Filmed in an abandoned chapel in South Wales, Among the Ashes is a beautiful, evocative, inspiring film, which combines biblical reflection with stories from the persecuted church, to explore how lament can bring us hope and comfort, even in the darkest situations. It’s a subject which has a particular poignancy at this time.
“It’s important for Christians to reflect on lament,” says Dr Ron Boyd-Macmillan who presents the film and who has worked with Open Doors for over 35 years. “That transition from groaning to grace maybe the most important transition in the spiritual life. Especially in a time of suffering as we’re coming out of from Covid.”
To accompany the film, there is also a downloadable prayer outline which provides a simple framework to help people to pray for Christians who are among the ashes: whether in the persecuted church, or closer to home among friends, family and fellow Christians.
The chaos and losses of life
There’s so much about lament and sadness in the Bible because life was hard at all times
Dr Ron Boyd-Macmillan
Lament, of course, has a special place in scripture. Indeed, the film itself features a reflection on Psalm 6.
“There’s so much about lament and sadness in the Bible because life was hard at all times,” says Ron. “The most common type of psalm is the lament psalm. And that’s because many psalmists were struggling – they were struggling with life itself. You have a good harvest or not and it determined if you were alive or dead. There was war, there was plague, there was pestilence all around. And there was persecution too.
“And so lament really comes from the chaos and losses and hardships of life. And most Christians and most believers in biblical times lived in that environment. So they spoke out to God from where they were.”
‘From groaning to grace’
The message of the film is that while no-one wants to live among the ashes, it is a place where we can truly encounter God in a new and powerful way.
As Ron says, “We all have to go from that place of groaning, which is really where lament starts, to get to a point of receiving God – maybe not in the form of a nice explanation or a wonderful deliverance. But you definitely have a greater experience of a larger God.
“The experience of lament is the move from groaning to grace, and everybody needs to know how to get from one point to the other.”
Find out more about the film and register to download your free copy.
Tears of Gold is a powerful prayer resource for individuals and groups.
The pack consists of self-portraits of five amazing women, painted as part of a trauma-care workshops supported by Open Doors. Each of these women has been through unimaginable trauma. But, with God’s help, they have learnt that, through God’s love, tears of pain can become tears of gold.
On the reverse of each prints you will find background information about the person in the portrait, as well as specific items for prayer and activities for
personal reflection.
These cards can be used in two ways:
- for individual prayer and reflection, as part of your personal devotionals or even during a personal retreat.
- as ‘prayer stations’ for a small group. Display the cards around your venue and invite participants to use the prayer activities to engage with each card in turn. Participants also get to take away a small ‘Portraits and Prayer’ leaflet as a reminder.
Tears of Gold is a powerful, creative way to not only pray for the women and girls of the persecuted church, but also to help us all to see ourselves as God sees us – as His precious children, loved, cherished and of inestimable worth.
In each pack:
- Set of 5 portraits and prayer cards, with portraits on the front and prayer activities on the reverse
- 1 Information card about the resource and the work of Open Doors
- Takeaway ‘Portraits and Prayer’ leaflets for use with small groups or prayer groups
- Full instructions for individual or group use
How can you be church, when religious meetings are banned?
How can you learn from God’s Word, when you can’t get a Bible?
How do you worship, when your neighbour – or even the person worshipping next to you – might be a spy?
Millions of Christians across the world must worship in secret. They cannot gather in a church building – because buildings are banned. They don’t have a Bible because it’s too dangerous. They can’t even sing to God in anything above a whisper.
They are the secret church. Their gatherings are dangerous and illegal.
And yet still they dare to meet: under cover of darkness; in caves, forests and cellars; in apartments and houses.
And this is your chance to join them. Just for a while.
What is Secret Church?
Secret Church gives a taste of what it is like to worship with the world’s hidden Christians. It uses approaches from underground church meetings all around the world, ‘translated’ into a session outline for you to use with your group or church.
