EAST ASIAN PEOPLES

Introducing East Asian Peoples

Contents 04 TheEastAsianAffinity

06 Map of East Asia

08 China

12 Japan

14 Mongolia

16 South Korea

18 Taiwan

20 Buddhism

22 Taoism or Daoism

24 Folk Religions

26 Confucianism

28 Islam

29 Atheism

30 AffinityCitiesOverview

32 UnreachedPeopleGroupOverview

34 Global Diaspora

36 Connect

TheEastAsianAffinity

TheEastAsianAffinity | 05

China, Japan, Mongolia, South Korea and Taiwan, countries onthewesternedgeofthePacificOcean,arecentraltotheworkoftheEastAsianPeoplesAffinityGroup.

MostEastAsianpeopleliveinthisgeographicregion,butthefocus of our efforts is to communicate the gospel, helping EastAsianpeoplehearandrespondfavorablytotheGoodNews,wherevertheylivearoundtheworld.

The people of East Asia are like people in other countries: theywantahighstandardofliving,warmfriendships,strong

families,educationandmeaningfulemployment.

Still,thepastcenturyhasproducedanover-abundance of challenges in East Asia and hasgivenitspeoplevaluesquitedifferentfromthoseofthewesternworldand,inmanyways,fromtheirparents’andgrandparents’.Let’s

takeacloserlook.

Issues and Challenges facing the EA Affinity

PopulationThepopulationwithinEastAsiancountriesisexploding.Al-ready,theyarehometonearly1.67billionpeople,represent-ingafourthoftheworld’spopulation.EastAsiangovernmentsgrapple with unprecedented challenges, including how to limittheexplosivebirthrate,controlmigrationtoalreadycrowdedcities,maintainsocialstabilityandencouragejobcreationforthemillionsofunemployed.

China,hometo1.38billionpeople,isthemostpopulouscountryintheworldandhasmorethan173citieswith populationsexceeding1million.

UrbanizationEachyearmillionsofEastAsia’sruralcitizensflocktocities,seekingabetterlife.

Inthelast10years,Japan’spopulationhasshiftedsothat92percentofJapan’speopleliveincities.Roughly83percent ofthepeopleofSouthKorealiveinurbanareas,20percentintheurbanareaofSeoul.

In China, there is a plan to shift 350 million rural residents into newlyconstructedtownsandcitiesby2025.ThegovernmentplanstofullyintegrateonebillionpeopleintoChina’scities by2030.

Economic StrengthSome experts anticipate a global economic power shift from WesttoEastoverthenextdecade.Lessstringentpoliciesregardingenvironmentalstandards,naturalresourceusageand labor protection, along with abundant and cheap labor, makeAsiaanattractivebaseforinternationalbusinessandmanufacturing.

Aging PopulationJapan’s population continues to decline, due to one of the world’s lowest birth rates and one-fourth of their population being65orolder.TheshrinkinglaborforcelimitstaxrevenueandhascausedJapan’sdebttogrowbymorethantwicethecountry’seconomicoutput.

China has also experienced a dramatic increase in its aging population,andthecountry’slaborforcedeclinedin2012forthefirsttimeindecades,raisingconcernsaboutitseconomicprospects.ThereisashrinkinglaborforceresultingfromChina’srecentlyendedone-childpolicy,aswellasrestrictionsonruralfarmers working in the cities, which prohibits them from con-tributingtothesocialsecurityneedsofthisagingpopulation.

MongoliaistheonlyEastAsiannationthatbuckstheagingtrend.Theaverageagethereis27.

Map of East Asia | 07

China Population: 1.38billion(January2016)

Japan Population: 126.3million(January2016)

Mongolia Population: 3million(January2016)

South Korea Population: 50.5million(January2016)

Taiwan Population: 23.39million(January2016)

Map of East Asia

China | 0908 | Introducing East Asian Peoples

CitiesChinahasmorecitieswithapopulationover1millionthananyothercountryintheworld.Muchofthispopulationex-plosioncomesfromruralpeoples,manyofthemunreachedpeoplegroups,movingtothecitiestofindworktosupportfamiliesbackhome.Withinthenext10years,theChinesegovernmentaimstohave70percentofthepeoplelivingincities.AccordingtoarecentMcKinseyReport,Chinawillhave221citieswithapopulationinexcessofonemillionin 12years.Shanghai,China’slargestcitywith23.9millionpeople,isknownasthePearloftheEastforitsbeautyandeconomicsignificance.Itisonthecuttingedgeinalmost

everyfield:technology,business,arts,finance,educationandtransportation.Rapidmodernizationanddevelopmentistransformingthecityatanincalculablepace.Fourteenmetrolinesand329stationsprovidethelongestsubwaynetworkintheworld.Therearefourrailwaystations,twocommercialairportsandthebusiestcontainerportintheglobalmarket.ShanghaiservesasChina’scenteroffinanceandforeigninvestmentandboastssometheworld’stallestskyscrapers.

Religion in China• TheCommunistParty,andthereforethegovernmentof China,isofficiallyatheist.

• Chinaofficiallyallowsthepracticeoffivereligions:ProtestantChristianity,Catholicism,Islam,TaoismandBuddhism.Somehavestronganimisticcomponentsintheirexpressions.

• While China is considered the world’s largest atheist coun-try,abouttwo-thirdsofitspeopleengageinsomereligiouspracticeeachyear,mostlyBuddhismorfolkreligion(ances-torworship).

• MostChinesetakeapragmaticviewofreligion:“Ifitwillhelpme,thenI’llbelieveinit.”

China

Christianity in China• TheChinesegovernmentsanctionsonlytwoChristian organizations:

– TheThree-SelfPatrioticMovement(TSPM),theofficialProtestantChristianchurchinChina.

– TheCatholicPatrioticAssociation(CPA),whichhasnotiestoRome.

• ChurchesinChinaarerequiredtoregisterwiththegov-ernment and follow its guidelines for their religiouspractices.

• Some churches, often known as house churches, refuse to submit togovernmentregistration.Somelarge, unregistered churches in ma-jorcitiesadvertiseandmeetopenlywithoutgovernmentinterference.

• Estimated Christians in China total 100 million, including 84 million Protestants(TSPM29.5million,housechurches54million)and21.1millionCatholics(CPA7.4million,housechurches13.4million).

Bridges and Barriers to the gospelBridges• ManyChinesehaveprosperedduringthespectaculargrowthoftheChineseeconomy,butmaterialpossessionshaven’tbroughtsatisfaction.TheyareopentoChristianteachingstobringpeacetotheirhearts.

