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Save Syria Update

BlackoUt 2014

Social NotworkiNg

a hiStory of violeNce

plUS loadS more…

www.opendoorsyouth.org fB.com/opendoorsyouth @opendoorsyouth

Got the MAG? Tweet us

@opendoorsyouth to let us know what

you think!

How will tHe cHurcH in Syria Survive?

opendoorSyoutH.org/SaveSyria

Civil war is tearing syria apart. the church is on its knees, stuck between two warring sides. Beaten, but not broken.

we believe 500,000 signatures will compel the Un to act, so sign the petition, tell your mates and pray.

Join over 200,000* otHerS and encourage tHe un to act by Signing our petition.

plus you can buy a relief pack for a syrian family for just £4 or grab a save syria t-shirt for just £10 and wear out the message!

*Correct at time of printing

#savesyria13

hello. Welcome to the first edition of ‘the Cost’. We’ve put this little mag together for a few reasons:

We like magazines. Especially little ones with good pictures.

We want to inspire you with stories from people around the world who are courageously following Jesus, no matter what the cost.

We want to encourage you to live out your faith wholeheartedly, using your freedom, voice and prayers to bring hope and life to others.

Around the world there are millions of people who are paying a heavy price for their faith. These aren’t super-hero Christians with special powers. These are normal everyday people. Most of their stories will never be heard, but their faith and commitment to Jesus is legendary. Take, Susan. From Uganda, she was 14 when she became a Christian after hearing an evangelist at her school. A month later her Muslim Dad found out. He was outraged and locked her in a room without food or water. Six months later, after the neighbours got suspicious, the police came and found her. She only survived because her brother secretly bought her food and water. The ordeal took its toll. She was so malnourished she couldn’t stand for weeks afterwards. But now, thanks to an Open Doors contact she has a new, loving family.

Sadly, stories like Susan’s are pretty common. Jesus spoke of the cost of following him (Lk 14v25-26), and today millions of his followers are tragically discovering what he was trying to say. At Open Doors, we’re all about these normal, silent heroes. They are our brothers and sisters, and we’re desperate to support them, but we’re also praying that - like them - you count up the cost and decide that following Jesus with everything you have is more than worth it.

See you soon, hopefully at a Blackout Tour date (see the back page).

the Od Youth team

the coSt / aUtmN 2013 editorial

thE PriCE OF FAith

meet the team…

We like to make things personal at Open Doors Youth. We’re into names and faces, rather than spreadsheets and databases, so here’s who we are. If you want to get in touch, just drop us a line to say hello.

emma W Long-time Open Doors workhorse who heads up the Youth Team (she isn’t actually a horse).

tom B Fitness nuttah who looks after our youth leaders and Advocates, when he’s not getting battered in a game of rugby.

dan e New recruit who’s sorting out all the comms and design, so it’s his fault if you find a spelling mistake (or two).

oUr advocateS

We’ve enlisted the help of 11 advocates for the next 10 months. They’ll be helping us out writing bits for the mag and the website, running events and generally promoting all things Open Doors. You’ll meet a few of them as you flick through the mag.

why am i gettiNg thiS?We’re sending you this as you are super trendy and have signed a petition or mailing list in the last few years. If you’d rather not receive post from us anymore, or if you want to update your details that’s no problem, just email us at inspire@opendoorsuk.org and we’ll do the rest. Don’t panic, we won’t harrangue you with post - we’ll be sending an edition of the mag around twice a year!

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Open Doors YouthPO Box 6, Witney, Oxon, OX29 6WG

Cell +44 (0)1993 777300

desktop www.opendoorsyouth.org Email youth@opendoorsuk.org© Copyright 2013 Open Doors. Registered Charity in England and Wales No. 1125684

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the civil war in Syria is now well into its second year. recently the uN has called it the worst ‘displacement crisis of all time’, which

puts Moses and israel’s flight from Egypt way down the list. the scale is massive. 2 million

refugees, 1 million of which are children. that’s 10% of the population now homeless.

the death rate is soaring, the war intensifying and no clear winner is in sight. And in the

midst of it all is the church. Struggling, beaten, but still shining.

