Scholarly Panels
Contributions from academics drawing on the method and resources of their respective disciplines.
Panels / topics proposed to date:
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Sino-Vatican Relations in Historical Perspective
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Sociological Perspectives on Christianity
in Contemporary China -
The Sinicisation of Religion in China Today
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Environmental Issues and the Faith Communities of China
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suggestions for panels and topics
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suggestions concerning speakers (including yourself)
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submission of brief abstracts
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other suggestions or feedback
Note: Panel organizers (only) will have conference registration fees waived in appreciation for their service to the gathering.
Presentations and
workshops
Discussion forums and practical advice from people involved in the life of the Church in China and in the Chinese diaspora.
Practical workshops and presentations requested to date:
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Faith and the Current Generation
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Social Services: Making a Contribution in China Society
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The American University Context
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Relations among Christians and China
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Paths to Discipleship
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Religion in the City
Click this button for a form to enter:
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suggestions for workshops or presentations
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suggestions concerning speakers (including yourself)
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other suggestions or feedback
Note: Presenters will have their conference registration fees waived in appreciation for their service to the gathering.
Campus Engagement
Initiative expansion campaign
Friendship across cultures, sharing meaning and faith.
MEETING A VITAL NEED
Not all Chinese young people are looking for faith. However, all are looking for friendship and meaning in life. In that respect, they are no different from other young people in any other land.
The USCCA’s Campus Engagement Initiative (CEI) meets them at this important moment in their lives and offers friendship and resources for the journey.
Building friendship across cultures is especially timely. When globalization and polarization dehumanize us, friendship calls us back to our authentic humanity.
And for those who seek a foundation that will last them a lifetime and beyond, the Christian faith opens their heart and their imagination. They may have no other chance to encounter the Gospel
Andy, an exchange student from one of China’s premier universities in Beijing, is here for a year to learn and explore. His time in the U.S. is a unique opportunity.
Nick is active in campus ministry at Santa Clara University. Participating in activities where he makes friends from China also allows him to share a precious gift – his faith.
Phoebe is a Catholic from Wenzhou now pursuing a graduate degree in architecture. Being involve in our ministry has deepened her faith and given her the courage to reach out to others.
There are three key components to the Campus Engagement Initiative:
The Chinese and American Friendship Ministry
The Chinese and American Friendship Ministry provides Chinese international students with opportunities for making friends on campus with students born in the U.S. who are eager to reach out, share, and learn about the experience and background of students from China.
Young adult group of the San Jose Chinese Catholic community.
Students from Newman Hall, the Catholic ministry at UC Berkeley
In addition, members of the local Chinese Catholic community welcome them and sponsor meaningful activities for them. Far away from home, they can come to a place where people speak their language and share their traditions. And they can witness people living out the faith in their own language, as well.
The Explorer Website
Over the next three years, the USCCA will develop website for exploring questions of meaning, and faith. Topics will range from the great questions of life to topics like science and religion. Narrators will guide site visitors in Chinese and English. And the content will take into account the unique circumstances and cultural heritage of students from China.
CEI Resources
The USCCA is developing brief online workshops and resources to support high school theology teachers, university professors, and campus ministers to better understand the background, worldview, questions, and goals of Chinese international students so as to better engage them where they are.
Two Tracks
CEI programming runs on two tracks, one that emphasizes friendship and the sharing of experience, the other that provides explicit options for exploring the faith.
THE CEI, A MULTI-DIMENSIONAL MINISTRY
PILOT PROGRAMMING A GREAT SUCCESS
Now a successful professional in Silicon Valley, Keyun Tong shares his experience with Santa Clara University grad students arriving from China for the first time. Keyun is a cradle Catholic from China who himself came to the U.S. for college.
CEI staff and volunteers also meet one-on-one and in small groups with Chinese international students. These are privileged moments for learning about students’ experience and reflecting together on the journey of life.
The San Jose Chinese Catholic Community hosted a vibrant and delicious Thanksgiving celebration so that students from China could learn about American culture. Over 50 attended. At the event, Fr. Michael explained why we give thanks.
Sunday dinner at Newman Hall, University of California Berkeley, provides a chance for Chinese international students and Catholics on campus to get to know one another. Here everyone pitches in to prepare a Chinese meal for the group.
In cooperation with our friends and colleagues at China Outreach Ministries and ERRChina (two lead Evangelical outreach organizations), the USCCA hosted a Bay Area Christmas celebration that focused on the person at the heart of our celebration, Jesus of Nazareth.
BY THE NUMBERS
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Source: USCCA staff, using data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Each year, hundreds of thousands of Chinese students come to the U.S. to study - many at Catholic institutions. While regrettable tensions mar our increasingly polarized global community, Catholics should go the extra mile to welcome these young people. Friendship is a powerful force for good. It creates the opportunity to share the best of our culture, our values, and our faith
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Source: “Protestant Christianity is booming in China,” The Economist (9/15/2020) www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/09/15/protestant-christianity-is-booming-in-china
One reason Protestant Christianity in China has grown exponentially is the support lent to the movement by students and scholars who found the faith while abroad. Based on current trends, in 2010 sociologists predicted that by 2035, China would become the largest Christian nation on Earth.
“To evangelize is to share our faith in the Gospel. Protestants in the U.S. have taken up this responsibility, and it has made a difference in the lives of countless young people from China. Catholics seem to be less active in this regard, even on Catholic campuses. Isn’t the Gospel a treasure that is worth sharing?”
