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How to Choose Resources
Suggestions for Choosing Resources for Ministry to Mainland Chinese
Chinese Resource Ministry, AFC, Inc.
We’d like to offer some guidance toward the more highly recommended items. Please visit the detailed page for any resources you have interest in (by simply clicking on the item’s name below). There you will find more information, both from the publisher and from those who have used the resource. You will also find an area to read and write product reviews. (Note: you can also click on any of the following category headings to be redirected to their respective main-page)
Our primary target groups are the highly educated from and in China, though much is for others as well. If you are traveling overseas, ask for a list of strategic items that are free or at very low cost for taking along. Also keep in mind that, while Bibles are often in short supply in the country side, they are legally available from the registered churches, so you may want to take other things not available there.
* Books marked with an asterisk have been legally printed in China and are also available there. Please look here for a list of recommended legally-published books in China. And look here for a list of Christian publishers and book distributors in China.
Please visit our main Bible page for a brief introduction and explanation of available Chinese Bible versions. Probably the best whole Bible for most people would be the Chinese Union Version (CUV), available with an attractive maroon cover. Many people like a bilingual version. We have a bilingual NT (NIV/CUV) , and a complete bilingual paperback Bible (NIV/CUV) in simplified script is also available. In addition, a new updated version called the Chinese New Version (CNV) is now available in various formats, including a complete CNV paperback Bible in Chinese only, as well as a bilingual CNV/ESV standard size Bible is sometimes available as well. See our Bibles mainpage for many other Bibles and Bible portions. The new Revised CUV is available either alone or in a bilingual form.
A tremendously effective and popular book for the intellectuals is Song of a Wanderer (360 pages) for $3.50. A smaller size is available for $3.00. The author is a Mainland Chinese scholar with degrees from top universities in China. He is in great demand as he lectures widely in the United States. An English edition is also available for $ 9.50 each, with discounts for multiple copies. Also a set of 15 video lectures by the author is recommended. It is a 2-disk DVD set entitled Faith, Science, and Life and are available (see DVDs section below). These are also in audio form as an MP3 CD. These lectures are similar in content to that of the book. Please call about special arrangements for taking these overseas.
Know the Truth (239 pages), is likewise an apologetic book that appeals to Mainland Chinese, a good choice for those without a college education. A summary of its contents in English is available. The classic book *Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis and *The Good Life, by Charles Colson are good for both believers and unbelievers. Many Mainland Chinese university students have given testimony that Mere Christianity was influential in their conversion to Christ.
The True Spiritual Roots of all Chinese is an effective booklet that offers another apologetic approach for reaching Mainland Chinese. There is a second and third booklet in the series, as well as a bilingual talk available with QR link in the booklet. Complete books on this topic available in both Chinese or English are Faith of our Fathers, and God’s Promise to the Chinese People, (the bilingual version of this book is Oracle Bones Speak). A useful bilingual booklet is available Discovering God in Chinese Characters.
For many Chinese the "fact" of evolution is a major obstacle. Song of a Wanderer (see above) is good for this. Others are also helpful. The Creation Answers Book, really confirms the trustworthiness of the biblical account. Creation or Evolution, Which?, an 8-page leaflet, though short and non-technical, is quite effective for most -- and it is free. Traditional script ones are also available. Stones and Bones and Does God Exist? are persuasive introductory booklets on the congruence between science and Christianity.
Certain specialized items may be good for those with special interests. *Genetic Entropy and *Fearfully and Wonderfully Made show the necessity of a Creator from a biological standpoint, while The Young Earth shows the necessity from a geological standpoint. Starlight, Time, and the New Physics, although not yet available in Chinese, is helpful in answering objections from astronomy (also useful is a DVD Our Created Solar System, $3 each). What About Dinosaurs? is a valuable evangelistic booklet addressing this often-posed question about these fascinating creatures of the past.
Also see the DVD section below for more helpful resources.
Testimonies often make a great impact. Of great interest to some intellectuals is *Salt and Light, a compilation of people of faith who have greatly influenced the growth of China in the past. Mainland Chinese are also moved by the life of Hudson Taylor and his sacrificial love. *Go for me to China: The Life and Work of Hudson Taylor, will be interesting to read.
Some books that have been published openly in China are *For the Love of China about the life of Eric Liddell, Olympic Champion and missionary to China. An English version Run to Glory is also available. A list of the good Christian titles in China and a list of many bookstores that specialize in them are available.