• AnyChinesewithinternetaccesscanfindgreatinformationaboutthegospelandChristianityonwebsitescreatedbyChineseChristiansinsideandoutsideofChina.

• InternationalChristiansstillplayacrucialroleinthegrowthandhealthofChristianityinChina.AsuniversityEnglishinstructors,theyintroducethebestandbrightesttoJesus.Asbusinessmen,theymodelethical,butprofitable,businesspractices.AstrainersofChineseChristianministersandlayleaders,theyhelplocalsfulfilltheGreatCommissioninsideChinaandbeyonditsborders.

• Generally,ChinesehaveafavorableimpressionofChristi-anity.ChineseandinternationalChristianswhoarepeace-fulandhelpfultowardsotherscreategoodwill,givingbrothersandsistersplatformstosharethegospel.

• ChineseChristianswho’vebeenradicallysavedandtrans-

China | 11

China

formedbyChristcansharethegospelpowerfullyamongfamily,friends,colleagues,oldclassmatesandneighbors.

Barriers• Manycultsandnon-orthodoxsects,suchasJehovah’sWit-nesses,operateinChina.Butthemostdangerouscultsarehomegrown,suchasEasternLightning,whichisespeciallyeffectiveinruralareas.

• BecauseChristianityisseenasaforeignreligion,authori-ties continue to monitor and crack down on international Christiansworkingwithunregisteredchurches.EventhoseworkingwiththeTSPMchurchareviewedwithsuspicion.

• ThosewhoopenlyfollowChristareoftenridiculedbyfamilyandfriends.CommunistPartymemberswhohaveaccept-edChristoftenhidetheirfaithtoavoidlosingtheirjobs.

• Strong animistic beliefs and ancestor worship make it hard formanytoturnfromthemtoJesus.

• Althoughthegospeliswidelyaccessibletothosewhounder-standPutonghua,thatleavesoutanestimated30percentofChina’spopulation,especiallyethnicminoritiesinruralareaswholikelyhaveneverheardJesus’nameinanylanguage.

LanguageStandardChineseorMandarin(Putonghua)

Did you know?• OnWeibo,China’sversionofTwitter,searchingfor

“Bible”yieldsmorethan17millionresults.“Christian

congregation”bringsalmost42million.

• Morethan70percentoftheworld’stoysaremadeinChina.

• Chinasufferstheworld’sworst“braindrain.”Sevenof

every10Chinesestudentswhoenrolloverseasnever

returntoliveinChina.

• Anestimated2.4millionpeopledieeachyearinChina

duetoairpollution.

ReligionsOfficiallyatheism;alsoBuddhism(18.2%),Christianity(5.1%),

Islam(1.8%),Taoism(lessthan1%),FolkReligion(lessthan

1%),Hindu(lessthan1%),Jewish(lessthan1%),and

unaffiliated(52.2%)

Population1.38billion(January2016)

Asagroupoffamilieswatchestheirchildren’ssportsday,conversationmovestohowtokeepfamiliesstrongwhen husbandswork70-plushoursaweek.Onewifespeaksup, “AsChristians,we...,”tellinghowsherelatestoherhusbandandchildren.Theothersgathercloserandpressfordetails.Inacountrywherelessthan1percentofthepopulationisChristian,actuallytalkingtooneisrare. OnemansaysthathisbirthwasrecognizedbyaShinto ceremony,hewasmarriedinaChristianceremonyatahotel

andhewillbeburiedasaBuddhist.Hequips,“IhaveNOreligionatall.Ijustbelieveinfate.”

Theconversationcontinues,focusingonconcerns of the aging population, natu-ral disasters and the demise of traditional valuesandfamiliesuntiltheChristianfatherasks,“Isitreallyfate?”openingadiscussionabouttherealpurposeoflife.Heintroduces

themtoGod,whodesiresareal,livingrelationship.Japanesecravethisataheartlevelandseveralnodtheir

headsasthesubjectof“munashisa,”aJapanesetermmeaning“emptinessofheart”ismentioned.

TheChristianwifethentellsthatshebecameabelieveratage23afterhearingthegospelfromamissionary.Now,married with children, she and her husband are helping start anewchurch.

Religion in Japan•MostJapaneseidentifywithShintoism,Buddhismorboth!• VeryfewJapanesewillsaytheyworshiptheirancestorsorna-ture,yetmostdo,notconsideringancestorworshipareligion.

Christianity in Japan• About 1 percent of Japanese claim to be Christian, but half orfewerofthoseareevangelical.Manybelieversareoverage60.

• Approximately3,000ChristianmissionariesfromoverseasserveinJapan.Numbersaredwindling.

• TheJapanBaptistConventionhasmorethan300churches,mostwithfewerthan50members.Fewyoungpeoplearewillingtoserveasleaders.

Bridges and Barriers to the gospelBridges• BeforebecomingaChristian,theaverageJapanesehasatleastthree“encounters”withChrist,whetherthroughperson-alwitness,ChristiangroupsorreadingtheBible.

• BecauseJapanesehaveoneofthehighestliteracyratesintheworld,Christianliteratureisaveryeffectivetoolforthegospel.

Barriers•ManyJapaneseperceiveChristianityasaforeignreligion.• Japan allows freedom of religious expression, but extreme pressurefromtraditionandfamilytoparticipateinancestorworship and the fear of offending ancestors’ spirits keep manyfromChristianity.

• Japaneseavoidconfrontationandwanttobepartofthegroup.BeingaChristianseparatesthemfrommainstreamsociety.

• MostJapanesehavenoconceptofadailywalkandre-lationshipwithalivingGod.Christianity’sclaimtoabsolutetruthisverydifficultfortheJapanesetounderstand.Becausereligious words are rich with Buddhist and Shinto concepts, theJapaneselanguageisabarrier.

Japan

Japan | 13

LanguageJapanese

Did you know?• Japan’s land area is comparable to that of California,

yetitspopulationequalsalmosthalfthatoftheUnited

States.

• TheliteracyrateinJapanisalmost100percent.

• Japaniscomposedofmorethan3,000islands.

• MetroTokyo’spopulationisgreaterthanthatofCanada.

ReligionsShintoism83.9%,Buddhism71.4%,Christianity2%,other

religions7.8%.Note:Totalexceeds100%becausemany

peoplepracticebothShintoismandBuddhism(2005).

