“Partnership” is core of the ministry of China Partner – not just with God, you, and other individuals and churches, but with the Church in China. As we partner in training current and future Chinese Christian leaders Training Seminars are a collaborative effort. As the China Partner teaching team prepares the content of the training sessions, the local church in each training location prepares the Training Seminar schedule and arranges food, housing, travel, and workbook materials for participants. Each Training Seminar, therefore, ends up looking a bit different, but the following provides a general idea of what the Training Timeline is from the team’s perspective.
Training Timeline- On arrival to China the team gathers for prayer and orientation
- Upon arriving in the city where the training will be held the team meets with Chinese Christian leadership to receive the finalized schedule
- Frequently the team, along with Church leadership, joins local government officials for a welcome meal shortly after arrival (or, occasionally, a farewell meal instead)
- A Training Seminar is generally begun with a formal introduction by Chinese leadership of China Partner’s president which is then followed by an introduction of the team by the president
- At seminaries the team is often asked to teach in either the mornings or the evenings, in most other locations they are scheduled to teach a full day, often with sessions from 9a-11:30am and 2p-4:30/5pm. Evenings and off-times are spent attending mid-week church services and special gatherings (during which team members are occasionally invited to preach), meeting with Church leadership, going on prayer walks, and opportunities to learn more about China.
- Most sessions begin with a worship song (by either a team member or a Chinese individual, in either English or Mandarin, and either corporately or as a special number), and worship and prayer are often interspersed throughout a Training Seminar schedule according to the Chinese leadership’s direction
- Sessions often work in a cycle: 1 hour of teaching, break, 1 hour of teaching, meal break…
- Toward the end of each Training Seminar approximately an hour is provided for formal Q&A (questions having been submitted in writing throughout the training, to maximize time and retain focus)
- Each Training Seminar ends with an opportunity for participants to complete written evaluations and a formal presentation of mini-libraries to two representative individuals (other participants receive their mini-libraries from local organizers at a later time). [For more information on this, visit the Providing to China page.]
- The team’s time in the city regularly ends with a farewell dinner with Chinese leadership, and includes an opportunity for China Partner staff to receive in-person evaluations from them – thus kicking off the Preparation Timeline once again