- Worship in whispers, learn scriptures in secret, pray for hidden believers
- Read stories from secret Christians in places like China, North Korea and Central Asia
- Deliver a full 60-minute session or mix and match activities to suit the time you have available
- Optional extra session helps participants to reflect on their experience.
New for 2023/24: Digital Surveillance Edition
In this new, updated edition, we focus on the issue of digital surveillance. Digital surveillance tools are being used against our persecuted brothers and sisters. But this is not stopping them from reaching out to others and sharing the gospel.
A creative prayer resource for individuals and groups.
Picture the world of the persecuted church,
pray for Christians who pay a price for following Jesus,
reflect on what it means for us to count the cost of faith.
Following Jesus is costly – but worth it. Every day, around the world, our persecuted church family count the cost of following Christ. For many it means discrimination and abuse, for others the loss of home and livelihood, for some it can lead to imprisonment or even death.
And yet they are willing to pay the price, ‘because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 3:8).
Counting the cost is a resource that helps us not only to pray for them, but also to reflect on our own walk with Jesus. Whether it’s gathering together, praying, owning a Bible or simply identifying as a Christian – what price are we willing to pay?
Featuring seven courageous believers, this resource can be used both for individual prayer and reflection, and for small groups and prayer groups. Along with the story, each card features a Bible reflection, ideas for creative prayer and an encouragement to reflect on our own experience.
In the pack
- Seven ‘Portraits and Prayer’ cards on the theme of Counting the Cost
- Instructions for use as both a personal devotional and in group or church settings
- An information card giving more background about the work of Open Doors.
Could you hold a silence for the silenced?
A Silence for the Silenced is a prayer event for hidden Christians.
Christians around the world are being silenced.
They are not free to express their beliefs, even, sometimes to pray or worship together. This is true for Christians in many countries, but nowhere more so than in Afghanistan.
It uses the idea of silence to reflect the way in which Christians in Afghanistan – and in so many places around the world – have had their voices taken away from them.
About A Silence for the Silenced
The event consist of three sections:
Part 1: ‘Losing Our Voice’
An introduction to the situation for secret Christians, with a focus on Christians in Afghanistan.
Part 2: Stations of Silence
A time of silent prayer using prayer stations. Each station has an ordinary object such as a suitcase, a school textbook, some nails. These are all easily obtainable household objects. They are symbolic of something that is happening to Christians around the world. Each station is accompanied by four cards containing a Bible verse, a story, a challenge to ‘imagine’, and ways to pray.
Part 3: ‘Using our voice’
A time to conclude our prayers, reflect on what we have experienced, and explore how we can use our voices and abilities to do more.
What do I need?
All the information – including the cards for the stations – can be found in the free downloadable resource.
When can I do this?
- At any time. Use it as part of your regular church prayer meeting or as a special time of prayer for secret Christians around the world.
- During Ramadan. Holding A Silence for the Silenced prayer event would be a good way of remembering all the Christians for whom Ramadan is a time of extra pressure and anxiety.
- At Easter. The vigil would be a powerful element of a Good Friday or Holy Saturday meditation.
However you choose to use it, we hope that this time of prayer will be a powerful and inspirational time of connection with these courageous Christians.
Videos used during the event
A five-part teaching resource for children’s church and Sunday school
God’s Big Family is a set of five engaging, interactive, fun session outlines for children’s church or Sunday school. It’s based around the idea that each one of us is child of God, and that therefore we are all brothers and sisters.
Aimed at children aged 7-11, the sessions will introduce the children to their church family in Iran, North Korea, Nigeria, and Eritrea.
Each session outline includes two games, a short teaching outline with questions and a video, a craft, a prayer and a take-home resource.
God’s Big Family is a great resource for Sunday School workers, children and family workers, and could even be adapted for all-age services.
- Five ready-to-use session outlines for Sunday school or children’s church
- Each session has games, discussion questions, prayer activities, crafts and videos to watch
WHAT WILL I NEED TO RUN THE SESSIONS?
You will need:
The free session guide.
This contains all the the information you need to run the sessions.
Open Doors Resources for each child
You will need to order copies of the following resources. These are free but please allow plenty of time for delivery.