Some good books are published in China on the family. Interest in them is strong so they are good for family needs and as a tool for pre-evangelism. *Different Children, Different Needs is good, as well as one for fathers by Dr. Ho *Biblical Secrets of Good Parenting - Father's Ed. and for mothers by Dr. Esther Su *Biblical Secrets of Good Parenting - Mother's Ed. Other useful books to teach Christian principles of parenting are *Shepherding a Child’s Heart and *Instructing a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp.
Modern young people are very responsive to advice on relationships, which provides a great opportunity to use such resources to both connect with them and minister to them. Several new items that we have found beneficial for both single and married people are *The Five Love Languages, *For Women Only, and *His Needs Her Needs.
Evangelistic DVDs and other Digital items:
The Jesus film in Mandarin Chinese as a DVD is a strategic gift. For those leaving N. America, in addition to Faith, Science, and Life (see Apologetics section), Why I Became a Christian, a set of 2 DVD’s containing 12 lectures by a prominent Mainland Chinese intellectual, Yuan Zhiming, is also excellent. These are also available as an MP3 CD (see Apologetics section).
Several other apologetic DVDs are recommended, all of which are high quality, professional, full length productions. All except “More than Dreams” (which is Mandarin only) contain three audio options (Mandarin, Cantonese, and English) and three subtitle options (English, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese) These DVDs are for evangelistic purposes, and so are offered at very low costs. Check on special arrangements for these DVDs if traveling overseas:
A Question of Origins - Combo (two videos on the same DVD)
Intelligent Design - Combo (two videos on one DVD )
The Case for Christ, by Lee Strobel
Astronomy: Our Created Solar System
Metamorphosis: the Beauty and Design of Butterflies
Darwin: The Voyage that Shook the World
Set in Stone: Geology and Creation
An especially valuable library of resources can be found in Chinese Treasures 6.0, which is a digital library of Chinese Bibles, books, and videos. It contains over 175 resources, including the 80-minute evangelistic Hope video. Nurturing Your Faith with 32 excellent lectures, and Reasonable Faith book in Chinese and English, are two other CDs that are excellent teaching tools.
To help a person who is ready to trust Christ, you may want use the Four Spiritual Laws, (Chinese alone, or bilingual ). A highly recommended booklet, similar to the Four Laws but more comprehensive, is Five Great Mysteries , which is also bilingual now.
We especially recommend a very attractive and informative book The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, for both non-Christians and believers, showing God’s plan of salvation through the Scriptures beginning with Creation. The value and impact of this book cannot be emphasized enough! An audiobook is also available. There is also a condensed version of this book that is especially useful for giving to unbelievers during the Christmas and Easter seasons, What are Christmas and Easter all about?
For Christians, especially new Christians, or even some non-Christians that seem very open, the book Growing in Christ (546 pp.) is highly recommended. An English translation is available in photocopy form. What New Believers Need to Know (125 pp.) is also good, but less comprehensive. New Life (117 p)- with an English photocopy also available, New Living (133 p) and Discipleship (131 p) are very good for growth as well. Each has twelve systematic lessons. New Life has lessons on the Gospel, paralleling Five Great Mysteries Gospel booklet (see above). New Living and Discipleship deal with things foundational to Christian growth.
The well-known devotional book, Streams in the Desert is much loved by Chinese Christians: Daily Walk with the Lord leads a person to read through the Bible in one year with daily explanations.
There are a number of good, attractive evangelistic items for children to understand the Gospel. One is The Wonder Book (64 pp.), an attractive, and clear evangelistic book for children 8-12. Children learn Christian truth through music: Heavenly Hymns for Children is a compilation of 44 popular children’s songs in Chinese. Words are included. The Kid-Builder Bible is also now available for elementary-aged children. Many other children’s items are available, including The Lamb which is a large, hardcover, full-color book that presents the Gospel chronologically through the Bible. The Lamb brings the entire narrative of the Bible together into an easy-to-understand presentation. It also includes a Children’s audio-book CD, with multiple voices and several songs interspersed.
For ministry with youth, including high-schoolers, comic-style Gospel books and booklets may be useful. Audio-visual resources may also be useful, as well as relationship-based items. More serious youth may also be interested in apologetics items.
* These books have been legally printed in China and are available there. Please click here for a list of recommended legally-published books in China. And click here for a list of Christian publishers and book distributors in China.
Also ask us about things that are free for taking to China.
Chinese Resource Ministry
Ambassadors for Christ, Inc.
21 Ambassador Dr., Paradise, PA 17562
Tel. 888-999-7959 (toll free in US), or 717-687-8564
E-mail: CRM@afcinc.org
Website: www.ChineseResourceMinistry.org