Population126.3million(January2016)

InthecapitalcityofUlaanbaatar(oh-LAN-BAH-tar),young professionalspushthroughrush-hourtraffictogettotheofficeontime.Onthequietgrassyplains,nomadstendtheirsheep,returning home to gers,roundtentdwellings,atday’send.Inthemountainvalleys,breederscarefullyraiselivestock.Mean-while, winds crossing the Gobi desert stir up dust storms, creatinganuninhabitableland.

ModernMongoliaisapeacefulcountrywithadistinctive culture.Geographically,itsitsatopChina,southofRussia.

Mongoliaisthe19thlargestcountryintheworld in land area, but also the most

sparselypopulated.

Nearly40percentofthepopula-tionlivesinUlaanbaatar,thelarg-estcity.Another28percentliveinothermajorcities.Therestarerural

peoplewhoearnalivingthroughlive-stock,agricultureormining.

Manyfollowanomadicorsemi-nomadiclifestyle.

Religion in Mongolia• During the reign of Genghis Khan, Tengriism and shamanism werewidelypracticed,buteventuallygavewaytoTibetanBuddhism.

• Throughoutmostofthe20thcentury,religiouspracticeswererepressed.

• TibetanBuddhismhasbecomethemostwidelypracticedreligioninthearea,butotherreligionsarequicklygainingfollowers.

•MostMongoliansvisittemplesintimesofneed.

Christianity in Mongolia• In1990,therewereonly40knownbelieversthroughout thecountry.

• Mongoliahasanestimated60,000believersin500churches.• TheMongolianEvangelisticAssociationhasagoalofreaching10percentofMongoliaforChristby2020.

• TheMongolianchurchhasavisiontotakethegospeltoeverycountrythatwasapartofGenghisKhan’sgreatMongolianEmpire.Today,Mongoliasendsmoremission-ariesintotheworldperChristianthananyothercountry—oneforevery222Christ-followingMongolians.

Bridges and Barriers to the gospelBridges• ThemosteffectivewaytoevangelizeMongolsisinhomesaroundthetable.ExplainingGod’splanfromcreationtoChristinanextendedconversationbringsgreaterunder-standingandreceptivity.

• Youngpeoplearegenerallymoreopentothegospelthanoldergenerations.Englishcamps,sportsclassesandhumanneedsprojectshavebeenusefultoolsinreachingMongo-lians,includingremotenomadicherdsmen.

• TherapidgrowthofChristianityinMongoliainthepast25yearsindicatesagreatdegreeofopennesstothegospel.

Barriers• MongolsgenerallydonotaccepttheideathatJesusChrististheonlypathtosalvation.Theydon’twanttorejecttheirotherbeliefstofollowChristexclusively.

• Becauseoftheirupbringingandculture,manyMongoliansconsiderthemselvesBuddhists.TheyassumethatbecomingChristianwouldseparatethemfromtheirfamilyandculturalidentity.

Mongolia

Mongolia | 15

LanguageKhalkaMongolian90%

Did you know?• MongoliaisthreetimeslargerthanSpain,yetSpainhas

apopulation13timesgreaterthanMongolia.

• Mongoliaisaland-lockedcountrywithnonavy.

• InMongolia,27percentofthepeopleliveunderthe

povertyline,roughly$3.44eachday.

• Mongoliahas14headoflivestockforeveryperson.

ReligionsBuddhistLamaist53%,Muslim3%,none38.6%,

Christian<2.2%,Shamanist2.9%,other0.4%

Population3million(January2016)

KimChung-hee’smindracesassheedgespastothersubwaycommutersinSeoulandcollapsesintoaseat.Doesshehaveeverythingsheneedsforherclasspresentationat9a.m.?TabletPC,mobileharddrive,connectioncable…they’reallthere.Aftercheckingherperfectlymanicurednails,shereaches into her purse to grab her new smartphone and uses thefront-facingcameratocheckherhairandmake-up.Intenton looking her best, getting the highest grade in her class and impressingherprofessorandfellowuniversitystudents,shetriestorelaxassheplugsearbudsintoherphonetolistentomusic.

South Korea, a modern, image-conscious nation with the 13thlargesteconomyintheworld,isverydifferentfromNorthKorea,apoorcountrywhosepeopleliveunderstrictrule.Thetwocountriesexistedasonenationfromtheseventhcenturyuntil1945.AttheendofWorldWarII,Koreawasdividedalongthe38thparallel,apoliticaldivisionthatcontinuestothisday.

ThoughKoreansareamongthemostethnicallyandlinguisti-callyhomogenouspeopleintheworld,KoreaalsopossessesasignificantpopulationofChinese-speakingethnicKoreans.

Religion in South Korea• Though Buddhism is South Korea’s dominant religion, twice asmanypeopleclaimnofaithinGodatall.

• Although the rate of church growth in South Korea has slowed, there is still a high percentage of South Koreans whoidentifythemselvesasChristians.

• More than 28,000 missionaries, spanning all denominations andmission-sendingorganizations,havebeensentfromSouthKorea.

• TheKoreanBaptistForeignMissionBoardhasnearly700mis-sionariesservinginmorethan40countriesorpeoplegroupsaroundtheworld.

Bridges and Barriers to the gospelBridges• EvangelicalChristianityisfirmlywovenintoSouthKorea’smodernhistoryandcloselylinkedtoitsacceptanceofWesternvaluesineducation,medicineandeconomic development.

• ChristianmaterialsarereadilyavailableinSouthKorea onlineoratChristianbookstoresthroughoutthecountry.

KoreanChristiansuseadvancedmediatechniquesto producecompellingoriginalmaterials.

• HavingrecoveredfromtheKoreanWar,SouthKoreanChristians are conscious of God’s blessings and interested inhelpingthehurtingandsufferingintheircountryandaroundtheworld.

Barriers• Materialism and emphasis on accumulating wealth makes thechurchlessrelevanttomany,especiallytheyoung.

• Highlypublicizedcorruptionscandalsamongprominent megachurchleadersaddtogrowingcynicismregardingChristianity.

• Secondarystudentshavelittletimetofocusonany-thingotherthanhomeworkandexams.

• Somebelieverscompartmentalizetheirlives,allowingKorea’s group culture to supersede the Christian lifestyletheyshouldbelivingoutsideofthechurch.

• ChurchesinSouthKoreasometimesfindithardtobreakfromtraditionandtrynewmethodsofworshipandoutreach.

South Korea

South Korea | 1716 | Introducing East Asian Peoples

LanguageKorean

Did you know?• SouthKoreantelevisiondramasareverypopular

throughoutAsiaandtheMiddleEast.

•SouthKoreaisasmallcountrywithaworldwide

impactthroughitselectronicandautomotivegiants

suchasSamsung,LG,HyundaiandKia.

