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Our 4th edition of the Cost was created in Autumn 2014 and looks specifically at the secret church around the world. Plus there's also an update of our #weareN campaign...
Citation preview
tired yet?
can you keep a
secret?
#wearen
iraq stats
suMMer stats
www.opendoorsyouth.org fB.com/opendoorsyouth @opendoorsyouth
GOT THE MAG? Tweet us @opendoorsyouth to let us know what you think!
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INSIDE THIS EDITION
AUTMUN 2014 EDITION #4
North Korea / Somalia / Syria / Iraq / Afghanistan / Saudi Arabia / Maldives / Pakistan / Iran / Yemen / Sudan / Eritrea / Libya / Nigeria / Uzbekistan / Central African Republic / Ethiopia / Vietnam / Qatar / Turkmenistan / Laos / Egypt /
Burma/Myanmar / Brunei / Colombia / Jordan / Oman / India / Sri Lanka / Tunisia / Bhutan / Algeria / Mali / Palestinian Territories / United Arab Emirates / Mauritania / China / Kuwait / Kazakhstan / Malaysia / Bahrain / Comoros / Kenya
/ Morocco / Tajikistan / Djibouti / Indonesia / Bangladesh / Tanzania / Niger / North Korea / Somalia / Syria / Iraq / Afghanistan / Saudi Arabia / Maldives / Pakistan / Iran / Yemen / Sudan / Eritrea / Libya / Nigeria / Uzbekistan / Central
African Republic / Ethiopia / Vietnam / Qatar / Turkmenistan / Laos / Egypt / Burma/Myanmar / Brunei / Colombia / Jordan / Oman / India / Sri Lanka / Tunisia / Bhutan / Algeria / Mali / Palestinian Territories / United Arab Emirates /
Mauritania / China / Kuwait / Kazakhstan / Malaysia / Bahrain / Comoros / Kenya / Morocco / Tajikistan / Djibouti / In-donesia / Bangladesh / Tanzania / Niger / North Korea / Somalia / Syria / Iraq / Afghanistan / Saudi Arabia / Maldives / Pakistan / Iran / Yemen / Sudan / Eritrea / Libya / Nigeria / Uzbekistan / Central African Republic / Ethiopia / Vietnam / Qatar / Turkmenistan / Laos / Egypt / Burma/Myanmar / Brunei / Colombia / Jordan / Oman / India / Sri Lanka / Tunisia /
Bhutan / Algeria / Mali / Palestinian Territories / United Arab Emirates / Mauritania / China / Kuwait / Kazakhstan / Ma-laysia / Bahrain / Comoros / Kenya / Morocco / Tajikistan / Djibouti / Indonesia / Bangladesh / Tanzania / Niger / North Korea / Somalia / Syria / Iraq / Afghanistan / Saudi Arabia / Maldives / Pakistan / Iran / Yemen / Sudan / Eritrea / Libya
/ Nigeria / Uzbekistan / Central African Republic / Ethiopia / Vietnam / Qatar / Turkmenistan / Laos / Egypt / Burma/Myanmar / Brunei / Colombia / Jordan / Oman / India / Sri Lanka / Tunisia / Bhutan / Algeria / Mali / Palestinian Territo-ries / United Arab Emirates / Mauritania / China / Kuwait / Kazakhstan / Malaysia / Bahrain / Comoros / Kenya / Morocco / Tajikistan / Djibouti / Indonesia / Bangladesh / Tanzania / Niger / North Korea / Somalia / Syria / Iraq / Afghanistan / Saudi Arabia / Maldives / Pakistan / Iran / Yemen / Sudan / Eritrea / Libya / Nigeria / Uzbekistan / Central African Re-
public / Ethiopia / Vietnam / Qatar / Turkmenistan / Laos / Egypt / Burma/Myanmar / Brunei / Colombia / Jordan / Oman / India / Sri Lanka / Tunisia / Bhutan / Algeria / Mali / Palestinian Territories / United Arab Emirates / Mauritania / China / Kuwait / Kazakhstan / Malaysia / Bahrain / Comoros / Kenya / Morocco / Tajikistan / Djibouti / Indonesia / Bangladesh
/ Tanzania / Niger / North Korea / Somalia / Syria / Iraq / Afghanistan / Saudi Arabia / Maldives / Pakistan / Iran / Yemen / Sudan / Eritrea / Libya / Nigeria / Uzbekistan / Central African Republic / Ethiopia / Vietnam / QataR
POST
AGE P
AID
www.opendoorsyouth.org/secretchurch | #secretchurch Free re
sources to help you
hold a Secret Church meeting
website
Visit www.opendoorsyouth.org/secretchurch to order or download your free resources
Millions of Christians have to keep their faith hidden. Church for them is different. They meet in cellars, forests and fields. They gather early in the morning, or late at night. They memorise the Bible and worship in silence. Above all else, they are desperate to meet with Jesus.
