It’s Lent and apart from a visit from the Easter bunny, the usual Easter egg hunt, or munching down on chocolate eggs, you and the family may want to head on down to church and celebrate new beginnings and the less commercial side of what is a very important season and day for many.

Choose from one of the following Holy Week and Easter services and enjoy!

Beijing International Christian Fellowship (BICF)

Smack bang in the middle of Liangmaqiao with a number of different services to choose from, there is a service to suit everyone and every family this Easter Sunday.

City Church 9am service
Language: English
Location: 21^st Century Theatre, Lower Auditorium

City Church 11am service
Language: English
Location: 21^st Century Theatre, Lower Auditorium

Children’s Church is available at both service times. The church also has a number of other services held in different languages on Easter Sunday. For more information check out, www.bicf.org or call 8454 3468 (Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm). 21st Century Hotel, 2nd Floor, Room FA201, 40 Liangmaqiao Road, Chaoyang District.

OASIS Christian Fellowship

Here’s a local church with global impact. Sister-church to BICF, Oasis Christian Fellowship meets every Sunday in an intimate setting near Jiuxianqiao and 798 Art District area. This Easter Sunday, join their congregation for a special service.

Oasis Christian Fellowship 10.30am service
Language: English
Location: Main meeting room of the Naked Hub co-working office

Children’s Church is also available. There is also a service held in Spanish every Saturday afternoon. For more information, email spanish@oasisbeijing.org or info@oasisibeijing.org for further information about their English-speaking service or check out their website, www.oasisbeijing.org  Naked Hub, 14 Jiuxianqiao Road, C&W Industrial Park, Building B4, Chaoyang District.

Our Lady of China (Catholic Foreign Community of Beijing)

Our Lady of China has two locations for Sunday and mid-week services, held in Shunyi, Dongzhimen, Wangfujing (St. Joseph’s Church), and Xisi (Church of the Savior or “Beitang”). Catholic Masses in English are being held throughout the Holy Week and Easter Sunday. Choose from a whole host of ceremonies taking place from Thursday onwards, including, an evening Holy Thursday Ceremony, Good Friday Ceremony, Easter Saturday Holy Vigil and morning and evening Easter Mass services.

Holy Week services
Language: English
Date and time: 7pm on Holy Thursday (April 18) and 7pm on Good Friday (April 19)
Location: Dongzhimen and Shunyi

Black Saturday Holy Vigil service, 5pm
Language: English
Location: Shunyi

Easter Sunday services
Language: English
Dates and locations:
– 10am Easter Mass at Dongjiaominxiang Church, Dongjiamin Hutong in Dongzhimen
– 12pm Noontime Easter Mass at St. Joseph’s Church in Wangfujing
– 2pm Easter Mass at Church of the Savior (Beitang) in Xisi
– 4pm Easter Mass at St. Joseph’s Church in Wangfujing

To find out more about the Holy Masses celebrated by Our Lady of China for the Catholic community at their other parishes and the ones above (also held in different languages) go to www.olcbeijing.org.

– Dongjiaominxiang Church, Dongjiamin Alley (Dongzhimen)
– St. Joseph’s Church, 74 Wangfujing Street
– Church of the Savior, 33 Xishiku Street.

Kuanjie Church

A Christian church among one of the eight originally set up by the United Methodist Church sits proudly in Dongcheng District. Nestled in Jixiang Hutong, you will find services that run consistently from Friday through to Sunday every week. Check out their Easter Sunday Mass service.

Easter Sunday Mass, 9am and 10.30am
Language: English
Location: 10 Jixiang Hutong

To find out about this and other services, including their Friday Youth Mass services, call 8403 9432. 10 Jixiang Hutong, Di’anmendong Street, Dongcheng District.

Congregation of the Good Shepherd

Congregation of the Good Shepherd, a liturgical, interdenominational Christian fellowship, will hold an Easter service with Holy Communion at 10am on Sunday at the third floor of the Capital Mansion Athletic Club. The service will be followed by an Easter Egg Hunt and a buffet lunch. The buffet lunch is almost full, so RSVP to Spencer Musick via WeChat (ID: musickpsm) ASAP if you would like to join. Open to foreign passport holders only. 3/F, Athletic Club, Capital Mansion, 6 Xinyuan Nanlu, Chaoyang District.

Photo: Wangfujing Church courtesy of Our Lady of China

Last time, we shared 5 WeChat Communities for Moms in Beijing, so now we’re introducing non-WeChat communities for Beijing Mommies!  Some of these social media sites will require VPN use, moderator approval, and account creation, etc., so please be patient when requesting membership.

