2nd Annual BBC Retreat

Break-out groups

Fellowshipping after the first session

Betsy singing with the children as they wait for the adult session to finish.

Dining Hall

Frisbee during Free Time 

Baby/Parent Dedication on Mother's Day

People Stories - Max

One day last fall as Mark and I traveled on a bus from the subway, Mark noticed a foreign family and a young man. Foreigners really stick out here so Mark got to talking with the husband. “Where are you from?” always opens conversational doors. It turned out that the family originated from Kazakhstan but had lived in the US for a number of years. The family came to BJ for work, but the husband’s teenage brother, Max, came here for university studies. During the course of their conversation, Mark gave them one of our name cards with phone numbers and email information.

Shortly thereafter, Max contacted us and began attending BBC. By his own admission, when he first arrived in BJ, he was lonely and depressed. We have gotten to know Max over the months and have seen him grow in the Lord. He comes to our Guys’ Nights, sometimes hangs out with our friends, and displays a hunger for the Word and Christian fellowship.  It’s really neat to see God work in his life – to give him hope and a future. In his testimony to BBC this past weekend, he talked about how his life was dark before salvation in Christ, but God has given him hope in Jesus. While Max likely was a believer before coming to BBC, he had not been baptized so one of our men spent some time with him talking his faith in Jesus and about the Christian life. Looking back over the months, we see a difference in Max –in his faith, in his countenance, in his hope. So ---- at our 2^nd annual BBC retreat this past weekend, Mark baptized Max on a cold, rainy Mother’s Day in an inflatable swimming pool surrounded by a cloud of rejoicing witnesses.

March 2015 - Celebrating Max's 19th birthday

Max giving his testimony of salvation before his baptism.

Adding boiling water to the baptismal pool to take the edge off the cold water.

Distributing the hot water in the pool.

"I baptize you in the name of the Father,...

and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

Rejoicing!!

People Stories - a Day of the Germans

Day of Germans…..

Some days have themes you cannot predict. I (Mark) write this first-in-a-long-time blog post listening to the song “Fear of Isaac Comes” which was written by a friend of friends of ours. I am so encouraged by the powerful hope of grace for us here in Beijing. Good lyrics help to infuse that grace into the webbing of our souls….

Today was a day of Germans. So it seemed. First, as Cheryl and I headed to our Chinese lesson in east Beijing, I spotted an obvious foreigner on the train. I always use this question, “Where are you from?” Invariably I am gifted with a conversation from whomever I direct this question if asked well. Jean Philippe from Munich was my first German interaction and benefactor to this question. We talked for over 25 minutes from Bagou to Sanyuanqiao. Jean Philippe, Cheryl, and I talked energetically about China, GDP (Gross Domestic Product), his four children from ages 3 to 12, Chinese wife, cross-cultural differences, etc. Curiously, JP has lived in China for 18 years between Shanghai and Beijing. I gave JP a business card with hopes that we see one another soon. “Nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò?” (你做什么工作?) or “What do you do for work?” always brings a varied reaction. Any time you tell someone you are a pastor of an international Christian church, you must be prepared for any response.

Next, I was in line to buy a coffee at a restaurant owned by believers in eastern BJ. “我喝一杯美式咖啡, 可以加牛奶吗？“Wǒ hē yī bēi Měishì kāfēi. Kěyǐ jiā niúnǎi ma?” I’ll drink a cup of American coffee. Can you add milk?” I looked to my left and saw a young girl who again was obviously a foreigner. “Where are you from?” Answer: Germany. “What city?” Answer: Berlin. “Oh, I’ve never been there.” Smile. Me: “Do you like Beijing?” “Yes, and you?” “I do as well.”And off I went.

Last interaction: Cheryl and I were sitting with a young couple talking through relationship issues in the same restaurant mentioned above. Maybe I was a little animated. All of a sudden up comes a German father (WA) with his sweet 9-year-old daughter (A). He excitedly asked, “What are you doing? What are you selling?” Stunned, we didn’t know how to respond at first. Something about what he observed in the conversation with Cheryl and our two friends caught his eye. We chatted for a few minutes, him again asking what we were doing or selling. Then I asked him if he would talk with my German friend Sascha. They talked for maybe 30 seconds. WA asked his daughter to write down their phone number and name and give them to us in my notebook. I will contact them tomorrow. For me it was a very Psalm 8 moment, a moment to connect with another human being made in His image and likeness. To see this father bring his daughter over and make the introduction was brave, beautiful, and hopefully a chance to make new friends in Beijing.

Day of the Germans….who know what tomorrow might bring! J

Sunday afternoon small group

One of four BBC community groups - After Lord's Day Community Group.
 

Art of Marriage Retreat

This spring, BBC held two in-town marriage retreats. We used the excellent Art of Marriage material by FamilyLife® that covers many important topics related to our marriage relationships. Eight to ten couples came to each retreat weekend. We watched the six DVD sessions, discussed the topics, as well as included time for food and fellowship. Below are pictures from our first retreat weekend. Unfortunately we didn't get pictures from the second weekend as Mark & I babysat three of our BBC children so the parents could attend. We had a great time with the children who spoke a little bit of Finnish and a lot of Chinese but no English. We hope to make this retreat a regular occurrence at BBC.

Friday night dinner

Saturday Lunch

Saturday afternoon game session - Can husband and wife agree?

BBC Day of Prayer & Fasting

Yesterday BBC held a day of prayer and fasting. What a blessed time of worshipping the Lord and asking the Lord for the needs of individuals, BBC, our city, our country, and the world. Recently Mark has been preaching through Jesus’ upper room discourse found in John 13-17. Several times Jesus mentions in his discourse to ask whatever we will in His name and He will do it. This doesn’t mean praying to God is like a vending machine where we put in our request and out pops an answer to our prayers. Rather in each case, the context suggests that if we believe in Jesus, abide in him, rejoice in Him, follow his commandment to love one another, then we are seeking God’s will and as a result, our requests line up with His will.

 John 14 ¹² “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

John 15 ⁷ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. ⁹ As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹ These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

John 16 ¹² “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. ¹⁷ These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

John 16  ²² So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. ²³ In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. ²⁴ Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

Beautiful Spring in Beijing