Order our free, new Secret Church pack to worship with your persecuted family.
Packed full of ideas to help you plan a covert meeting, this experience will help you and your group see how much following Jesus can cost. Be challenged by the faith and passion of persecuted Christians… this is church unlike anything you’ve ever experienced.
Find out more about Secret Christians and how they do church on page 4.
Have you been waking up with us over the last few weeks? we’ve been sending out early morning emails to everyone who’s signed up to our ‘It’s Time to wake up’ campaign.
But we’re not the only one’s trying to meet with Jesus at crazy hours.
Despite fear of arrest or punishment, Pasha – a teenager from Iran
- and his friends regularly meet between midnight and 2 o’clock
in the morning to pray, encourage one another and worship Jesus.
Tired, weary and constantly watching out for police or informants,
they meet like this to avoid being seen - in Iran almost all Christian
activity is illegal.
For most of us, it’s hard enough to get up for church on a Sunday, let
alone think about being up for a meeting ‘til 2 in the morning! But
maybe Pasha and his friends understand something that we’ve missed.
Isaiah promises that ‘they that wait on the Lord shall renew their
strength… they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not
faint’ (Isaiah 40:31).
More than sleep, a nice site down or lie-in, our true source of
strength is only found in God. That’s why despite the risk, Christians
around the world are totally committed to meeting together, often
in secret, dirty locations at ridiculous times of the day. There’s no
worship band or big name speaker. They just know that a simple
touch from Jesus can change everything (Luke 8:43), giving them the
courage and passion to keep going.
So, tired? Facing the impossible? Try waiting on God. Ask Him to
come, and see what happens. Give it time, but let God renew and
restore you. Go on, do it! Enjoy the rest of the mag – make sure you
drop us a line to say hello.
emma and dan open doors youth Team
open doors youthPO Box 6, Witney, Oxon, OX29 6WG
Cell +44 (0)1993 777300 desktop www.opendoorsyouth.org Email [email protected]
© 2014 Open Doors. Registered Charity in England and Wales No.1125684
WE’rE 60 NExT yEAr!We know, we don’t look it, but soon
we’ll qualify for a free bus pass! But
forget the zimmer or walking stick,
next year we’re planning a right-old
knees-up to celebrate all that God
has done with Open Doors since
Brother Andrew first smuggled
Bibles into the Soviet Union back in
1955. Keep your eyes peeled for
new campaigns, all new Blackout
stuff and special resources to use
next year.
NEW WEbSITEOk, not so new now as it’s been
live since July, but our website is
looking pretty swish and is updated
regularly with some great articles,
posts, news, prayer points, and
includes a whole host of resources
too. You’re welcome round for
a good nose about anytime
you fancy. Just head to www.opendoorsyouth.org and get in
touch if you’re a budding writer!
PrAyEr NEWSFor latest the very latest prayer
news and to take action visit
www.opendoorsyouth.org
NEWS
3
Yet?
Image by Flickr user Greta PPP
CAN you keep A
wANT THe LATeST NewS? LIKE US ON FACEBOOK OR FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
the cost / autuMn 2014 Feature articLe
CAN you keep A SeCReT?
Despite her toddler sense
of self-control, she does get
something important: the
best secrets shouldn’t in fact
be secrets for long. When it’s
good news - stuff we really
want to share - then at some
point the secret gets let loose.
Ever had mates get engaged or
someone you know tell you they
are expecting a baby? Those
are brilliant moments when
the secret gets out – times to
celebrate and have a party!
But imagine you knew some
amazing news that you just
couldn’t tell anyone. This isn’t
about bad news, but something
so utterly incredible that it could
change someone’s world.
