Greetings from Beijing! September
2015
We’ve jumped into a very busy season of ministry since
returning back home from our Home Assignment. It was wonderful to be with family,
friends, and churches in California, Pennsylvania, and Oregon. Special thanks
to those of you we had the privilege of staying with. We are so blessed by all
of your kindness and encouragement.
Last Sunday we had new students from 17 nations
visit our English morning worship service at Beijing International Christian
Fellowship Zhong Guan Can for the first time. As a congregation planted to
reach the 82 Universities surrounding us, this Fall season is “prime time.”
Every Sunday this month, teams of church members have organized “Welcome
Lunches” after our services. Dozens of students have come along and many new
friendships have formed. We have had Small Group Fairs, Ministry Fairs, New
Members classes, and a “Welcome to Beijing” program. It has been quite
exciting to see our members do the
one thing necessary to grow any ministry – invite their friends…lots of them! You
can see our Ministry Leaders gathered for lunch on our apartment rooftop on our
first Sunday back in Beijing.
We have made some changes in our Sunday program,
moving our Mandarin service to 9 am, English to 11, Korean 1:30, Indonesian
3:30, and English Evening 6 pm. Over 1000 people, including more than 100
children, make full use of our hotel venue each Sunday. Each congregation is
growing in numbers, leaders, and finances. This month we signed an M.O.U. with
a Reformed church in Jakarta to provide us with an Indonesian pastor. Pastor
Eddy is here already and will collect his wife and young son and bring them
too! In our English services we have begun preaching through Ephesians in the
morning and Exodus in the evening.
This afternoon I preached for this “Welcome Home”
service for our Africa Connect Ministry. Tomorrow afternoon I will preach at
the monthly worship service at the Madagascar embassy. (This is led by some of
our members who are from that African island nation!) Lots going on! Your prayers are greatly appreciated.
It was a great joy to be with Nathan, Heather, their
son Kekoa in the arms of Aaron, and Josiah on a cruise to Alaska. It was our
first cruise and first visit to Alaska. Both are amazing! It was especially fun
to celebrate three August birthdays together, including Mark’s 60th!
In early September we fast-trained down to Shanghai
(about 800 miles in 5 hours)
for
a three day gathering with leaders from International churches throughout
China. Mark gave the devotional message one morning. It was an encouraging time
of fellowship and learning. International fellowships are growing, many quite
significantly, in a number of cities in China.
Lausanne Asia Pacific Conference on International Students
Monday Dayna and I will fly down to Singapore. We
have been asked to participate in the Lausanne Asia Pacific Conference on
International Students there. Please pray for Mark as delivers the opening
message the assigned topic, “Ecclesiology among International Students.”
Singapore was where Mark had cancer treatment in
2007. We will both have a complete health check-up while we are there. We are
glad to have this chance to access this reasonably priced great care.
Nathan and Heather’s pastor in
Portland, Oregon is leading a team making excellent resources – videos and
study guides – on Bible books and themes. They’re being well received in our
church here.
We are very grateful for your
faithful prayers and support. God is good, all the time!
Every blessing, 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
Hear Mark’s sermons at: http://bicf.org/english-service
