Marriage and Family Ministries

Model real gospel-centered marriages and families as you do life amongst Chinese believers, and together with them, make an impact on their community.

Job Description

The competitiveness of life in modern, urban China has put an overwhelming amount of pressure on the Chinese family unit. With escalating costs of living, parents are forced to work endless days, often living in different cities, and children study non-stop in order to fight for a place, not just at university, but at middle school. The help that grandparents brings also comes with the added stress of generational differences. With constant pressure on the family, the divorce rate is high. Even amongst Christians, the tension is high, and many believing parents struggle to balance societal expectations with gospel-based parenting.

As you live amongst Chinese families in your community, and fellowship with local believing families, you will have opportunities to be 'salt and light'. Informally, through building genuine relationships, and perhaps more formally as you participate in small groups or even run small parenting groups, your life, not just your words, will have an impact on the Chinese society, and, by God's grace, model gospel-centered families amongst a generation of people who have not seen Christian marriages or parenting up close.

This large urban center in China is home to people from all over China, the urban billion. With modern conveniences, efficient public transportation, access to Western groceries, traffic congestion, high-rises and a massive population, living here is much like it would be in any global city... only, completely different! Be prepared for chaos, friendly people, delicious street food, and the hustle and bustle of one of the world's largest cities.

Responsibilities

Apart from your regular everyday schedule (be it work, caring for your family, or language learning), you may be involved in:
- building relationships with Chinese believers
- small group Bible study (attending, not necessarily leading)
- one-on-one discipleship
- working alongside local leaders to develop a family ministry strategy
- mentor (formally or informally) Chinese couples and families
- at the invitation of local believers, conduct marriage / family seminars / parenting groups

Qualifications

- Mature Christian couples (mature not necessarily in age but in spiritual growth)
- Ability to speak some Mandarin is preferred (if you don't have any Mandarin skills, you will spend the first few years learning language)
- A healthy marriage & a healthy family life - but we know that nobody's perfect!
- Sound theological knowledge - formal theological training is useful but not necessarily required
- Family / marriage counseling experience also useful but not necessarily required

Also useful:
- Enjoy working with people
- Willing to share of yourself and your life with others
- Work well in a non-structured environment
- Though the support of a team is available, it would good if you are ready to self-care at times, and are people who are aware of your emotional needs