside the official church, and that 15 of them have been sentenced to labor camps.
China allows only government-controlled religious groups.
As these church planters systematically begin their outreach, they do so with the support of the churches that have commissioned them for the task and the supervision of house church leaders. Their home churches, in fact, take care of their families during the months they are involved in this vital task. Families support their husbands and fathers during the months of separation by sending messages of encouragement, telling the church planters not to worry about them, but to commit themselves fully to the task. In one recent instance, church leaders from a heavily evangelized ethnic minority group underwent a month of intensive church planting training in order to share the gospel with another ethnic minority group that is virtually unreached. When the newly commissioned church planters went forth from the training, I was humbled by their sincere commitment and simple joy in the Lord.