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the coSt / aUtmN 2013 featUre article

SAVE SYriA

the chUrch iS Still oN itS kNeeS

SYriA EVENt! PrAY FOr SYriA iS happeNiNg oN 23rd NovemBer at the kiNgS ceNtre iN oxford. it’S rUNNiNg from 1-5. more detailS at www.OPENdOOrSYOuth.Org

CYPRUSLEBANON

SYRIA

ISRAELJORDAN

TURKEY

IRAQ

IRAQ

SAUDIARABIAEGYPT

The church in Syria has been about since the birth of Christianity. Remember Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus? Christians have been active, and meeting in Syria since day one! But now, the church is on its knees. Pastor Edward from Damascus estimates 30% of Christians have fled the country, and with tensions on the rise, that’s likely to increase. Currently the church is one of the only effective means of providing relief, but it’s not just aid that’s at stake. Without a church we know that Syria will lose much more than effective humanitarian programmes.

We’ve been running the Save Syria campaign since the start of the summer and we’ve been amazed by the response. Around the world over 200,000 people have signed the petition and we’re hoping to increase that massively by the end of November to encourage the UN to act. You’ve been praying and playing your part by buying tees, sending relief packs and donating money to send Bibles. The impact has been amazing – 8,000 Syrian families are now being supported by Open Doors on a regular basis!

chemical weapoNS

The situation on the ground has recently scaled up a level too. The chemical weapons attack just outside Damascus has seen the world’s governments turned their attention to Syria. Positively it looks as though this intervention will reduce the likelihood of any further horrific chemical attacks.

But, the situation is massively complex. There’s genuine opposition to the existing regime, alongside extremist Islamic groups.

Christians are stuck in the middle, praying for peace, but harassed and targeted by both sides who are trying to gain power and influence.

The situation is more severe in different places, but we know that many Christians are defiantly choosing to stay. They are doing all they can to support their communities. This Pastor explained to us why he was staying:

“They advise me to leave my country, to emigrate. I respond saying: I’m staying for the church of

Jesus ... that the message of Jesus may remain a light guiding those who are lost and afraid. I’m staying because the harvest is plentiful and the suffering is huge. I’m staying to follow in the footsteps of my Master who went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil. I’m staying because I’m busy in the ministry of saving souls”

words like that highlight just what is at stake. we have to act now. how will the church in Syria survive if we don’t?

what yoU caNdo Now…

1 Tell everyone you know to sign the Save Syria petition online

2 Buy a tee (see back page) and wear out the message

3 Send a relief pack (from just £4) to provide essentials to a family for a week or month

read more...

SigN the petitioN aNd get iNvolved at www.opendoorsyouth.org/savesyria

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the coSt / aUtmN 2013 featUre article

SAVE SYriA

the chUrch iS Still oN itS kNeeS

Pray Now! Chrstians are choosing to stay in Syria. Please pray for them. Ask God to give them boldness to

speak of - and act out - His love. Ask for support for

the wounded, hungry, sick and frightened.

Ask for hope.

200,000worldwide supporters

of the campaign

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the coSt / aUtmN 2013 featUre article

SAVE SYriA

PrAY with uS! we’re holdiNg the PrAY FOr SYriA eveNt oN 23rd NovemBer at the kiNgS ceNtre iN oxford. it’S rUNNiNg from 1-5. more detailS at www.OPENdOOrSYOuth.Org

what’s your name,age and where areyou from?

Hollie Coombes. 18 from Hatfield, just north of London.

why get involved with open doors?

I’m getting involved because OD has opened my eyes to the suffering of my brothers and sisters who are being persecuted all over the world. I feel that I have a duty to do something about their suffering and help them in any way I can.

hopes for the next 10 months?

Oh tricky one there are lots! Erm to make new friends at Moorlands Bible College and to see God move in more exciting and miraculous ways than I ever thought possible.

fave Bible verse?

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. ”Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”2 Corinthians 12v9:10. I think it is such a powerful and inspiring verse.