- A Secret Smuggler booklet for each child
- A World Watch List Children’s Pack for each child. Each pack contains a Prayer Passport and Activity Map. You will also need an additional World Watch List Activity Map to use with the group during the sessions.
Videos for streaming
Each session features a video. You can find links to all the videos can be found under each session below.
Craft and colouring resources
Links to all the downloadable resources can be found below.
GOD’S BIG FAMILY – SESSION BY SESSION
1: God’s Big Family
Resources to Order before the session
Videos used during the session
2: Our Church Family in Iran
Resources to Order before the session
Videos used during the session
3: Our Church Family in North Korea
Videos used during the session
Downloadable resources for the session
4: Our Church Family in Nigeria
Videos used during the session
Craft Activity
Downloadable resources for the session
5: Our Church Family in Eritrea
Videos used during the session
Downloadable resources for the session
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A free, ready-to-use holiday club outline for 7-11 year olds.
Is your church planning a children’s holiday club this year? Why not inspire the children with the story of Brother Andrew, and the courage and boldness of our brothers and sisters in the persecuted church.
The Smuggler’s Suitcase is a free, ready-to-use holiday club outline for 7-11 year olds.
Over the course of five days, the children will ‘travel’ around the world, learning about different countries, and finding out about the adventures of brave persecuted Christians from Iran, North Korea, the countries of Central Asia, and China.
The week begins by introducing Brother Andrew, the founder of Open Doors. Then, each day, he will send a letter and an item in his suitcase to the group, introducing the country for the day and telling a story of someone from that country.
The Smuggler’s Suitcase is a great way to introduce children – both Christians and those who are not from a church background – to the issue of Christian persecution in an appropriate and even fun way.
- Free, ready-to-use holiday club outline for 7-11 year olds.
- Meet brave persecuted Christians from Iran, North Korea, Central Asia, and China.
- Five 2.5 hour session plans with games, activities, crafts, teaching points and much more – everything you need for an exciting, engaging, inspiring holiday club
What’s in the resource?
- Complete ready-to-use session outlines and activity ideas for five 2.5 hour holiday club sessions
- Family-friendly stories from persecuted Christians around the world
- Full leaders ‘scripts’ to help you run the sessions
- Ideas for games, activities, songs and even snacks!
- Detailed lists of all additional materials you need to run the sessions
Who is it for?
The material is most suitable for 7-11 year olds. It has been specifically designed to be suitable for both Christian children and children who may not be from a church background. For children who are already following Jesus, we hope these stories and activities will encourage them in their faith. For children who don’t know Jesus yet, these materials will help them think about why people would be willing to take such big risks for Jesus, and maybe even inspire them to follow Him themselves.
How many children do we need?
Ideally, you need a group of at least 12 children, split into teams of six to eight children with one or two leaders for each team.
What’s the format?
Each day’s activities are designed to last for approximately 2.5 hours. But all timings can be adjusted to suit your group.
What else will we need?
Naturally, you will need to provide materials for craft session, games, etc. But The Smuggler’s Suitcase resource has detailed lists for everything you need.
Also, at the end of the week we suggest giving a copy of Secret Smuggler to each child. You can order free copies in advance of your club.
Download your free Smuggler’s Suitcase today
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Scary soldiers, death-defying dares, bold prayers, true love, and miracles. It’s all there in Secret Smuggler!
Free Secret Smuggler booklet
This 24-page booklet tells the exciting story of Brother Andrew and includes items to spot as you read through as well as suggestions to help children pray, write and raise funds. Packed with fun, charming illustrations, it’s perfect for children, and is great for use at church or at home.
Secret Smuggler Video
Watch the video of the book.
Secret Smuggler teaching materials
Secret Smuggler is one of the resources featured in God’s Big Family – a set of six engaging, interactive, fun session outlines for children’s church, Sunday school or even all-age services. Along with a session focussing on the story of Brother Andrew, God’s Big Family will also introduce children to their church family in Iran, Colombia, North Korea, Nigeria, and Eritrea.
