Isolated Church: Week Four – Fear

Grow with God during the COVID-19 lockdown

Week four: Fear…

Fear is something that we have all felt at some point – and if we’re honest, it’s a feeling we can be ashamed of. Some of you will be particularly fearful with all that is going on with COVID-19 right now. You could be fearful about your own health, fearful for your family and friends, or even fearful for your future. So, get downloading and spend the next twenty minutes (see the note on the below if you’re not a big reader), getting inspired and encouraged by stories from our persecuted family who are facing up to fear, by choosing to stand firm in Jesus’ love.

We also know that during this global crisis our church family around the world are in need. The fear we are experiencing is being shared by Christians who are really struggling during this outbreak. In India, many Christians come from poorer communities. Being on lock-down means they can’t work, which means no money for rent or food. Along with fears around health, the fear of not being able to afford food and necessities is very real. And this is where we can help with what we have. Please check out the new coronavirus crisis appeal here, share the link and help your church family around the world. Thank you!

Week four: Reflection download…

Download this little devotional for prayers, stories, activities and some Bible stuff to help you lean into God despite the fear and doubt that you may be experiencing through this crisis! Reading through, with some time to stop, think and pray, shouldn’t take no longer than 20 minutes max, but take your time, we want this stuff to sink in for you! This reflection works alongside the video, so you can either stream it or download a copy…

Download the Isolated Church ‘Fear’ reflection…

Download the Isolated Church ‘Fear’ video…

Short on time? Only got ten minutes?

If you haven’t got loads of time or aren’t a big reader, don’t panic, you can still use the materials. Try this:

  • Download the reflection watch the video and read through the questions in the video section
  • Then read Rasha’s story and think about the questions in that section
  • Finish by praying the final prayer on page 2 of the reflection

Simple.

Week four: Youth leader notes…

We’ve also adapted the reflection above to give you some ideas and content to use in a virtual youth group setting. Have a look at the notes below to see how you can work through the stories, discussion points, prayers and activities with your group in an online chat. You don’t have to use all the material, see what will work for you.

Download ‘Isolated Church: Fear’ leader notes…

If you’d like one of our team to join your youth group via video – we’d love that! We’re often out speaking at Youth Groups and events and would be happy to present a quick thought or devotional to help your group grow through the current crisis. If you’re interested, then drop us a line at youth@opendoorsuk.org…

That’s it for this week. Thanks for checking out the resource. We hope you’ve found it useful, challenging and inspiring. Let us know what you think and tell us any things you’d like us to cover in future weeks too. Drop us a line at youth@opendoorsuk.org – we’d love to hear from you.

Want to access other Isolated Church reflections?

Head to the Isolated Church landing page to download all the reflections we’ve produced so far.

We support people who are beaten, tortured,
imprisoned, falsely accused, and hated simply for following Jesus.