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iNtrodUciNg aN AdVoCAte 2,339

signed the petition at soul survivor

900signed the petition onlinewww.opendoorsyouth.org

250save syria tees sold

£8,000has been raised and spent on relief packs and Bibles

for syrian families

200people prayed at late nightprayer sessions for syria at

soul survivor

918retweets on twitter

7,800Likes on facebook

8,000families that are being

regularly supported by open doors in syria

2 Millionpeople (and rising) have

been displaced by the crisis

1 Millionchildren now considered

as refugees

60%christians have now

fled the country

Joining

over...

over...

But we’re not finished yet as...

do soMethInG noW:give

£4 can provide a relief pack for a Syrian family.

prayPray for peace, strength and

for the church to shine its light.

hoW YoU’Ve Been heLPInG!

SYRIA

IRAQ

TURKEY

JORDAN

LEBANON

ISRAEL

Damascus

Dar’a

Latakia

Aleppo

Homs

what’s your name and where are you from?

My name is Ramy. I am 26 years old. I am from Aleppo, a city in the north of Syria.

how do you keep intouch with family?

Social Networking is a great tool to keep in touch with people abroad. For the case of Syria, it’s quite hard because the internet could go off for a few weeks and there’s a complete blackout from communicating via social media, in addition to the phones.

I find it really difficult during these times trying to contact my family or friends, especially when I see the news and the crazy situation over there. I want to make sure that everything is OK with my family, but I can’t. It makes me feel like a spot of darkness that is isolated from any source of light.

what are the biggestchallenges for youngerpeople in syria?

Young Syrians are having to deal with the unfolding economic and political future. There’s also some pretty big spiritual and psychological battles too. Finding a job or continuing to study have both become very difficult, especially when some are now trying to provide for their families (after the death/arrest of their fathers.) Most would jump at the chance to leave if the opportunity arises, hoping to find a safe refuge for their families and the chance to find a job or continue studying. On the other hand a lot of church leaders have realized that many people are asking questions about God and his goodness in the midst of what’s happening. Interestingly, this spiritual challenge draws a lot of people closer to God again - though it does make a lot of other people doubt too.

is the church stillactive?

The Church is still active, and some churches are probably more active than before. Relief work has become an essential part of church work, and through that a lot of people are encountering God. Saying that,

church services are slightly different, the crisis affects everything, from sermons to prayers – there has been a big increase in praying and fasting, especially for the nation.

what are the bestthings to pray for?

• MoreofGod’sintervention,because that’s the only thing that can give people hope and a new sense of life.

• Forleaderstohavewisdomand mercy, so we will see peace in our country soon.

• FortheChurchtostaystrong and faithful. That it will be able to play its essential role in the nation at this time. And also for God to raise up Christians leaders who will walk with the people through their grief offering support and counselling when needed.

what do you hope thefuture holds?

My hope is that my country will be held by God, not by the power of evil. Many lives have been sacrificed, so my hope is that the memory of those we have lost would help us build a new society of justice and freedom between a reconciled people.

the coSt / aUtmN 2013 featUre article

SAVE SYriA/thE rEAlitY 7

Share the word aBoUt what’S happeNiNg iN Syria By USiNg the haShtag #SAVESYriA13. foLLow us @opendoorsyouth

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what life iS really like iN a war ZoNe

hoW YoU’Ve Been heLPInG!

giviNg the voiceleSS a voice

We might think of our Facebook posts as just a way to keep up with our mates, but really a massive revolution has taken place over the last decade. It’s hard to overstate just how big an impact the internet has had. Really. Though you might have pretty much grown up with it, being able to post your thoughts, opinions and views online to a worldwide audience was unthinkable just 15 years ago. Back then, news was managed by limited, influential groups and some things could easily (maybe intentionally) be ignored or overlooked.

You might not remember, but there was a time before the internet. this was before emails, when people wrote letters and used typewriters.

Crazy huh? how did anyone ever get anything done? but the internet, and more recently social networking aren’t just about efficiency and speed, they are essentially about information. And in today’s world,

everyone, rather than a select few, is generating a massive amount of it. today, thanks to twitter, Facebook and Youtube, everyone can have

a voice, no matter where they are in the world or what their beliefs are.

