On arrival, her online searches for English church services proved fruitless. However, one month later, on the recommendation of a friend, she joined the African Outreach Ministry (AOM) and was pleasantly surprised.

"Here you can have the African kind of service, so you feel like you are at home, because the way we worship and pray, [and] even the songs we sing, are almost the same [as being back home]," she told ChinAfrica.

The AOM was founded by a dozen Africans living and studying in China in 2005, under the auspices of the Beijing International Christian Fellowship (BICF) - an international non-denominational church in Beijing which dates back to 1980.

"We wanted to create a family environment for Africans living in Beijing, to worship God in their African style and in their various languages, and to be able to grow spiritually and in their practical day-to-day lives," Favour Ibom, Pastor of the AOM, told ChinAfrica. Ibom is a Nigerian who has been working in AOM since it was founded.

Over the past 12 years, with the increase of the number of Africans coming to China, the number of the AOM churchgoers attending the Sunday morning service has grown from less than 20 to more than 200, while the number reaches 350 on big occasions such as Christmas and Easter, according to Ibom.

"Our vision is to reach out and impact the African community in Beijing with the love and life of Jesus Christ," he said.

Ibom is also conscious of the need to work within the Chinese law in relation to religion. He said that the Chinese Government handles religious affairs in strict compliance with the law and protects normal religious activities of foreigners in China. "As long as you conduct religious activities in accordance with the law and regulations, your rights and interests will be guaranteed here in China," he said.

Feeling at home

Pastor Favour Ibom preaches the word of God at AOM 2017 New Year service on January 1, 2017

AOM's services place great emphasis on fervent prayer, celebratory African singing and dancing, in-depth worship and powerful teaching of the word of God.

"Worship through music is very important to Africans. The African way of worship is very celebratory, vibrant and engaging," said Ibom. "At AOM, people feel free to express themselves in worship as there are no restrictions."

And with regards to the preaching, Tene said, "As long as it's an African way of preaching, you will feel at home, no matter you find yourself in China, in the United States, in Russia or anywhere in the world."

Tene's colleague Liteboho Mahula, an editor with the Lesotho News Agency, echoed her sentiment. "One will feel lonely when you are in a totally different environment, especially when you are away from your regular church services you normally have at home. But now I still feel at home when I go to the church here in China," she said.

Gloria Okolo, a Nigerian woman professional, has worked in the Beijing office of a Nigerian company for several years. She said she has a sense of belonging in the church. "Our families are far away from us, but this church is like a bigger family. Here we have our mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers who we can talk with and can ask any question," she said.

A helping hand

The church also offers help to the worshipers in need. Tene said after she attended the church for the first time and introduced herself, she was later emailed by other concerned worshipers who offered her prayers and help if needed. "They always care about you and how you live. If you encounter some problems, they would like to help you anytime," she said.

"Whenever you find any problem, no matter it's a physical or spiritual problem, a financial or an emotional problem, they are willing to help and will make sure the problem is solved," said Okolo.

Okolo recalled when she first came to China, she found out that Chinese language was difficult to learn and felt frustrated. Some of the congregates gave her some Chinese language teaching DVDs and books, which were very helpful.

For the newcomers to a big city like Beijing, AOM is a good place to go, Ibom suggested.

"Considering the vast cultural differences and the huge population in China, it's so easy to find yourself feeling lonely and missing home. So it's important to get connected in the family of the church," he said, adding that people in the church who have been living in Beijing for years can always give practical suggestions to newcomers about how to quickly adapt to the environment.

Sharing and learning

In addition to the Sunday morning 90-minute service, AOM has other mid-week and weekend programs and activities to nurture the fellowship and to reach out to more people beyond the Sunday service.

AOM also has several sub-ministries such as Sons of Abraham for men, Daughters of Zion for women, Christ Ambassadors for diplomats and Glory Encounter for young people.

For instance, the women's fellowship every Tuesday evening is a programmed event, with a speaker and workshop that covers a wide range of topics from women's health and empowerment to how to be good wives and mothers.

"We gather together to study the Bible, share things about life and women, organize workshops, and celebrate events, such as newborn babies and weddings," said Okolo.

Ibom said the women's fellowship aims at equipping women with practical teaching to become virtuous women at every season in their lives, whether as wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, homemakers or employees.

"In addition, we have community groups of mixed gender and age groups set up according to members' geographical locations in the city, which help congregants to interact and journey together in their spiritual walk on a daily basis through social media platforms and arranged physical meetings," said Ibom.

However, the church services are not limited to Africans only. Everyone who loves the African style of worship is welcome to join the AOM.

"We have people from non-African countries who have made AOM their home during their time here in Beijing. It is our desire to see people from all walks of life, Africans and friends of Africans, come and experience family love, care, comfort and genuine friendships," Ibom concluded.