Tuesday
In ping pong, China is still the world champ but Chinese people are falling out of love with the game. A less insular and more worldly China may be turning away from the sport of Mao Zedong's ping pong diplomacy which was once a source of tremendous national pride and obsession. China is changing and so must the churches there. Let us pray that the churches in China will not always be known as "churches of the old, the very young, women, and the illiterate". We ask the Lord for a revival among believers and unity in the churches.
Wednesday
As the nationalism that once fueled the popularity of ping- pong sport recedes and China focuses less within and more on the outside world, its increasingly globally-minded citizens are shifting their attention to Western sports. Many will say that believers in China are not only distracted by many things but they are no longer passionate about evangelism. No matter the cause or reason, we beseech the Lord to revive our love for and dedication to Him.
Thursday
China's dominance in table tennis has grown into a monopoly of the game since its 1988 introduction at the Olympics. Chinese players now are found in great numbers in foreign teams. However though once obsessive audiences in China were barely watching the games, now the television rating for ping-pong is at an all-time low. Church attendance in China is also down especially among the once vibrant churches. We remember in prayer all of the churches and pastors in the villages. Life is certainly better and churches are now competing with outside entertainment.
Friday
The impression that the popularity of ping-pong is declining in China can seem widespread there, especially among young people. Once hailed as the popular "sport for all people", it is now increasingly perceived as a leisure activity for the old people. It is true that many churches have little appeal for young people because their way of worship is not the same as the long-time traditional worship and management of the churches. We ask the Lord for wisdom for the churches to see the great need to reach the younger generation and that the "old guards" will allow younger leaders to serve.
Saturday
On a national level, athletes like the basketball star Yao Ming and the hurdler Liu Xiang are new symbols of China's athletic prowess. Swimmers Sun Yang and Ye Shiwen after their record-breaking performance in London sparked a celebration in Beijing but the victories in table tennis barely raised an eyebrow. Churches in China have always been slow to cultivate and promote a new generation of leaders. We pray specifically for pastors and church leaders who are younger than fifty, for a close personal walk with Jesus, for purity in their private lives, and humility in serving.
Sunday
The former strong link between table tennis and China's national prestige seems to be weakening as people move on from their old somewhat insular ways. Young people are interested in the sports played in the West and even the officials are seeing that table tennis is a symbol of an outdated China. The thing that is evading many church leaders is the knowledge of how to connect with young people and communicate God's eternal message to them in a fresh and relevant way. Let us pray for those churches that are changing the way they worship by forming small groups and actively inviting their neighbors and friends to participate.
Monday
As China has become more educated, more worldly, and more middle-class, its tolerance for heavy-handed state management of athletics is running low. With the enormous rise in popularity of sports such as basketball and soccer, table tennis might soon descend from its long-held place at the center of sports in China. We pray for the way church workers are being trained these days. Not only do they need to know the Bible well, they also need to be able to communicate convincingly with young people. We pray especially for those who are studying the Bible but still working at their regular professions, that they will have strength and a true desire to serve.
In ping pong, China is still the world champ but Chinese people are falling out of love with the game. A less insular and more worldly China may be turning away from the sport of Mao Zedong's ping pong diplomacy which was once a source of tremendous national pride and obsession. China is changing and so must the churches there. Let us pray that the churches in China will not always be known as "churches of the old, the very young, women, and the illiterate". We ask the Lord for a revival among believers and unity in the churches.
Wednesday
As the nationalism that once fueled the popularity of ping- pong sport recedes and China focuses less within and more on the outside world, its increasingly globally-minded citizens are shifting their attention to Western sports. Many will say that believers in China are not only distracted by many things but they are no longer passionate about evangelism. No matter the cause or reason, we beseech the Lord to revive our love for and dedication to Him.
Thursday
China's dominance in table tennis has grown into a monopoly of the game since its 1988 introduction at the Olympics. Chinese players now are found in great numbers in foreign teams. However though once obsessive audiences in China were barely watching the games, now the television rating for ping-pong is at an all-time low. Church attendance in China is also down especially among the once vibrant churches. We remember in prayer all of the churches and pastors in the villages. Life is certainly better and churches are now competing with outside entertainment.
Friday
The impression that the popularity of ping-pong is declining in China can seem widespread there, especially among young people. Once hailed as the popular "sport for all people", it is now increasingly perceived as a leisure activity for the old people. It is true that many churches have little appeal for young people because their way of worship is not the same as the long-time traditional worship and management of the churches. We ask the Lord for wisdom for the churches to see the great need to reach the younger generation and that the "old guards" will allow younger leaders to serve.
Saturday
On a national level, athletes like the basketball star Yao Ming and the hurdler Liu Xiang are new symbols of China's athletic prowess. Swimmers Sun Yang and Ye Shiwen after their record-breaking performance in London sparked a celebration in Beijing but the victories in table tennis barely raised an eyebrow. Churches in China have always been slow to cultivate and promote a new generation of leaders. We pray specifically for pastors and church leaders who are younger than fifty, for a close personal walk with Jesus, for purity in their private lives, and humility in serving.