But not so much today. In countries where people’s freedom has been limited and website use monitored, social networking has helped give a lifeline to new ideas and spark revolutions. Sites like Facebook and YouTube played a massive role in the Arab Spring, a series of uprisings that saw old authoritarian governments ousted from power in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and the Yemen. Videos, tweets and blog posts showing state violence and injustice could be uploaded within minutes of offences taking place. In the case of Egypt, these quickly made their way onto Western news channels and helped heap

political and internal pressure on the Egyptian government. News and information could no longer be controlled by the authorities. In this sense social networking has - and is - giving a voice to the voiceless.

the voice of theperSecUted

At the moment, there are around 100 million Christians in over 60 countries around the world whose voices are being restricted in one way or another.* Whether it’s a total blackout of the Church as in North Korea, or increasing limitations on Christianity as in parts of the Arab world,

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*viSit www.OPENdOOrSYOuth.Org/Our-StOrY fiNd oUt more aBoUt coUNtrieS where followiNg JeSUS iS met with aBUSe, reStrictioNS or worSe.

Social notWoRKInG

the coSt / aUtmN 2013 featUre article

SOCiAl NOtwOrKiNg

the coSt / aUtmN 2013 featUre article

SOCiAl NOtwOrKiNg 9

read more...

viSit oUr faceBook page to get UpdateS aBoUt to get regUlar prayer UpdateS aBoUt the SitUatioN faciNg the chUrch iN egypt aNd the middle eaSt: Fb.COM/OPENdOOrSYOuth

Social notWoRKInG

followers of Jesus are finding they are being silenced. But, in some cases, the internet offers a way for these communities to share stories, encourage each other and let the wider world know what’s going on.

It’s been two and a half years since the revolution in Egypt, and things have since turned pretty sour. Many Egyptians became sceptical of the newly elected government, and with the military stepping in, the tensions are now at a continual boiling point.

Christians in the country are accused by supporters of the ousted Muslim Brotherhood

regime of being part of the conspiracy, and churches, along with other public buildings, have been attacked, burnt and destroyed.

In the midst of the struggle, Christian leaders have been tweeting, blogging and sharing their stories online. We can’t share too much as we could potentially put their lives in danger, but their updates have fuelled specific prayer and provided examples of abuse to inform government and other human rights pressure groups.

what’s your name,age and where areyou from?

Rebecca Jenkins, 17, from Surrey

why get involved withopen doors?

I’ve been passionate about Open Doors since my Gran bought me the book God’s Smuggler when I was 11! It’s grown from there really: I know I’m so blessed to have the freedom to openly be a Christian but I don’t want to take that freedom for granted: I want to use this opportunity to really make a difference for our brothers and sister across the world who aren’t so fortunate.

hopes for the next 10 months?

To have had lots of opportunities to share information about the persecuted church with my church and CU. And to keep drawing closer to God, especially throughout Uni applications, and hopefully with some offers at the end of it! (Unless God has something different in mind...)

fave Bible verse?

“Be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10 Whenever things threaten to overwhelm me, I always turn to this verse to remind me God is in control! It’s got me through so much and is the verse that helps me to just relax in His presence.

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Pray Now! There’s been increasing unrest in Egypt, with

churches and Christian businesses targeted. Pray for peace, for protection,

the comfort and guidance of the Holy Spirit and for

the Church to shine its light!

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eNJoyiNg the mag? tell US what yoU thiNk. twEEt uS @OPENdOOrSYOuth

getting bored of tweeting your mood or typing what you got up to last night rather than saying it out loud? try some of these little retro tips to put a bit of real life social in your networking:

Like it:Grab some post it notes, write ‘Like’ on them, and stick them on the things and people you actually do like.

Social networking comes to life!1 2

The reality of the situation in Egypt is really forced home when you scan this post:

“Every new day is a challenge for me, my family and my fellow brothers and sisters; the church of Egypt. We do not know what to expect… Lord, we are tired from the news of street fights between the good and the bad, and even between the bad and the bad. At the end, it is humans whom Jesus died for, who are paying the bill of the ungodly political and false religious struggles.

