Warm Greetings from Beijing, China!
We have good news to share about new locations –
both a new apartment and a new venue for our Beijing International Christian
Fellowship Zhong Guan Cun. We are rejoicing in this double blessing.
Our new church home will be in a hotel conference
center right next door to a University with the largest number of foreign
students in China - 10,000 foreign students a year from 120 nations. We’ll be
just blocks away from several dozen other universities too. 100,000 International
students are in our neighborhood! One million Chinese University students! Just
typing these stats gives me ‘chicken skin!’ My, we have a BIG responsibility.
Pray earnestly that we will be faithful! Some come to Beijing as committed Christians,
very glad to find a church home. Thousands more have every intention of
‘sinning to their fill.’ May we faithfully shine His light of grace and truth.
As 80% of our church is students from more than 70
nations, Dayna spends lots of time making graduation leis! Here we are saying
farewell to one of our high school seniors. It was a privilege to baptize her
several years ago and now to see her heading off to a fine Christian college.
There
are also many University graduations; Frederick from Rwanda earned a Master’s
degree in Engineering. He is with (left to
the Philippines), Terry our Assistant
Admin (China), Mbazingwa one of our Elders (Tanzania) and Dayna. What a
privilege to have a small part in equipping these fine Kingdom servants who
have many years and opportunities before them!
Timely
Word
In
over 20 years of preaching systematically through books of the Bible there have
been many Sunday’s where the chosen text speaks right to a situation in the
congregation or community. Brothers who do not preach through books of the
Bible sometimes ask how this method could possibly be “relevant”?!? Well, our
present series through Genesis landed on chapter 19 the Sunday after the U.S.
Supreme Court’s sad decisions. I sensed the Lord’s blessing to speak with
boldness. But I also felt an incredible sadness that this chosen misbehavior celebrated
by some is condemned by the living God. The Church in the 21st
Century must strive to maintain the Biblical balance of God’s mercy and
justice. Some are very good on mercy and bless others. Others are very good on
justice and blame others! The perfect balance is seen in Jesus. Nobody was more
intolerant of sin than Him. He spoke more about hell than heaven. Yet, nobody
was more welcoming and forgiving of sinners than Jesus. He died for us! If
someone chooses to go to hell they’ll have to step over His body to get in.
Movin’
Higher Up!
Our
BICF Seminary program is adding a Doctor of Ministry track. We already offer
accredited Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Christian Studies and Missiology.
Now we have been granted permission to offer a D.Min through Global University.
This allows our students, mission workers, and pastors from throughout China to
enhance their academic qualifications right here in Beijing. Mark will be
teaching the first course for this new program this fall, “Leading the
International Church.” And he will be teaching a course on the Pentateuch for
the Master’s Program in October. The work of mission is now truly “from
everywhere to everywhere” as workers are sent from China to the ends of the
earth.
Our
new apartment is within the same complex where we have lived for the last four
years. We are moving from building 6 to 16, from the 6th floor to
the 22nd for an additional $ 100 a month. Our present landlord
wanted to make it $ 500! We’re thankful to remain near our new church site and
many of the campuses we are reaching.
Speaking
of dollars, we are very thankful to report that we have been fully supported
the last two months. Praise to God and thanks to you!
Yours
in our Faithful Lord, Mark and Dayna Blair
Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL
32832 – USA www.pioneers.org
(Checks should be made out to ‘Pioneers’ – with a
separate note attached saying: ‘Mark and Dayna Blair, Beijing.’ Electronic
transfers can be sent to: http://www.pioneers.org/Give/AutomatedGiving.aspx
)
Skype blairstan
Our Ministry
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