•Ninety-threepercentofSouthKoreansmartphone

owners use the same app, a free instant messaging

appKakaoTalk.

ReligionsChristians31.6%(24%Protestant,7.6%Catholic),Buddhist

24.2%,unknown0.9%,andnone(43.3%)

Population50.5million(January2016)

InsomewaysTaiwanisveryWesternandmodern.Youcanboardthehigh-speedrailinTaipeiandinjust96minutesarriveinKaohsiung,214milestothesouth.The101BuildinginTaipei was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010, and Taiwan leads the world in the manufacture of electronic notebooksandtablets.Butifyoulookdeeper,youwillfindaculturedeeplyrootedinage-oldtraditions.

MostpeoplelivinginTaiwanareHanChinese(98percent),whichincludesthedescendantsofthosewhofledChinaaftertheChineseCivilWar(12percent).Theremaining 2percentareindigenouspeople.

Religion in Taiwan• Taiwan’speopleareverytraditionaland“spiritual.”Mostadultsengageinfolkreligionpractices,andmanyhomesandshopshaveashrinetohonoradeityoranancestor.

• Traditional Chinese religion is a complex combination of ancestorworship,TaoismandBuddhism.Fortunetelling,conversingwithspirits,andspiritpossessionareextreme-lycommon,andmanybelievethatthemoregodsoneworships,thebetterone’sfortunewillbe.Ifonedoesn’tget

whathewants,hesimplyfindsabigger,morepowerfulgod.• Keepingthespiritsofdeceasedancestorshappyensuresone’sownpeaceandprosperity.Becausefilialpietyissostrong in Taiwan, children often refrain from becoming Christiansuntilaftertheirparentsdie.

• There are more than 23,000 places of worship to meet the spiritual needs of those in Taiwan, but fewer than 3,500 of themareChristianchurches.

Christianity in Taiwan• ChristianityhasbeeninTaiwanformorethan150years.TheTaiwanPresbyterianChurchisthelargestandoldestChristiandenomination,andBaptistsandLutheransrankinthetopfive.

• Taiwanhassomelargemissionary-sending,disciple-mak-ingchurches,butmanychurchesremainsmallwithover-workedpastorsandtoofewlayleaders.Churchatten-danceaverageslessthan50percentofmembership.

• Outsidethecities,evenfewerpeoplearebelievers.Insouth-central Taiwan, most townships with populations of about25,000haveonlyoneortwostrugglingchurches—ifany.InmanyvillagesyoumaynotfindevenoneChristianwitness.

Bridges and Barriers to the gospelBridges• Overtheyearschurcheshavereachedintocommunitieswithchildren’scampsandprograms.ChildrenremembertheBiblestoriesyearslater.

• BecauseTaiwanishighlyliterateandthestudyofEnglishisrequiredinschools,EnglishBiblecampsareexcellentwaystoattractstudents.

• TheTaiwanesehaveahungerforspiritualthingsandade-siretoworship.

Barriers• TheTaiwaneseoftenseeJesusasjustanothergodamongmanyandcan’tcomprehendatrueGodwhowants relationshipwiththemandcanfilltheirheartscompletely.

• Folkreligionisbehindmanysignificantfestivalsin Taiwan,andcommunityactivitiesoftenrevolvearoundthetemple.

• The pursuit of wealth, education and material ad-vancementoftenresultsinspirituallyweakChristianswithlittlecommitmenttoservingGod.

Taiwan

Taiwan | 1918 | Introducing East Asian Peoples

LanguageMandarinChinese(official),Hokkien(Taiwanese)70%,

Hakka15%

Did you know?• Taiwanhasthelowestpovertyrateandthehighest

recyclingrateintheworld.

• Some 22 million Taiwanese remain trapped in the

superstitionsandbeliefsofidolatrousreligions.

• Taiwan stands in a strategic position to facilitate

gospelworkinChinaandbeyond.

ReligionsMixtureofBuddhistandTaoist93%,Christian4.5%,other2.5%

Population23.39million(January2016)

Thesaffron-coloredrobeofthemonkswaysashewalksthroughthetemplecourtyard.Despitethewet,fallingsnow,peopleswarmthroughouttheopenspace.Theylightredcandles,burnjosssticks,andgetontheirkneestobowbeforeidols, hoping their attention to spiritual matters will bring good fortuneinthecomingyear.

ThemajorityofBuddhistsintheworldtodaycanbefoundinEastAsia.EstimatesofEastAsianBuddhistbelieversareasfollows:

•Taiwan—93% •Japan—71.4% •Mongolia—53% •SouthKorea—24.2% • China—18.2%;countlessotherscombineBuddhismwith

otherbeliefssuchasTaoismorfolkreligions. • HongKong(SpecialAdministrativeRegionofChina)—14% • Macau(SpecialAdministrativeRegionofChina)—50% • Tibet(SpecialAdministrativeRegionofChina)—the

majorityofTibetansareBuddhists.

Buddhism is the fourth largest religion in the world with more than350millionfollowersworldwide.SiddharthaGautama,aHinduBrahmansearchingforenlightenment,foundedBud-dhismnearly2,500yearsago.

BuddhismteachesthatthereisnoGod,butonemayreachen-lightenment—astateofpeaceandultimatewisdom—throughstrictdiscipline,throughstudyandbyperforminggoodworks.

Buddhist practices:DifferentschoolsofBuddhismemphasizedif-ferentpractices.Theymaymeditate,repeatmantras,goonpil-grimages,spinprayerwheels,hangprayerflags,studyBuddhistscriptures,burnincense,offercharityandseekenlightenment.

Some East Asians who claim to be Buddhists do not adhere to textbookformsofBuddhism.InsteadtheymixBuddhismwithanimismandsuperstitiontocreateatypeoffolkBuddhism.

Four Noble Truths of Buddhism1.Sufferingexists.2.Sufferingarisesfromattachmenttodesires.

3.Sufferingceaseswhenattachmenttodesireceases.4.Freedomfromsufferingispossiblebypracticingthe EightfoldPath.

The Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism

Buddhism

Buddhism | 2120 | Introducing East Asian Peoples

Right View

Right Thought

Right Speech

Right Action

RightLivelihood

Right Effort

Right Mindfulness

Right Contemplation

Wisdom

Ethical Conduct

MentalDevelopment

UndertheeavesofasmallAsianpagoda,thecandelabrumseemstoholdahundredredcandles.Peoplesurroundthestructure,reachingintolightthecandlesasagoodomen.AllaroundthecourtyardoftheTaoisttemple,similarscenescanbeseenatotherpagodas.MorepeoplecometodaybecauseitistheNewYear,buteverydaypeoplewithhardshipsandsorrowsjourneytothetemplewheretheyseeksomekindofsolacefortheirhurtinglives.Taoism,sometimesknownasDaoism,originat-edinChinaapproximately2,500yearsago.Itsrootword,“Tao”literallytranslatesto,“TheWay.”BecauseTaoismoriginatedinChina,manyChinesemakeittheirreligionofchoice. Taoist philosophy and symbols• TheessenceofthephilosophyrevolvesaroundtheconceptoftheTao,or“theWay,”theultimatecreativeprincipalthatconnectsandunifiesallthings.

• TheTaoisnotagod,butitsfollowersworshipmanydeitiesinfolklorethatarealsosubjecttoanddependentontheTao.

• TheTaoistsymbol—theyinyang—representsoneofthekeyprinciplesinthereligion:abalanceofopposites.Taoiststeachthattheworldisfilledwithcomplementaryoppositessuchaslightanddark,hotandcold,andgoodandbad.

Taoist practices include:• reading and chanting of scriptures• fengshui(fung-shway),positioningfurniture,windows,build-ings,gravesandotherobjectstoallowtheflowofenergy,harmonizewithspiritualforcesandusheringoodfortune

• meditation • ancestor worship• worshiping a pantheon of deities • fortune telling

Understanding Taoism:• Taoistsvaluecompassion,moderationandhumility.• Thech’i(ch’EE),istheTaoisttermforcosmicenergythatallowspeopletosurviveandlinksthemtotheuniverse.Ch’iisaccumulatedwithlifeanddispersedindeath.

• Taoistsalsobelievein“wuwei,”aconceptofnon-interven-tion,ortryingtoliveinaccordwiththetruenatureoftheworldwithoutobstructingthecourseofnature.ThisideaoflivinginpeaceandharmonywasthebasisoftheUSA’s hippiemovementinthe1960s.Taoismwasthehippiemovementof500BC.

Taoism or Daoism

Taoism or Daoism | 2322 | Introducing East Asian Peoples

Onthiscold,mistyAprilday—theChingMingFestival–SuMing’sfamilywalksthroughtheChinesegraveyard.Asasignofrespect,theyvisitthegraveofSu’srecentlydeceasedgrandmother.Theypullweeds.Theybringfruitforthegrand-mother’sspirittoeat,andtheyburnpapermoneyforhertospendintheafterlife.Theyeventieayellowribbontothetopofthegravetowardoffwanderingspiritsthatmightbotherherrestingplace.

Finally,theybowtoworshipthegrandmother.Sudoesnotbow,becauseshehasrecentlybecomeafollowerofJesusChrist.Herparentsandsiblingsarefuriousatherdisrespectfulbehavioratthegravesite.Forweeks,theonlytimetheytalktoheriswhentheyarguewithher.Susighs,knowingthateachsubsequentAprilwillbringthesamedreadedfamilyconfrontation.

SuchisthedilemmaofChristianslivinginaculturewherefolkreligionsarepracticed.

Folk religions include ethnic or regional faiths that operate withoutofficialdoctrineorpractices.ManyinEastAsiaad-heretothesetypesofreligionsbecauseforcenturiestheyhavebeenpasseddownfromonegenerationtoanother.

AnimismOneoftheearliestrecordedbeliefsystems,animism,revolvesaroundtheideathatspiritsinhabiteveryobject,whetherplant,animalorsoil.Followersuseritualstopleasethespiritsandtoencouragerain,healthycropsorgoodluck,andtheyoftentreatinanimateobjectsasiftheywerealive.InpartsofChina,witchdoctorsarecalledupontoofferanimalsacrific-esandcreatetalismanstowardoffevilspiritsthatcancausesicknessordisaster.

ShintoismShinto, also an animistic religion, originated in Japan and centersitstheologyontheworshipofspirits,or“kami.”TheJapanese don’t consider the kami to be gods but consider them as spiritual beings that show interest in humans and

Folk Religions

Folk Religions | 2524 | Introducing East Asian Peoples

wanttomakethemhappy.Ifproperlycoaxedbyfoodofferings,songsanddance,thespiritswillpositivelyinterveneinhumanlives.Followersmaketheirofferingsatshrines,andmanyinstallsmallaltarsintheirhomes.

Thereligionhasnofounderandnoscriptures.

Confucius,aninfluentialteacherwholivedfivecenturiesbeforeChrist,wasfromChina’sShandongprovince.Whilehewasliving,hewasconsideredamortalman,ratherthanadeity.However,hewasreveredasaholymanandhisstatuswaselevatedafterhisdeath.

ConfucianismhasdeeplyinfluencedEastAsiancultureand politicallife.EastAsiancultureandConfucianismcannotbe easilyseparated.

Thedesiretohaveason,respectforone’sparents,respectfortheelderlyandrespectforteachersrepresentafewoftheconceptsthatarisefromConfucianteachings.

Confucianism is built on the importance of relationships within society.Eachpersonhashisdefinedplaceinrelationtootherpeople.Knowingtheageofthosearoundyou,forexample, isimportanttounderstandingyourpositioninthegroup;peo-plesharetheirages,therefore,whenintroducedtoothers.

Confucianism teaches women to take a back seat to men inthefamily.Whenyoung,awomanlistenstothecounselofherfatherandbrothers.Whenmarried,herhusbandandgrownsonstakeontheleadershiproleinherlife.Understand-ingone’sroleinsocietyandbehavingproperlywithinthatrolebalancesharmonyandconformitywithinsociety.

What are Confucian beliefs?• ConfucianismneitherdeniesnoraffirmstheexistenceofGodorheaven,andthereforemanyrefertoitasaphiloso-phymorethanareligion.

• Confucianismcentersonhumanisticideologyanddeclarespeoplecapableofimprovementthroughpersonalandcommunalefforts.

• Although Confucianism does not promote the worship of a deity,itdoesconsiderheavenasapositiveandpersonalforceintheuniverse.

Confucianism

Confucianism | 2726 | Introducing East Asian Peoples

Confucian scripturesConfucius and some of his followers authored the faith’s sa-credtexts,whichincludeasetofmanuscriptscalledTheFiveClassicsaswellasasetofliteraturecalledTheFourBooks.Thereligionitselfdoesnotpossessanyspecialpracticesorrituals,so its followers often perform rituals from Buddhist, Chinese and Taoist traditions instead, carried out at Confucian tem-plesthatdottheEastAsianlandscape.

