Kids of Courage Lesson Plan for Teachers

2015 International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

DAY OF PRAYER

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Parents and Teachers Throughout the Bible, God reminds His children of His faithfulness to those who have gone before them. (See Deuteronomy 6:20–25.) Christians have encouraged one another with stories of obedience and loyalty to God under pressure (Hebrews 11) and witnessed to others using stories of bold believers (Acts 7).

As “links in the chain” of witnesses for Christ, it is our privilege and responsibility to teach our children to remember and pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who experience God’s faithfulness in times of persecution.

Introduction

Ask: What is persecution?

Possible answers: Persecution can mean someone is teased, picked on, or made fun of. Or it can mean someone is arrested, put in jail, or injured. They might even die.

Ask: Why do you think Christians are persecuted?

Possible answers: Because the persecutors do not believe in Jesus. Or they want Christians to deny Jesus and follow another religion. In the Bible, Jesus says, “A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. ... But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me” (John 15:20–21).

Ask: Why do we talk about Christians who are persecuted?

Possible answers: Christians who trust God in hard times are good examples for us. They teach us how to pray for them and help them. The Bible says, “Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering (Hebrews 13:3, NIV).

The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church is one way we remember Christians who are suffering and mistreated.

Instructions The following lesson plan is designed to help you guide children to remember and pray for those who lack our freedom to worship and serve God. Choose the activities most appropriate for your students and your setting. As you teach the lesson, encourage students to pray for the persecuted not just one day a year, but throughout the year and throughout their lives.

Lesson Plan

To protect their identities, the names of some of the people in this lesson plan and some identifying details have been changed. Some of the quotes and stories have been edited and paraphrased from the original sources for clarity.

The Voice of the Martyrs, P.O. Box 443, Bartlesville, OK 74005-0443 918-337-8015 • www.persecution.com • www.kidsofcourage.com

Puppet SkitInstructions To make a stick puppet stage, cut a window out of the top half of the large section of a science-fair display board. Decorate the board if desired. Set it on a desk or table with the decorated side facing the audience. Photocopy the puppets on p. 4 for each child to color and take home. Tape a craft stick on the puppets so that each stick extends about 5 inches below the puppet. Use some of their puppets for the skit. If desired, make a “jail” out of a rectangular piece of cardboard, with slits cut from it to form bars, and attach it to a stick also.

Perform the skit on p. 5. For younger children, the teacher may read all the parts, and the children can take turns displaying the appropriate puppets through the stage window.

Variation: Have the students perform the skit without puppets. Make a jail out of strands of crepe paper hung from the ceiling.

After the Skit: Discussion Questions • What did the leaders want the apostles to stop doing?

• Who let the apostles out of jail?

• What did the apostles do after they left the jail?

• Why do you think they did that even though they knew they would probably be punished again?

• What did the apostles do after they were punished the second time?

• Why were they happy?

For Older Students Sometimes God is honored when Christians suffer for His name. Sometimes He is honored when He sets people free from danger. Do the people who suffer and die for Christ have less faith than the ones who are set free? Probably not. Most of Jesus’ disciples died because they followed Him, and they had great faith. In some countries, Christians are still put in jail today for their faith.

A Vietnamese Christian girl drew this picture of her father in jail.

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Refusing to Be Quiet

Characters: 6 narrators, Peter, 1 or more apostles, 2 or more leaders, angel

Narrator 1: After Jesus died and was taken up to heaven, the apostles told many people about Him and about how to become His followers.

Narrator 2: But some leaders did not want people to follow Jesus.

Narrator 3: So they put the apostles in jail. An angel came to the jail during the night and let them out.

Angel: Go! Tell the people about new life in Jesus!

Narrator 4: The apostles went back to teaching the people. The leaders were surprised to find the jail empty! They brought the apostles before them.

Leaders: (to apostles) We told you not to teach people about Jesus!

Peter: We must obey God …

Apostles: … rather than human beings!

Narrator 5: The leaders let the apostles go, but they told their officers to beat them first.