That’s the situation millions of
followers of Jesus around the
world find themselves in today.
They’ve met Jesus, understood
he reveals God’s unending
love for his world and know he
can transform broken lives and
broken societies. But they can’t
say anything. They can’t share,
they can’t speak. In many
places, the news of Jesus - this
truth - is illegal. It’s deemed
dangerous, untraditional,
blasphemous or just wrong.
Anyone speaking about him
faces serious trouble. Jesus, the
best piece of news in all history,
has to be kept a secret.
The secret churchZigsa is from Tibet, and is
one of no more than 500
Christians in the region.
Believing in Jesus is a massive
risk: the threat of arrest, social
exclusion or violence is very
real for those whose secret is
discovered. Previously Zigsa
had been a Tibetan monk,
but as his life unravelled and
his family disowned him, he
thought of suicide. Amazingly
he had an incredible vision
of Jesus that pretty much
saved his life. As a result
Zigsa became an evangelist,
and now he helps organise
underground meetings. Up
to ten people gather in dark
rooms to sign songs under
their breath. They pray, share
the scriptures they know and
then leave. Zigsa helps lead
several groups with around
25-30 these believers – all of
whom met Jesus thanks to him.
In contrast, in other places
around the world, secret
my daughter is rubbish at keeping secrets. That’s fair enough - she’s only 3 and most of the secrets she’s been party to
involve birthday presents. Just before my last birthday, in her excitement, she pulled out a bunch of unwrapped, hidden
presents to show me exactly what the secret she knew was.
CAN you keep A
By Dan Etheridge
4
downLoad or request Free secret church resources at www.opendoorsyouth.org/secretchurch
the cost / autuMn 2014 Feature articLe
CAN you keep A SeCReT?
gatherings happen in the
open. Sometimes it is easier
to hide in plain sight. In North
Africa some Christians hold
prayer meetings in the middle
of busy restaurants. A group
of men, converts from Muslim
backgrounds, will gather and sit
around a table, ordering food
and drinks. They all take it in
turns to speak. No one would
know that they have gathered
to pray and encourage one
another. The noise of the
restaurant helps to protect their
secret meeting – it’s safer to
meet in the restaurant than talk
on the phone or send emails.
However in Eritrea believers
are more cautious in public,
being very careful to keep
their faith on the down-
low. Gabrielle was arrested
not long after becoming a
Christian. The police burst
into an underground prayer
meeting she was attending.
They imprisoned and tortured
her, but she didn’t reveal the
names of her secret brothers
and sisters. She was held for a
year, but on her release some
pastors went to visit her…
“We could see that she had suffered much, but her joy was very visible and quite overwhelming… instead of anger or fear, Gabrielle simply said ‘It was a honeymoon with Jesus’”
Around the world millions of
other Christians meet secretly
- some at dawn, some in the
middle of the night. Venues
and times differ, the form of
services and meetings will vary
massively, but one thing unites
all who attend these secret
gatherings: an unrelenting
passion to know Jesus.
more often I live like my faith is a secret… These are amazing people,
striving to follow Jesus no
matter what the cost. I find it
hard to not compare my faith
with theirs, and when I do I’m
deeply challenged. People like
Zigsa are forced to keep their
beliefs secret, but despite the
freedom I know living in the
UK, I’m realising that I live like
Jesus is a secret part of my
life. If someone was to look
at my life and hear my words,
I’m wondering if they’d ever
know I was a Christian.
The challenge for me (and maybe you) is that I not only stand with and support my hidden, secret family, but I use my freedom and privilege to live for Jesus as loudly and visibly as possible – surely He’s a secret worth sharing.
pRAy
Spend a while asking God to help the Secret Church...
1. Pray for people like Zigsa, the
Christians from North Africa and
Gabrielle as they continue to
meet secretly to worship Jesus.
2. Ask they would have
courage, boldness and passion
to keep the church alive and
growing in their countries.
do something: Get free resources to run a Secret Church meeting...
Head to opendoorsyouth.org to order your free Secret
Church pack. Inside you’ll
find session plans and ideas
on how to hold your own
secret meeting. Stretch your
faith by experiencing some of
the the day to day reality of
the underground church.
