Elder Li* is like thousands of people living in poverty in rural China. Li came to know Jesus Christ as his Savior after his mother became a Christian. He was just 20 years old at the time, but he already had a reputation as a gambler and a cheat. His life was transformed when he came to Christ, and he was eager to learn more.

Li received a Bible that he read cover-to-cover in two months. Then he visited the local church of about 30 believers — most of whom were elderly or sick — and they asked him to preach.

The church in China is growing at an unprecedented rate. Imagine . . . by the time you finish reading this article, two more people there will have committed their lives to Christ. But this explosive growth has outpaced the training of pastors like Li. Of the approximately 200,000 lay pastors across the country, many have just come to faith, and the majority have no training and no money to purchase study materials.

Because of the support of our generous friends, that is changing! Li received a brand-new Chinese Study Bible, along with other Bible study tools, to help him in his ministry. He says, “It was a precious gift to me. It helped my sermon preparation and pastoral work. I’ve been so blessed by this gift.” Li’s church has continued to grow from those original 30 members. Now, 1,000 faithful believers worship there.

Thank you to our friends for helping equip poor, rural pastors as they labor to minister to the ever-growing body of Christ in China!

*Name changed for privacy