ThepracticeofIslamisusuallyassociatedwithMiddleEasterncountries, but the religion has a strong hold in East Asia, espe-ciallyamongminoritypeoplegroupsthatliveprimarilyinthewesternandnorthwesternregionsofChina.InChina,about22millionpeoplefollowIslam.

TenofChina’sofficiallyrecognized55ethnicminoritygroupsarepredominantlyMuslim:theHui,Uighur,Kazakh,Dongxiang,Kyrgyz,Salar,Tajiks,Uzbeks,BonanandChineseTatar.Churchplantingamongtheseethnicminoritiesisdifficultbecause

ethnicidentityandreligiousbeliefareinextricablyboundtogether.InMongolia,4percentofthepopulationisMuslim.

Islamic beliefs• Muslimsbelieveinoneomnipotentandomniscientgodwhocreatedtheworldandeverylivingthinginit.

• Islamic doctrine states that this supreme god knows who will liveeternallywithhimintheafterlife,butman’sfreewillstilldetermineswhetherornotthatwillhappen.

• IslamandChristianitydiffercompletelybecauseoftheirconflictingviewsofsalvationandthemeansofthatsal-vation:JesusChrist.AccordingtoIslam’sholybook,theQuran,Jesuswasbornofavirgin,butHewasnottheSon ofGod.

• IslamclaimsJesuswassimplyaprophetwithoutafather,justlikeAdam.

• According to the Quran, Jesus did not die on the cross asapaymentforsin.Instead,theQuranpaintsJesusasa notablefigureinalonglineofprophetsandastheonewhoforetoldofthegreatandfinalprophet,Mohammed.

• Muslimsdonotviewtheirgodaseithertriuneorpersonal.

AskatypicalcollegestudentinChinaifhebelievesinGod,andhewillpolitelytellyou:“ThereisnoGod. Ibelieveinmyself.”MultiplegenerationsofChinesehavegrownupundertheCommunistgovernmentsystemthatrejectsGod’sexistence.Chineseschoolsteachatheism-basedMarxistphilosophyaspartoftheofficialschoolcurriculum.

What do Chinese atheists believe? Atheistsbelievehumanscanfunctionontheirownandcandevisesuitablemoralcodeswithoutscripturalorspiritualguidance.Theyhavenodoctrineandnoofficialpractices.

MostChinesepeopleextoladvancesinstate-sponsored science,technologyandmoderndevelopmentastheonlywaystobettertheirlives.Whenapproachedwiththe idea that God exists, the most common reaction is stunnedsilenceorpoliteamusementatwhattheyper-ceivetobebackwardbeliefs.

Islam Atheism

Atheism | 2928 | Introducing East Asian Peoples

East Asia’s Cities ThenewfaceofEastAsiaisfoundinitscities.Ifwebeginwithastrategyofconcentratedprayerforthemorethan450citieswithpopulationsinexcessof500,000,webelieveGodwill call out workers to take the gospel to East Asia’s remaining unengagedcities.Developingandimplementingcreativestrategies to engage these cities across East Asia is critical to fulfillingourvision.

Materially Rich and Spiritually PoorThecitiesofEastAsiaarefilledwiththemostmodern skyscrapersintheworld,gleamingurbanstructures,parks,

museums, cultural and arts centers, recreation facilities, high-riseapartments,carsandamushroomingpopulation.

Wealthyurbanitesandagrowingmiddle-classspendmillionsonvacationsandbuyname-brandproductsathigh-endretailmallsinChina,HongKongandMacau.TheysendtheirchildrentothebestschoolsintheU.S.,Canada,theUnitedKingdomandAustralia.Theyinvestincompaniesandprop-ertiesinothercountriesandconsumehigh-qualitygoodsthatdrivetheirownthrivingeconomies.

Manycitieshavebecomeeconomicpowerhouses,bringingEastAsiaintoaprominentpositionontheworldstage.LivingconditionsandlifestyleshavevastlyimprovedforEastAsianpeopleinthecities,butmanyhaveyettoseriouslyconsidertheireternaldestiny.

Challenges to Evangelizing the CitiesSharingthegospelwithurbaniteshasmanychallenges.Manyworklonghoursandmakelongcommutesonpublictransportation.Oftentheycanaffordtobuyhomesonlyiftheyworkmorethanonejob.Caughtupinafrenzyofwork

andplay,manyjustdon’thavetimetotalk.Theydon’tgettoknowtheirneighbors,andtheywanttheirindependence.Mosturbaniteswouldsaythattheydon’thavetimeforwor-ship,Biblestudiesorevensocializingwithfriends.

What Drives UrbanizationPeoplemovetothecitiesforavarietyofreasons.Manyleaveruralareas,equatedwithfarmingandpoverty,insearchofabetterlifeandopportunitiestosupportthefamiliestheyleavebehind.

ButincountrieslikeChina,villagepeoplewhocometothecitiesarelookeddownuponassecond-classcitizens.Squat-tervillagescropupovernightandtheinhabitantsgravitatetowardmeniallaborandfactoryjobsbecausetheylacktheeducationandskillstosecurebetterjobsreservedforurban-ites.Thesevillageslacksufficientschools,basicutilitiesandjobsthatprovideadequateincometomeettheirneeds.

Becausevillagepeopleareoftendeniedresidencecardsthatallowaccesstocityservicessuchashealthcare,educa-tionandworkplaceprotection,manyareexploitedbytheir

employers.Despitethesechallenges,lifeisbetterinthecity,andthemoneytheyearnallowsthemtosupporttheirfamiliesathome.

Urban Centers in East Asia• Nine-twopercentofJapaneseliveinurbancenters,andtheGreaterTokyoMetropolitanarea,withatotalpopulationof45million,isoneofthelargestmegalopolisesinEastAsia.

• Koreansgravitatetothecitiesaswell;83percentofKorea’speopleliveinurbanareas.Seoulalsoranksasoneofthelargestmetropolitanareasintheworld.

• FortypercentofMongolia’speopleliveinthecapitalcityofUlaanbaatar.

• China is in the midst of the largest urban migration in the historyoftheworld,andtheurbanpopulationsurpasseditsruralpopulationin2011.Thegovernmentactivelypromotesmassivemigrationtothecitiesandbuildstheinfrastructuretosupportthispopulation.

• According to the United Nations, one-fourth of the world’s 1,000largestcitiesareinChina.