– Martha Chan, President, ERRChina, a leading Christian organization that serves China
PARTNERING WITH NOTRE DAME
To develop the website and resources needed, the USCCA is teaming up with the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame to hire a joint staff person, Dr. John Lindblom. Dr. Lindblom, who speaks fluent Chinese, has long advocated for a program like the CEI.
CEI EXPANSION PLANS
Help us welcome Chinese young people in metro areas across the U.S.
2023-24: Expand to 2nd metro area (to be announced June ’23)
• Expand CEI to 4th university campus in San Francisco Bay Area.
• Network local constituents, including campus ministers at universities, leaders in the Catholic community, and persons interested in being involved.
• Establish friendly relations with local Christians of other traditions.
• Recruit team (one full-time staff plus volunteers and part-time support)
• Work with stakeholders to establish itinerary for three university campuses.
• Run simple pilot programming at three high schools.
• Build the Explorer website (see above).
• Build the CEI Resources website (see above).
2023-24: Expand to 3rd and 4th metro areas (to be announced June ’24)
• Create regular summer training program for new staff.
• Expand CEI to 4th university campus in 2nd metro area.
• Follow established model to create programming at three university campuses in each of two new metro areas.
• Based on pilots at high schools, develop simple palette of activities to enhance Chinese international students at local Catholic high schools.
• Continue to build out CEI Resources and Explorer websites.
2023-24: Regularize model and prepare for further expansion
• Expand CEI to 4th university campus in 3rd and 4th metro areas.
• Sponsor programming in at least two Catholic high schools in each area.
• Continue to build out CEI Resources and Explorer websites.
• Review and evaluate 1) model for local support, 2) working relations with local stakeholders, 3) training and support of team members (both staff and volunteers), 4) university programming, 5) high school programming.
• Create five-year plan for continued operation in existing metro areas and expansion to new ones.
“We are very pleased to have the opportunity to work together with the USCCA in serving Chinese international students. In our era, we need to think about education and values formation from a global perspective. ”
- Dr. John C. Cavadini, Director, McGrath Institute for Church Life at Notre Dame
CAMPAIGN TARGETS
Covering Program Costs for June 2023 to May 2024
• National program benefactors
• Explorer Website launch (grant funded)
• S.F. Bay Area on-site activities (4 sites x 6K / site)
• S.F. Bay Area benefactors
• 2nd Metro Area on-site activities (3 sites x 6K / site)
• 2nd Metro Area benefactors
Covering Program Costs for June 2024 to May 2025
• National program benefactors
• Explorer Website, ongoing development (grant funded)
• S.F. Bay Area onsite activities (4 sites x 6K / site)
• S.F. Bay Area benefactors
• 2nd Metro Area onsite activities (4 sites x 6K / site)
• 2nd Metro Area benefactors
• 3rd Metro Area onsite activities (3 sites x 6K / site)
• 3rd Metro Area benefactors
• 4th Metro Area onsite activities (3 sites x 6K / site)
• 4th Metro Area benefactors
Covering Program Costs for June 2025 to May 2026
• National program benefactors
• Explorer Website, ongoing development (grant funded)
• S.F. Bay Area onsite activities (4 sites x 6K / site)
• S.F. Bay Area benefactors
• 2nd Metro Area onsite activities (4 sites x 6K / site)
• 2nd Metro Area benefactors
• 3rd Metro Area onsite activities (3 sites x 6K / site)
• 3rd Metro Area benefactors
• 4th Metro Area onsite activities (3 sites x 6K / site)
• 4th Metro Area benefactors
Total of all distinct dimensions of support
Support the aspect of this campaign that is most relevant for you.
$120,000
$30,000
$24,000
$60,000
$18,000
$60,000
$160,000
$10,000
$24,000
$60,000
$24,000
$60,000
$18,000
$60,000
$18,000
$60,000
$1,302,000
$150,000
$10,000
$24,000
$60,000
$24,000
$60,000
$18,000
$60,000
$18,000
$60,000
The CEI relies on dedicated staff, the involvement of local supporters and the institutional infrastructure of both the US-China Catholic Association and the McGrath Institute for Church Life. As a result, it requires very little additional expenditure for overhead. Your contribution goes to making a difference in the lives of the students themselves
HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE
We hope that you are as excited by the promise of the USCCA’s Campus Engagement Initiative as we are. This initiative is only possible because many people pitch in to make it a reality – Catholic students eager to reach out, dedicated campus ministers, members of the local Chinese Catholic community, innovative staff, and committed supporters like you.
Join us in welcoming Chinese international students to America. Inspired by the Gospel, let us all build the future together.
To find out if there is CEI programming in your area, or to explore how to initiate such programming, contact me. I would love to hear from you.
Fr. Michael Agliardo
USCCA Executive Director
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“As a pastor on the Pacific Rim, I appreciate the importance of welcoming our brothers and sisters coming to this land from East Asia. There are so many good things about America, and certainly one of the greatest is our freedom to live our faith. Join me in supporting the CEI Expansion Campaign, and share the best America has to offer. ”
- Most Rev. Kevin Vann, Bishop of Orange
DONATE TO THE CEIEC:
The USCCA is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization.
Your donations are tax-deductible to the maximum extent allowed by law.