Narrator 6: After they were beaten, Peter and the apostles left. They rejoiced because they had been allowed to suffer for Jesus! And they continued to teach people about Jesus.

Indonesian prisoner greets his wife

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What Would You Do? — 1Background Most people in Pakistan are Muslims. Many Muslims in Pakistan get along with Christians. But Christians may be harshly persecuted by Muslims who are radical in their faith.

Story Rehman is a Muslim boy in Pakistan. “I belong to a poor family,” Rehman said. “Most of my friends are Christians, but we get along peacefully.”

One day Rehman went to visit his friend, Samuel. When Rehman came into Samuel’s house, he heard Samuel and some friends talking about their new book, The Story of Jesus. The boys were saying that Jesus heals people.

Rehman’s older brother had been sick for many years, and Rehman wanted to know more about how Jesus heals. He asked Samuel if he could borrow the book and take it home.

Muslims in Pakistan who decide to follow Jesus often face serious persecution. Even their families may treat them harshly. Both Rehman and Samuel could get in trouble if the wrong people learned that Samuel shared the book with Rehman.

Ask If you were Samuel, would you let Rehman take the book home? What would you do?

Share Samuel let him borrow the book, and he even invited Rehman to Sunday school, where the Christian children prayed for Rehman’s brother. Rehman kept the book a secret from his family. But he shared what he was learning about Jesus with his brother, who began to feel much better.

More to Discuss • What books do your friends see when they visit your house? Do they ever hear people

sharing with each other what they have learned about Jesus?

• Some people think it is not polite to talk with non-Christians about Christian beliefs. What do you think?

• Rehman has not yet trusted Jesus as his Savior. How can we pray for him?

Teachers You may want to give each student a Christian book or pamphlet to share with someone during the week.

Pakistani boys reading Bible

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What Would You Do? — 2Dr. Easo and his wife, Rachel, are Christians in Syria. They share the gospel in their country, even though a civil war makes travel and witnessing for Christ difficult. Most Syrians are Muslims, and some of them are not friendly to Christians.

One day, the Easos went to a rural village to share the love of God with the villagers. On the way, government soldiers stopped their car at a checkpoint. A checkpoint is a barrier where drivers must stop so soldiers can check their cars for bombs or other dangerous materials.

A guard searched the Easos’ bag and found a big stack of Bibles. “Why do you have so many Bibles in your bag?” the guard asked. “Are you a priest?”

“I am only a doctor,” Dr. Easo answered. “But this book has changed my life. I can give you a Bible. Please try to read Matthew 5, 6, and 7.”

The doctor noticed another soldier watching nearby. So he asked the man if he wanted a Bible, too. The soldier said no. Dr. Easo and Rachel passed through the checkpoint.

Another Stop Later that day, the Easos drove through the checkpoint again. After they passed through and started to drive away, they heard a guard shout, “Hey, come back here!” The guard was the one who had refused a Bible earlier in the day.

The doctor was scared. “If I don’t answer him, he might shoot us,” he said to Rachel. “But if we go back, there could be problems.” The Easos knew that Christians in Syria have been threatened and kidnapped.

Ask If you were the Easos’ children and you were in the car with them, what would you want your parents to do?

Share Rachel thought about their choices, then said, “Let’s go back.” When they returned to the checkpoint, the guard asked them, “Do you have another Bible for us? I need it to be the same one you gave my friend before.”

Dr. Easo was happy to give the guard a Bible. He and Rachel smiled and waved to the guards as they drove away. They were thankful that God was working through them to tell others about Jesus.

Optional Let the students act out the Easos’ encounter with the guards.

Syrian boy praying

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What Would You Do? — 3Story Aaron came to faith in Jesus when he was in elementary school. But he didn’t tell his family. Like many other people in Sudan, they were Muslims. They would not want Aaron to leave their religion and follow Jesus.

But after a while, Aaron’s family discovered his secret. His father invited some Muslim leaders to their house. He wanted the Muslims to change Aaron’s mind about being a Christian.

