Tuesday
Every day sixty skilled Chinese apply for immigration to Canada. Over the past ten years many of the wealthy elite from China have obtained citizenship in Australia, Canada, Singapore, New Zealand, and the United States. It is estimated that in the decade after 1999 two million mainland Chinese have received green cards from other nations with 400,000 of them from Canada alone. The Chinese churches that have ministered to these new immigrants have been blessed with a bountiful harvest of souls. We praise the Lord for this wonderful opportunity and pray He will give these new believers a true desire to grow deeper in His word and not go to church merely as a social opportunity to meet with other Chinese people and keep the Chinese language and culture alive for their children.
Wednesday
In the countryside in China, many teachers feel their status is inferior to that of the migrant farmer since despite their education, they earn far less than the laborers in the cities. Although there has been some improvement in this problem, still rural teachers are underpaid. There is a false attitude about church workers in China since they feel that the less money the pastors get, the more spiritual they will be. May the Lord have mercy on each of us and help us to have a Biblical attitude that will balance wealth and faithfulness, not claim false spirituality nor be greedy.
Thursday
Most of the teachers in rural China earn about $155 - $330 US monthly. Elementary and secondary school teachers earn about the same amount but pay is higher in the towns than in the villages. Regionally, teachers in Eastern China earn more than those in Western China. The central area has the lowest pay for teachers in all of China. Pastors in rural churches receive less salary than school teachers do so many pastors must have a side job to make ends meet. We pray for strength, both physical and emotional for them. May the Lord give them focus and wisdom in preparing for their ministry.
Friday
Many people think that teachers in China have extra income from a source other than teaching. In reality, fewer than thirty percent of the teachers have such perks. Many teachers say their salaries now approach those of civil servants but they are without bonuses or benefits. Many Chinese believers do not know how their church workers support themselves. One reason for this is a lack of financial transparency in the churches. On the other hand, many people regrettably do not care. We pray that revival will come again and believers will care passionately about God's work and His workers.
Saturday
Newly graduated teachers in China earn about $200 US monthly which is enough to live but they still help from their parents at times. Actually a teacher should receive $500 US monthly considering the skyrocketing prices of housing. No one is able to buy a house on a teacher's salary. The attrition rate of young pastors in China is very high because they are asked to do many things with very little compensation and besides that they receive very little recognition and encouragement. Let us pray for these who feel disappointed and even disillusioned about serving God. We ask for God's comfort and His strength for them and their families.
Sunday
Currently teachers in China are judged by how many of their students advance to high school or college. Rural teachers are handicapped by lack of facilities and many of them must spend extra time with their students to boost their performance on examinations. We remember all those who teach in rural churches. Many of them are actually self taught and learn from whatever materials they have and teach accordingly. We thank the Lord for them. May He bless them with more than Biblical knowledge and the ability to apply it to their students' lives.
Monday
The Chinese government is requiring teachers to be more informed in many subjects from speaking proper Mandarin to computer knowledge, and even psychology. The minimum educational requirements for teachers are rising also. When in the past post high school institutes were enough, now a university degree is required. In the past twenty-five years there has been much training in the churches in China to improve the teaching system and provide more systematic learning for those who serve there. We continue to pray for all those who are doing teaching in the churches and the students who will in turn learn and apply these lessons in their churches.
星期二
中國每天約有60名精英遞交加拿大移民申請。近10年來中國的高知識分子和富裕人士紛紛入籍澳大利亞、加拿大、新加坡、美國、新西蘭等國。據估計中國內地有200萬人合法獲得了外國居留證，其中獲加拿大「綠卡」者超過40萬人。感謝神，海外華人教會因著關心中國新移民，己有美好的豐收，願主引領新信徒在真理上更有追求，而非把教會當作社交場合，或單單為了子女能接觸中國的文化和語言。
星期三
中國農村的教師常感嘆社會地位不如在城市的民工。薪資低是導致他們自認不如別人的主因。儘管中國政府一直努力提高教師待遇，但鄉村教師的收入依然不盡如人意。教會對神的僕人也有種錯誤看法，覺得牧師要越窮才越屬靈。求主憐憫我們，能有合乎聖經教導的見識，有個平衡的財富和服事觀，追求的不是屬靈的外表，也沒有絲毫貪財的動機。提供一個合情理的養生環境來支持教牧同工專心事奉。
星期四
農村教師的收入平約每月1000-2000元。小學與中學教師的工資相差不大，縣城的要高於鄉鎮和農村。整體來說，東部地區教師的月工資總收入最多，西部地區教師次之，而中部地區的教師收入最少。農村教會的傳道人薪資常低於小學老師，常需兼另一份工來維生，無法專心全職在教會服事。讓我們禱告，求主加添恩典和精力，幫助他們專注在講章預備，並在日常的服事中也滿有智慧和喜樂。
星期五
很多人覺得中國教師收入中補貼(或津貼)佔很大一部分，但是實際上有補貼的教師不到30%。調查顯示，教師的專項補貼普遍不高。很多教師表示，在沒有獎金和其他福利之下，現在教師的工資和公務員的差距不大。許多信徒根本不知他們的傳道人如何維持生活。教會財務不公開是一大原因，但也有許多信徒不在乎傳道人是如何養家的。求主復興教會，信徒不單關心神的國度廣傳，更要關心他們的牧者。
星期六
現今剛畢業的年輕教師月薪水約人民幣1400元，僅夠個人消費，有時還需跟家裏人拿錢花用。據合理估算，教師工資應漲到每月約人民幣3500元左右，若照現在房價，一般教師僅憑個人現有工資真不知何年何月才買得起房子。中國年輕傳道人的流失率相當高，一旦進入服事，他們發現教會的要求多又高，但肯定及實際的鼓勵卻極少。讓我們紀念那些對服事失望，甚至感到無力繼續事奉的牧者，求神記念他們的各種需要並賜下安慰和力量給他們和他們的家庭。
星期日
目前在中國，升學率仍是教育部考核教師的主要指標。農村中學在資源相對落後和不足的情況下，教師們不得不犧牲自己的時間，為學生補習加強他們的學習狀況。極大多數農村教會牧者的教導講章多是自學而來,有什麼材料就教什麽。我們記念所有農村教會有教導服事的同工，為他們的忠心和勞苦感恩，願主保守他們，不單是在聖經知識上的傳授，更是將真理解釋活潑地應用在日常生活當中。
星期一
現今中國教育部對老師要求越來越多，從考普通話到計算機，甚至還要考心理學。相對的對學歷的要求也提高了，以前中專畢業就可以當老師，現在大專，甚至本科學位都是基本要求。過去25年裡，中國教會受惠於許多培訓課程，改善了傳道人在學習真理及牧會上有一系統性的學習。我們繼續為所有服事與培訓的老師們禱告，也祝福所有的學員，能將所學的實際應用在他們的教會服事。
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