Sunday
The former strong link between table tennis and China's national prestige seems to be weakening as people move on from their old somewhat insular ways. Young people are interested in the sports played in the West and even the officials are seeing that table tennis is a symbol of an outdated China. The thing that is evading many church leaders is the knowledge of how to connect with young people and communicate God's eternal message to them in a fresh and relevant way. Let us pray for those churches that are changing the way they worship by forming small groups and actively inviting their neighbors and friends to participate.
Monday
As China has become more educated, more worldly, and more middle-class, its tolerance for heavy-handed state management of athletics is running low. With the enormous rise in popularity of sports such as basketball and soccer, table tennis might soon descend from its long-held place at the center of sports in China. We pray for the way church workers are being trained these days. Not only do they need to know the Bible well, they also need to be able to communicate convincingly with young people. We pray especially for those who are studying the Bible but still working at their regular professions, that they will have strength and a true desire to serve.
星期二
雖然中國乒乓球仍然稱霸世界，但中國人對乒乓球已沒有昔日的熱情。日趨全球化的中國，對於毛澤東的「乒乓外交」(曾一度是民族的自豪和痴迷的運動)已不再迷戀。中國社會不斷改變，教會與福音工作亦宜順應時代而調整策略。現今許多教會仍囿於「四多」(老人、小孩、婦人及文盲)的狀態，求主幫助牧者有智慧傳揚主道及做牧養工作；又願主親自吸引人來快跑跟隨祂，復興祂的信徒們並賜合一的靈聯合眾教會。
星期三
乒乓球運動雖然曾經提升不少中國人的民族精神，但時至今日，對外接觸頻繁的普羅大眾已逐漸對西方國家的運動更感興趣。今日俗世的誘惑各式各樣，一些信徒在跟隨主的路上開始迷惘，不再有起初傳福音的火熱心志。求主賜下屬靈的洞見， 幫助我們勝過這些試探，再次更新我們對神的愛，全然委身於主。
星期四
乒乓球自從1988年在漢城奧運會第一次引進後，一直是中國選手的天下；中國球員現今亦被廣為羅致到各國的球隊中。然而，一度被追捧的乒乓球賽，今天的收視率卻極度低迷。許多信徒再不因主而心滿意足，甚至被世界吸引而離開主，尤其一些曾是非常興旺的教會，今日光景很荒涼。求神親自用慈繩愛索把人帶回祂的愛中，以致能享受真正的福樂。我們特別要為所有農村教會和牧者們禱告，當地生活水平雖有提高，但信徒的心卻因世俗娛樂而變得低沉了。
星期五
乒乓球在中國受歡迎的程度正在下降，年輕一代幾乎對乒乓球毫無興趣。曾經喻為「全民運動」， 現今卻成為老年人休閒活動的代表。許多中國教會對年輕一代而言，毫無吸引力。傳統冗長的聚會模式及保守封閉的作風都叫他們敬而遠之。求主幫助教會看見年輕人靈性上廣大又迫切的需求，有智慧去接觸及牧養新一代信徒，並且能成為典範的靈命導師，願意為主建造、培育及扶助年輕人接棒。
星期六
游泳運動員孫楊和葉師雯在倫敦奧運驚人的佳積，激起了全國的熱情；可是乒乓球的金牌得主卻沒獲得相對的關注。從國家層面看，籃球明星姚明和中國飛人劉翔這般的運動員代表了新中國的競技實力。所謂「敬老尊賢」，使得中國教會不能充份地為主栽培和鼓勵新一代的領袖。我們為年齡在五十歲以下的傳道人祈求，願他們都能在靈命上更親近主，生活上行出聖潔純全，在服事中也更能有主的謙卑。
星期日
從前乒乓球和中國的國威之間，強有力的鏈接似乎已被削弱，人們把乒乓球當作過時、封閉的運動。年輕人對西方體育的興趣大增，連官方也把乒乓球視為中國過時的象徵。許多中國教會的領袖忽略增強如何與年輕一代溝通的知識及技巧，並用有創意、與實際生活聯結的策略來傳達神永生的福音。我們禱告主，幫助這些教會改變「老套說教」，而能改善崇拜方式，代之以成立不同的小組和殷勤邀請朋友、鄰居等努力，來分享神的大好信息。
星期一
中國越全球化，中產階級更多崛起，對政府統籌運動員的訓練的方式也越有新的主張。中國人對籃球和足球運動的普及與愛好正逐日升溫，對乒乓球的熱衷相對冷淡。將使它很快從長期盤距的中國體育主軸心退位。我們為中國的傳道人培訓事工禱告，求主預備合適的訓練，使他們不僅能熟悉聖經真理，更能與年輕一代有美好的溝通和心靈連結。讓我們為那些帶職接受神學裝備的學員祈求，求主賜給他們充足體力，也有真誠的服事意願及正確的心態。
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