Show Yourself, Jesus, to these people, in dreams and visions so they may meet with You and the miracle may happen; the miracle that only You, Jesus, are able to perform

in their lives; saving them from their misery”.

This is the voice of the voiceless in Egypt. And with words like this it’s easy to pray passionately alongside our Egyptian brothers and sisters.

UNto death achriStiaN

But for the majority of persecuted Christians it’s not as simple as just getting online and sharing their thoughts. To do so comes at a massive cost. Internet monitoring is common in places where Christians are persecuted, and so is punishment for publicly airing contentious religious views.

There’s one shocking story of a teenager called Fatima that we’ve heard recently. Living in a Muslim country, Fatima became

a Christian as a teenager and as a response started secretly blogging under an alias which translates as the word ‘contented’. In response to the massive amount of abuse generated by her blog posts she wrote the following message:

‘The messiah says blessed are the persecuted, and by God I am, unto death, a Christian’.

Not long after this, she told her family of her choice to follow Jesus. An argument broke out. The next day, her brother stormed into her room. Fatima found him sitting on top of her laptop. There on the desktop were her writings, her thoughts and her prayers. He’d seen them all. He was angry. She managed to lock herself in her room and wrote what would be

post it (the old school way):Draw a picture, surround it with words or even write a message to a mate and post it to them Royal Mail style. A real physical letter has a whole lot more thought put into it than a quick email!

the coSt / aUtmN 2013 featUre article

SOCiAl NOtwOrKiNg

USe theSe tipS dUriNg BlackoUt to help yoU raiSe moNey By goiNg 24-48 hoUrS withoUt fB or twitter! oUr 21St ceNtUry SpoNSored faSt iS oN 28th-30th march. See the advert over the page for more...

gather your friends: Throw a party, but invite your friends – the real ones, not the 259 you have on Facebook that you’ve never really met (and who could turn out to be a little weird or nutty).

sketch it: Having a lot of fun and want to show people? Forget Instagram, everyone uses the same filters anyway and everyone’s images look the same. Just draw your experience and show everyone your sketches.

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the coSt / aUtmN 2013 featUre article

SOCiAl NOtwOrKiNg

her final blog asking for prayer. Not long after, her brother returned. He burned her face, her back, cut out her tongue and killed her. That was her brother.

Shocking. And all because of some blog posts. Her freedom to express her views cost her everything. Fatima used her voice to speak truth. She wrote of hope, love and compassion. She explained who Jesus is, and as a result, was killed by her own family.

caN oUr voice Be heard?

How can we respond to that at all? It’s insane when you think about it, and we hope would never happen in the UK. But it highlights that our ability to post, tweet and share online shouldn’t be taken lightly. For Fatima,

and for the Egyptian pastor mentioned above, the decision to share their voice online is one that has a massive cost attached.

So what does that mean for us? We can tweet almost whatever we want, as many times as we want per day. We can share our opinions and even occasionally our faith without fear of anything more than a few negative comments. And we should be really grateful for that freedom.

But the lesson from Fatima and the Egyptian pastor is more than just about us appreciating our freedom. It’s about using everything we have to make our voices heard above the din of everything else. As followers of Jesus we have a distinctive, compelling, ground-breaking, earth shattering message of love that is changing the world

- and our voices as well as our actions, hopes and dreams should be infused with that message. It’s not as simple as writing a Bible passage on your timeline, but about being genuine, loving our friends and the people we meet in ways that make a difference and really do show Jesus. A revolution might start online with a series of tweets or posts, but it ends in the real world, with real actions. That’s the only way we’ll really make our voices heard.

act Now

Take part in blACKOut, our 21st Century fast, and make a big noise for the persecuted church by keeping quiet on social networks for a weekend. See over the page for more info but you can start planing and raising money for Christians like Fatima today.

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go to a real life event!Don’t just hang out online, get out to some real events. Why not start with our ‘Pray for Syria’ Event on 23rd November at the Kings Centre in Oxford? There will be time to worship, hear from the Church in Syria and plenty of prayer!

