The days leading up to Easter are always a sombre time for Christians. But this year in Beijing, many believers have the added concern of not knowing if or where they’ll be allowed to celebrate the holiest day of the year on the Christian calendar. Nearly 50 members of one of Beijing’s largest Protestant house churches, including its two pastors, were detained and hundreds of police were deployed in a commercial district in the northwest of the city in order to prevent the congregation from holding an outdoor Palm Sunday service. The leaders of the Shouwang church said they would nonetheless try again next week – Easter Sunday – unless they are given permission to celebrate the Communion service indoors at their usual premises. The church, which has about 1,000 followers, said it was forced to hold the services outside after being evicted from the restaurant where they gathered every Sunday for more than a year. (See also Prayer Alert 14-2011)

Pray: for the many millions of believers across China as they seek to celebrate Easter that they would be blessed to be a blessing. (Ps.145:7)

More: http://www.chinaaid.org/2011/04/fears-of-uprisings-prompt-chinas-easter.html#more

200+ are reported dead and 12,000+ injured, 1.5 million people have been affected. 130,000 homes have been damaged with 6,000 to 7,000 homes totally collapsed after Saturday’s earthquake in China. It is uncertain how many people are missing. As the days go by, it is likely the death toll and number of injured will rise. Rain and landslides are hampering search and rescue efforts by 6,000 troops. 1,800 miles of road and 327 bridges have been damaged. Power lines are damaged and there are losses of water service to 10,000 residents. Only emergency vehicles are being allowed into Ya’an, although Chengdu airport has reopened. Also this week Bibles for China reported they were hoping to hand out Bibles in the region and are not sure how the destruction will affect their plans. See: http://www.mnnonline.org/article/18459

Pray: for all physical, emotional and spiritual resources to be released into the area at this time of pain and loss. (Ps.6:2-4)

More: http://news.yahoo.com/death-toll-6-6-magnitude-chinese-earthquake-nears-205400746.html

Authorities in China’s Sichuan province have asked a large house church to stop all its activities, the church's pastor told Radio Free Asia. ‘The authorities have asked us to end our family church congregations, calling our gatherings 'illegal,' said Pastor Li, spiritual head of a 1,500-member house church in Sichuan’s Langzhong city. Li said the government's ‘request’ was sent to the home of a church member, not to the church's meeting place. Chinese authorities have recently increased restrictions on house churches whose total membership estimated to be about 40 million. ‘The severity of the crackdown on family churches varies in different places,’ said Zhang Mingxuan, president of the Chinese Association of Christian Family Churches. ‘In places where there are many family churches, the local government may have a better understanding of them, and officials will be more prudent. But in places where you have only a few believers, local authorities will treat them as an ‘evil cult.’’

Pray: that these moves ordering churches to stop their activities would cease. (Ps.140:4)

More: http://www.worthynews.com/11522-chinese-church-requested-to-desist