Students in Sudan have to pay fees to attend school. Aaron’s parents and the Muslim leaders told him he had a choice.

1. He could continue serving Jesus. If he made that choice, his parents would quit paying his school fees, and he would have to drop out of school. They would also kick him out of their family.

2. Or he could return to Islam and keep going to school and living in their house. (Islam is the religion of Muslims.)

Ask If you were Aaron, what would you do?

Share Aaron would not deny Jesus. His parents told him to leave their home immediately. They stopped paying his school fees.

Christians help Aaron sometimes, and they pay his school fees for a time. So he goes to school off and on. It will probably take him a long time to finish school that way. But Aaron says it is better to attend school part time than to go back to Muslim teachings.

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Hidden Pictures Provide photocopies of the following page to students. Explain that Christians in North Korea are not allowed to have Christian books and materials in their homes. So they find places to hide Bibles, USB devices, and DVDs with Christian stories recorded on them. Ask the children to color the page and to find 4 Bibles, 4 DVDs, and 4 USB devices hidden in the picture. Answers are in the Answer Key.

Prayer Cards Photocopy and cut out the prayer cards on pp. 10 and 11. To make sturdier cards, print them on cardstock and/or laminate them. Read the information on the cards to the students. Divide the students into groups to pray for the children on the cards. Discuss what they might pray about. Make extras to send home with the students if desired.

Aaron

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Find

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Prayer Cards

Baby — Nigeria

Naigaga Saidha — Uganda

A Brave Son — Colombia

Rehman — Pakistan

The baby and her mother had to hide in the woods for two weeks during attacks on their village by radical Muslims. The baby got sick and had to go to the hospital after they got out of the woods.

Naigaga, a teenage girl in Uganda, was kicked out of her Muslim family when she became a Christian. She moved in with a family that cares for children after their families no longer want them.

One day a guerrilla soldier came to a pastor’s house in Colombia. He kicked in the door and demanded, “Bring the pastor!” But the pastor was not at home. His 8-year-old son boldly said to the guerrilla, “Are you here to hurt my father? If you are, we won’t be friends.”

The man laughed and patted the boy on the head. He asked the boy to pray for him, and then he disappeared back into the jungle.

Rehman, a Muslim, is learning about Jesus from a friend. Pray that he will want to trust in Jesus as his Savior.

Nigerian baby

Woman and children in UgandaPakistani boys reading Bible

Guerrilla soldier

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Prayer Cards

Aaron — Sudan

Vani’s Daughter — India

The Easos — Syria

Eugenia’s Son — Chiapas, Mexico

Aaron’s Muslim family would no longer pay his school fees after he became a Christian. They also made him leave their home.

A Christian widow in India went to jail after she shared the truth about Jesus with a teenage girl. Then she shared the gospel with more than 70 prisoners! Sadly, she died after she got out of jail, leaving her 8-year-old daughter an orphan.

The Easos share the Good News of Jesus with people in Syria. Their work is made difficult by a war in Syria and by some unfriendly Muslims.

Eugenia’s son helps her distribute Bibles and care packages to people in need. He was injured while protecting Eugenia from an attack by people who don’t like their Christian work.

Aaron

Vani and her daughter

Eugenia’s son

Syrian boy praying

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IDOP ActivitiesDouble Country Word Find

Photocopy the puzzle below. Hidden in the puzzle are the names of seven countries where Christian activities are limited in some way. Each country’s name is hidden TWICE. Look for the following countries running vertically (up and down), horizontally (across), or diagonally (slanted): IRAQ, CHINA, NIGERIA, NORTH KOREA, INDIA, VIETNAM, ALGERIA.

Answers are in the Answer Key.

