Safely Home: Discussion Questions

To learn more about the book, or to order your copy, visit the Safely Home book page.

Below are two different sets of study questions submitted by two of our readers:

Questions for Safely Home

1. What is it like being a Christian in China? Why is China intolerant of Christianity? Has it always been that way? How do God and Christians benefit from a repressive government, such as Mao Zedong's? In other words, why does God allow it?

2. Describe Ben Fielding's life and goals prior to coming to China. Compare his life and goals to Li Quan's. Were the goals met?

3. How was Fielding saved? Why the book of John? Why the title, Safely Home? How did Quan honor Jesus tangibly and did it make an impression on Ben? Be creative. How else could we honor Christ in a tangible way?

4. Compare Quan's situation with that of Mercer and Curry of Prisoners of Hope.

5. Has this book opened your eyes to persecuted Christians in China and elsewhere? Visit Voice of the Martyrs and see if you are moved to pray for someone or some place. Where were you led, if anywhere? By the way, which country was the "reddest" in heaven?

6. Compare Li Quan's funeral with his reception into heaven. Should we mourn at Christian funerals? Have you ever been to an unusually happy Christian funeral? Tell us about it. If it's not too morbid to think about, what would you want to happen at your funeral?

7. What different points of view did Alcorn use? Was this enjoyable to you? Do you agree with his portrayals? What was most impressive to you about Alcorn's depiction of Jesus? Heaven? Angels? Other?

8. Where does Alcorn get controversial in this book? Do you agree or disagree with him? If you disagree or just want to express a comment, write to him at info@epm.org. If he emails you back, tell us about it.

9. How does this book compare with Alcorn's other novels? Edge of Eternity, Deadline, Dominion, Lord Foulgrin's Letters, The Ishbane Conspiracy?

10. How would you rate this book on a scale of 1 (Yin & Yang would've gotten more out of this book!) to 10 (This book holds a house of gold.)?

Questions for Safely Home

1. Based on Randy Alcorn's "goal" for Safely Home, do you think he succeeded?

2. There were several "fronts" in this book: U.S., China, Business, Heaven, Prison, Home churches, etc. With that inÊmind, do you think the book followed one major theme, or was there more than one theme?

3. What did you think of the old man Shaoming and his story?

4. How much control did the characters have over their actions?

5. Ben was trying to explain to Ming why his marriage had fallen apart.ÊMing didn't understand. She asked Ben, "Do you not face difficulty together, hostility from the world, persecution that makes you stand together?" Ben stated that they had hard times, but that hostility and persecution aren't that common in America. Ming responds, "Perhaps that was problem." Agree? Disagree?

6. In prison Quan prayed for God to give him a ministry. He didn't pray to be released, to be healed from his physical pain. He didn't ask God, "Lord, don't you know my family needs me?" What can we learn from this?

7. What did you think of the author's interpretation of heaven? What was a new "view" for you?

8. We are told by the King that as his children our dreams are too small. Do you agree?

9. Would you recommend Safely Home to a non-Christian? Why or why not?