Student Underground Leader's Guide: An Event Curriculum on the Persecuted Church (Paperback)

Chapter One

POINT

Christians are persecuted more than ever before. Your students can be sensitized to their plight and motivated to help.

AIMS

Your students should- * Discover the extent of persecution of Christians in the world; explore what God says concerning the persecuted.

* Feel surprise that people are persecuted and concern for them.

* Pray with the group about those who are persecuted.

THE BOOK

Matthew 5:10 John 15:20 1 Corinthians 12:26 Hebrews 13:3

SESSION OVERVIEW

WARM UP

THE BRUTAL FACTS (actually, four facts and a fib) 5 min.

WAKE UP [awareness]

BEHIND THE SUN part 1 30 min. (and if you want to, you can discuss it for 15-20 min.)

LOOK UP [Bible study]

WHAT DOE S GOD THINK ABOUT PERSECUTED PEOPLE? about 8 min.

FACE UP [what it all means to your students]

PRAYING FOR PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS IN SUDAN 10 min. or so

WRAP UP [option]

PRAYER CARDS 5 min.

Think of the Christians you know-would it surprise them to learn that more Christians have been martyred in the 20th century than in all of church history. There are abuses taking place in over 60 countries and affecting over 200,000,000 Christians worldwide. These Christians are imprisoned, often tortured and held without being charged or given a trial. Some are given death penalties or they simply "disappear" after being arrested. Other Christians suffer massacre, rape, brutal torture, beatings, mutilations, extortion, harassment, and family division. Churches and Christian schools are burned.

This is not a surprise to Jesus. He predicted that his followers would suffer just as he suffered (John 15:20). We are commanded to have a heart for those in prison-even when it's their fault! How much more should we care for brothers and sisters in Christ who are innocent and suffering for their faith (Hebrews 13:3).

This study opens your students' eyes to worlds they've never visited. It shifts the focus from me, myself, and I to people who don't look like them but who have faith in the same Jesus Christ. Yet these people risk so much-it can inspire your students. These sessions can also help them dispose of stereotypes they have about people of other cultures. Caring for people they don't know helps students practice empathy-which has been found to be a key character trait in overcoming the violence so prevalent today.

So these sessions are not just to teach teens facts about persecuted Christians, but also to expand their hearts to care about people who can't do a thing for them except inspire them.

* * *

WARM UP

THE BRUTAL FACTS (actually, four facts and a fib) 5 min.

STUFF YOU NEED

* Five strips cut from The Brutal Facts (page 16). Just before the meeting, give a strip to each of five students.

Before the meeting, cut up The Brutal Facts (page 16) and give each of the five strips to five students before the session. Ask them to present the fact as dramatically as possible when you call on them.

As the session begins, say something like this:

We have five well-known reporters of truth with us today and they're each going to give us an important fact about the persecution of Christians everywhere. But ... one of them is not stating the truth. Who do you think that is?

Then introduce each volunteer with something like-

Here's Brutal Fact Number 1, by [student's name].

Help students keep track of the statements by listing key words on a chalkboard or transparency for an overhead projector in an abbreviated form like the following:

1. more martyred in 20th century

2. one-third

3. more die today than in Roman Coliseum

4. a death every 3 1/2 minutes

5. 200 million Christians suffer

Then say to students-

Hold up your hand and show the number of fingers to indicate which statement you think is false. For example, if you think statement 2 is false, hold up 2 fingers.

After they've voted, state that number 2 is the false statement. It's not that one-third of the world's people live in areas where preaching of gospel is restricted in some way-two-thirds do.

* * *

WAKE UP [awareness]

VIEW THE VIDEO around 30 min.

STUFF YOU NEED

* The accompanying video Behind the Sun. View just part 1.

Show the first thirty minutes of the video Behind the Sun. (Stop at the point where Samir runs away from his uncle and cousin.) You may wish to explain that Samir is not a real person and these exact incidents didn't occur, but there are many people like Samir, and incidents like these occur frequently in restricted countries.

Have the desire and time to discuss the video?