N O R T H K O R E A

V I E T N A M A Z Y

N I B C C I N D I A

I I E W H T G S H A

G C G T I I W I C L

E X D E N R N R H G

R E V F R A A A I E

I N D I A I M Q N R

A L G E R I A U A I

N O R T H K O R E A12

IDOP ActivitiesGroup Activity: Remembering Those in Prison

Hebrews 13:3 (NIV): Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

In some countries where VOM works, Christians are imprisoned in cells about 8 feet wide and 10 feet long. Measure off an 8- by 10-foot space. Ask six or eight volunteers to sit in the space and act as “prisoners.”

Give each pair of prisoners a 12- to 18-inch long piece of rope or string. Let one prisoner in each pair hold one end of the rope while the other prisoner holds the other end. Have someone read Hebrews 13:3 aloud. The verse tells us to remember Christians who are in prison as if we were there with them. It would be hard to forget someone who was in prison with you, especially if they were chained or tied with you!

Let the prisoners talk about where they would sit, sleep, and keep their belongings if they had to stay in the cell for a long time. The paired prisoners who are bound together will have to take each other’s needs into consideration.

Encourage the group to remember persecuted Christians with whom they can be “bound” in prayer just as the volunteers in your group are “bound” to each other.

Balloon Prayers Inflate two balloons (or punch balls). On one balloon write the names of some of the countries where Christians are persecuted (suggestions: China, India, Egypt, Nigeria, North Korea, Colombia, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran).

On the second balloon, write specific prayer requests for Christians in restricted countries (examples: government leaders, unity among Christians, comfort, peace, Christian prisoners, Bibles, encouragement, strength, daily needs, Christian families).

Have a leader throw the country balloon to one of the children in a group. The child notes and remembers the country closest to his or her right thumb and passes the balloon to another child. The leader throws the second balloon to the child who caught the first one. The child notes the prayer request nearest his or her thumb and prays for the country and topic. For example, if the country is China and the topic is government leaders, the child will pray for government leaders in China.

(Variation: The entire group can join the child in praying for the request.)

Christian bound in India

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IDOP ActivitiesMake a Paper Chain As a prayer reminder for our brothers and sisters in chains, make a paper chain out of strips of construction paper. On each strip, write the name of a persecuted Christian or an area of the world where Christians are persecuted. Link the strips, and tape or staple the ends together.

Write to Persecuted Christian Prisoners Visit the PrisonerAlert.com website to find stories of current and released Christian prisoners around the world. Follow the instructions for writing prisoners in their own language.

To write to a prisoner, click on the name of a prisoner, and then click on “Write an Encouraging Letter.” Follow the instructions to complete the process. To send your own greeting, continue the process until you get to the step in which a prisoner’s address is shown. Use the address to mail a personal greeting. Find more instructions by clicking on “Be an Advocate,” then “Writing to Prisoners.” Go to a post office to find out how much postage you will need to mail the letter.

Bible Smuggling In the 1800s, three Koreans traveled to China to find work. While they were in China, someone shared the gospel with them. They decided to follow Jesus! The men wondered how they could take the Good News to the people in their home country, where it was against the law to preach the gospel.

They decided to try to smuggle a Bible into Korea. The first man hid a Bible in his pack of belongings and started out on the long journey home. When he got to Korea, officials found the Bible and executed him. The same thing happened to the second man when he tried to hide and smuggle his Bible. The third man carefully tore out the pages of his Bible. He folded each page into a narrow strip. Then he wove the strips into a long rope and tied his pack with the rope. He easily got past the guards at the border with his Bible rope. After he untied the rope and put the Bible back together, he shared the gospel wherever he went. (Source: On This Day by Robert J. Morgan)

Today Christians still smuggle Bibles into difficult places. But often their Bibles are on USB devices or DVDs. Ask one student to leave the room while others hide a DVD or USB device in a suitcase full of clothes and other items. When the student returns, time how long it takes him or her to find the hidden “Scriptures” in the suitcase. Repeat the activity with other students trying to find the item.

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IDOP ActivitiesRecipes Three of the countries where Christians are persecuted today are Syria, Pakistan, and Sudan. Have your class serve one or more of the recipes below to another class or group. Let the students share a story of a persecuted Christian from the country with the other group. Use stories from this Lesson Plan, or find additional stories at www.kidsofcourage.com.

