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A CHURCH PASSIONATE FOR THE PERSECUTED

How can the pastor of a "typical" church of 200 engage his congregation in the plight of the persecuted church? Pastor Greg Cochran of Cedar Grove (KY) Baptist Church wrestled with that question when he became convinced that Satan was trying to tarnish God's glory by persecuting believers. As Cochran's personal passion for the suffering church grew, he wanted to integrate concern for persecuted believers into every aspect of his church's life.

Consistently presenting the plight of the persecuted
Cochran believes it is essential to provide constant verbal reminders. He estimates that one-half to two-thirds of his Sunday morning messages or announcement times in some way refer to the persecuted church.

Providing bite-sized opportunities for involvement
Every December the church challenges individuals to help persecuted Christians overseas. A short presentation highlights the need each Sunday of that month. One year it was a "Blankets of Love" project which resulted in the donation of over 135 new or used blankets for Sudanese refugees.

Another year, the project was "Action Packs" for believers in Iraq. Five dollars purchased a special vacuum bag with zip-lock closure. Families were encouraged to shop together for items such as towels, mittens and toys to include in the bag.

In January of each year, the church has a men's cake bake. Designed as a fun, all-church event, it also raises money for the persecuted church. Last year it provided $440 for Bibles for the Hmong people of Vietnam.

Financial support for the persecuted
Cedar Grove supports 15 pastors in restricted-access nations. Their $25/month contribution allows these pastors to spend more time spreading the gospel and ministering to Christians in hostile areas.

The finances do not come from the missions budget; individuals and groups creatively raise the resources. For example, the leaders of the church-sponsored softball league increased the players' participation fees to cover the annual cost for one pastor. Before every game, the teams also pray for the persecuted church.

One couple in the congregation decided to support a pastor as their Christmas gift to each other. The Awana program supports a pastor in Sudan through weekly offerings and selling cookies. Enthusiasm has been so high that they have raised enough money to cover their contribution for the next 30 months!

Praying for the persecuted
The church also participates in the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church scheduled annually on the second Sunday of November. However, instead of highlighting the day with just their own members, the church invites other congregations for a Sunday evening combined service with a special speaker.

During July and August, each of the church's small groups intercede weekly for a persecuted pastor. Specifics about individuals under persecution can be found on the Internet from organizations such as Barnabas Fund, Compass Direct and Prisoner Alert.

As a result of all this emphasis on the persecuted church, the congregation voted to change their constitution to read: Persecution Priority. The overseers should coordinate and promote work on behalf of the persecuted and suffering church around the world in order to establish the local church in its proper global context and glorify Christ (Hebrews 13:3).

The church benefits too
Does such a focus have practical benefits to the congregation? According to Cochran, it has minimized pettiness. "It is hard to argue about the color of our carpet," he explains, "when you realize that many churches in the world don’t even have a place to meet."

How to begin
The leaders of Cedar Grove offer three ideas for those who want to initiate a similar focus:

• Pray, asking God what He wants you to do.
• Study your identity as part of the body of Christ. Find out what the Scriptures say on this topic.
• Begin by supporting persecuted pastors. It is a practical way to engage your people.

Contact Greg Cochran at doccochran@yahoo.com.
Prisoner behind bars photo courtesy of www.persecution.com.
 

Visit these websites for additional resources and opportunities for ministry to the persecuted.

• International Day of Prayer / www.idop.org
• Voice of the Martyrs / www.persecution.com
• World Evangelical Alliance, Religious Liberty Commission /
  www.worldevangelical.org/rlc
• Miscellaneous websites /
  www.mislinks.org/practical/persecuted.htm

Would you like more suggestions on how to stimulate your church's concern for Christian brothers and sisters who are suffering for their faith? Here are 21 additional Great Ideas.

This short drama will introduce your congregation to dilemmas faced by persecuted believers.

How have you creatively used a brief "Moment for Missions" time during your worship service for significant global impact?

An upcoming issue of Synergy Newsletter will introduce the best ideas suggested by our readers. Email us at comments@dualreach.org, and tell us how you used 3-5 minutes in your worship service to effectively present missions.