persecuted
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Persecuted church
We hear about persecution but we aren't always able to appreciate its significance so here we have tried to include some ideas about how you can practically make people aware of the dangers and suffering that our brothers and sisters are going through for Jesus. It should make us be thankful for what we have, to pray harder for revival in our nations and to pray for these guys being persecuted, that through this the Gospel of Jesus would be proclaimed even more loudly!
The Bible
Hebrews 13.3 - Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
Resources
All the following sites produce excellent resources. Barnabas releases a magazine, resources and weekly email updates. Release have a poster of the persecuted church in the nations of the world, a magazine and do video updates. Open Doors do many of the same things too. Visit the websites, get resources and get praying.
Why? Because these are our family - our brothers and sisters and we must support them. Pray, take direct action and get involved. Today.
Ideas
1. An idea from Colin & Gillian A. Make a video (or an audio) recording of a pretend raid on a church in a country where people are persecuted for their faith.
Suggestions for noises on audio are around shreeks of fear, chairs being bundled over, shouting
Suggestions for video are get a group of people in a room together and have people burst in and do the same as what you're trying to get over via the audio - of people breaking up a church meeting and arresting people. Chairs go flying, some people run out, some carry on praying, others are hit and shouted at, some people try to resist..
2. Have people in a cage in the corner of the church or the room 'imprisoned' - make a mock jail with bars.
3. Confiscate everyone's Bibles and put them away from them
4. Separate men and women/children - different sides of the room
5. Maybe have the room in darkness as people have to do this to symbolise people having to meet in the dark so as not to attract attention
6. Have people come in pretending to be government enforcers against Christians or similar. Be very careful to play it down, not to wear masks, or shout too much to frighten people, especially in a mainstream service. I heard of a vicar who did something like this and armed police turned up!
7. Stories - the Christian fish symbol - where does it come from? It came from the early church you used it as a secret mark for their meetings
8. Story - of a military gunman who burst into a church in a persecuted country. He shouted 'everyone who's not a Christian get out of here'. Some people fled. It turned out he was secretly a Christian and knew the government had spies in churches and wanted to make sure he was with true believers.
Question - how would you react??
10. Get hold of a video - or find clips of churches in poorer or persecuted countries. Do a Powerpoint presentation to music or edit a video together / use clips. Use the above links to Barnabas / Release / Open Doors
Some of these ideas come from Jez and Helen F. Thanks to them too.