1 Beijing Mamas (Yahoo! Group)

Yahoo support group where you can “share resources, ask questions and grow as women and moms … It does not matter what age your children are, if you are a mama who wants a safe place to ask parenting questions, make other mama friends, hang out, start playgroup meetings or mama nights out, ask for gear recommendations, sell your used gear, etc….come and join.”

English speaking group in which Beijing Mamas / Parents can share resources and ask questions. Topics cover children from all ages, parenting questions, recommendations, playgroup meetings, birth, breastfeeding, pregnancy, hospitals and birth info, school concerns… You can also find second hand baby stuffs.

2 China Mamas of Tweens & Teens (Yahoo! Group)

An open forum for parents of kids 8 yrs old and older living in China to share and connect on the challenges and joys of raising older kids here. A place where you can come and and get answers to questions unique to kids that are in between (tween) childhood and teenage-hood, and those interesting teen years.

Share an experience; a place you’ve been to recently with your tween/teen that they loved; shops that actually carry clothes that are the right size and aren’t branded with a character; how to handle first crushes? It’s all open!

3 Bumps2Babes (email newsletter)

Beijing Bumps2Babes is a network of English speaking mums. Founded in 2013, over 100 participants have regular group meetings around Beijing. Volunteer organize activities / meetings or Bumps2Babes Playgroups for mums, bumps, babes and families. beijingbumps2babes@gmail.com

Note: Specific bumps2babes meetups will have corresponding WeChat groups.

4 Parent Support Group – Beijing (Yahoo! Groups)

Welcome to the meeting place for special parents with special kids. We hope you benefit from the company of the other parents!

We trust that the information shared within the group will remain within the group. The Moderators cannot be held responsible for any individual member’s actions contrary to this.

5 beijingkids Community (Facebook)

The beijingkids Facebook Community aims to unite Beijing’s international community pre-Beijing and post-Beijing.  Join before your Beijing adventure to ask questions and find useful resources, and stay in our community post-Beijing to stay up-to-date on the overall Beijing community and local news.  While in Beijing, stay to help our fellow expats and returnees.

Other communities you might be interested in:

Sew Gorgeous (Facebook volunteer sewing group)

Beijing Guild (crafting group)

Our Lady of China

Kehillat Jewish Community (synagogue)

Capital Community Church

Congregation of the Good Shepherd

Beijing Playgroup (Meetup)

Beijing Working Moms with Young Kids (Meetup)

Beijing Homeschoolers (Yahoo! Group)

Did you not find a suitable community for yourself?  Are the communities not as active as you’d wish?  Start a new community and let us know about it!

Photos: Flickr, US Department of Agriculture

Much to our surprise, both Hungry Horse and Starbucks re-opened last week!  The summer rain may have delayed construction schedules somewhat, but both are back in business just in time for all the expat families to return for school.

A few other changes to note:

Jessie Tailor has moved from Euro Plaza’s basement location to a spot right next door to Jenny Wang.  And not far away, located where the store Bizarre was for a very short time, there is a new clothing store called Variety (by the way, they are currently having a grand opening sale).

I have yet to venture by Cathay View Garden to see what is new, but one restaurant is worth noting already.  Switch Café is now open to the public, and I am eager to visit the general manager tomorrow – more specific info to come in Friday’s blog.  However, put it on your calendars now for the grand opening party they will host this Saturday, August 25 from 2-6pm.  A family-friendly celebration will showcase for you a new place to dine!

Looking for something positive your kids can attend?  Every Wednesday evening are two get-togethers for kids in Middle School and High School at Capital Community Church (located in the Beijing Arts Exhibition Center, next to Beidong Flower Market).  Bongos is for kids in grades 6-8 (meets from 6-8pm) and Rev is for those in grades 9-12 (meets from 7-9pm).  You don’t need to be a member of the church to come – it’s a time to sing, play games, eat snacks and experience fellowship together.  Go to www.capitalcommunitychurch.net for more information.

Something to plan ahead for in September – Roundabout will have its first book fair at the British School Beijing (Shunyi) on Saturday, September 8 from 10am-3pm.  They will also host a community party for the official opening of its new location on Saturday, September 15 from 1-5pm.  More info on these coming up, but be sure to mark your calendars with the dates!

Tai Tai tennis (ladies doubles) is about to begin – registration will take place on Thursday, August 30 at Jamaica Blue Café by Yosemite from 10am-noon.  Cost is RMB 200; call 136 5134 6314 or email beijingpennant@yahoo.com for more details.