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Thankfulness Bag

Published on November 21st, 2019

You can make a bag to help you remember the blessings God has provided for His children.

Needed
*Brown or white paper lunch bag
*White glue
*Brown, yellow, red, and orange craft foam
*Twine
*Hole puncher
*5 mm wiggle eyes
*A Bible verse about thankfulness printed or written on thick paper or cardstock
*10 or more 3-by-5 index cards or small cards cut from thick paper or cardstock
*Pen or marker

Instructions
1. Fold down 1¼ inches of the top of the bag to the inside of the bag. Optional: Glue or tape in place.
2. Punch two holes on the front and back of the bag about an inch from the top and an inch to each side of the center of the bag.
3. Form a loop with two lengths of twine. Thread the ends from the outside to the inside of the bag through the holes. Knot and glue the ends on the inside to form handles.
4. Cut the following shapes from the craft foam: 5 teardrop shapes (feathers) approximately 2¼ inches long from 2 or more colors, 1 brown circle about 2½ inches in diameter, 1 brown piece about 1½ inches wide and 1¼ inches tall in the shape of a rounded three leaf clover, 2 feet about an inch wide, a rounded yellow triangle about ¾ inch across at the top and ½ inches tall, and a turkey wattle about ¾ inch long.
5. Glue the ends of the feathers to the back of the larger brown circle. Assemble and glue the remaining pieces and the eyes together as shown in the photo. Glue the Bible verse to the bag.
6. Write one thing you are thankful for on each card. Consider including some of the following.
*I am thankful that nothing can separate us or persecuted Christians from the love of Christ.
*We are thankful for Christians who share the gospel in difficult places.
*Thank God that He never leaves or forsakes those who are suffering.
*Praise God for the “cloud of witnesses” described in the Book of Hebrews.
7. During Thanksgiving week, draw cards out of the bag during mealtimes or devotions
and thank God for the blessings listed on the cards.

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National Bible Week

Published on November 20th, 2019

The week of Thanksgiving is National Bible Week in the United States.

Suggested Group Activities for National Bible Week

In a country where Bibles are hard for some Christians to get, a broadcaster reads parts of the Bible on a radio program. He reads very slowly so listeners can copy the verses by hand. The listeners use the written verses as their “Bible.”

Have someone read Matthew 19:29 out loud very slowly while others in the group write the verse on paper or type it on a computer.

Crossing the Border Game
Guards in some countries also try to keep people from sneaking into their country, especially if they are carrying Bibles. The governments of some countries do not want their citizens to learn about Jesus. Christians in one place found a way to take Bibles into those countries in the winter. Guards near the border looked for footprints in the snow. They sent attack dogs in the direction of the footprints. So the Christians walked backwards in the snow at night to take Bibles into the countries that did not allow Bibles. When border guards looked down at the footprints from their towers in the morning, they sent their search dogs in the wrong direction!

How to Play
Divide into two teams with an equal number of players. Give each team a bag of three or four books. Make a starting line and a finish line several yards apart. Line up the teams behind the starting line. When a leader says, “Go,” the first player on each team walks/runs backwards to the finish line, carrying the bag of books. The player drops the books behind him beyond the finish line. The second player walks/runs backwards to the books, picks them up without turning around, then runs back to the starting line. Play continues until all the players on one team have finished the task. That team wins.

To Discuss
Smuggling Bibles into a country where Christians are persecuted can be risky. Smugglers can be arrested or attacked. They are willing to sacrifice their safety and take the risk. Did anyone have to sacrifice so that you would be able to read the Bible in your language?

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Malaysia and Indonesia: Batik

Published on November 8th, 2019

Batik is a method of applying color and designs to cloth. It is an art form that has been practiced in Malaysia and Indonesia for centuries. Traditional artists use wax on the fabric as part of the process. You can use washable glue to make designs an easier way.

First, use the glue to draw pictures or designs on muslin or other light-colored fabric. Let the glue dry completely. Apply fabric paint in one or more colors where there is no glue. Wash the fabric in the washing machine to remove the glue.

To learn more about Christians in Malaysia and Indonesia, download Bold Believers in Malaysia and Bold Believers in Indonesia from the free Downloads section.

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IDOP Prayer Reminders

Published on November 1st, 2019

Note: The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) is this weekend.

To make clothespin magnets that remind you to pray for persecuted Christians all year long, glue decorations on one side of a clothespin. (Or decorate it with colorful, patterned duct tape.) Attach a piece of peel-and-stick magnetic tape on the other side.

Create decorative labels that include the name of a country where Christians are persecuted. (Or cut out small photos of persecuted Christians from The Voice of the Martyrs newsletters or printed from this site.)

Fasten the labels or photos with the clothespins, and display the clothespins on a refrigerator or another magnetic surface. Change or add to the items as you learn of additional prayer needs. Pray for one of the countries or Christians  on the clothespins during mealtime prayers or at other times when you notice the prayer reminders.

Enter “IDOP” in the Search box to find more IDOP activities, or check the IDOP lesson plans in the Downloads section.

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IDOP Will Be on November 3rd

Published on October 28th, 2019

The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) will be observed on November 3rd this year. You can make plans now to join other Christians across the country in praying for persecuted Christians.

How can you prepare?

*Let your parents, teacher, or children’s/youth pastor know about IDOP, and ask if you can help them prepare to observe it with your class or group.

*Make a list of five to 10 countries where Christians are persecuted. Enter the name of each country in the Search box on this site to find information about some of the struggles faced by Christians in those countries. Or, make a list of persecuted Christians from stories on this site or on prisoneralert.com. List two or three prayer points for each country or Christian.

*Plan to start praying about the prayer points on November 3rd and to continue praying after IDOP. Read below about a way that one family prays for persecuted Christians.

Tamara S. commented on VOM’s Facebook page about how her family prays for persecuted Christians at mealtime: “We have Popsicle sticks in a vase with the names of hostile and restricted nations on them, and some of them have names of imprisoned [Christians] on them,” she said. “We try to draw one every meal at which we sit down together.”

*Tell an adult about IDOP resources for adults available here. Teachers and parents can also find lesson plans for children and youth in the Downloads section of this site.

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