ACT
5
oN TwITTeR? USE THE #WEAREN TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
Life for Christians in Iraq since the end of the war in 2003 has not been good. Around 900,000 Christians have left in the last decade - but this year alone, thanks to the atrocities committed
by Islamic State (IS) militants, the situation on the ground is increasingly dire. Reports of massacres, beheadings and public
executions have become depressingly normal as IS soldiers have taken control of large parts of both Iraq and neighbouring Syria. Christians and other minority groups have been driven from their homes. whole cities have been cleansed of all who don’t conform
to a particular view of Islam. It really is shocking.
#WEAREN
6the cost / autuMn 2014
#Feature #weAReN
#WEAREN
MILLION
Get your tshirt and donwLoad resources at: www.opeNdooRSyouTH.oRG/weAReN
“It’s a chaos situation. We don’t
know what to do, where to go.
We have been moving around
so much in the past years.”
Raja, a Christian who fled mosul a few years ago
Faiez and his family fled Mosul
back in July after an ultimatum
by IS militants to convert,
pay a tax, leave or die. At a
checkpoint on the way out of
the city militant soldiers took
everything from them except
their clothes. They even took
his 9 year-old sons’ pocket
money – worth just 10p.
The loss of homes and
possessions is one thing,
but many others have faced
physical violence and seen
friends and family killed.
What We’re doing…Open Doors launched an
emergency appeal back in
July and we’re now supporting
3,000 displaced families each
month. Through a network of
partner churches these families
are receiving emergency relief
packs that contain essential
items such as food, water,
medicine and blankets. This
aid comes on the back of work
we’ve been doing with partners
and churches in Iraq for over
a decade – work which has
included providing Bibles,
Christian books and training,
counselling and even micro
loans to help Christians earn
a living.
do SoMething: the #Wearen caMpaign
This symbol is the letter ‘N’ in
Arabic. Pronounced ‘noon’, it is
used as shorthand for the word
Nasrani, a traditional Arabic
word that means Nazerene, or
Christian. IS militants in Mosul
used this symbol to identify
and target Christian homes
and businesses. In response all
Christians (like Faiez) fled.
We’re using this symbol as
a way of standing alongside
our church family in Iraq.
Put it on your social profile,
use the #wearen hashtag,
or buy one of our t-shirts
(order one using the form
sent with this magazine) to
spread awareness about
what is happening. All profits
from t-shirt sales go to our
relief work in Iraq and Syria.
You can also download our
prayer point fact sheet and
PowerPoints to use in your
church or youth group.
Get all this stuff and more at opendoorsyouth.org/wearen
7
pray noW…• Pray for healing and
protection for Christians
traumatised by the violence
• For safety of our partners
and churches who
are offering relief and
counselling
• For an end to the bloodshed
and instability
These figures illustrate just how crazy the situation is.
forced to flee their homes
civilian deaths from violence
churches destroyed or occupied in mosul
people displaced this year alone (uN Iraq)
MILLION
early morning Secret Church gatherings
Around
people signed up to wake up and pray with us
Raised from t-shirt sales for the persecuted church
messages written to Iranian prisoners and
secret Christians in North korea
Tasty campfire meals with awesome youth groups
Seminars attended by
well over 1000 peoplewe’re a bit sad that
the summer-time has
been and gone. we’ve
loved getting out and
about seeing lots of
you at events like Soul
Survivor and New
wine, as well as other
smaller events and
camps. Here’s some
umbers from our time
with loads of you at
Soul Survivor…
Thanks to SyC2014!SYC 2014 is a youth camp with
a heart to see young people
connect with God and they
invited us to be part of their
2014 camp. The young people
at SYC raised an incredible
£2244.12 for Open Doors
Youth. Ginormous respect to all
involved – thanks so much. Find
out more about SYC at:
summeryouthcamp.co.uk
Want to do something and raise
money for your persecuted
family? You could have a bake
off and sell little cakes at the end
of church, do a sponsored run,
bunjee jump or even do some
(legal) busking! The options
are endless. Get in touch to let
us know what you’re planning:
on yer bike! In August a group from
Wolverhampton Pioneer
Ministries set themselves the
challenge of cycling 400 miles
in 4 hours to raise money for
Christians who’ve fled their
homes in Iraq. Each mile cycled
represented 1,000 displaced
people. The guys raised £185
throughout the afternoon… a
massive thanks to all involved!
what could
do?