China wasn’t kidding. For the Colson Center, I’m John Stonestreet with The Point.

Last month the Chinese government announced new crackdowns on religion in order to, so they say, fight extremism and protect national security.

A house church pastor, her daughter, and her toddler grandson have been arrested for singing and preaching in a public park. No one knows their whereabouts.

According to Christianity Today, local officials are already cracking down in several areas around the country, even though these new regulations don’t go into effect until February. In one province, authorities are warning Christian parents not to send their kids to Christian summer camps or even to Sunday school. Missionaries are being expelled “in record numbers.” And virtually all religious activities—publishing, accepting donations, religious education—are coming under intense scrutiny.

Eric Metaxas and I have told you before that within the next couple of decades, China is on track to have the world’s largest population of Christians.

But it’s clear that this miraculous growth of the Church there will be accompanied by severe growing pains. So please, pray for the Church in China.