Pakistan Mango Drink Puree 1 cup of chopped mango in a blender with ½ cup of chilled orange juice and 3 tablespoons of honey. Combine with 2 cups of milk in a mixing bowl and whisk until frothy. Pour into glasses to serve. Note: You may substitute 1 cup of chilled mango nectar for the chopped mango. If nectar is used, a blender is not necessary. Just mix the ingredients in a bowl.

South Sudan Mush One of the main foods in South Sudan is like cornmeal mush. It is the custom for Sudanese people to pull off a lump of the mush and make a dent in it with their thumb. Then they use it to scoop up stews or sauces and eat it. In some areas, families have only mush to eat and nothing else.

Note to teachers: Your students may not like the mush. The food is an example of what may be available in refugee camps. Many people from the Nuba Mountain region of Sudan have been driven to these camps by Sudanese soldiers who attack Christians and non-Arabs.

Mix ¾ cup of flour (or cornmeal) with 1 cup of milk. Boil 1 cup of water, and slowly add the flour mixture to it, stirring constantly as you reduce the heat to low. Continue stirring, and add ½ cup more flour. Stir until smooth and until the dough begins to stick together. Cool.

Barazek: Syrian Cookies

Toast ⅓ cup of sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat, stirring until the seeds are golden brown. Pour the seeds in a bowl, and stir in 2 teaspoons of honey. Set aside. Mix 2½ cups of flour, ¾ cups of sugar, and ½ teaspoon of baking powder. Add ½ cup of butter or margarine, stirring it into the mixture as you would if making pie crust. Add ⅓ cup of water, and stir just until dough forms. Add a little flour if it is too sticky to handle easily. (For even easier handling, chill for several hours.)

Use your hands to make dough balls that are larger than a marble and smaller than a table tennis ball. Flatten the balls somewhat, and put them on a lightly greased cookie sheet, leaving some space

between them. Spoon a little of the sesame seed and honey mixture onto the top of each cookie, and slightly press it into the top of the cookie. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes at 350 degrees until lightly browned.

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Answer Key

N O R T H K O R E A

V I E T N A M A Z Y

N I B C C I N D I A

I I E W H T G S H A

G C G T I I W I C L

E X D E N R N R H G

R E V F R A A A I E

I N D I A I M Q N R

A L G E R I A U A I

N O R T H K O R E A

Resources

Picture Books Each colorfully illustrated book introduces children to a courageous Christian who has inspired believers in their faith. The books feature the stories of Stephen, Paul, Thomas, Richard Wurmbrand, William Tyndale, John Bunyan, St. Patrick, St. Nicholas, and St. Valentine.

Torchlighters DVDs Each DVD includes a 30-minute animated feature, full-length documentary, reproducible study materials, and English and Spanish audio tracks. Videos feature Richard Wurmbrand, John Bunyan, Jim Elliot, William Tyndale, Gladys Aylward, Eric Liddell, Perpetua, Amy Carmichael, John Wesley, William Booth, Samuel Morris, Augustine, and Corrie ten Boom.

Kids of Courage Website Additional material to help teachers and parents explain persecution to children is available at www.kidsofcourage.com. The site includes more than 30 downloadable country/activity books, an interactive world map, charts comparing other religions with biblical Christianity, video clips, activities, and age-appropriate stories about current persecuted Christians around the world.

Heroes of the Faith

Current Topics

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Resources

Gifts

Letter Writing Kit Each kit includes eight prisoner profiles and eight self-mailers to help you write letters to imprisoned believers. Available in packs of 5, 10, 20, 50, or 100.

“Bound with Them” Wrist Band Remembrance bracelet made with two interlocking silicone bands. The bracelets are engraved with “Hebrews 13:3” and “Bound with Them.”

For prices and ordering information, or to find additional resources, see www.vombooks.com or call 800-747-0085.

Bible Covers Bible covers are available in three sizes.

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