A megachurch in China’s southeastern coastal Fujian Province held a birthday party for elderly believers born in the second quarter of the past century.
On Sunday, June 5, a collective birthday celebration was conducted for 200 senior members of Fuhua Church, Fuqing, Fujian, following the previous one held for those born in the first quarter, the senior fellowship (Hu’ai Hui in Chinese) of the church reported.
In his sermon based on Psalm 92, Rev. Chen Xiaoyong said that, although believers were outwardly wasting away, inwardly they were being renewed day by day. He urged the elderly to continue to pursue and serve God to enrich their later lives and to be like palm and cedar trees that have a hardened vitality and flourish in every season.
Having a solid foundation of the faith with many years of pursuing spiritual things, these elderly members were requested to be role models for young people to follow Jesus and to pass on God’s work from generation to generation and not just praise the Lord with their mouths.
Later, Rev. Shi Guiming pointed out that next year will be the 160th anniversary of the establishment of Fuhua Church in Fuqing, which has more than 1,700 members in its seniors' fellowship. That was a result of countless predecessors passing on the faith, he added.
Today, the average life expectancy for a Chinese person is 77 years, and longevity is no longer an extravagant expectation for elderly believers, as many of them in the fellowship have reached that age. Like cedars that stay fresh and green in old age, a senior should not stop pursuing their spiritual maturity, but also teach the younger generation to believe in the Lord, glorifying Jesus’ name, just as Abraham had been an example to his descendants.
Those elderly that were in attendance expressed their gratitude to the church for receiving special pastoral care at each birthday party.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