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got yoUr owN aNSwerS to theSe QUeStioNS? twEEt uS @OPENdOOrSYOuth with YOur rESPONSES!

what are your social networks of choice?

We use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

how often do you post?

We try to have some sort of tour info, update, thought for the day, or picture go up most days - although we are pretty terrible at keeping the record!

if someone checked out your profile,what impression do you hope theywould come away with (if any)?

I would hope that we portray a little of who we are and why we do what we do. We are all about people and community, and we are all about living for Jesus and ensuring He is at the centre of what we do. It is also our role as worship leaders to encourage the church, and we try to do this by being real, sharing our thoughts and struggles, so we can stand in solidarity with other members of the body of Christ and encourage each other.

does your profile match the real you?

I think our social media represents us well, although Gareth uses slightly more exclamation points in posts than in real life.

any bad experiences?

Aside from the fact that it can become an addiction for some people! I think it is great that we can connect very easily with the church via social media, although as leaders we open ourselves up to the criticism of others. Social networking gives a platform for people to encourage us in our ministry, but also gives a platform for people to tear down what they don’t agree with. Sometimes a few words can hurt quite a lot!

what’s the best use of socialnetworking you’ve ever heard of?

I’m always inspired when someone with a huge platform uses it to encourage others, and not to self promote or inflate their ego. I am also really encouraged to be able to read stories or hear from people who have been blessed by our ministry. Social networking provides that opportunity, and it is of incredible valuable to know that people are meeting with Jesus through what we do.

do you have any personal principlesthat govern what you would andwouldn’t post?

If the post brings glory to something or someone other than God, it’s not worth it.

getting Social with

thE rENd collective

the coSt / aUtmN 2013 iNterview

SOCiAl MEdiA ANd thE rENd

we caught up with Patrick from the rend Collective to chat through the bands approach to using social media.

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Take parT in our 21sT CenTury FasT and make a massive noise by keeping quieT

For Those risking iT all For Jesus.

Christians around the world are living in horrifically hostile places. They are beaten,

abused, tortured, victimised and accused just because of their faith. They have no voice. They are the hidden victims of persecution.

So, blaCkouT for up to 48 hours for them. Turn off Facebook, Twitter, your phone, the TV and pray for the persecuted. Get sponsored

to keep quiet and raise money for the churches and projects Open Doors supports in countries where Christians don’t have the

same freedom to follow Jesus as we do.

more inFo?Check out opendoorsyouth.org

for guides, videos and much more...

the coSt / aUtmN 2013 article

A hiStOrY OF ViOlENCE

since day one, those who have chosen to follow Jesus have suffered as a result of their choice. there are good reasons to believe that Jesus was a pacifist, so it’s sometimes hard to believe that his church has faced nearly two thousand years of beatings, abuse, ridicule and social shame.

a history of

ViOlENCE

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YoU CAn PRAY… Head to opendoorsyouth.org or follow us on Twitter/FB to read stories and get regular updates that will fuel your prayers.

Ad: 614: Jewish/Persian wars saw up to 60,000 Christians killed in Jerusalem and across the empire as Christians became caught between various sides.

Fast forward 1500 years and the last century hasn’t been any more peaceful. Persecution of Christians has been on the rise, so much so that it sparked Brother Andrew to respond to God’s call and begin the work of Open Doors.

noW… Thousands of Christians are thought to be killed every year because of their belief in Jesus. Over 10% of the world’s Christians live in places where they aren’t able to fully practice their faith without fear of reprisals. It’s easy to see why Christians are considered the most persecuted group on earth.*

here’S Some of thelowlightS:

Ad 30-33: Jesus’ crucifixion

Ad 33: Stephen stoned to death (Acts 7)

Ad 67-68: Paul and Peter martyred under the reign of Roman Emperor Nero

Ad 150: The Persecution in Lyon indicates a wider trend with mob violence, assaults, robberies and stonings directed at Christians.