AffinityCitiesOverview| 3130 | Introducing East Asian Peoples

AffinityCitiesOverview

Unreached People Groups Ifyouwerebornintoanunreachedpeoplegroup,suchastheGuibianZhuangofChina,youcouldbeborn,liveyour lifeanddiewithouteverhearingthegospel!

An ethnic group is considered an unreached people group (UPG)whenthereisnoindigenouscommunityofbelievingChristians able to engage this people group with church planting.Lessthan2percentofitspeopleareevangelicalChristians. Withapopulationtotaling1.67billionpeople,EastAsia has654peoplegroups,mostofthemunreached.OftheUPGs,213havenooneeventryingtoreachthemwiththegospel, and no one is implementing a church planting strategytomultiplyhealthydisciples,leaders,andchurchesamongthem.Chinaalonehas132oftheseunengaged,unreachedpeoplegroups(UUPGs).

A Glimpse into a UPGMostofEastAsia’sunreachedpeoplegroupsliveinChina,whereminoritygroupsmakeupabout8percentofthepopulation.TheChinesegovernmentgroupsthecountry’s473distinctminoritypeoplesinto55ethnicminoritygroups.PhysicalandspiritualisolationkeepmostethnicminoritiesinChinalargelyuntouchedbythegospel.

Let’slookatoneminoritypeoplegroupthatlivesalongamajorriver.Mostarefishermenandfarmers,butsomeareminersandsmallbusinessowners.Theyareanimistswhoseektocontrolthespiritworldasitaffectstheirlives,butalsofollowtheancientChinesefolkreligion.About86percentoftheirpeoplehaveneverheardthegospel!

Manyspeakonlytheirminoritylanguage,inwhichthereare fewChristianresources.Thatlackofresourcesintheirheart language—forevangelism,discipleship,leadershipdevel-opmentandchurch—standsasamajorbarriertothemhearing,understandingandrespondingtotheGoodNews.

Strategic Engagement of UPGsEvangelismandchurch-plantingstrategiesusedtoreachpeoplelivinginChina’smajorcitieswillnotworkamongthediverse,isolatedruralpeoplegroupsinChina.Contextualized,worldview-specificandprayer-saturatedstrategiesforengag-ingUPGswiththegospelrequirecreativity,perseveranceandhardwork.BecausealmostnominoritiesspeakEnglish,andmanyofthesmallerpeoplegroupswithpopulationsunder25,000don’tevenspeakChinese,learningtheirheartlan-guageisessentialtoreachingthem.

InChina,believersfromtheHanmajoritywhowanttotakethegospeltotheirneighborshavetoovercomesignificantbarrierstobeeffectivemissionaries.Mostpeoplegroupsprefertoretaintheirlanguageandcustoms,whichrarelyoverlapwiththelanguageandculturalpracticesoftheHan.Cross-cultural training and language learning is foundational forHanbelieverswhowanttoreachChina’sminorities.

UPGsOverview| 3332 | Introducing East Asian Peoples

UnreachedPeopleGroups(UPGs)Overview

Whereveryoutravelthroughouttheworld,youwilllikelyfindEastAsianpeoples.TheypursuehighereducationintheUnitedStates,UnitedKingdomandAustralia.Theyownand operate factories that sell cheap wholesale goods to localdistributors.Theybuildtheinfrastructureofdevelopingnations.Theyworkformajorautomotive,electronicsandappliancecompanieswhoseglobalfootprintisextensive.TheEastAsianPeoplesAffinityGroupseekstomakeChristknownamongEastAsianpeopleslikethesearoundtheglobe.

Chinese diaspora: It has been said that where there is sun andwater,youwillfindChinesepeople.TheChinese,whohavelefttheirnationovermanyyearsandformanyreasons,constituteoneofthelargestoverseaspopulationsintheworld,withmorethan60millionpeoplelivingoutsideChina,increasingannuallybyhundredsofthousands. Chinahasseenmultiplewavesofemigrationsincethe14thcentury.You’llfindwellestablishedChinesecommunitiesinsomecountries,buteveninrural,hard-to-reachvillagesofAf-ricayouwillfindsmallshopsownedandoperatedbyrecentlyarrivedChinesefamilies.

Chinaisalsotheworld’stopsourceofoverseasstudents,withthenumbergrowingalmost20percentannually.Atthebe-ginningof2014,morethanaquartermillionChinesestudentsheldU.S.studentvisas.

TheChineseworkhardandsacrificemuchinordertoreachtheirgoals.TheyareoftenthepreferredconstructionworkersinAfrica,IndochinaandtheAmericasbecausetheywillworklonghourswithlittlepay.Nolongerapartoftheirhomeland,theseworkersarenotyetapartoftheirnewcountry.Mosthavegoneinsearchofabetterlife,butwhattheymostneed,thetruthofthegospel,remainsdistant.FewChristianshavetakenthetimetogettoknowthem.

Greatspiritualneedisfoundthroughoutthisdiaspora.Lackofassimilationintotheirsecondculturepreventsthemfromeasi-lyadaptingtoalocalchurch.Languagebarriersandgruelingwork schedules cut them off from opportunities for fellowship, and childhood teachings of ancestor worship, Buddhism or atheismcontinuetobindtheirhearts.Thequestionremains:howwilltheyhearifnoonetellsthem?

Japanese diaspora: JapaneseimmigrantsknownasNikkeifirstmigrated to Peru and other parts of South America in the late 19thcenturysearchingforbetterlivingconditionsaftertheendoffeudalisminJapan.Today,thelargestpopulationofNikkei,1.8million,livesinBrazil.MostNikkeifollowedBuddhismandShintoism,butbegantoembraceCatholicism.Today,60percentofJapanese-BraziliansareRomanCatholicand25percentadheretoJapanesetraditionalreligion.Asworkcontractsended,manyNikkeistartedsmallbusinessesandmaintained their Japanese culture, religion and language in theirhomesandcommunities.Lessthan1percentofSouthAmerica’sNikkeiareEvangelicalChristian.

SouthernBaptistsworkamongNikkeiinPeruandBrazilandare seeking partnerships to engage the rest of the Japanese diasporaaroundtheworld.

Tibetan-Buddhist diaspora in South Asia: TheDalaiLama,thespiritual and political leader of Tibet, left his homeland in 1959 duetoconflictwithChinaandwalkedthroughtheHimalayaMountainstoneighboringIndia.Thatyearandfollowing,

approximately100,000Tibetansfollowedhim.Today,theTibetan presence in India and Nepal continues to grow, and Tibetans scatter across more than 48 settlements throughout SouthAsia.Itisoftensaid,“TobeTibetanistobeTibetanBuddhist.”

