RESPOND: SEND SOME LIGHT THROUGH YOUR WHOLE CHURCH!

Our gifts and prayers can support persecuted children like Fasil and Ezana have a brighter future. Every £30 could give a month’s education to five children impacted by persecution – an amazing way you can send some light this Christmas!

Open Doors founder Brother Andrew said “If we realised the power of our prayers, we would be on our knees 100 times a day asking God to turn the world upside down” so let’s involve our church in supporting and praying as much as possible over Christmas. 

Below are several ideas that could be done as part of a youth group, during a church service or on a table after the service. We have put them together in a plan but please do adjust them to best fit your group. It would be great for as much of this as possible to be led by the young people. 

1. PLAY THIS Game:

Watch this example

After you have played the game with a few people from the church explain that candles and light are such a big part of celebrating Christmas. We want the Light of Christmas, Jesus, to not be blown out after these few short days but to continue on for the rest of our lives. Watch this video (Fasil and Ezana) to see what steps the church in Ethiopia is taking to grow children in the light of Christ. 

2. Watch THIS video 

Say: This Christmas, your prayers and gifts can support persecuted children like Fasil and Ezana to have a brighter future. The church school they attend, has dreams to expand, to provide school for all the children in their community and they need our prayers and support. Every £30 could provide a month’s education to five children impacted by persecution. 

After the service we will have a couple of ways to respond, opportunities to give what you can, opportunities to pray because we can all pray.  

3. Response 

After the service we suggest you have two tables set up, one to encourage financial support and one to encourage prayer. 

Financial support

Purchase tea lights before the service. Explain that we are sending some light this Christmas to the persecuted church. For a donation, they can light a candle as a symbol of support for our persecuted family and make a display of lit candles. 

Prayer

On a separate table, lay out strips of coloured paper to make some paper chains with (you’ll need a stapler or good glue to stick them together). Encourage everyone to take a strip and write or draw their prayer for children like Fasil and Ezana on it. They can then add it to everyone else’s strips. Encourage the church to hang or display the chain over Christmas as a reminder to keep praying for the persecuted church during this time. 

Please do send in any pictures of your church or youth group taking part to youth@opendoorsuk.org or our instagram @opendoorsyouthuk.

Any donations made can be sent to us online here… Thank you!

Back to the ‘Send Some Light’ Christmas page…

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