Ad 173: onwards: Emporer Maximinus Thrax targets Christian leaders across the empire

Ad 284: onwards: Emporer Diocletian starts the ‘Great Persecution’ where up to 20,000 Christians are thought to have been killed.

Ad 341: Zoroastrian Shapur II orders the massacre of all Christians in the Persian Sassanid Empire. condemining 1,150 Assyrian Christians to death.

But then, with a history like ours, maybe that is something we shouldn’t be so surprised about. Just think about it. The basis of Christianity is the cross; the death and resurrection of Jesus. Even if we ignore Jesus’ warnings about the cost of following him, we can’t ignore that his death indicates he was a pretty controversial character. Killed by those who saw him as a challenge to their power base and theological understanding, Jesus’ death was brutal. And since then, there’s been a relentless, unstoppable flow of abuse against those who’ve called themselves Christians.

*fiNd oUt which coUNtrieS are the harSheSt placeS for chriStiaNS to live at: www.OPENdOOrSYOuth.Org/Our-StOrY

Pray Now! 81 Christians were killed

by a suicide bomb outside a church in Pakistan in September. Pray for the Church to heal, to show Jesus and for peaceful

relations between Christians and

Muslims.

give to OPEN dOOrS

open doors provides support and practical relief to christians living out their faith in some pretty harsh places - places where following Jesus puts them at risk of persecution. sadly, we currently work in over 60 countries, including syria and north Korea. if you’d like to support this work, please fill out the details below or visit: www.opendoorsyouth.org/give

name

address

post code

date of birth

email address

phone number

gift amount

card number

name on card

start date

security code

expiry date

card type

want a tee? Min £10 donation

Save Syria: wEAr it Out

send compLeted forms to... opeN doorS yoUth po Box 6, witNey, oxoN, ox29 6wg

£4

£7

£16

the coSt / aUtmN 2013 SUpport opeN doorS

gEt A tEE/giVE 15

one way you can get involved and support the save syria campaign is to grab one of our awesome tees.

These went down a storm over the summer at Soul Survivor, and not only are they a quality, limited edition bit of attire, but they are also a way you can spread the word about what’s happening to the Church in Syria.

Each tee is available for a minimum donation of £10, which will go towards providing practical relief and spiritual support to Christians in Syria. Of course, you can give more.

Extra will provide an emergency relief package, including enough food for one person for a week.

Extra will provide a Bible, the gift of hope and faith.

Extra will support a family for a week.

Just fill out the form opposite and we’ll process your donation and/or get a tee out to you asap.Thanks for the support.

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ug1305

over 100 million Christians around the world are living in horrifically hostile places. They are beaten, abused, tortured, victimised and accused just because of their faith in Jesus.

daTes*

🚍 5th Jan: The Mix Youth Event, Bristol

🚍 7th-9th Feb: Regional Youth Event, Hull

🚍 16th Feb: Trinity Youth, Trinity Church,

Cheltenham🚍 18th-20th Feb: One Life Conference.

(South), Chorleywood

how yoU are gettiNg thE wOrd Out

running an event, doing some fundraising or got yourseLf an od tee? let US kNow! SeNd US Some SNapS. yoUth@opeNdoorSUk.org

the teeS are tAKiNg OVEr!

Star SUpporterS sAM And

LUKe

GAReth & the BeARd from the

reNd

BBQ-InG BReAKFAst

at SoUl SUrvivor

LBC YoUth’s AWesoMeSave Syria cake Sale

fB.com/opendoorsyouth@opendoorsyouth

PLUs! PRAY FoR sYRIA Saturday 23rd Nov

1.00-5.00pmKings Centre, Oxford

*More dates TBC

They have no voice. They are hidden

victims. Silenced. They are being singled

out. Blacked out. Their story is rarely, if

ever, told. so, we’re going To Tell iT.

Join us to pray, spend time in worship

and hear some jaw dropping stories

from followers of Jesus who are

courageously living out their faith in

the harshest settings. Be inspired, be

challenged, be changed. Check the

dates* and we’ll see you there!

more inFo aT:www.opendoorsyouth/blackout

LIKed the MAG? Tweet us

@opendoorsyouth to let us know what

you thought!