MostTibetanshaveneverheardthenameofJesusChrist.Theyarenotonlyphysicallyisolated,butthegospelhasbeenvirtuallyinaccessibletothem.YetGodisworkingamongthem,raisingupfaithfulworshipperscommittedtoHim.

TibetanBuddhist-backgroundbelievershaveapassionforreachingTibetanswiththegospel.TheyregularlyshareChristwiththeirlocalfriendsandleadBiblestudies.Theyhavefaced persecution, accepting that it is expected for followers ofJesusChrist.

ToseehealthymultiplyingdisciplesandchurchesamongTibetans,localleadershipmustbedevelopedandthegospelmustbefaithfullycommunicated,aprocessoftenstretchingovermonthsandyearsbeforeTibetansbelieve.

Global Diaspora | 3534 | Introducing East Asian Peoples

Global Diaspora

Inadayofrapidlydiminishingmissionresources,your churchcanmakearadicaldifference.Prayerfullyconsider howyoumightimpactlostnessamongoneofEastAsia’s 213unengaged,unreachedpeoplegroups(UUPGs).

Step 1: PRAY. 1 Timothy 2:1-4Prayerlaunchesustowardthegloriousoutcomeofallpeoplecomingto“theknowledgeofthetruth.”ItsuggeststhatGodenablesustofeelHisbrokennessoverthosewhoremaininspiritualcaptivity.Thisbrokennessinvolves:• Persistentandpassionateprayeramongindividualsor groupsinyourchurchwhoconsistentlypleadGod’smercy foraUUPG.

• Focusedprayer.ThroughtheEastAsianPeoplesAffinityGroupConnectionsCluster(eastasiaprayer@pobox.com),youcanrequestastatusupdateforthemostunreachedpeoplegroupsinEastAsia.Asyourteampraysthroughthislist,GodmaydirectyoutothepeopleHehasequippedandiscallingyoutoreach.

• Informedprayer.AsGoddirectsyourteamtoaspecificpeoplegroup,requestthattheAffinityConnectionsCluster

sendyouspecificinformationonthispeoplegroup. eastasiaprayer@pobox.com

Step 2: EXPLORE. Numbers 13:2 Inthisstep,gatherinformationneededtoplananeffectivestrategyanddeterminehowtodeployresourcestoaccom-plishthistask.• Contactyourassociationaldirectorofmissions.Findout ifthereisapotentialclose-culturepartnerinyourarea(aChinese,KoreanorJapaneseBaptistchurch)withwhichyoumightpartner.AretherealreadyGod-appointedinterpretersand/oraculturecoachinyourcitywithwhomyoucanmeet?

• Become familiar with anthropological and missional web-sitesthatmayhelpyoudevelopadeeperunderstandingofthepeoplegroup(suchasjoshuaproject.netorpeople-groups.org).Visitusatimb.org/eastasia.

• DeterminewhetherScriptureportionsareavailableinyourpeoplegroup’sheartlanguageorwhetheryouwillneedanoralstrategy.

• WorkwiththeEastAsianPeoplesAffinityGroupConnectionsClustertoplanavisiontriptothearea.Whenwillbethebest

timetogo?Withwhomshouldyoumeetwhilethere?• Whileontheground,conducta“needsassessmentstudy”

to determine such things as: – Howwillyoudeveloplegitimateaccesstothatpeople

group? – Whatneedscanbeaddressedinawaythatmaygive

anopportunityto“casttheseed”ofthegospel?Arethereregionalcollegesanduniversitieswithstudentsfromyourpeoplegroup?

– Whatmarketlanguage(s)maybeusedtocommunicatetheGoodNewsamongthisgroup?

– Onceyou’vedeterminedtheappropriatemarketlanguage,developandtrainyourteamtousebilingualevangelisticmaterials.

– Are there other like-minded, close-culture people groups livingnearbywhomightpartnerinthisstrategicinitiative?

Step 3: EXAMINE. 2 Peter 1:3AssumingthatGoddoesnotcallwithoutalsoequippingyourchurch for this assignment, begin the process of self-examination:• BaseduponinformationdiscoveredinStep2,couldyourchurchleveragebusinessmenorothersinyourchurch

alreadytravelinginternationally?• What skill sets, such as medical,

engineering, agricultural or mechan-ical,hasGodalreadyplacedwithinyourchurchthatmightproviderelevant,long-termaccesstothispeoplegroup?

• Willtherebesignificantphysicalorhealthde-mandsfordailylivingamongthispeoplegroup?

Step 4: TRAIN. Daniel 1:4-5AsyoubegintomovetowardStep4, yourteamwillincreasinglybe considered part of the broader East Asian AffinityTeamseekingto impact lostness among all Chi-nese, Korean, Japanese and Mongolian peoples.

Connect | 3736 | Introducing East Asian Peoples

Connect

Youwillbeofferedtrainingandorientationtohelpyouaddskillsetstoyourengagementtoolboxandbecomefull,val-uedmembersofthisglobalmissionsventure.Thiswillincludepre-triptrainingthroughtheEastAsianPeoplesAffinityGroupConnectionsClusterandjust-in-time,on-the-groundtrainingthroughtheConnectionsClusterandourTrainingCluster.Thistraining will include things such as these:• HowdoIfinda“personofpeace”inanewcommunity orvillage?

• HowdoIfindthepointfromwhichauthorityflowsinthis community?

• HowdoIdiscoverthe“fingerprintsofGod”thatmaythenserveasabridgeforgospel-centeredconversations?

• HowmightItellthecompleteredemptivestory,“CreationtoChrist,”in30minutesorless?

• HowdoIgatherthosebeingsavedintoanexpressionofchurch that makes sense in that context and that encour-agesbiblicalintegrityandhealthyreproduction?

• Asfaithgrowsamongthispeoplegroup,howdoIavoid behaviorsthatleadtodependence?

EastAsianPeoplesAffinityiscommittedtoworkingwithyouasyouextendtheministriesofyourlocalchurchtothe“endsoftheearth!”Inserving,sharingandgivingtogether,itisourprayerthatsoon,justastheprophetHabakkukprophesied,“the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14, ESV).

ToreceiveregularministryupdatesonEastAsianPeoplesonyourmobiledevice,downloadtheIMB EA Connect App fromtheAppleAppStoreforyouriPhone,orfromthe GooglePlayStoreforyouAndroid.

Connect

38 | Introducing East Asian Peoples

EA Connect App (free)

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imb.org | EAST ASIAN PEOPLES

Ifyouneedmoreinformation, please contact eastasiaprayer@pobox.com.