If you want, take 15 to 20 minutes to give your group the chance to explore what they've seen of the video so far. These questions can jump start your discussion:

* How did Samir (pronounced saw-meer) suffer?

* Based on what you've seen in this video, what do you see are the strengths and weaknesses of family life in the Middle East?

* How did the pastor of the church suffer?

* Anything surprise you in the video? (among other things, maybe that Samir didn't hate Kamal for pretending to reject him)

* * *

LOOK UP [Bible study]

WHAT DOES GOD THINK ABOUT PERSECUTED PEOPLE about 8 min.

STUFF YOU NEED

* Copies of What Does God Think about Persecuted People? (page 17)

* Pencils or pens

* Bibles

Distribute copies of What Does God Think about Persecuted People?, Bibles, and pencils or pens. Work through the simple fillin-the-blank questions individually, as a large group, or divide into small groups for this activity. Spend as much or as little time as you want examining the Bible verses and the surrounding context of the verses, answering students' questions about them, etc. The verses come from the NIV; if your students' Bibles are a different translation, be ready to help them.

Here are the items your kids are filling in:

In the words of Jesus

* Blessed are those who are persecuted __________________ ___________________________________________________ ____________________________________ Matthew 5:10

* Remember the words I spoke to you: "No servant is greater than his master." If they ___________ me, they will _______ ____________ you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. John 15:20

What God says is the role of Christians who are not being persecuted:

* If one part suffers, ____________________________; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 1 Corinthians 12:26

* Remember those in prison as if you were ________________, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were ____________________. Hebrews 13:3

* * *

FACE UP [what it all means to your students]

PRAYING FOR PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS IN SUDAN 10 min. or so

STUFF YOU NEED

* Copies of Trauma file: Sudan (following page 17)

* Pencils or pens

Distribute copies of Trauma File: Sudan (following page 17), then say something like-

A ministry called Open Doors keeps files about restricted countries-including names and photos of Christians who are being persecuted. This is an example of what an Open Doors Trauma File might look like. The situations and people listed here are real people-and we're going to pray for them.

Explain to students you're going to read the Trauma File as a group, and every time something is read that indicates something they could pray about-a need, a problem-they should underline it. Work through the Trauma File this way:

* Ask a volunteer to read the first section on Sudan. Point out on the small map at the top that Sudan is just south of Egypt.

* Then ask a volunteer to read about Brother Joas (front side).

* Ask students to turn the sheet over; then read for them the bulleted item on the right.

* Ask a volunteer to read about Brother Tony.

Ask your students-

What do you feel that we should we pray for regarding persecuted Christians in Sudan?

Write their ideas on a chalkboard or overhead transparency. You may hear requests like these:

* Protection for Sudan Christians facing opposition from local tribes.

* Brother Joas as he receives training as a tutor.

* That civil administrators would allow Christians to be off on Sundays so they can worship.

* The village where Brother Tony lived that was destroyed.

* A stop to Christians being arrested and beaten.

* Brother Tony as he works with unreached peoples in mountain areas.

Ask students to voluntarily pray aloud for one of the prayer requests on your list. Close this prayer time by praying for students' awareness and concern for persecuted Christians.

* * *

WRAP UP [option]

PRAYER CARDS 5 min.

STUFF YOU NEED

* Enough Prayer Cards (pages 20-21) for all students. Photocopy and cut them apart before the meeting. Or order full-color, two-sided prayer cards from Open Doors (949-752-6600, fax 949-752-6442).

Photocopy Prayer Cards (pages 20-21) and cut them apart so you can distribute them among your students (unless you order the snappy cards from Open Doors, which arrive ready to hand out). The point is for students to choose a time to pray for the people named on the card during the next week-in the mornings when students arise, at mealtime (with family participation or alone), and before going to sleep.

PERSECUTION IS NOTHING NEW

Many Christians think that the times of persecution are over now that some communist governments have fallen. The truth is that Persecution of Christians is increasing-people suffer for Christ more than ever before. Jesus predicted persecution would come and urged other Christians to minister to suffering Christians. Even though these Christians are often persecuted in far-away countries, we can be of real help to them in certain ways.

(Continues...)